January 31, 2011 |
Posted By Dr. Deborah Bier | Comments (0)
 Being able to stay in the home we’ve lived in as we’ve aged is a real blessing, and almost always preferred by elders. But some homes are just not set up for aging in place — too many stairs, bathrooms and bedrooms in the wrong part of the house to fit the elder’s needs and mobility. Home modification is an option, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts makes low- and no-interest loans to modify the homes of elders and individuals with disabilities where there is income qualification.
Monday, January 31 at 7PM at the Gleason Library in Carlisle, MA, there is a meeting about this program. I just noticed it in the Boston Globe, following a Facebook pointer from our State Representative, Cory Atkins (isn’t life in 2011 strange??!) — you can fit in this meeting before the next snow storm starts. Download a program brochure here.
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January 27, 2011 |
Posted By Dr. Deborah Bier | Comments (0)
 When it comes to fulfilling our greatest potential as human beings experiencing aging, do we really know what truly excellent aging looks like? Just what is possible for elders? How much resilience and adaptation to change are possible as we age? How many unfounded assumptions are we making about what is possible for us as we age, despite our imperfect health? And how do those assumptions keep us from helping elders from experiencing the best lives possible?
I am of the school that says, “we know a lot less than we think we know,” and every day I work to provide home care and family support through CCC, I have to admit: even a really, really, REALLY open-minded and optimistic person like myself — a person who absolutely thrills at having her mind expanded when it comes to the possibilities of human potential — even I have limiting assumptions about aging that are much better discarded.
Which is why I just love the four links I’m about to pass along: they each remind me that we never know what is truly possible… that it’s likely what we believe is the outer reaches of human aging today are going to be considered laughably limited in 10 years. (more…)
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January 21, 2011 |
Posted By Dr. Deborah Bier | Comments (0)
 (This message was just sent out via email to our caregivers, clients, and client families)
Winter is just not going to quit, is it?! This time, it’s not more snow (we’ve had “only” 3 storms this past week!), but extreme cold temperatures. This is of particular concern with elders and people who are disabled due to their lower activity levels. If there is dementia, they might not be able to know how to keep safe. The below alert from the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) contains important safety info about extreme cold weather.
(more…)
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January 18, 2011 |
Posted By Blog Admin | Comments (0)
Old Man Winter is back at it again! We are postponing the below panel discussion set for tonight to another date. More when that date is known. (Would it be more politically correct now to call him “Senior Citizen Winter?”)
POSTPONED: Wayland, Ma, Tuesday, Janurary 18, 7 PM, Public Library: Part 1 of 2, “What’s New in Aging?” Join a distinguished panel of elder experts speaking on navigating the new terrain or aging in the 21st century, followed by Q&A period. Juergen H. Bludau, MD, Harvard Gerontologist, Carol Sneider Glick, Esq, elder law specialist, and Deborah Bier, PhD, mental health counselor and home care agency director. (more info here) REGISTER HERE TO BE INFORMED OF FUTURE DATE
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January 17, 2011 |
Posted By Dr. Deborah Bier | Comments (2)
 At Caring Companion, we already do far more than the industry standard to reduce the costs of health care and improve the quality of life for elders and the disabled. We provide real-time information and reports to health care professionals and families via our unique online system — we are the only agency in the country doing this. We already place appropriate technology in homes to help reduce the number of care hours needed. Our guiding model combines our outstanding on-site caregivers with with the appropriate technology to improve care and reduce its cost.
Throughout 2011, we will demonstrate this in a series of public pilots. In partnership with some Massachusetts Aging Services Access Points (ASAPs) and Councils on Aging (COAs), we will pilot promising technologies that we have identified to help at-risk elders and the disabled. Testing such technologies in elders’ homes has not been done before in our region; in fact, it’s seldom been done around the country. In these carefully crafted pilot studies, we will demonstrate that we can:
| Want to Participate? If you, a family member, or your agency would like to participate in any of our free pilots, please fill in the information requested on this page or phone us at 800 869-6418. |
- significantly reduce care costs
- reduce hospitalizations
- reduce falls
- identify problem areas before they fully develop
- proactively intervene to prevent crises
- reduce stress, increase efficiency for care partners
- allow elders to live longer in their homes
- delay or prevent entry into higher levels of care
- increase elder safety
- maintain elder privacy
(more…)
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January 11, 2011 |
Posted By Blog Admin | Comments (0)
 This lecture has been reschedule due to the &#$%! nor’easter forecast to begin tonight through Wednesday. Instead:
Lincoln, MA, Wednesday, March 9, Noon-1pm, Bemis Hall: Learn how the new challenges and opportunities of aging in the 21st century can come together to benefit elders and those with disabilities. “21st Century Caregiving: Essentials for Caring for a Disabled or Aging Loved One” is a free lecture and community service. The lecture starts at noon and is sponsored by the Lincoln Council on Aging. (more info here) REGISTER HERE
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Being able to stay in the home we’ve lived in as we’ve aged is a real blessing, and almost always preferred by elders. But some homes are just not set up for aging in place — too many stairs, bathrooms and bedrooms in the wrong part of the house to fit the elder’s needs and mobility. Home modification is an option, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts makes low- and no-interest loans to modify the homes of elders and individuals with disabilities where there is income qualification.
