Aging Advisors NC

01/03/2022

Over the last three years, I've written almost 360 posts for WRAL's Aging Well. It's now time to start a new chapter. Before leaving, I'd like to share some wisdoms gained through the work of accompanying families during the last year of a loved one's life and writing about it. Cheers. May you find sweetness in 2022 to savor!

As Kate Bowler says, "Life is beautiful. Life is hard." Here are some lessons I've learned over the last three years about savoring the beauty and weathering the hard.

11/25/2021

Thanksgiving 2020 headlines were marked by loss, loneliness and deaths due to COVID. This is a different year with much to be grateful for.

11/16/2021

If you have been in the ER recently and been asked to verify a list of your or your loved one's current meds, you know it can be discombobulating -- particularly if the list is long and you have a number of different providers who might not be in the Electronic Medical System of the hospital you are in. It can be useful for more fragile seniors to keep a one-page summary of the first information they want when being admitted to the Emergency Room.

In the event of a trip to the emergency room alone, it can be helpful--even life-saving--to have a single sheet summary with your primary health conditions, meds, allergies and phone number of a family member or friend.

09/22/2021

With the FDA unanimous recommendation that those 65 and older receive boosters, naturally many questions arise. Dr. Kansagra, Acting Senior Deputy Director of NCDHHS's Division of Public Health, answers them. , -19

Dr. Kansagra, Acting Senior Deputy Director of NCDHHS' Division of Public Health, answers readers' questions about boosters for those 65 and older.

09/17/2021

Many folks are asking where North Carolina stands in terms of outbreaks. Dr. Susan Kansagra, Section Chief for the Chronic Disease and Injury Section and Acting Senior Deputy Director for NCDHHS’ Division of Public Health, answers the most pressing questions. https://www.wral.com/coronavirus/understanding-outbreaks-in-congregate-care-settings/19881251/

While the number of outbreaks in North Carolina Nursing Homes and Residential Care Facilities at the moment can seem alarming, it's important to look more deeply at the details.

09/16/2021

Before moving into Assisted Living, Memory Care or Skilled Nursing, confirm that your Medicare plan works well with their providers and pharmacy. If not, know that you are able to change plans outside the Open Enrollment Period.

Changing one's Medicare plan before a move can be daunting. Here is what you need to know.

08/24/2021

There have been a lot of questions about Boosters of late: Why do we need them? When will they become available? Where do we get them. Here are some answers for Wake County.

Booster shots are now available in Wake County for immunocompromised individuals meeting CDC criteria.

08/23/2021

08/16/2021

Hospitalizations have increased nearly sevenfold since the beginning of July, N.C. Department of Health and Human Services data show. Here is what you need to know about the Delta variant: https://www.wral.com/the-delta-variant-what-you-need-to-know/19828402/

Hospitalizations have increased 128% in the last two weeks. The average age of patients hospitalized is 44. Over 90% of patients are not vaccinated.

07/21/2021

When is the right time to move a loved one with dementia, and what should I be looking for when we make that hard choice? These are some of the questions I tackled in today's presentation for the Duke Family Support Program, which can be viewed here: https://lnkd.in/dv6GV9D

Presenter: Liisa OgburnThis Caregiver' Connections will offer information on making the complex and difficult decision of making a move during the journey of...

07/21/2021

Join me in a talk for the Duke Dementia Family Support Program this morning at 10 am.

06/01/2021

There can be an art to introducing tools or changes, especially when it comes to bringing in support for a loved one at home with dementia. It's helpful to take a trial-and-error approach. Dementia Alliance of North Carolina Duke Dementia Family Support Program SarahCare Adult Day Care Centers Evergreen Adult Day Services The Glade Adult Day Center at Glenaire Ruth Sheets Adult Care Center Raleigh Neurology Associates

Introducing supports for dementia care often involves trial and error, as well as flexibility as needs change over time.

06/01/2021

Kerry Malawista eloquently captures the healing power that writing can have for those who have suffered some kind of trauma, but especially of interest this year as we all come out of the pandemic. Therapists and writers around the country have been leading and continue to lead free workshops for healthcare workers on the COVID frontlines. As someone who helped lead one of these, I saw firsthand its power. To sign up, go to: https://www.thingstheycarryproject.org/ https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/05/26/opinion/passageway-out-pandemic-loss/

How to put grief and trauma into the faraway nearby.

05/25/2021

Good and bad are part of life, and perhaps more apparent at different phases of life. How does one live with both gracefully?

We had gone out looking for one thing when someone told us something very different was ahead. This is an apt metaphor for aging.

05/07/2021

Sorting mail, helping with yard work, the cell phone or paying bills... more often than not, at some point seniors need to turn to their adult children or others for help. It's best to begin in small steps when the stakes are not high.

No one likes to ask for help, but it's a fact of life that the majority of us will need help. Learning how to ask for and accept help with the small stuff can really help when the big stuff arises.

05/07/2021

Research shows that writing even 15 minutes a day improves immune function, emotional and physical health and self care. It can relieve rumination, take away the power of traumatic experiences and even foster resilience. While the free program discussed here is for healthcare workers and first responders recovering from working with COVID, anyone can benefit from developing a daily writing practice. WakeMed Health & Hospitals Rex Hospital Duke Raleigh Hospital UNC Hospitals Duke University Hospital Jean Williams Silver Linings for Seniors Transitions LifeCare - NC Duke Dementia Family Support Program Dementia Alliance of North Carolina LTYM 2014 Cast (aka Sacred Circle of Rage and Love) Tricia Vick Wilson Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University Toddi Steelman Marie-Pier Winters Liz Mann Fischer Liz Schwarte Peter Rumsey

First responders and medical workers experiencing PTSD due to COVID-19 can participate in a workshop led by experienced clinicians and writers which uses writing as a way to heal trauma.