International day of the older person

 As you may know, October 1 is designated the International Day of Older Persons across the world.  (On December 14, 1990, the United Nations General Assembly designated October 1 as the International Day of Older Persons.)  The theme of the 2020 commemoration is “Pandemics:  Do They Change How We Address Age and Ageing?”. 

The following is from the United Nations page on the International Day of Older Persons.

Pandemics: Do They Change How We Address Age and Ageing?

The year 2020 marks the 75th Anniversary of the United Nations and the 30th Anniversary of the International Day of Older Persons. This year has also seen an emergence of COVID-19, which has caused upheaval across the world. Considering the higher risks confronted by older persons during the outbreak of pandemics such as COVID-19, policy and programmatic interventions must be targeted towards raising awareness of their special needs. Recognizing older person contributions to their own health and the multiple roles they play in the preparedness and response phases of current and future pandemics is also important.

 This year has also been recognized as the “Year of the Nurse and Midwife”. International Day of Older Persons 2020 will highlight the role of the health care workforce in contributing to the health of older persons, with special recognition of the nursing profession, and a primary focus on the role of women - who are relatively undervalued and in most cases inadequately compensated.

 The 2020 observance will also promote The decade of Healthy Ageing (2020-2030) and help bring together UN experts, civil society, government and the health professions to discuss the five strategic objectives of the Global Strategy and Action plan on Ageing and Health while noting the progress and challenges in their realization. The global strategy is well-integrated into the Sustainable Development Goals ( SDGs), while ageing issues cut across the 17 goals, especially Goal 3 which aims to “ensure healthy lives and promote the well-being of all at all ages”. As stated by Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (Director-General, WHO) “acting on the strategy, is a means for countries to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and ensure that every human being regardless of age will have an opportunity to fulfill their potential in dignity and equality”

The 2020 theme aims to:

Inform participants about the strategic objectives for the Decade of Healthy Ageing.

Raise awareness of the special health needs of older persons and of their contributions to their own health and to the functioning of the societies in which they live.

Increase awareness and appreciation of the role of the health care workforce in maintaining and improving the health of older persons, with special attention to the nursing profession

Present proposals for reducing the health disparities between older persons in the developed and developing countries, so as to “Leave no one behind”.

Increase understanding of the impact of COVID-19 on older persons and its impact on health care policy, planning, and attitudes

Trust, Generosity and Love

In both relationships and life, trust begets trust. Easy to say but how easy is it to do, and what does it really mean?

The only way to make a man trustworthy is by trusting him. And the easiest way to make him untrustworthy is to mistrust him and show your mistrust. In all good relationships, particularly between partners, friends, and family the most important ingredient is mutual trust. How do you show someone that you trust them?

Trust, is all about the relationship, and what it takes to create, build, and maintain mutually beneficial working relationships.

Trust isn't a belief about reliability or dependability, nor glue that "makes things possible." Rather, trust is an active process of relationship building. Giving trust is what people do who want to enable engagement, innovation, creativity, and great work.

We have all heard or read that trust begets trust but this has been proven experimentally that if you trust people, you make them more trustworthy and, conversely, sanctions designed to deter people from cheating actually make them cheat.

Here are three trust building approaches to get you started:

1.     Commit to the relationship. Love doesn't thrive because you're in an exclusive relationship, and neither does trust. Effectively handling setbacks, ongoing communication, nurturing each others' strengths, dealing with differences, and making a continuous commitment to the relationship allows authentic trust (and love) to flourish.

2.     Focus on what's going right. A common trust building mistake is spending energy to fix what's wrong or focusing collectively when only a few are causing problems. Instead, identify and reinforce what's going right. Put your attention on getting more of the behaviors and actions you desire. When you reinforce what's going well, you get more of it.

3.     Start the process. Trust is an action. Trust starts because you give it and evolves incrementally over time by actions taken and given. It's not a blank check or on/off switch. Think of authentic trust building like turning up a dimmer switch. You gradually turn the light brighter to fit the relationship. It you turn it up too bright, you can turn it down and adjust the level. Giving trust is like that.

Generosity begets generosity, is from the Bible, Mark 4:25 and refers to the idea that we need to share what we have and when we do, we will be rewarded for those deeds. So, this thought expresses the idea that when we do good things, the resources will be there for us to complete the good deed. As we share what we have and what we receive, our generosity will be rewarded.

Love begets love. If you show it, you will feel it. If you give it, you will receive it.” A quote by Elizabeth Bourgeret

We are all alive and that means we change. We change from day to day, and the reason we change is because of the ideas we experience. Life teaches me that I'm able to make changes. Changes that I want to happen, not just those who just happens without me even noticing it.

But it's easier to make those unseen changes, those that comes with you going with the flow, not thinking much about how you present yourself, or how you interact, or what you do. It's harder when you have to track your progress, ask yourself some tough questions, really find your own voice.

 

A simple yet fact, but one that many people do not understand, to make others love you, you've got to love yourself. To make others appreciate you, you've got to appreciate yourself. Every change starts from within, why not start with adding some love for yourself. Love begets love. Be the spark, especially when it's dark.

