< Parent Traps: October 2006

Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Live Longer, Live Better

Who wouldn’t want that? Now recent research shows how to make it happen – and save the planet at the same time!

First, a California study found that people who are obese in middle age are two to three times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease. So maintaining a healthy weight is important, but how can we do that? According to a piece in the New York Times (the most-emailed story in today’s paper), calorie restriction is the answer.

During the past few decades, literally thousands of studies on calorie restriction have shown that it extends life and helps prevent – or at least slow the development of – chronic diseases associated with aging. Ideally, this sort of diet focuses on “nutrient dense” foods, which provide relatively few calories but plenty of vitamins and minerals.

If it’s starting to sound too complicated, here’s a simple way to accomplish the goal – focus on a plant-based diet. Not only does it eliminate the saturated fat and calories in animal products, but it also provides plenty of nutrients and fiber. (For anyone concerned about weight management, fiber can be your best friend, but that’s a subject for another day.) But wait…there’s more! Focusing on vegetables, grains and fruits also fights global warming in two ways!! First, when we eat fewer animals, there’s less farm-related pollution. Second, losing weight means greater fuel efficiency in our automobiles.

As the experts point out, you don’t have to get wear plastic shoes and become a total vegan to improve the situation. Just cutting back on meat and dairy products reduces the by-products that contribute to global warming. The bottom line: What’s good for you is good for the planet, too.

Monday, October 30, 2006

"Let Food Be Your Medicine...

... and medicine be your food." Even way back in 400 B.C., Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, got it right. And we have gone so wrong. Today, we're being overwhelmed by an obesity epidemic and soaring health care costs, many of which are related to excess weight. Yet in spite of that, a new survey by ACNielsen finds that even when Americans know what they're eating is not healthy, they don't care, because it's all about convenience!

This seems odd, because even mainstream supermarkets now sell healthy frozen meals and snacks that are no more difficult to prepare than a Tombstone pizza (at least they got the name right) or the "heart disease in a bag" served by so many of the fast-food chains. Case in point: the Burger King Stacker, a 1,000 calorie coffin nail that's loaded with saturated fat and salt, but manages to avoid any actual beneficial nutrients.
Good food does not have to be boring or inconvenient. More on this tomorrow...

Saturday, October 28, 2006

Small Changes, Big Results

Sometimes it really is the little things that matter most. When it comes to improving your health, here are some simple changes that can make a difference, courtesy of Forbes.com.

Friday, October 27, 2006

We Pause Now for a Word from Our Sponsor


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Thursday, October 26, 2006

The Empty Promise of Assisted Living

So Mom’s not getting any younger and she’s really tired of dealing with all the upkeep on the house, not to mention hiring people to help out who either don’t know what they’re doing or don’t show up. Then one day she notices an ad in the paper. There’s a nice new community opening up on the other side of town. It’s an assisted living facility, so she can take her own furniture, park her car in the gated garage, and come and go as she pleases. There’s no yard to take care of, the cleaning people visit as often as she wants and she can cook for herself or have meals in the community room. They’ll even deliver meals to her apartment, like room service! How perfect is that?

For this person, who is basically healthy and fully functioning, assisted living is ideal. But more and more often, managers of assisted living facilities accept patients they are not equipped to handle and make promises that cannot be kept.

Exhibit A: Lifehouse Properties, which owns a number of assisted living facilities in the Midwest. According to the website, Alzheimer’s patients are welcomed by a staff specially trained in Montessori techniques for dealing with dementia issues. Plus, they offer a wellness program, spa therapies, a diet and exercise program, planned life enrichment opportunities, “compassionate care” and “personalized services.” Who would pass up an opportunity like that?

My father moved into a Lifehouse Property in February, 2006. And in the six months that followed, we (my sister and I) discovered that few of the promises made were going to be kept. To this day, we have seen no evidence of a wellness program. As for diet, our father’s file contains an evaluation sheet on which someone scrawled “likes sweets.” Spa therapies? Sorry, don’t think so. Life enrichment opportunities? Sure, if you consider Bingo an opportunity to enrich your life. I could go on, but I’m sure by now the point is clear. People can post anything on a website. They can create a brochure reminiscent of a resort. That doesn’t mean it actually exists.

No doubt there are some wonderful assisted living facilities out there, and I don’t mean to suggest that they all are disappointments -- or worse. But the problem is this: assisted living operations do not have to live up to the same standards as nursing homes, which are highly regulated. Actually, there are very few standards for assisted living operations in most states. That fact alone makes them appealing to certain business people. And it’s no coincidence that assisted living facilities are the fastest growing segment of the elder care market.

