Navigating the River of Aging

Though not conclusive, new information for Alzheimer's cure gives hope!

There For You Too — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 20:40:20 GMT

I don't know if any of you saw this in the news today, but I wanted to pass it along to you. Please know, this is not a cure available today, and may not prove to be in the future, but it does offer hope to all of us.

In Mice, Cancer Drug Shows Effect on Alzheimer's Symptoms

Early lab study showed reduction of disease-related plaque

THURSDAY, Feb. 9 (HealthDay News) -- The cancer drug bexarotene quickly eliminates Alzheimer's disease-associated amyloid beta from the brain and reverses memory problems in mice, a new study finds.

The results suggest that bexarotene could possibly help the approximately 5.4 million Americans with Alzheimer's disease, according to the neuroscientists at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.

However, while studies involving animals can be useful, they often fail to produce similar results in humans.

Bexarotene is approved in the United States to treat skin problems caused by cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.

The body's inability to clear amyloid beta from the brain is a major factor in the development of Alzheimer's disease, according to a university news release. Previous research showed that the main cholesterol carrier in the brain, apolipoprotein E (ApeE), plays an important role in clearing amyloid beta proteins.

In this study, the researchers found that bexarotene increased ApoE expression, and the elevated levels of ApoE boosted clearance of amyloid beta from the brain. Bexarotene stimulates retinoid X receptors (RXR), which are proteins that control the production of ApoE.

Within six hours of receiving bexarotene, soluble amyloid levels in the mice fell by 25 percent and the effect lasted for three days. This decrease was associated with rapid improvement in a wide number of behaviors in mice with Alzheimer's, according to the release.

In addition, bexarotene treatment also rapidly stimulated the removal of amyloid plaques from the brain, the researchers said. The plaques are accumulations of amyloid that form in the brain and are a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease.

"This is a particularly exciting and rewarding study because of the new science we have discovered and the potential promise of a therapy for Alzheimer's disease," study senior author Gary Landreth, a professor of neurosciences, said in a university news release.

"We need to be clear; the drug works quite well in mouse models of the disease. Our next objective is to ascertain if it acts similarly in humans. We are at an early stage in translating this basic science discovery into a treatment," he added.

The study appeared Feb. 9 in the journal Science.

Technology...

There For You Too — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 03:34:50 GMT

What a week it has been, my friends. The hard drive on my computer crashed Wednesday afternoon. If you have never experienced this, you are lucky. If you have, then you can feel my pain.

I have QuickBooks - that's how my business bookkeeping has been recorded for over seven years. You should know that I always backup QB. For some reason, files were not backing up to the location I had intended. The files were saving to the drive that crashed.

Technology is like a double-edged sword. There's the good side and there is the dark side. We become more and more dependent on our computers, our phones, our tablets. We rely on them as much as we do our automobiles. I've had my car for ten years and it has not given me nearly the trouble my two- year-old computer did this week.

I got a new phone in October after being persuaded by my techno gurus - my husband and son. They assured me my new "droid" would be amazing. I got a really good deal on it. It's 4G and has lots of great "stuff" on it - all for $99.

When I got it home, I learned my computer operating system (Windows XP) didn't recognize it. Now I would need to buy Windows 7 so I could get the computer and the phone to "talk" to each other in order to download pictures and data onto the phone. I don't remember exactly how much I paid for Windows 7 - it was the going rate, though.

My fearless team backed everything up on my computer after Christmas and loaded Windows 7. All was well until we tried to reload my QuickBooks 2005 program. Windows 7 didn't like the old version and wouldn't "talk" to it.   Even though QB 2005 was more program than I had ever needed, now, I would have to buy QB 2012 for $148 so Windows 7 recognize it.

My phone was getting more and more expensive. Of course all the extra features and internet capability required higher charges from Verizon each month. I was becoming rather skeptical about all of this. I began to lament the loss of my old, simpler phone. I said to myself that I should take my own advice to my clients. Opt for simpler, larger, easier...

I wasn't using half the phone's features and had already cancelled a couple services like the extra $5 a month for texting. I can call someone and say what I want to by the time I try to touch these tiny little letters on the keypad of the phone all without typos.

After this week, I am finally grateful for my expensive phone. I told my son and my husband I see the silver lining in this experience.

Had I not bought the phone, had I not had to backup and save everything before we loaded Windows 7 onto the computer, I would have lost so much more than two weeks worth of data. I have spent the last three days reloading and recreating. I'm not finished yet, and I will be backing everything up in triplicate now, but it could have been so much worse.

