November 2018 - Green Tree Home Care

The holidays are upon us and times of celebration are ahead.

However, there are unfortunate members of our society who have made it their jobs to defraud elders during this season.

Senior/elder fraud is not a thing of television shows. It is real and according to CNBC it is to the tune of $36 billion each year.

They also estimate that 1 in 18 seniors falls prey to scams each year.

This is an alarming statistic we all need to pay attention to.

According to the National Council on Aging, the following are the top ten types of elder fraud/scams out there.

Medical and health insurance scams
Counterfeit drugs
Funeral and cemetery scams
Fraudulent anti-aging supplements
Telemarketing/phone scams- fake charity calls
Internet scams- this includes e-mail phishing scams
Investment schemes
Homeowner/reverse mortgage scams
Sweepstakes/lottery scams
Grandparent scam- callers pretend to be a grandchild or younger relative who has fallen into an emergency

So what can you do as an elder or a caregiver to nip this problem in the bud?

In this post, I will share 3 simple but powerful tips that will help you steer clear of holiday fraudsters.

Beware of calls, texts or e-mails asking you for personal information

This seems like such a simple tip to heed but I have personally had friends and family fall into this trap.

Some fraudsters on e-mail go as far as duplicating company logos to make the e-mail look legit.

Don’t click on any link even if you think the e-mail looks legitimate. Instead, go to the company website and find the correct customer service number and call to verify if they indeed have requested this information. Chances are that if you’ve been a customer for a long time, they wouldn’t have requested this information.

Don’t give out your social security, birth date, debit card pin or password. Anyone calling you to verify ANY of this information for any reason is definitely a scammer.

Beware of holiday “donation” scammers

The holidays are a time of goodwill and you probably want to do some good and spread some cheer.

This is great.

Unfortunately, some scammers prey on the goodness of people during this season as well.

Don’t give donations to any charity you’ve never personally encountered or have experience with.

Moreover, never reveal your financial and/or personal information to these people.

Don’t give strangers remote access to your computer

This one was a new scam I discovered this year!

Someone called me over the phone and told me they were from Microsoft and that they had noticed that my computer was giving off problematic signals to their office. I learned later that this was a scam where if you gave them the information they were looking for, they would take control of your computer remotely and basically do whatever they wanted. And that would include stealing personal information.

Talk about boldness!

Microsoft is too busy building computers and software. Nobody from their company, or any respectable company for that matter, is going to call to tell you of “problematic signals” from your computer.

A fiduciary could help

If you have a loved one who is older and struggling to keep up with all their financial obligations, it might be time to hire the services of a fiduciary.

A fiduciary is a licensed professional who serves as an impartial third party in managing the finances of elders. They are required by law to work in their client’s best interest.

A fiduciary can handle things like paying bills and helping elders plan their will.

If you are concerned that your loved one is at risk for a financial scam or fraud during this holiday season, it might be time to research and enlist the services of a licensed fiduciary.

Closing Thoughts

When in doubt, give your information out to nobody.

Trust your instincts.

If it smells, looks and moves like a rat, it is a rat!

If you enjoyed this post, please consider sharing it with someone. We can stop holiday fraud together.

Perhaps you clicked through to read this post because you’re curious as to how music therapy could help your loved one.

For families who have a loved one with dementia or Alzheimer’s, interacting with that loved one becomes difficult as the days go by.

No matter who you are, this can be frustrating.

How do you get a reclusive dementia patient talking? How do you get them excited about life?

Music could be the key to all of that.

In a viral YouTube video, an organization called Music & Memory showed how a male Alzheimer’s patient who had been non-verbal came to life after they played music from his younger days.

So how does music therapy work?

And how may it work for your loved one who has dementia or Alzheimer’s?

That’s the focus of this post.

Music Therapy and Dementia – How It Works

Although several portions of a person’s brain are damaged when they develop dementia or Alzheimer’s, music is still powerful

Music is unique because it sparks responses from different regions of the brain.

You know how a particular song can come on your radio while you’re driving and all of a sudden you are exported to a specific time, place and even smell?

The same thing happens for your loved one when you play music they enjoyed back in the day. And in this case the music can cause them to break out of their shell and interact like you’ve never seen them.

