Flu Prevention Awareness

The CareLinx Team would like to wish you a Happy New Year! As the New Year rings in, the coming months also bring a rise in seasonal flus and colds.  Some common symptoms of the flu include: fever, chills, congestion, sore throat, muscle aches, and fatigue. For people over the age of 65, the seasonal flu can cause serious health complications, like bronchitis or pneumonia, that can ultimately land them in the hospital. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) explains that the following medical conditions cause elders to be at a higher risk of flu related complications; diabetes, asthma, heart disease, kidney disorder, liver conditions, neurological conditions, cancer, and HIV.  

CareLinx would like to take this opportunity to encourage our community to protect themselves from the seasonal flu. Some natural ways to prevent the flu include; sleep, hydration, wash of hands on a consistent basis, staying home if you are sick, and a humidifier. In addition, The National Council on Aging (NCOA) recommends that elders get the yearly flu vaccine. As Richard Birkel, PhD and senior vice president of NCOA, states, “Prevention is critically important. Unfortunately, vaccination rates are alarmingly low among older adults. Nearly 30 percent went unvaccinated during the 2011-2012 flu season." People ages 65 and older have two options for vaccines: the first being the traditional flu shot and the second being a higher dose flu shot that aims to address the age decline of the immune system. Both of these vaccines are covered under “Medicare Part B” with no copayment required.  

If you or a loved one has come down with flu like symptoms please contact your healthcare provider. Since those over 65 are more susceptible to the flu, your health care provider may provide antiviral medications to make your symptoms less severe. However, if the illness escalates to any of the following symptoms please seek medical care immediately; difficulty breathing, chest pains, discoloration of the lips, vomiting, dizziness, seizures, or confusion.

Helpful Articles:

To locate the nearest pharmacy that administers flu shots please visit http://flushot.healthmap.org/.

Chronic Health Conditions and Flu: Deadly Combinations

http://www.agingcare.com/Articles/chronic-health-conditions-flu-can-be-deadly-154570.htm

Informational Facts on the Seasonal Flu 

http://www.flu.gov/about_the_flu/seasonal/index.html

An Understanding of the Different Flu Types

http://www.niaid.nih.gov/topics/flu/understandingflu/pages/definitionsoverview.aspx

Flu Attacking the Elderly at Historically High Rates

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2013/02/01/flu-cdc-waning-children-deaths/1882909/

Happy Holidays!

The Holiday Season has arrived, and many dispersed family members will be coming together to enjoy the festivities and take part in the merriment of the winter season. This annual congregation is a great time for adult children to assess and re-evaluate the changes in care for an aging parent or sick loved one. CareLinx
encourages you to use this  opportunity to determine how your loved one is doing and assess their care and changing needs. The holidays are a busy time and it can be hard to manage all the socializing, meals and family time.  We encourage you to keep CareLinx in mind as you head into the holiday season with family and
determine the needs of your loved ones.  

We've found a number of articles that should help you with topics from noticing changes in your loved ones lifestyle, to sitting and talking about their goals and hopes for the coming year. Have peace in mind, knowing that your CareLinx Family is here to help support you through this changing time. Happy Holidays! 

Some helpful Articles:

Before it's too late: How to have the Tough Conversation with your Aging Parents: http://www.aplaceformom.com/blog/tips-for-tough-talks-with-aging-parents/

Home for the Holidays is Time for Health and Safety review of Aging Parents: http://www.homehelpersphilly.com/blog/?Tag=visiting+elderly+loved+ones+during+the+holiday

Easing the Added Stress of Caregiving During the Holidays: http://www.4therapy.com/life-topics/aging/easing-added-stress-caregiving-during-holidays-2435

Caring for Seniors: Travel Tips for the Holidays: http://basseldercare.com/article/caring-for-seniors-travel-tips-for-the-holidays/

Seven Tips for a Happier Holiday for Senior Caregivers:  http://www.theseniorcareblog.com/post/seven-tips-happier-holiday-senior-caregivers

Caregiver Concerns about the Election: What a second term for Obama could mean for this demographic

The results are in and America has spoken; Barack Obama will now be in office for another four years. Anxiety levels have been running high as many Americans voice their concerns about the proposed campaigns and the Election's outcome.  

Agingcare.com released a poll prior to the election asking over 600 hundred caregivers. "Which election issue do you think will affect caregivers the most?". The results revealed that about 87 percent of caregiver's were concerned with three main topics: Medicare and Medicaid, health care reform, and the economy. 