Aging in Place - Lifetime Living, Community vs Facility

There For You Too — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 18:59:59 GMT

The words change, but we still need to think about the implications of getting older in America, regarding how and where each of us chooses to live out our later years.

Read Laurie Orlov's post from today, January 15:

Published on Aging In Place Technology Watch (http://www.ageinplacetech.com)

Home > Blogs > Laurie Orlov's blog > Age friendliness -- sounds good, where is it?

Age friendliness -- sounds good, where is it?

Submitted by Laurie Orlov on Sat, 01/14/2012 - 14:13

Aging in Place Tech business potential
assisted living
Home care

Not to be a spoilsport…but 'age-friendly cities' aren’t. US News Money ran an article this week about ‘aging in place’ – what a great idea, but… Adding the 'but' is a correct assessment -- senior-friendly communities don’t really resonate as two words in the same sentence, although I suppose that is depending on whether you are imagining a young-aged (in either age or demeanor) senior. The AARP-sponsored state-by-state study cited underpins the issues, particularly with transportation. But what really struck me: "Of Americans over age 65, 21 percent do not drive," the report said. "This reduced mobility has a direct and often debilitating effect on older Americans' independence. More than 50 percent of non-drivers over age 65 normally do not leave home most days, partly because of a lack of transportation options." So let’s count that up, shall we? With 40 million aged 65+, 8.4 million of them are non-drivers, 4.2 million not leaving the home most days because of a lack of transportation. What are these people doing in their homes? Who sees them? How age-friendly is that?

Meanwhile, why are so many 'aging in place?' Because they can’t sell their houses -- and when they do, it is later and later – the average move-in age for assisted living is 86, the average price for assisted living is > $39K per year, according to this 2011 John Hancock study. A Senior Housing News article this week cited "The greatest policy challenge yet to be fully addressed is the need for some type of affordable assisted living for low-income Americans." Yes, but – it seems like the price point of assisted living is a barrier for middle and upper income seniors as well – if you are a woman and live to age 85, you have a good chance of living another 6-8 more years. That potentially means a bank account or willing adult child contributor of $312,000, assuming there are no future price increases! And that price presumes you are not in ‘memory care’ and that you don’t live in high cost East/West coast or in any big city locations. Given that real estate market reports indicate a median sale price US-wide of $169K in 2011, this would seem to be an early indicator that that the assisted living average move-in age may rise again.

How to meet a serious need based on terminology and cost trends. From my various related calls and encounters this week: heard the term ‘forever home’ versus aging in place; heard that builders believe that older adults don’t like the term aging; that senior housing complexes are communities, not facilities; that they are marketed in the context of a business, not an industry, that 55-plus housing is making a comeback among 65-year-olds; that home care (of every type) is hot, and that everything that sounds mobile and health-oriented is HOT and avoiding readmission to the hospital is HOT, HOT, HOT – especially where the government is the insurer of record.

Do you see the collision course we are on? The pending gap between the ability to pay and the need for assistance will only grow. This gap offers opportunity for service and tech businesses that can gear price points to low-income tolerance. It will also likely will result in various stop-gap government measures in a state here or a city there. Let's see more of today's senior housing businesses reach out with services and centralized hub-and-spoke offerings in which the sum of many low-cost services offered adds up to real revenue? Seniors will mostly stay in their unmodified, age-hostile homes. In lieu of assisted living, they will need home care. Home care is unlikely to offer enough hours of (reimbursed) care to fully mitigate isolation and risks – both for the low-income home care worker and the care recipient. Hope this isn't a rhetorical question, but why can’t the standard ('age friendly city') practice be a combination of home care services in partnership with nearby senior housing organizations to offer some type of remote camera-enabled monitoring care that also enables checking in the most isolated-in-place?

Rhetorical or not - excellent question

Submitted by Dave in MI (not verified) on Sun, 01/15/2012 - 10:01.

Laurie,

Answering the 'partnership' question you pose likely implies responders' trepidation or uncertainly re: reliable revenue and margins. And the old privacy/cameras dilemma still lurks. Perhaps some private/public grant funds somewhere are poised to support an actual model or demo of how your proposed partnerships could be successfully implemented.

Dave Brooks

It is January and I know some of you are organizing!

There For You Too — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 04:56:14 GMT

Last summer, Beth Giles of NW Organizing Solutions and I made a tape about organizing and downsizing "stuff."

In fact, along with Amy Schmidt of Retirement Connection, several of us taped segments on varying subjects for folks 50 and better. We called all of these segments Your Retirement Connection. You'll see the whole crew who worked together to create this little endeavor.