In 2012, researchers from the University College London showed that over the course of 263 research studies show that there is a link between music therapy and an improvement in mood and behavior of dementia patients. This was reported in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychology.

A study among moderate to severe Alzheimer’s patients in Iceland showed that music successfully reduced aggressiveness and anxiety. The effects of the music however went away after the music therapy was stopped for four weeks. This indicates that if you choose to use music therapy for your loved one, it has to be continuous to see positive effects.

How can you help?

So how can you help to make music therapy a part of your loved one’s life?

Well for one, you might not always the need of a trained music therapist (yes, there are specific professionals who do this!) but if your loved one’s insurance allows for it, go for it!

What can a music therapist do for you?

A music therapist will assess your loved one and then design music sessions for your loved one based on their needs. Doing this helps them measure how effective the sessions are.

Don’t have access to a music therapist? It doesn’t mean they cannot benefit from music therapy.

You could start out by playing familiar tunes for your loved one through the television, computer or portable music device.

The studies I cited above suggested, the benefits of playing music for patients with dementia/Alzheimer’s disease include:

A decrease in aggressive and/or disruptive behavior
An improvement in mood
Encourages interaction even for patients who might be recluses
May help with depression which is common in people who have dementia
A decrease in anxiety
Because music interacts with multiple areas of the brain, it could trigger pleasant memories and stimulate great conversation

Closing Thoughts

Although dementia and Alzheimer’s are still incurable, there are many interventions that can improve the life of a patient.

Music therapy is one of those interventions. It is backed by individual reports as well as research to be effective.

Have you tired music therapy for your loved one with dementia?

Was it effective?

If you found this post useful, consider sharing it with someone else that could use it.

If you live in California, the recent devastating wildfires have most likely not missed your notice.

It is hard to build something for years only for fire to destroy it in a matter of minutes.

As a caregiver or an elder yourself, times like these are scary.

In today’s post, I will be sharing some helpful pointers that will help you and your loved one stay safe during this season and a number of things you can do to protect yourself financially if you’re hit by such a disaster.

Staying Safe During A Season of Fires

If you live in California, you may have noticed that the air is incredibly dry. This makes it easier for fires to accelerate once they are started. Make sure that if you start an open flame in or outside your house, you put it out COMPLETELY before you leave. This includes your gas stove, barbecues outside, fire pits and camp fires. Don’t accidentally start the next wildfire because you’re in a hurry.
If you smoke, it is important you put out the cigar/cigarette completely when you’re done smoking.
Using an oxygen tank? Don’t smoke near it.
Make sure you read and understand your rental or homeowners insurance plan. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for people to lose their homes in disasters and be told by insurance companies that none of the property they lost was covered under the insurance plan. A better insurance plan for disasters may be a few dollars more than a basic plan that only covers some of your loss or (in most cases nothing at all).
Consider starting an emergency savings fund just for situations like this. It will take the edge off the financial burden that comes from a natural disaster.
Check to make sure the fire alarm and carbon dioxide alarm in your home are working.
If you hear about wildfires in your area and you are instructed to evacuate, evacuate immediately. It’s helpful to have an emergency kit prepared so you can take off with your family quickly. Items to place in your emergency kit include:
- Water – At least one gallon per person for the next three days.
- Food – Non-perishable items like canned goods, crackers and granola bars work well.
- Battery-powered or hand cranked radio so you can get updates.
- First aid kit.
- Extra batteries.
- Whistle to signal for help.
- Moist towelettes/wipes
- Diapers/incontinence products
- Manual can opener for food
- Local maps
- Cell phones with extra batteries
Safeguard critical documents. You will need to prove your identity and financial information when the time comes to file claims. Make sure to safeguard critical documents like:
- house/rental payments
- insurance cards
- bank statements – NOTE: If you have a bank with online banking, you can obtain this information by signing into your account online. Thus, if you haven’t created an online account with your bank, now is the time to do so!
- sources of income/pay stubs
- tax statements – NOTE: By inputting your information on the IRS website, you should be able to gain access to the last three years of your tax history if you have filed taxes over the last three years.
- birth certificates
- social security cards
- passports and driver’s licenses
Pack a box with any precious memories you want to save.
Drink a lot of water. The weather is very dry during this time.
If you are going to leave on your own, call a family member so that they know where you are.
Keep a small stash of cash on you. ATMs may not function or may run out of gas during the disaster.
Fill your car up with gas so you are ready to go if you need to evacuate.
Have a loved one with dementia or Alzheimer’s, read this post for what to do during a disaster.