Here’s why: Most parents of Baby Boomers grew up in the Depression. Unlike the Boomers, they knew how to live frugally and they saved their money. In fact, elderly Americans have accumulated enormous wealth. Getting these people into assisted living situations is one way to tap that wealth. Not surprisingly, assisted living facilities offer rates that are considerably lower than those of nursing homes. Plus, they sound much less "end stage" than nursing homes, which are often viewed as God's waiting room. So not only are kids relieved that they aren’t putting a parent into a dreaded “home,” but there’s also the possibility that the savings accounts won’t be drained. Because there is so little oversight, though, an assisted living company can promise that Mom or Dad will be treated with dignity and respect, etc., and then pretty much do as they please. Most children are not able to visit very often and have no idea what is actually happening.

If you’re up for an in-depth read on the subject, here’s a long (20-some pages) report from Michigan State University, documenting some of these problems.

Here are a few tidbits from the report (italics added)–

"ALFs [assisted living facilities] also have significant advantage for providers. These include:
-- freedom from the burdens and expense of extensive regulatory requirements;
-- the absence of governmental involvement in facility development and operations, and,
-- the opportunity to respond to individual needs and to create innovative programs....
The lack of regulation also enables providers far greater flexibility in the development and operation of their facilities, although further study is required to determine if ALF facilities actually routinely offer flexible services to suit individual needs and preferences."

The entire report is easy to skim. And you’ll see that for people who are unhappy with an assisted living facility or who have had a bad experience, there is very little recourse. This is exactly what we found out when our father was given an emergency, 24-hour discharge, and asked to leave ASAP. The reason: “Continual combative and non-compliant episodes.” That’s right -- an 88-year-old, disabled World War II veteran who uses a walker and still can barely get around was too much for staff to handle. What could we do about it? Nothing. As we discovered, the typical assisted living contract gives management the option of removing any resident at will. So much for “compassionate care.”

Before too long, I’ll be adding links to several series of articles on assisted living that depict some of the more serious consequences this lack of oversight has caused, including abuse and fatalities. Over the years, there have been attempts to pass legislation that would require assisted living facilities to meet higher standards, but only a few states have actually passed these kinds of laws. Bottom line: Don’t believe everything the staff people tell you, and by all means, don’t assume that whatever’s on the website or in a glossy brochure bears any resemblance to reality.

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Thinking Outside the (Gift) Box

Tis the season …already. Not even Halloween yet and the mail order catalogs are stacking up, magazines are thick with ads for jewelry, furs, cars and all manner of excessiveness. Which made me think about alternatives to the mad consumerism that’s taken over the holiday season.

After all, compared to most everyone else in the world, we are a nation of Donald Trumps. Look at the lives of everyday people in any third world country, and you’ll feel like Paris Hilton. So this year, instead of squandering your hard-earned money on useless junk, why not give at least some gifts that improve a life? A couple of possibilities:

PlanUSA

Plan is a nonprofit, global partnership founded in 1937 to bring hope and help to the world’s poorest children. Since then the group has provided assistance to more than 10 million children and their families in poor communities around the world, giving them educational opportunities, clean water and so much more that we take for granted. Sponsoring a child can change a life and costs about as much per month as a nice dinner (for one person!) in this country. Learn more at: http://www.planusa.org.


North Shore Animal League

More than one million homeless pets have found loving homes thanks to the efforts of the North Shore Animal League, the world’s largest no-kill animal rescue and adoption center. Gift-wise, you can sponsor a dog or cat until it is adopted, or make a one-time donation. Check out the possibilities at: http://www.nsalamerica.org.

These are two of thousands of opportunities. You can donate to help Hurricane Katrina victims, give to literacy programs, contribute to research groups looking for a cure for breast cancer, or provide assistance to environmental organizations. For a look at a wide range of charities and effectiveness scorecards, visit http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm. (Remember, too, that your charitable donation may be tax deductible, so it's a real win-win situation.)

Monday, October 23, 2006

Getting a Handle on The Silent Killer

Millions of Americans suffer from high blood pressure. Maybe “suffer” isn’t exactly the right word, though, because often people aren’t aware that their blood pressure is off the charts. Both heart disease and stroke, two of the nation’s leading killers, are linked to high blood pressure, so it makes sense to keep an eye on this easy-to-measure health marker and do what needs to be done -- medication, stress management, exercise, better diet -- to keep it at moderate levels. Prescription medications can make a big difference. But natural supplements and dietary changes show promise, too.


· For example, researchers in Israel tested a patented, proprietary product based on lycopene, a tomato extract, and found that individuals with slightly elevated blood pressure benefited from daily supplements of 250 mg.


· In Italy, scientists explored the theory that melatonin supplements could help reduce blood pressure, since it usually falls a bit at night, when the body releases the hormone. As they suspected, study participants’ night-time blood pressure was lower after taking melatonin, particularly in those people who did not normally experience a reduction while sleeping.