Maybe you can pick up a tip or two about organizing! Here's the link to our segment on Your Retirement Connection as well as SeniorHomeTours.

Beth is an amazing woman; enjoy her website (below).

Beth Giles / 503-709-0791

Professional Organizer/Senior Move Manager

NW Organizing Solutions

We help families bring order to their homes

www.nworganizingsolutions.com

Happy New Year!

There For You Too — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 02:51:26 GMT

I hope everyone has enjoyed a nice break, great holidays, and time with family.

And now, it's time to organize -

I need more space in my office files, and of course this is a great day to start, right? I have some wonderful built-in file drawers in my office, all neatly organized with hanging file folders.

I decided to clear out a drawer full of recipes. I used to teach cooking classes. For as long as I can remember, I've clipped and saved articles from newspapers and magazines, lots and lots of articles... I saved articles that detailed holiday projects for the kids (who are now in their 20's). I saved LOTS of articles about herbs - how to cultivate them, cook with them, use them for household and beauty products.

There were articles from the mid 70's in there, folks! What a laugh to see the outdated pictures, clothing styles and hairdo's. Brilliantly, it occurred to me that if I haven't used them in over 30 years, it is highly likely I won't use them in the next 30 years. Agree?? Time to let go!

I cleaned up the pantry yesterday. Ah, how I love January - out with the old, in with the new.

Wishing all of you a wonderful holiday!

There For You Too — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 20:31:16 GMT

Whether it be Merry Christmas or Happy Hanukkah, I hope it brings wonderful memories to you.

I've been busy baking and distributing cookies to my clients. I've also been exercising a lot to try to counteract the cookies I've "tested!"

The Leisure Seeker, a Novel by Michael Zadoorian

There For You Too — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 05:24:30 GMT

Time for a book review!
After filling up on turkey, catching up with family, and eating my share of pumpkin pie, I settled down with a book. I bought this one several months ago and have been waiting to find just the right time to indulge my heartstrings. I finished it within 24 hours.

I found The Leisure Seeker to be poignant, nostalgic, bittersweet, and thought provoking. The book begins with Ella and John Robina stocking their travel trailer, a Leisure Seeker. Against their doctors’ and their two grown children’s wishes – they are driving from their home in Detroit to California with their final destination Disneyland and the Pacific Ocean – all by way of Route 66. A ghost of its former self, Route 66 is paved over completely and lost in many places along the way, only to resurface later. There are predictable landmarks along the way, and this is the repeat of a journey taken years before when their children were young.

Ella and John have been married for many years. She is dying of cancer, and he has dementia (probably Alzheimer’s). They decide to take this trip for one last hurrah. The book covers their journey state by state with a sense of humor as Ella makes fun of the tchotchkes and cheesy tributes to past Americana along the way. She struggles with her pain (her “discomfort”) and tells us she is finally becoming a drug–addicted old lady as she pops her little blue pills. She has to stay quick-witted enough to be the navigator for her husband who is amazingly still able to drive through the fog of dementia. Remember – this is a work of fiction. They’ve brought along their projector and when they stop to camp, most nights they watch old slides of past trips, reminiscing and reliving good memories, seeing their kids grow and change along the way.

I loved the way they bolstered each other up when things went awry – and plenty did – yet they kept pushing onward. They call their frantic kids periodically, who in turn plead with them to return home. John and Ella have a plan; nothing and no one is going to stop them. They intend to maintain their independence and the life they’ve built for themselves through their years together. In order to define their own terms, Ella and John find their own resolution to their plight.

If you decide to read The Leisure Seeker, you won’t be able to forget it. The message is heartfelt. I loved “traveling” with them; I especially loved being able to revisit an era I grew up in and one that is forever gone.

Fall

There For You Too — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 07:09:49 GMT

This is fall in our backyard from my office window. Love it! Today was another bright day, though definitely cooler.

Improve your attitude – Sharpen your memory – Lose weight – all with one easy step! –

There For You Too — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 05:15:52 GMT

Get more sleep!

Are you getting six or fewer hours of sleep each night? Most people need seven to eight hours a night. If you’re like me, you are not getting that much. Give in to slumber and wake up ready to conquer your day.

Your body needs the time to repair itself during the night.

Your brain has a better opportunity to commit new information to your memory bank and your mind is sharper when you get more sleep.

You’re less accident–prone (less risk of falling and faster on your feet) if you’ve gotten a good night’s sleep.

You can control your weight better if you get enough sleep. Sleep deprivation changes the way your body processes and stores carbohydrates and you could actually gain unwanted weight!