31.78% of caregivers felt distress over the matter of Medicare and Medicaid coverage

Each state is now required to set up new insurance exchanges, which will allow millions of households and small businesses to shop for private insurance coverage. This will lead to an expansion of eligibility for the Medicaid program.  It is expected that over 30 million uninsured Americans will gain coverage by this law. Half of these people will have access to the private insurance, while the other half will be covered by an expansion of Medicare. Many seniors and caregivers rely on these programs to help pay for medical care. The question here is, can Medicare and Medicaid get hospitals and doctors to provide more care to a growing population at a cheaper rate without negative outcomes for it's patients?  

28.31% of caregivers are concerned with the Health Care Reform

The main concern with the Health Care reform is the affect it may have on the quality and access of medical care. With a proposed $716 billion spending reduction for Medicare that will take place over the next ten years. This cut does not directly affect the coverage offered to current Medicare patients, but it does reduce the payments Medicare will be able to make to hospitals and doctors. Although this is seen as problematic, the positive side is that more people will be insured, which could result in hospitals having a reduction in the number of unpaid bills. 

26.94% of caregivers are worried about the economy

AARP conducted a survey in 2007, calculating that on average families would pay $5,531 in expenses to provide care for a loved one. Many economic factors such as inflation and the unemployment rate,  will have a direct affect on caregivers ability to provide for their loved ones. With Obama's re-election, his economic focus centers on the growth of the middle class. To accomplish this, he proposes extending Bush-era tax cuts for individuals making less than $200,000 a year.  

Although many policies are still vague, and our journey to restoring America's economy has just begun, we can look forward to the expansion of coverage for Americans who have been denied equal access to healthcare.

"This month and throughout the year, let the quiet perseverance of our family caregivers remind us of the decency and kindness to which we can all aspire." 

President Barack Obama, 2011's NFC Proclamation

September is World Alzheimer’s Month

Alzheimer’s affects 35 million individuals worldwide and has a significant impact on the family members and caregivers of those with the disease.  September is a month to raise awareness, reduce the stigma around the disease and finally share personal stories of how the disease has affected you and your loved ones.  With enough education and hard work - together we can help end this devastating disease. 

In order to better understand this disease and work towards finding a cure there are a few ways to get involved and spread the knowledge on Alzheimer’s in the month of September.

First, wear purple on Sept. 21, Alzheimer's Action Day; then turn your Facebook and Twitter purple by changing your profile picture to the END ALZ icon & telling your friends to do the same.  Go Purple!

Second, whether it's by sharing a diagnosis — or taking action to honor a family member — read how these brave individuals are overcoming stigma & facing Alzheimer's head on. Take Action!

Finally, whether you are a caregiver, family member, person with the disease or friend – tell us how you are fighting stigma and taking action to end Alzheimer's.  Share your story!

New study - “America’s Best Cities for Successful Aging” released by the Milken Institute

America is rapidly growing older. While there are many lists and recommendations out there of the best cities for seniors to retire in, the Milken Institute, a non-profit think tank recently published a new study that examined and deciphered, which cities can lead to the highest quality of life for aging seniors.  Based on eight factors including: general indicators, health care, wellness, living arrangements, transportation/convenience, financial well-being, employment/education, and community engagement the Milken Institute was able to qualify an in depth list of America’s top cities for senior living.

Despite the strain on health-care and social-safety nets, many communities are well positioned to help mature Americans age in place. The Milken Institute's Best Cities for Successful Aging index identifies what these metros are doing right and creates a path other communities can follow to help their seniors remain healthy, active and engaged.

The Milken Institute recognized a significant gap in the needs of a 65 year old versus an 80+ year old, which is why they ranked cities twice once for each age group.  By using the same data but weighting the indicators differently, they created two sub indexes, one for ages 65 through 79 and another for age 80 and up. Below is the list of the top 10 large metro areas and top 10 small metro areas for senior living.  If you would like to learn more about this study and see a longer list or get more detail on each city please visit the Milken Institutes website to learn more: http://successfulaging.milkeninstitute.org/http://successfulaging.milkeninstitute.org/

Metro Area (Large)	Age 65-79	Age 80+
Provo-Orem, UT	1	7
Madison, WI	2	4
Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA	3	3
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH	4	1
New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, Ny, NJ, PA	5	2
Des Moines -West Des Moines, IA	6	6
Salt Lake City, UT	7	14
Toledo, OH	8	8
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	9	12
Pittsburgh, PA	10	13
Metro Area (Small)	Age 65-79	Age 80+
Sioux Falls, SD	1	2
Iowa City, IA	2	1
Bismark, ND	3	3
Columbia, MO	4	5
Rochester, MN	5	4
Gainesville, FL	6	6
Ann Arbor, MI	7	9
Missoula, MT	8	16
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC	9	8
Rapid City, SD	10	12

Announcing Caregivers’ Monday!

