We are often contacted by adult children who thought their aging parents were doing well together until a crisis occured. When they looked more closely at the situation they realized “we didn’t know what was going on.” This month Elder Voice focuses on aging couples. There are two different and challenging pathways that can unfold [read more…]
Posts
Dementia, Elopement, and Wandering
On a recent rainy afternoon, we got a call from the sister of a client who lives in one of the best nursing homes in Vancouver. “Peter,” it’s W,” she said in a voice tight with worry. ” I’m in T’s room. She’s gone and nobody knows where she is. She isn’t in the building. [read more…]
In the Emergency Ward: Getting Seniors the Best Care
Recent news reports of seniors being inappropriately discharged from a hospital emergency ward to their homes in the middle of the night outrage the public and frighten any family member with an older relative who lives alone. This month Elder Voice has three articles which focus on Seniors in the emergency ward. Our first article [read more…]
Emotional Abuse of Seniors
Today’s newsletter focuses on a very difficult subject which speaks to many people’s worst fear about care homes: elder abuse. Many care homes are staffed with warm and caring people and provide high quality care, but from time to time there is the exception. On those occasions, it’s important to understand what abuse looks like, and to [read more…]
Medications and Behavioural Control in Seniors
“She’s only on a minimal dose.” That is what the nurse in the nursing home told us when we sought to have 85 year old Mrs. T. taken off the last of the medications used to control her behaviour. While living in an assisted living residence about five years previously, Mrs.T started having hallucinations and [read more…]
Paul’s Club: A Unique Programme for People with Early Onset Alzheimer’s
From time to time Elder Voice features programmes or products which we think provide something unique and valuable to Seniors, Family Members or Caregivers. This month we want to let our readers know about Paul’s Club. “Paul’s Club is a social and recreational day program that caters specifically to the needs and interests of people [read more…]
Geriatric Care Managers: What They Can Do For You
A Geriatric Care Manager (GCM) is a professional whose education and work experience has trained them to provide services to, and manage/coordinate care for, older adults, their families and caregivers. This month Elder Voice focuses on Geriatric Care Managers and Geriatric Care Management. GCMs have been described as a professional family member, a counsellor, an [read more…]
Crisis Day: When A Loved One Enters Care
On a call last month, the voice on the other end of the phone sounded fraught with anxiety.” I don’t know what to do, I can’t leave my mother in that place,” a woman’s voice said.” All the people are just sitting around in wheelchairs; they all look like they are drugged. My mother told [read more…]
Elder Law
Hugh McLellan is an elder law attorney practicing in Vancouver. As part of the Diamond Geriatrics team, Hugh provides Elderlaw consultation to clients and Care Managers. Elder Law is both a practice area (i.e. the nature of a lawyer’s work) and a substantive area (i.e. laws and cases dealing with matters affecting older persons) of [read more…]
About Incontinence and Incontinence Products
Incontinence in the elderly is common. 30-40 % of post menopausal women have some type of bladder incontinence as do 20% of men over the age of 65. Studies have found that between 43% and 77% of nursing home residents have some level of incontinence. Despite these numbers most people do not know about treatments [read more…]