Final Thoughts

Each year, natural disasters all across the United States remind us that everything could be gone in a minute.

In a lot of instances, there is nothing we can do about it.

However, there is a lot we can do to prepare for it and stay safe during.

In this post, I have share twelve things you can do to prevent, prepare for and stay safe during a wildfire or any disaster for that matter.

Share this with someone else so they can be prepared.

Did the recent California wildfires affect you?

We realize that this might be a difficult time for you as a caregiver or an elder affected by the fires.

There is some good news for California wildfire victims who are on Medicare: the deadline to enroll in and/or review and change your options for 2019 has been extended.

Regular open enrollment for Medicare ends on December 7. However, the fires may have caused you to move out of your home. Because of this, the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare have given California wildfire victims an enrollment extension.

The Human and Health Services has categorized the fires as a public health emergency and thus they have also made other provisions for Medicare beneficiaries.

What you should know.

If you are or your elderly loved one is a Medicare beneficiary, here’s what is available to you.

Haven’t enrolled yet? Call the Medicaid hotline at 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on how to take advantage of the extension.

Waivers for skilled nursing facilities (SNF) and assistance for hospitals and other healthcare facilities. Here’s what that means.
- If you have recently exhausted your SNF benefits, you could get renewed SNF coverage without having to start a new benefit period.
- You had to evacuate or be transferred because of the wildfires. If you or your loved one needs skill nursing care (SNF), you can get temporary emergency coverage without a qualifying hospital stay.
- If you lost your prescription medications in the fire, Medicare may cover the replacement cost of those medications. You can get coverage for up to the quantity your pharmacy originally dispensed.
- To get more knowledge on what might be covered during this public health emergency period, you can either call the hotline or read detailed information here.

Because this is a public health emergency, Medicare Advantage plans will have to waive prior authorization and any similar requirements. This will help affected beneficiaries get care from non-network providers and hospitals faster.

Are you on dialysis? If you cannot get care from your regular provider, call the Northern California patient hotline at 800-637-4767 or the hotline number in Southern California at 800-637-4767. They will help you sort out where you can go for care.

It’s a difficult time…

We realize that these fires are a difficult time for everyone in so many different ways.

If you were looking to hear some good news during this time, I hope this helped.

At the very least, call the Medicare hotline to find out what is available to you.

A wedding is happening in the family and photos are just not going to cut it.

Your senior loved one wants to be there.

The only problem? It’s a destination wedding, so, you and your elderly loved one are going to have travel out of the country.

Don’t worry.

International travel with seniors doesn’t have to be scary.

In fact, if you plan it properly, it could be a memorable and perhaps much-needed trip for everyone involved.

In this post, I will be sharing 5 tips you should take note of when you’re traveling internationally as a caregiver with your elderly loved one.

Call the Travel Security Administration (TSA) ahead of your travel

Passengers who are 75 and above can receive an expedited form of screening. So if you are traveling with a senior who is 75 find out what the those expedited procedures will be when you get to the airport.

In addition to this benefit, if your elderly loved one is disabled or uses assistive medical devices, TSA can make special accommodations for them if you call or e-mail at least 72 hours before travel.

You can e-mail TSA Cares at TSA-ContactCenter@tsa.dhs.gov or call them at 855-787-2227 from 8am to 11pm EST during the week and 9am to 8pm EST on weekends and holidays.

Call or e-mail TSA Cares about your elderly loved one’s medical condition or disability.
Also inform them if you and your loved one will be traveling with a service animal, oxygen tanks, medical gels, syringes or any other medications like insulin.
It is best if you have medical documentation to back up your elderly loved one’s diagnosis. A simple letter from your doctor stating the medical condition will be helpful.
Filling out a TSA Disability Notification Card will allow your loved one to be screened with their needs in consideration.
Alternatively, you can consider getting TSA PreCheck. This is an expedited form of security screening that is considerably shorter than the regular screening lines. It costs $85 and will last for five years. Find out more about TSA PreCheck here.