In an effort to help serve caregivers, the Monday Campaigns, a nonprofit organization in association with Johns Hopkins, Syracuse and Columbia Universities, established Caregivers’ Monday in 2011. The Monday Campaigns recommends that family caregivers set aside time for themselves each week.  Caregivers’ Monday is just that – a day dedicated to the care of caregivers.

Sid Lerner, the campaign's founder, said, "Day in and day out, millions of family caregivers put all of themselves into helping their loved ones, often neglecting their own health and well-being. Caregivers' Monday encourages them to use that first day of each hectic week as their recharge day, to refocus on their own condition so to better serve their dependent parent, child or spouse."

Sherri Snelling, chief executive officer and founder of the Caregiving Club, offers family caregivers "Me Time Monday," a series of helpful videos and tip sheets. "Our materials encourage caregivers to balance self-care while caring for a loved one. We support the national movement to adopt healthy behaviors and prevent chronic illness by starting new activities on a Monday," Snelling said.

Research shows that Monday is the perfect time for a fresh start. Family caregivers can look to this day to exercise, start a healthy diet, quit smoking or simply rest.

The Monday Campaigns invites caregiver organizations, such as CareLinx to join them in creating a Caregivers’ Monday movement. Help them convince caregivers to set aside Monday as the day to care for themselves. Why Monday? Because research shows that, on the first day of the week, people set weekly health intentions and are looking for help.

To help caregivers use Monday as their recharge day, Caregivers' Monday offers its Resource Kit. It includes 52 healthy tips and a wallet calendar to remind caregivers to take time-off every Monday.

Please join CareLinx and other caregiver organizations in recognizing this important day each week and spreading the word so caregivers can be sure to set time aside for themselves and their well being.  

Carelinx in the news

More and more people are turning to the web for healthcare solutions. CareLinx is happy to be a part of the solution. Check out this interesting article where Carelinx is featured in.

Why health startups should care about ‘alpha geek’ caregivers

Startups hoping to disrupt health care, here’s an audience you need to get to know: caregivers.

According to a Pew Internet & American Life Project report released Thursday, caregivers are more likely than other Internet users to look for health information online and take advantage of social tools related to health.

Borrowing tech guru Tim O’Reilly’s phrase, Susannah Fox, associate director of digital strategy for Pew, calls caregivers the “alpha geeks” of social tech in health.

“They are very much in need of help and in need of up-to-the-minute, good quality health information. They are using all the tools at their disposal in new ways to gather and share health information on behalf of themselves and on behalf of the people they love and care for,” she said. “[Caregivers] are creating the tools that they need, just as hackers create the tools that they need.”

While 80 percent of Internet users in the U.S. search for health information online, the report said 88 percent of caregivers conduct those types of searches. For certain kinds of information and activities, the differences between online caregivers and non-caregivers are even more significant.

According to the study:

• 38 percent of online caregivers have looked at drug reviews online, compared with 18 percent of non-caregivers
• 26 percent of caregivers online have searched the Web for someone with similar health concerns, compared with 15 percent of non-caregivers
• 21 percent of online caregivers have looked at online reviews and rankings of doctors or other providers, compared with 13 percent of non-caregivers
• 28 percent of caregivers said they turned to others with a similar health condition, compared with 17 percent of non-caregivers who did so, on or offline
• 24 percent of online caregivers said they tracked non-weight/fitness health indicators and symptoms online, compared to 13 percent of non-caregivers

While the study confirmed some of what Pew already suspected — that caregivers use the Internet more intensely than others — Fox said that statistical analysis showed that they’re not just more likely to be middle-aged or more educated, but that there’s something about being a caregiver that makes their online behavior different.

The findings are significant for policymakers, hospital administrators, clinicians and patients themselves, as well as those working on health tech startups. In the past year, a couple of new startups have launched directly targeting caregivers, including CareZone, launched by former Sun Microsystems CEO Jonathan Schwartz, and CareLinx. But caregivers are also clearly a key audience for general health tech startups. These are the ones who will most actively embrace the apps and services that help them find doctors, track symptoms, research medical facilities and more — for themselves and those they love. As more people turn to the Web for health information and more people rely on loved ones to help conduct that research, that will become increasingly true, Fox said.

“This report is a window into the future,” she added. “We now have the data to show that caregivers are a viable target market for anyone who’s interested in reaching health care consumers, especially older adults who are less likely to be wired than younger adults.”

Connect with Caregivers in Your Community at www.CareLinx.com