· Scientists in Finland tested a fermented milk product containing the “friendly” bacteria Lactobacillus helveticus (similar to the bacteria found in high-quality yogurt) on high-blood pressure patients. And once again, the results were positive.


If you’re not sure what your blood pressure is, make an effort to find out. Many pharmacies now offer free or low-cost screenings, and there are blood-pressure monitors that can be used at home. If your score indicates a problem, it’s time to see the doctor.

NOTE: Anyone who is taking medication for high blood pressure should not stop taking the medicine without a physician’s advice and approval. The
methods discussed above are not a substitute for medicine. And please remember, I am not a health care professional. I’m a reporter who specializes in alternative health topics. The information I’m presenting is just that – information. It is not a recommendation, endorsement or medical advice.

One more thing to remember: lycopene, melatonin and “friendly bacteria” (a.k.a. probiotics) have other health benefits. In fact, each substance is a real powerhouse when it comes to enhancing health. And each one is the subject of an upcoming post, so stay tuned….

Saturday, October 21, 2006

New and Noteworthy

What did you eat today?

The answer to that question is more important than you might think. A new study reports one more health advantage for the Mediterranean diet – it fights (or at least forestalls) Alzheimer’s disease. With an emphasis on vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains, beans, “good fats” like olive oil, and fish, the Mediterranean diet has been consistently linked to better heart health in medical literature. Now a new landmark study has shown that the more closely people follow this type of eating plan, the less likely they are to develop Alzheimer’s.

At first glance, the Mediterranean diet may seem to be a real stretch for anyone hooked on the all-American cheeseburger and fries. But if you replace just one high-fat meal with a savory stew of lentils and vegetables, for example, you’re providing your brain with at least some of the nutrients it needs to remain fully functioning.

Actually, the real irony here is that Mediterranean cooking is absolutely delicious and satisfying. Don’t take my word for it. Here are a few excellent cookbooks that provide plenty of recipes.

The Mediterranean Diet: Revised and Updated Edition
By Marissa Cloutier and Eve Adamson
(HarperCollins, 2004)

The Mediterranean Prescription: Meal Plans and Recipes to Help You Stay Slim and Healthy for the Rest of Your Life
By Angelo Acquista with Laurie Anne Vandermolen
(Random House, 2006)

Mediterranean Vegetarian Cooking
By Paola Gavin
(M. Evans; 2005)

And while it’s not strictly focused on the Mediterranean diet, this book, by one of America’s leading nutrition researchers, is an education in itself:

Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy: The Harvard Medical School Guide to Healthy Eating
By Walter Willett, M.D., and P.J. Skerrett
(Free Press, 2005)

If you’re still not convinced that it’s time to change your eating habits, read on. Saturated fat, cholesterol and animal protein are all fairly low in the Mediterranean diet. Not surprisingly, another new study found that when mice chowed down on meals loaded with saturated fat and cholesterol (in other words, the Standard American Diet), their mental functions failed as they grew older. Even worse, their brains showed accumulations of beta amyloid, a toxic protein associated with Alzheimer’s.

The number of Americans suffering from Alzheimer’s today is approximately 4.5 million, but experts estimate that by mid-century that figure will soar to a staggering 16 million! Bottom line: Do your brain a favor -- eat right.

Friday, October 20, 2006

Friday Book Blogging


Two thumbs up for The Magic Teaspoon: Transform Your Meals with the Power of Healing Herbs and Spices by Victoria Zak (Berkley, 2006). This author has done her homework. The book is full of entertaining legends and lore about spices. But more importantly, it shows how you can use spices to improve your health by using them in place of salt and fats. Plus, spices are loaded with health-promoting substances, including antioxidants, the compounds that fight aging and disease.


The recipes alone are worth the price of the book. And one thing I learned is don’t be afraid to push the envelope. Example: Victoria suggests mixing coriander with honey for an afternoon pick-up. She was right – it’s scrumptious. But that led to the brainstorm of mixing coriander and honey into the morning oatmeal. Whoa! Try it and you’ll see why she calls coriander “manna from heaven.” The bland old steel cut oatmeal turned into an entirely new experience. Then I realized you could probably mix coriander and honey with lots of thing (yogurt, cottage cheese, tea, oatmeal cookie batter, chopped fruit salad, pancakes – okay, I’ll stop now) and end up with a winner. And that’s just one spice! A word of warning: Don’t even get me started on basil.

Thursday, October 19, 2006

Breaking the Mold, Part 2

The Baby Boomers are just starting to retire or at least qualify for senior discounts. But their own parents are more than likely moving into assisted living facilities or nursing homes. That means savings accounts are being drained. Inheritances are drying up. And health problems are becoming overwhelmingly complicated. To make matters worse, resources are few and far between. Our parents need our help, but who is helping us?