Call airline customer service ahead of your travel

Calling the airline ahead of your travel plans is also helpful.

If you inform most airlines, they will dispatch people to assist elders with getting on and off the plane, wheelchair transport and with a seating plan that suits your elderly loved one on the journey.

If your loved one is on a special diet, calling the airline customer service ahead of time will ensure that they have the right choices for them.

Pack the essentials

Make a detailed list ahead of time and make sure you pack medications and other home care medical supplies your loved one will need when you reach your destination.

It is also important to pack some of these items in an easily accessible bag so that if they are need during travel, you can easily access those.

It is a pain when you have to open up large pieces of luggage to search for stuff.

Essentials that can go into this “emergency bag” include:

Incontinence products like adult diapers
Wipes
Facial tissue
Insulin
Inhaler
Pain medication like Ibuprofen or Tylenol
Lotion/petroleum jelly
Snacks- For low blood sugar situations

If your loved one has a prescription that will run out while you’re traveling internationally, make sure to either carry the prescription so an international pharmacy can use it or get a refill right before the trip.

Get your travel documents in order

Will you need to get a visa? Do you already have a passport?

Make sure to iron out these details before you buy your tickets.

Choose your seats

As much as possible and especially if your elderly loved one has a medical condition, it is ideal that you buy a seat next to them so you can help them on the trip.

If you are hiring a travel companion to come along with you, you can do the same thing.

Aisle seats are especially helpful for getting to the bathroom easily. If you have the opportunity to pick those, do so.

On the day of travel, give yourselves plenty of time

Get to the airport early. At least an hour ahead of the flight boarding time is always a safe cushion.

Even though you may have called TSA ahead of time, there is no telling what might be happening at the airport that day.

If you get there on time, you and your elderly loved one will not feel rushed and you will be able to navigate your trip smoothly and without agitation!

Enjoy the trip

What is it they say?

You only live once?

You might not always have an opportunity to travel so enjoy the trip. Take in the sights. And make some great memories.

Enjoyed this post?

Share it with someone else who might be getting their elderly loved one ready for international travel.

Learning a new skill is a great way to keep one’s memory active.

This is because when you learn, you are training your brain to think in a different way than it is normally used to.

In a recent post on the blog, I talked about the various ways you can encourage your loved one to stay active.

One of those ways was to encourage your elderly loved one to pick and learn a new skill.

After I wrote that post, I figured I would dedicate a whole post to sharing a list of skills anyone can pick up and learn at any age.

So here are 20 new skills your elderly loved one can pick up and learn in 2019. Hey, you might even benefit from this list yourself!

Learn new skills: 21 skills seniors can learn in 2019

Writing- think novels, screenplays and poetry!
Photography- with our cellphones having cameras that are more powerful than the most expensive cameras 50 years ago, this is an easy skill to start learning.
Photo/video editing
Film-making
Quilt-making
Dress-making
Knitting
Pottery
Painting
Coding
Blogging
A musical instrument
A sport – Surfing, soccer, volleyball, swimming, golf are all great sports to learn if you never learned them before. Make sure to get the green light from the doctor before signing up for physically strenuous sports.
Acting
A new language- We live in a largely international world now. Speaking another language is a great way to learn about the world.
Computer skills- this would include things like using the internet or using Microsoft Word and Excel
Cooking
Entrepreneurship- Nobody is ever too old to start a business.
Gardening
Public speaking- Older people have tons of life experience to share with audiences. A local Toastmasters meeting is a good place to get started with learning how to speak publicly.
Dancing

The advantages of learning a new skill

I already mentioned how learning a new skill helps with keeping a person mentally sharp. This is true whether you are a caregiver or you are reading this for your elderly loved one.

Here are some other advantages of learning a new skill you may have not considered.

