TOGETHER
SHAPING THE FUTURE

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

Welcome to our monthly Newsletter! 

Did you know March represented Brian Injury Awareness Month?  To help raise awareness, Grace Care recently participated in the San Diego Brain Injury Foundation's Walk for Recovery at Mission Bay.  We thank the foundation for putting on a wonderful event to honor a very special community.  Just last weekend we also presented our second "Aging Well" workshop with Estate Planning Attorney Joanna de Vos. This time we focused on the non-medical verses medical models of care and how to protect yourself against dangerous scams that are effecting many people in our community. We hope you are able to join us for our next event and we will keep you updated when a date is scheduled!

 

This month we are highlighting Dr. Cheryl Borrego of Borrego Chiropractic and Wellness in San Diego. Dr. Borrego most importantly teaches us about functional medicine and the positive impact it is having on those with multiple chronic illnesses.  We are honored to have her unique perspective on health and well-being.  My article this month is another tribute to the value of having a geriatric care manager on your side while navigating the complicated health care system.  With the rapid increase of the aging population in our country, it really brings to light the importance of a patient advocate's role. We hope you enjoy both features!

 

As always, the Grace Care teams seeks to bring you a varied and broad spectrum of information that will empower you and those you love.  Happy Passover and a Blessed Easter to all of our clients, friends and associates!


Warm wishes,
Cindy Hasz LVN, CMC
Founder/Owner 
GERIATRIC CARE MANAGERS: DON'T GO HOME WITHOUT ONE!
By: Cindy Hasz LVN, CMC

Our fragile elders are often forced to navigate the ever widening gaps in a fragmented health care system, without the support and tools they need.

70 million Americans 50 and up (four out of five) suffer from one chronic illness. More than half of older adults have more than one chronic illness and 11 million live with five or more chronic conditions. Most of these people will need intensive health care the last few years of their lives, yet the health system is ill equipped to provide the kind of chronic disease management these elders will need.

According to a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services report in 2010, there were 40.4 million adults 65 or over. The same report says that by 2030 there will be almost twice that amount at 72.1 million adults 65 years or over. That represents 19.3% of the population.

This anticipated growth rate will impact the delivery of health care services significantly. With health care services being strained across the spectrum and the discontinuity of care between hospital and home, fragile elder adults with multiple chronic illness find themselves in ever increasing danger.

What are some of the "danger zones" for elders in our health system? Discharges from hospitals and nursing homes are a great place to start. It's become widely known that some of the most vulnerable areas for elder adults are transitions in care from one care setting to another.
 

Read more 

PROFESSIONAL HIGHLIGHT: DR. CHERYL BORREGO
San Diego Chiropractic Wellness

Can you describe for us how functional medicine is different than conventional medicine?

Functional medicine addresses the underlying causes of disease. We engage both the patient and practitioner in a therapeutic partnership because we know this will bring about a quicker and more permanent result.

I will use a tree to illustrate the difference between functional medicine and conventional medicine. In order to keep a tree healthy and allow it to flourish, you need to support the most basic and essential elements first: The foundation. We are speaking of the roots and soil. Similarly, if a tree is not healthy then the first place you should look for answers is in the same foundational elements. For example, if the tree has its leaves curling up, turning brown and falling to the ground, you would not hire a person to iron and paint the leaves green and reattach them. This sounds ludicrous but would actually be similar to the approach that is taken by conventional medicine, which tends to look at symptoms (leaves) and treat those symptoms by prescribing drugs or surgery. This approach really neglects the more fundamental aspects of health such as those found in the roots and soil.

Conventional medicine treats all patients with the same diagnosis the same. The focus in functional medicine is completely different. We address the whole person, not just an isolated set of symptoms. Functional medicine asks the vital questions: Why do you have this problem in the first place? Why has function been lost? What can we do to restore function?

When you come into my office expect to spend the first visit discussing your history, lifestyle, work environment and genetics. As a functional medicine practitioner, I look for the underlying cause of dysfunction and work to restore my patients back to health through lifestyle changes, dietary/herbal supplements, exercise and relaxation techniques.
 

MEET GRACE CARE CAREGIVER ANDREA ESCALANTE
March 2015 Caregiver of the Month 

From the entire Grace Care Team, thank you Andrea for all you do in providing excellent care to our clients!
 

Where are you from and what is your background?
 

I am from Oceanside, California and have been working in the elder care industry all over San Diego County for 15 years. I started interning in high school at a nursing home over the summer and discovered I really enjoyed this work and found it satisfying caring for others. I have worked over the years with children and adults with a wide variety of ailments.
 

What made you interested in becoming a caregiver?
 

I really enjoy taking care of people and helping them. They know they can trust me and rely on me, which makes me feel good. The people I work with end up feeling like extended family members and this is how I treat them, as if they were someone in my own family.
 

I grew up with ten siblings and saw my mom as the ultimate caregiver. She loved taking care of us and this inspired me to want to follow in her footsteps and care for others as well. There was always something going on being in such a large family, and she was great mother to us all. She kept every day fun and interesting, which I try and do as well. There was never a dull moment.

 

MONTHLY ESTATE PLANNING TIP FROM JOANNA DE VOS, ESQ.
Law Office of Joanna de Vos, APC 

Four Ways You Can Plan to Age Well:

1.  PLAN for a potential period of incapacity, and the impact of incapacity on making health care decisions and managing finances.

2.  PLAN for a potential period of long-term care (home care, nursing home care, etc.), and how to pay for that. 

3.  PLAN for transferring your assets to your intended heirs at your death (or before), including issues related to probate and probate avoidance.

4.  PLAN to minimize taxes (estate, income and property taxes).

Remember--a failure to plan is a plan to fail. The legal and communication tools that allow you to control decisions about your care are readily available. Planning ahead can help minimize the consequences!

Joanna de Vos is the Owner and Managing Attorney at Law Office of Joanna de Vos, APC in San Diego, California.  For more information, please visit her website at www.estateplanningsd.com.
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