Message from Patricia ...  

You're never too old for
breast cancer screenings

When, if ever, have you seen an advertisement for breast cancer awareness featuring an old woman? There are many public service announcements, TV commercials and People Magazine articles featuring young beautiful A-List celebrities advocating the importance of mammograms, but none feature a woman over 80. There is no question that mammogram's save lives...at any age. Mammography, the gold standard for breast cancer screening and early detection, has been shown to significantly reduce the risk of being diagnosed with advanced stage breast cancer in women over the age of 80, an age group currently without clear guidelines recommending regular screenings.

Older women face a range of issues that differs greatly from those of younger women. For example, older women tend to think about how to get the most out of their remaining years. In some cases, that may mean a decision to avoid any kind of treatment at all because of the fear of the side effects that can accompany some therapies. Other older women may want the most aggressive treatments available. Women of an older generation have a tendency not to seek a second opinion or question a doctor's judgment, said Edie Fitts, who has spoken with thousands of women as a trained peer counselor for YourShoes 24/7 Breast Cancer Support Center. Fitt did seek another doctor's opinion, and when it jibed with her first doctor's recommendation and she went ahead with the prescribed treatment.

The challenge of mental
illness in the elderly

Medicare annual enrollment period is
from October 15 to December 7 this year     

Do you or a loved one have questions about Medicare? Aging with Grace recognizes that understanding your Medicare health plan options can be confusing. To help you make an informed and timely decision, Aging with Grace has arranged for a very special service from Medicare MarketPlace.

Medicare MarketPlace offers you a personalized Medicare health plan solution with access to multiple top rated national insurers. Friendly and knowledgeable representatives provide stress-free, highly informative, one-on-one consultation to fully explain your options and help you understand and select the right choices for you. If you are turning 65 this year, you only have a limited window to enroll in a plan without possibly being subject to full underwriting.

To find out if you can save substantial money on your health insurance premiums, call Medicare MarketPlace toll free today at 800-326-1298 or visit www.MedicareMarketPlace.com/AWG. 

One-stop independence solution

The growing numbers of Baby Boomers caring for aging relatives from a distance face an increasing challenge: how to ensure their loved ones are healthy, safe and socially connected while remaining independent. Busy, often-stressed caregivers are seeking one provider to tie together the various telecare elements, from medication and appointment reminders to social engagement tools, to health and safety sensors. Ease of use also is important to older adults, who may not be technologically inclined.

"In my search for one simple, comprehensive solution that would serve the gamut of needs I was thrilled to discover Independa - an excellent source that brings together best-of-breed solutions like no other provider," says Patricia Grace of Aging with Grace. "It's a solution I feel is equally strong for the family caregiver, the professional care manager, and larger, national care management companies alike."

"We founded Independa to fulfill an unmet and growing need," says Independa CEO Kian Saneii, whose experience with his grandmother helped inform product development. "Our mission is to provide easy-to-use, integrated telecare solutions that enable the elderly to stay in their homes longer, safer and more comfortably, while enriching the lives of caregivers as well."

Since January, Independa has introduced two user-friendly service offerings:

• Smart Reminders, which applies patent-pending technology to help caregivers set up automated telephone reminders for the care recipient to take medications, keep medical and social appointments, and record their Life Stories ... all by using a standard telephone! Activities of daily living are supported via a feature called "Check-in calls," which also are over the telephone. Caregivers also can receive trend information and be notified if loved ones haven't heeded reminders.
• Angela, as in "angel-like," is a tablet-based social engagement solution tailor-made for the non-technical elderly and designed to reduce social isolation. "We see Angela as the next Wii or iPad for the golden generation," Saneii says. With particularly large fonts, high contrast and bright colors, and most importantly, being fun to use, Angela offers one-touch access to preloaded programs for games and puzzles, Web access, simple video chat, email and Facebook. It also can provide visual Smart Reminders alerts.

Later this year, Independa plans to begin adding an array of interconnected wireless health and safety sensors. Along with monitoring such vital signs as weight, blood pressure and glucose levels, the sensors can track activities and environmental conditions, including when Mom gets out of bed, how often she leaves her chair, how frequently she opens the refrigerator, or whether her home has become too hot or cold. For all this, mom doesn't need to do anything different, using her blood pressure cuff, scale, glucometer, or pulsoximeter as she normally would need to, and living life in her environment as she normally would. Independa is there for her and the caregiver to provide support - so family care givers and professional care manager can "care when they can't be there."

For more information, please visit www.independa.com. 

Aging with Grace Provider
Profile: Pathway Senior Living

Pathway Senior Living was recognized by the Assisted Living Federation of America (ALFA) as part of the ALFA 2011 Best of the Best Awards. The awards program recognizes programs that raise the bar of excellence in senior living.

Pathway, a premier provider of supportive living and senior apartment buildings throughout the Chicago area, was recognized by the Assisted Living Federation of America for Camp VIVA!, its "extreme wellness program." Camp VIVA! provides assisted living residents an overnight camping excursion to a scenic, handicapped-accessible campground by a lake. Residents enjoy traditional camping experiences, including fishing, swimming, hiking, cooking and eating outdoors, sleeping on cots in cabins, storytelling and roasting marshmallows by the campfire.