Slumber party!!

Chuckle for a change -

There For You Too — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 04:43:57 GMT

My dear aunt sent this along today via email and I have no idea who penned it, but it made me chuckle, so I thought I'd pass it along to you!

EXERCISE FOR PEOPLE OVER 50

Begin by standing on a comfortable surface, where you have plenty of room at each side.

With a 5-lb potato bag in each hand, extend your arms straight out from your sides and hold them there as long as you can. Try to reach a full minute, and then relax.

Each day you'll find that you can hold this position for just a bit longer. After a couple of weeks, move up to 10-lb potato bags.

Then try 50-lb potato bags and then eventually try to get to where you can lift a 100-lb potato bag in each hand and hold your arms straight for more than a full minute. (I'm at this level.)

After you feel confident at that level, put a potato in each bag.

I'm happy to let you know...

There For You Too — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 06:35:45 GMT

My book is now available on Amazon.com! You can order the eBook version (Kindle) or a softcover version. I'm hopeful you'll buy my book. If you like it, I would love a quick review! Thanks!

Here's the link!

The master-work of wisdom

There For You Too — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 20:48:55 GMT

To know how to grow old is the master-work of wisdom, and one of the most difficult chapters in the great art of living. by Henri Frederic Amiel, Philosopher & Poet

Isn't that wonderful? I love this - I want to get my master-work of wisdom. I love his words, "the great art of living."

10 Ways to Prevent Alzheimer's

There For You Too — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 00:36:18 GMT

A very dear client of mine has Alzheimer's and watching the progression of her disease is hard for me. It is especially difficult for her daughter, a very devoted daughter, who has become a friend of mine. She sent this list of 10 things to me today and asked that I post it on my blog. I couldn't be more happy to do so right now.

Alzheimer's has touched just about everyone's life in one way or another. Please read this list of 10 things and do everything in your power to avoid Alzheimer's. Help yourself and your loved ones.

Think for a minute: It's easy to incorporate these 10 things into your lifestyle, if you don't already. Ten simple things that could make a huge impact to your future. If they can have such an impact, wouldn't you gladly hop to it to avoid Alzheimer's? I would. I do.

End Alzheimer's

There For You Too — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 00:32:27 GMT

September is World Alzheimer’s month. Today, September 21, is Alzheimer’s Action Day. I wore purple today and I saw lots of purple all day. What a wonderful color to see today because it let me know others want to support the research that is necessary to end this horrible disease. Lend your support each year either monetarily or by volunteering your time in your community.
HUGS TO EACH OF YOU WHO ALREADY DOES, AND TO THOSE OF YOU WHO WILL DO SO IN THE FUTURE.

Oregon couple learns how to record on YouTube

There For You Too — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 05:25:58 GMT

First of all, I was impressed these folks were actually trying to figure out their new-fangled equipment, but their interaction is hilarious, dear, and something you have to see. Click on the link to see the article that was in our paper today (The Oregonian). Enjoy!

Safflower and Serendipity

There For You Too — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 05:59:23 GMT

I've posted lots of good information lately, but I think it's time for a little serendipity, a little of that stuff that brings zest to our lives!

Safflower and Chrysanthemums - time for Fall. The mums echoed the fluffy little spiffy frizzle on the safflowers - perfect! I found the bowl and plate at Goodwill for a song.

Becoming demented is NOT a result of aging for most

There For You Too — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 15:56:45 GMT

I read Laurie Orlov's blog post this morning. She has a great blog called

Aging In Place Technology Watch

She gave me permission to share today's post with you:

What if dementia is not destiny for the oldest old?

Submitted by Laurie Orlov on Wed, 09/07/2011 - 12:48

dementia, Alzheimer's, dementia care technologies

Something different -- a positive study of aging and cognitive decline. Last week in the midst of worse and most worse economic news, USA Today published the results of a decade-long study through Duke, Harvard and others that tracked 1049 older adults age aged 56-102 who at the beginning of the study showed no signs of dementia. At the end of the study, two-thirds of the participants showed at most only “slow cognitive decline,” not the level of decline typically associated with requiring assistance or medical care. Why is this interesting? Remember the often-quoted statistic that nearly 50% of seniors aged 85+ suffer from Alzheimer’s? This study undermines that estimate and therefore the domino effect of the assumptions that are derived from it.

