Comic Relief
 Tim Conway is one of my all time favorite comedians. This video clip is one of his most hilarious skits with Harvey Korman as "The Dentist" on the old Carol Burnett Show back in the 70's. Keep in mind, neither one knew what the other was going to say or do. Even Harvey cracks up a few times from Conway's creative humor! You just don't see stuff like this on TV anymore. It's a shame, really....
Click to watch now.
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Grandparents Rule - Literally
Nearly one out of every four people in the U.S. is a grandparent. This number, 70 million, is more than the number of people in France, and is twice the population of California. Today's American grandparents are active and energetic. The average age at which someone becomes a grandparent is 48, and many of them are running marathons or dating online.
Read more here.
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Dance to the Music, with Your Hands
"Dancing Hands" is a program that uses hand tapping and music to engage Alzheimer's patients.
View the "Tap Dancing Rhythm for Your Hands", performed by residents in a congregate setting.
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Brenda's Recipe Corner
Broccoli Chicken Divan
Broccoli is in season right now, which makes it inexpensive and easy to find locally grown.
This is an easy, tasty and filling casserole dish that can be whipped up and served within 30 minutes for those busy weekday evenings after a long hard day at work.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 pound chopped fresh broccoli
- 1 1/2 cups cubed, cooked chicken meat
- 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken or cream of broccoli soup
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons dried bread crumbs
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C)
Place the broccoli in a saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook 5 minutes, or until tender. Drain.
Place the cooked broccoli in a 9 inch pie plate. Top with the chicken. In a bowl, mix the soup and milk, and pour over the chicken. Sprinkle with Cheddar cheese. Mix the melted butter with the bread crumbs, and sprinkle over the cheese.
Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until bubbly and lightly brown.
Enjoy!
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Greetings!
The
recipe for a good caregiver includes a sprinkling of kindness, a dash
of imagination and a cupful of patience. But caregiving is also
something that is best done with a little help. The articles in this
newsletter celebrate these caregiving ingredients by showcasing some
simple and some innovative caregiving ideas. We hope you will find the
included news informative and beneficial.
Thank you,
The Team at Assisting Angels Home Care
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 Random Acts of
Kindness ARE Contagious!
 A
recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences reports that a spirit of generosity persists in people who've
experienced it, and who pass it along. Kindness spreads and generosity
cascades through the social network to affect the lives of many others.
What a great finding for humankind!
Read an abstract of the study, "Cooperative behavior cascades in human social networks" by James H. Fowler and Nicholas A. Christakis.
Read the full news article here.
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Two Vastly Differing Approaches to Dealing with Dementia The
first is a unique solution for the "I want to go home" problem that
many with dementia encounter daily. Home, however, is in the mind of
the patient, not HOME as the caregiver might understand it. Listen to this podcast on Radiolab (sort of long, but worth it) that offers an excellent solution to the problem. (Tip: Have the Kleenex handy for this one.) The
second approach is one based on research and assistive technology,
using touch screen TV to create interactive memory sessions and
interactive art and music sessions. These two vastly different and
innovative approaches to making life easier for those suffering from
Alzheimer's or related dementias and their caregivers share one common
goal: keeping the patient happy and engaged. Learn more here.
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Caregiving and Gizmos
 A recent AARP report shares some interesting statistics on technology used by caregivers in the U.S. for those aged 50+:
- 23% of caregivers reported utilizing an electronic organizer/calendar
- 16% use an emergency response system
- 12% utilize electronic information with their doctor or care manager
- 10% reported using electronic sensors to detect safety problems
- 7% said they use Web site/software for health records
Read the report here.
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Idaho Health and Welfare to Make Cuts
State budget problems have impacted the Department of Health and Welfare in a big way. It was recently announced that the agency will layoff 126 employees-4 percent of its work force-and close 9 of 29 offices. The nine offices to be closed over the next six weeks are: American Falls, Bellevue, Bonners Ferry, Emmett, Jerome, McCall, Orofino, Rupert and Soda Springs.
Of the 87 workers at the nine offices, 21 will be laid off and 66 reassigned. An additional 106 layoffs will comprise 32 job cuts in the Boise administrative offices and 73 in H&W's other regional offices or institutions. Health & Welfare is Idaho's largest agency, with about 3,100 workers paid by state and federal funds.
The move will save the state about $7 million annually, but at what cost? These budget problems have real life impacts on seniors and their families who seek Medicaid assistance to help pay for long-term care needs provided in nursing homes, assisted living facilities and also in the home.
Idaho Health & Welfare Director Dick Armstrong said the public will wait longer for meetings, application processing and answers to questions. In turn, the agency "will focus on crisis management, with the top priority being to stabilize individual families who have run out of food or are at risk of homelessness." This places the extended care benefit program for seniors somewhere down the priority list.
In another move, the department notified Medicaid providers their payments are being suspended until July, 2010. The three missed payments (last three weeks of June for in-home care providers and assisted living facilities) will be made up in July, the start of fiscal 2011. The state portion of Medicaid is more than $20 million short for fiscal 2010. Earlier the state suspended payments to hospitals and nursing homes for eight to 12 weeks. This will have a huge financial impact on the smaller providers who cannot afford to wait for the Medicaid payments to be made as can larger, national corporations.
Everything is taking longer and is more difficult with regard to Medicaid applications these days. That's not the fault of Medicaid case workers, who are doing the best they can under very difficult circumstances. However, it does emphasize the conclusion that seniors and their families need strong advocates to help them navigate the system - now more than ever before. If you or a loved one needs long-term care, the sooner you get advice about legal options to protect assets and speed up Medicaid eligibility, the better. Visit our website at www.IdahoElderLaw.com for more information or call (208) 387-0729.
Pete Sisson
Sisson & Sisson, Elder Law Firm, PLLC
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Skip Critell, Executive Vice President