As middle-aged children of the elderly, it’s hard not to feel the pinch of being in these “parent traps.” How do we get out? After Katrina, who expects much help from the federal government? Long-term care insurance is one answer, but the Los Angeles Times just ran a major piece focusing on the difficulties some people are having collecting on their policies. (You can read it here.)

To paraphrase Sir Francis Bacon, knowledge is powerful. We need to share information and experiences, and become aware of the perils, pitfalls and possibilities we’re all facing. Maintaining our own health as we grow older has to be one of our highest priorities. In order to break the mold for growing old, we’ll have to work at it. Fortunately, we’ve got science on our side. Anti-aging research is a hot topic in the medical world. So what can you do to slow the aging process? A lot, actually.

Here’s one suggestion. Get moving. Medical experts seldom agree on anything, but when it comes to exercise, the majority of anti-aging specialists put physical activity at the top of the list. Forget about extreme sports, marathons or Iron Man events. Just go for a walk. Do it every day. Take the dog. (And if you don’t have a dog, get one – people who live with pets are way healthier than those who don’t. More on this later.) Just remember – being active is important. Really important. One recent study noted that sedentary lifestyles are now overtaking smoking as a cause of death, claiming something like 300,000 lives each year.

Aging well also requires some knowledge about eating well. That’s something else you’ll find here – short, easy-to-read reports on food, supplements and lifestyle research, and interviews with medical experts whenever possible. For now, all you need to remember is this: The Standard American Diet, with the apt acronym SAD, is literally killing people. Billions of dollars are spent each year treating chronic health conditions that are clearly linked to junk and processed foods, not to mention the excess pounds this kind of daily diet creates. And once you understand which foods promote good health and which ones don’t, eating well becomes much easier.

Here’s one quick way to age-proof your diet – curry up! A number of studies have shown that curry dishes, made with the spice turmeric, reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Curry is a popular ingredient in Indian cooking, and it’s worth noting that India has the lowest rates of Alzheimer’s in the world.

Curcuminoids, compounds extracted from turmeric, are hugely popular in medical research right now, but unlike some promising substances, they are easily obtained, both from food and supplements. Example: Curcumin C3 Complex®, from Sabinsa Corp., was used in a recent UCLA study on curcuminoids and Alzheimer’s. (In the interests of full disclosure, I am not endorsing the product, nor do I receive anything at all for mentioning them. I’m simply relaying the information from the study, which was published in the October 9, 2006, issue of Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.)

Stay tuned…there’s much more to come!

Breaking the Mold on Growing Old

That's the point of this blog. That and providing readers with information on some of the perils, pitfalls and possibilities we'll all most likely be facing as we -- and our parents -- age.

One quick example: my father, an 88-year-old, disabled veteran of World War II who is suffering from Alzheimer's disease, was recently given a 24-hour, emergency discharge from his assisted living facility. The reason -- he was a "danger" to the staff. Now we’re not talking about Mike Tyson here. My father is so frail and unsteady he can barely walk. But the assisted living supervisor claimed he had "chased some staff members with his walker," and had become difficult, so he had to move out. Please.

Ridiculous? Yes. But so were the alternatives, as my sister and I soon discovered. In fact, I can sum up our options in one word -- none. None of the state agencies dealing with seniors or assisted living facilities could do anything about the situation. Dad had to be moved.

Okay, so move, right? Well, it’s just not that easy. We’re talking about rural Michigan, where it can be a real challenge to find a decent, reasonably priced facility with a vacancy. But here’s the thing – even in major metropolitan areas, it’s a real challenge. A friend here in LA figured that she would find a good nursing home by researching which ones had no lawsuits against them. She found one. One out of literally dozens. That’s what we Baby Boomers with aging parents – hence the name “Parent Traps” -- are up against. It’s only going to get worse, as more and more people need full-time assistance. And let’s not forget that soon the people needing assistance will be us.

The good news is that we finally found a nice place for Dad. But during the search, I learned a LOT and want to share it with anyone who can use it. Here’s a very short list of topics of upcoming posts:

· What’s the real difference between assisted living and nursing homes?

· Why the Deficit Reduction Act that passed this year should have been called the Rob the Elderly and Their Children Act (and a few other things!).

· An easy way to research nursing home and assisted living violations.

· Why the Veterans Administration is a better resource than Medicaid (if you’re eligible), and how to take advantage of a little-known benefit that could provide a veteran or spouse with hundreds of extra dollars a month.

· Advances that are being made in finding a cure for Alzheimer’s disease.

· How to slow the aging process, combat stress and maintain good health for as long as possible.

Things have to change. We have to find better solutions than what’s out there. That’s what this blog is for. Keep checking back. I’ll be posting new items as often as possible. And feel free to comment, correct me when I’m wrong and talk about your own experiences. I would love to hear from you!