ZOOMING

 I belong to a group called Longevity explorers which is a group of seniors who explore different aspects of technology use as we age. The last ZOOM meeting we had was about Tech-support; Learning about Tech; Helping Others with Tech. We were asked the following questions to prepare

1.    Do you have trouble keeping all your technology running?

2.    Do you find constant updates a challenge?

3.    Do you wonder how to learn about new tech?

4.    Do you find yourself helping friends with tech and wonder if there is a "better way"?

The meeting included 16 of us, seniors from all over the United States and we discussed the issues in a thoughtful and interesting manner. Patience and the willingness to make a fool of yourself were two of the items that struck me as important as we help those who do not understand technology but want to understand.

The past months proved that technology could keep us connected more than ever before. All seniors have smartphone that can keep us together with our family even while we are staying at home.

1. Messaging– the first way we can stay in touch is through messaging. We can reach out with a simple text message or even send pictures and videos. You can create or join multiple messaging groups through the Messages app in your phone or other apps like Facebook Messenger, Viber and WhatsApp. Doing this can allow us to remain in contact with our family, colleagues, and friends, never missing on any important updates!

2. Video calling– other than a traditional phone call, a great way to connect with someone from a distance is through a video call. Hearing their voice and seeing their face is the closest way to feel together with our loved ones currently. Just like with messaging, we can also do a group video call, seeing many faces in one call and hearing stories from one another.

As we are still recovering from the pandemic, Canadians depend on video calls to stay connected. Many apps can do this service such as Facetime Zoom, Google Duo, Facebook Messenger.

The problem is that many of us who are using Video Conferencing are facing burnout and want to see people in person and I hope this ability comes sooner than later.

Alzheimer’s month

 As September is Alzheimer’s month and this is an important concern for many of my age, I found an article by Interim HealthCare that I found interesting. I hope you do as well.

It's quite common for people to use Alzheimer's and dementia interchangeably. For family members and others who love individuals suffering from one of these debilitating conditions, the nuances may seem trivial. In fact, the notion of "understanding Alzheimer's vs. dementia" may seem almost unnecessary or confusing in and of itself. But when battling either of these conditions, knowledge IS power.

It's understandable that so many people think -- and worry about -- Alzheimer's. It's the sixth-highest cause of death in America, with over 120,000 deaths per year.

September is World Alzheimer's Awareness Month, which presents the perfect opportunity to succinctly clear up any confusion or misconceptions around Alzheimer's vs. dementia. Most importantly, understanding the differences can help you better understand your loved one and provide better care.

Understanding Alzheimer's vs. Dementia: The Definitions

This is a tricky topic to break into similarities and differences, which you would ordinarily see in this type of post. That's because the term "dementia" is more of a general term than a disease unto itself. Dementia is a term that's applied to any cognitive decline that impacts daily life. It represents a combination of symptoms that impact areas like memory, emotions, thinking and more.

While some cognitive decline can often be attributed to the natural progression of age; however, dementia is NOT a normal sign of ageing.

There are many different types of dementia, and they are caused by many different things. There is even Mixed Dementia, which literally means more than one type of dementia is impacting the brain.  This is where Alzheimer's comes into play.

Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia.

Alzheimer's disease was first identified by Dr. Alois Alzheimer over 100 years ago -- in 1906! Dr. Alzheimer recognized the two primary indicators of the disease. First, plaque deposits that are scattered throughout the brain and are ultimately toxic to it. Second, tangles that interfere with the brain's processes, and which eventually "choke" living brain cells. As the disease progresses and more brain cells die, parts of the brain shrink as a result.

Dementia symptoms result from plaque deposits and tangles, getting progressively worse over time as more brain cells are killed. Early in the disease, the part of the brain associated with learning new things is damaged, learning to forgetfulness and many of the common symptoms most often associated with Alzheimer's disease. Eventually, individuals with Alzheimer's have more severe symptoms, including difficulty sleeping, swallowing, and walking.

While there are some medications and treatments that can address some of the symptoms of Alzheimer's, there is sadly no cure, nor is there any way to slow down its progress.

Some forms of dementia may respond to treatment; however, dementia is not reversible in most cases.

For families and individuals facing Alzheimer's and other dementias, extra help can be especially critical in your battle. Since Alzheimer's and dementia are progressive, your ability to provide everything for your loved ones becomes more and more difficult and enacts more of a toll on you and your own health.

Here at Interim HealthCare, we offer specialized Alzheimer's home health care services for those who are fighting Alzheimer's and dementia. Working with you and your loved one's doctor, we map out the best course of care to keep your loved one safe and healthy at home, if possible.

An important resource if your family is facing Alzheimer's or another dementia.

We know that knowledge is truly power when it comes to the fight against Alzheimer's and dementia. That's why we created our Dementia Caregiver's Guide. With tips and advice to help you take care of your loved one at every stage of dementia, we hope that this guide helps to alleviate some of the stress your family is facing.

Download the guide here.