If learning the new skill involves going to a class at least once a week, this could be helpful in getting your elderly loved one socially active. A lot of elders cite loneliness as a problem especially when all their children, grandchildren and other family members live far away from them. In short, learning fights loneliness.
Learning a new thing can be fun! When we are genuinely having fun, there is a lesser risk for mental health issues.
If learning a new skill involves exercise, you should know that exercise releases endorphins. Endorphins interact with your brain cells to give you a sense of well-being.
Learning improves memory.
Learning a new skill fights boredom.
When you become equipped with a new skill, it makes you a more interesting person.

Closing Thoughts

Learning a new skill is a great way to stay active regardless of age.

For seniors, learning is a wonderful way to stave off boredom, depression, loneliness and memory problems.

In this post, I shared 21 skills seniors can learn in 2019 to stay active.

And as a matter of fact, you don’t have to wait until next year; you can start right now.

Enjoyed this post?

Consider sharing it with someone else!

Getting older does not mean a person’s mind and body have to go dull.

It is possible for seniors to stay active mentally, physically and socially for a long time.

As a caregiver, you can help your elderly loved one stay active by encouraging them to engage in a combination of the activities I share in this post.

Keeping Seniors Active

Social Interaction

Social interaction is essential to the success of any human being. One method of keeping seniors active is encourage them to get involved in social situation. The could include:

Dinner with family members and/or friends
Game nights that are designed especially for seniors in the community
Local fairs and festivals with family members
Church or other religious events

Physical Activity

Another way to get seniors active and engaged is to encourage them to get physically active.

Offer to exercise with them. People are more likely to work out when other people do it with them. Take a walk with them in the park, ride a bike together or offer to do a video exercise program with them.
Make it easy. Chances are that your elderly loved one is not exercising for a body-building competition. So keep the exercises easy and fun.
The National Institute of Health recommends that adults exercise for at least 30 minutes everyday. As we get older, it understandably gets harder to work out. In this case, research has shown that getting healthcare providers on board is helpful.

Games for mental sharpness

It is helpful if you can help your elderly loved one stay sharp mentally. Examples of games you can try include:

Crossword puzzles
Jigsaw puzzles
Sudoku
Video games
Chess
Checkers

And I am sure you can think of more if you wanted to. The point here is to incorporate a game your elderly loved one enjoys into their daily routine to help them stay mentally sharp.

Games have also been shown to be helpful in seniors with dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease.

Nobody is ever too old to learn

It is possible to teach an old companion new tricks!

If your elderly loved one does not use a computer, now would be a great time for them to take that computer class at your local community college.

Other skills the elderly can take up as a way to stay active include:

Writing
Pottery
Quilt-making
Computer coding
First aid
A sport
A new musical instrument

The list is endless here. Learning a new thing is a great way to help your senior loved one stay active.

Volunteering

Volunteering is an excellent way to help your senior loved one stay active.

Not only will they be undertaking an activity that keeps their mind sharp, they will get to interact with other people and that will help meet social needs.

Closing Thoughts

Staying active keeps the mind and body sharp.

Encouraging your senior loved one to get involved in social, physical and learning activities is an excellent decision.

Everyone deserves to live a full and active life.

In this post, I have shared various ways you can encourage your elderly loved ones to live a more active life.

Did you find this post helpful?

Consider sharing it with someone else!

3 simple tips to prevent holiday fraud

Beware of calls, texts or e-mails asking you for personal information

Beware of holiday “donation” scammers

Don’t give strangers remote access to your computer

A fiduciary could help

Closing Thoughts

Music therapy and dementia.

Music Therapy and Dementia – How It Works

How can you help?

Closing Thoughts

Staying Safe During A Season of Fires

Staying Safe During A Season of Fires

Final Thoughts

California wildfire victims and Medicare

What you should know.

It’s a difficult time…

5 tips for international travel with seniors

Call the Travel Security Administration (TSA) ahead of your travel

Call airline customer service ahead of your travel

Pack the essentials

Get your travel documents in order

Choose your seats

On the day of travel, give yourselves plenty of time

Enjoy the trip

Learn new skills: 21 skills seniors can learn in 2019

Learn new skills: 21 skills seniors can learn in 2019

The advantages of learning a new skill

Closing Thoughts

Keeping Seniors Active – 5 tips that help

Keeping Seniors Active

Social Interaction

Physical Activity

Games for mental sharpness

Nobody is ever too old to learn

Volunteering

Closing Thoughts