Maybe it is time to question entrenched assumptions. The Duke/Harvard study is a chink in the armor of Alzheimer’s fear factoids and their implications. The Alzheimer’s Association and many others, including drug manufacturers, build fund-raising and research efforts and drug business investment assuming that half of the 85+ population will suffer from dementia. More to the point, these assumptions are based on a growth rate from today’s 4 million upwards of 14 million who will have late-onset Alzheimer’s by 2050 -- presumably this can be predicted (along with prospective revenue streams) based on circumstances today.

Less fear could mean a revision in treatment. Of course studies must be repeated and further analysis must be done to actually shake today’s near-immutable assumptions about the prospective cognitive decline of older adults. But just as there is no historical precedent to lengthening life spans, there may be no precedent beyond studies like this one for cognitive fortune-telling. From the study’s press release: "With an understanding that cognitive decline is not normal, however, poor performance can be investigated and preventable or reversible conditions, such as delirium, medication side effects, or vitamin deficiency can be properly addressed." Does that make you wonder how many warehoused seniors who are believed to have dementia – maybe don’t?

Shake off dementia forecasts – and the aging world feels different. For the moment, leave aside other aspects of physical decline – not addressed in the study. So with less anticipated dementia – even in the face of family history -- working and entrepreneurship cycles extend; senior housing companies tighten relationships and investment in home care versus assisted living and memory units; university program offerings for late life education are expanded, providing new revenue streams. Cognitive check-ups become non-stigmatizing standard routines in physical exams of the 90+ and the oldest seniors, who are now sporting their ever-smarter phones, living longer and higher quality lives and becoming fascinated with online games. Who knows, maybe someday, getting lost won’t mean you’re losing your mind, just that you, like everyone else, needs a GPS.

My book is now on Kindle

There For You Too — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 01:37:09 GMT

For those of you who have an ereader - such as Amazon's Kindle, my book is now available that way.

The back cover -

There For You Too — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 04:43:06 GMT

Some of you have asked for some of the chapters in the book. Here is the back cover!

My Book!

There For You Too — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 04:56:41 GMT

I have finished my book. YEA!!! I think I would have continued to rewrite sections of it from this day forward if I had not just put a stop to it and said "print!" I had help from Anne McKinney, who did the graphic design on the covers. I've gotten several compliments. The picture you see is actually one I took in Alaska four years ago. The back cover shows another picture of the same area in Alaska. Notice one view is calmer than the other and suggests the information needed by us to navigate the river of aging will be varied.

Now for a new project to keep me busy...

The Benefits of Massage

There For You Too — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 21:55:18 GMT

Yesterday, I had a wonderful massage. I usually feel a little guilty getting a massage because it seems so decadent and I think I should be spending money on other things besides myself. I don't think I'm in the minority to think this way, but I'm wrong and so are you if feel guilty, too! Paula Schaper, LMT (licensed massage therapist), not only relieved the pain in my shoulders and neck, but educated me about the way our muscles move and are attached at various points in our body.

Paula says, "As a Certified Geriatric Massage Therapist one of my goals is to provide healing touch for my clients. The other is to educate them about what massage can do for their body. Whether you are robust, age appropriate or frail, everyone and every day is unique."

We can all benefit from the various forms of massage. Here is Paula's message to us.

PAMPERING OR PREVENTION?

Healing Touch plays a very vital role in our lives. With it humans thrive and without it at a very basic level they do not.

Going to have a day at the spa is a nice thing to do for yourself but that is not all there is to it. Massage provides many health benefits not only to the body, but also to the mind and spirit.

Studies have shown that people, who regularly receive massage either as a relaxation session or a therapeutic one will tend to stay healthy longer, are able to be more active and have a greater overall quality of life.

TYPES OF MASSAGE

Whether you just want to relax or do more focused work on some areas of your body, there are several modalities of Massage that are available. Some approach Massage from an Eastern philosophy such as Thai, Shiatsu, Reflexology, Ayurvedic, Polarity, Reiki and more. And some from a Western philosophy such as Swedish, Cranial Sacral, Trigger Point, and Deep Tissue.

Whatever the modality, all provide great benefits to wellness. Finding the modality or combination of modalities that fits you and your lifestyle best will bring you the greatest results.
WHAT MASSAGE CAN DO FOR YOU…

Increased Systemic Circulation For Faster Healing

Boosts Immune System

Reduces Stress & Fatigue

Decreases Pain

Increases Sense of Proprioception Which Creates Better Balance and Mobility

Aids To Prevent Loss Of Muscle Tone From Disuse

Decreases Symptoms Of Depression

Improves Sleep Patterns

Aids in faster and better recovery from Heart Attacks

Enhanced Sense Of Well-Being By Bringing the Body Back To Balance

Paula Schaper, LMT
Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork