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Calendar "At a Glance"
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A complimentary telephone learning and support program. Select a session right for you.
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Wed., Dec. 17 at 10 a.m.,
Foot Care...To Cut or Not to Cut: That is the Question with Cynthia Hemesath, D.P.M.
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Sign Up By Phone,
Email or Online
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Register for any scheduled TeleLearning Sessions above by phone at -- 871- 7SOS (7767) or 1(866) 390-6491 (toll-free) (Mon.- Fri., 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.); by email, or go to our website.At no cost, these phone-based sessions connect family caregivers with experts and other caregivers in similar situations.
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Social Media
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Click below to hear podcasts  |
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(You may select multiple lists.)
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Carol's Column
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A Book of Angels
by Sophie Burnham came out in 1990, and was wildly popular. It started a trend on angel stories, angel pins, angel decorations, angel everything for a few years. The book features a variety of stories from both adults and children who tell about guardian angels and angels who unexpectedly help out in a time of need.
Here is my angel story. In college, I received a scholarship to study abroad for a year. Not having traveled much at the time, I had stayed up late into the night trying to figure out how to pack for an entire year. I was supposed to leave in the afternoon the next day, but an airline traffic controllers strike changed those plans drastically.
At nine o'clock in the morning, standing in a towel with wet hair, I had just 30 minutes to finish getting dressed and packed before the only flight of the day that would get me from Texas to New York to meet up with the other students in my group was leaving.
And it took 20 minutes to get to the airport.
The last thing I grabbed on my way out the door was a piece of sheet music I was playing at the time - the Toccata in E flat minor by Aram Khachaturian - just in case I had the opportunity to play a piano in the long year ahead. I had played piano forever and couldn't imagine a year without practicing. I stuffed it in the outside pocket of my carry-on and rushed off.
I had never been to New York's John F. Kennedy Airport. Much to my dismay, I arrived at one large terminal, picked up all of my bags, and discovered I had to be at a different terminal to check in for an international flight.
I looked around in a panic: How was I going to carry all of my overstuffed bags, get them onto a bus and find my way to the other terminal?
That's when a woman walked up to me, looked down at my bags and said," Is that the Khachaturian Toccata?"
"Um, yes," I muttered bewilderedly, wondering how she knew the name of the sheet music peeking out of my carry-on bag.
"That's my favorite piece," she said happily. "Can I help you? Do you need to get on a bus? Here - let me show you where you need to go."
This stranger picked up one of my heavy bags, took my arm, and walked me outside to the bus. She told me where to get off, and told the driver to let me know when we had reached my stop. Then she disappeared.
I was so grateful, but didn't really think about it much until I read A Book of Angels. That woman must have been my guardian angel. I just knew it.
As caregivers, there are so many times when we have to rush to take care of a crisis situation.
We're plunging into a place or a situation where we haven't been before, and in which we don't really know where we're going, or what we're doing.
We have too much to carry. We feel overwhelmed. How are we going to do this? We have so far to go.
There's a joke about a man who is caught in a terrible flood, hanging onto the roof of his home. A man in a row boat comes by and tells him to get in. The man says, "No, God will save me."
The water rises and now the man is standing on top of his roof. Another man in a motor boat comes by and tells him to get in. The man shakes his head and says," No, God will save me." The water rises more, and the man is now grasping the top of his chimney. A helicopter buzzes overhead and he hears a voice yell down to grab hold of the ladder. The man shakes his head. "No, God will save me."
The flood waters sweep the man away and he drowns. He arrives in heaven where he meets God, and he says, "Why did you let me drown?"
God simply says: "I sent you a row boat, a motor boat and a helicopter. What else did you expect me to do?"
Sometimes, we are the drowning person. Help is offered to us again and again, and we don't take it. We're looking for a sign. We're looking for some other type of help. Perhaps we're looking for our guardian angel to come down in a blaze of light.
But maybe that's not the way it works. It may be just a cheerful voice from someone we've never met before, offering to help.
Now, I don't know if the woman at the airport was a real angel, was encouraged to help me by divine intervention, or was just a helpful person who saw someone in need.
It doesn't matter. I was so glad that she came my way, and so glad I let her help.
Carol Zernial,
Executive Director,
WellMed Charitable Foundation.
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| Join the Conversation |
Individuals, non-profits and organizations, along with state, regional, and local agencies are encouraged to submit for consideration their information on meetings, educational sessions, or resources for caregivers (of seniors, wounded warriors, and children or adults who have a disability).
Please email details and documents (as a pdf or MS Office document--Word, Publisher, PowerPoint or Excel) promoting the item, along with a contact name, email address, and phone number to: Sue Ellen Lewis, Editor, Caregiver SOS Signals Newsletter/eMail Blasts; email: SueEllenLewis@msn.comVoice: 210-637-5116.
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Seasons Greetings!
"From all of us at the WellMed Charitable Foundation and Caregiver SOS Program, we wish our caregivers, your families and friends a happy holiday season and our best wishes for the New Year.
Thank you for allowing us to be a part of your lives. Please don't hesitate to call on us if we can help you on your caregiving journey in 2015."
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CONCERNED ABOUT MONEY?
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Why The Older Americans Act Matters:
Currently stalled in Congress,
these programs serve millions
by Bob Blancato
Ne xt year will be important and symbolic for aging programs and services, as we celebrate the 80th anniversary of Social Security, the 50th anniversaries of Medicare and Medicaid and the fifth anniversary of the Affordable Care Act.
Another reason to celebrate in 2015:
the 50th anniversary of the Older Americans Act.
This law has provided millions of adults with much- needed services. Currently, one in five older adults - 11 million people - receive services from an Older Americans Act program. Read more.
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LIGHTEN YOUR LOAD
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What's Different About Family Caregiving Today?
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WANT TO FEEL BETTER?
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Every day, a silent army of Americans performs a great labor of love: caring for aging parents, spouses, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, friends... so they can remain in their homes. We are on duty 24/7, and often we can't even take a break. But we wouldn't have it any other way. We are the unsung heroes.
Here are our stories. We hope you will share yours--and that you know you are not alone.
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MIND, BODY, SPIRIT
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The Real Reason Why Caregivers Are Stressed:
It isn't about juggling responsibilities
or even the hands-on work
(from www.nextavenue.org)
Editor's note: This article is part of a year-long project about aging well, planning for the changes that aging brings and shaping how society thinks about aging.
 The more you do as a caregiver and the longer you do it, the more stressed you may feel, right?
Not necessarily, says Rhonda Montgomery, who chairs the applied gerontology program, University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. For 35 years, she's studied family members who care for their elderly loved ones. Read more.
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HEALTH SAVVY
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Caregivers of Older Adults
In 2014, "movement into digital life continues to deepen" for American seniors, reports the Pew Research Internet Project. A socioeconomic division divides the senior population and influences their technology usage. Older persons who are less affluent and plagued with health challenges or disabilities are more likely to be digitally detached from online tools and services. Highly educated and more affluent seniors positively respond to technology and online platforms.
 Among these seniors ages 65 or older, 59 percent do go online - 47 percent have high-speed broadband connection at home and 77 percent use a cell phone.
Twenty-seven percent of seniors even use a tablet or e-book reader. Older adults may initially experience hurdles while learning to use the Internet and technologies, but once they join the digital world, it becomes integral to daily living. Read more.
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Caregiver SOS: On Air
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Caregiver SOS: On Air is an hour-long weekly program that airs at 6 p.m., Sundays on NewsTalk 930-AM KLUP
The program is sponsored and presented by the WellMed Charitable Foundation.
Links to listen to recent shows via podcasts or download from iTunes.
Topics and Guests Featured in November
(Guests and/or topics subject to change) Online globally at www.caregiversos.org/podcasts
Dec. 21 - "An Economic Checkup: How to Keep More of Your Money," with Ramsay Alwin, VP for Economic Security, National Council on Aging.
Dec.. 28 -TBA
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TeleConnection Session Details
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These hour-long phone-based sessions are designed to connect family caregivers to experts with helpful information and other caregivers by providing needed emotional, educational and social support. These sessions, courtesy of the WellMed Charitable Foundation, can be accessed from anywhere via your phone: no need to get dressed up, find transportation, or get a sitter.
Register for any TeleLearning Session by phone: (210) 871-7SOS (7767) or 1 (866) 390-6491 (toll-free); Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; by email, or visit our website.
Features Important Topics, Including: ~~Foot Care--To Cut or Not to Cut: That is the Question
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Wed., Dec. 17 at 10 a.m. Foot Care...To Cut or Not to Cut: That is the Question with Cynthia Hemesath, D.P.M.  Do you or your loved one have foot problems? It's more common that you think. Listen to Cynthia Hemesath, D.P.M., (Podiatrist) discuss proper foot care to include nail trimming, dry cracking feet, discoloration, and fungal feet. Dr. Hemesath will also discuss how to treat the entire house to prevent reinfection, proper shoe gear for various shapes of feet and deformities such as bunion or hammertoes, and treatment for edema in the lower extremities and feet. This telelearning session is open to all at no charge. Registration |
| Caregiver Connections with Dr. Jamie | |
Peace is an Achievable Goal
Jamie Huysman, PsyD, LCSW, CAP, CFT*
"Peace" is a prevalent theme this time of year. "Peace on Earth", "World Peace", etc. are lofty ideals that we aspire to because they connect us with others outside of ourselves. However, neither can ever be achieved without each of us first developing "Inner Peace" or "Peace of Mind." Yes, that's where it all begins!
Caregivers can get so caught up in making everything 'just perfect' for everyone else that the enjoyment is sucked right out of them, particularly around the holidays. Read more.
*Jamie Huysman is a noted psychologist and author of several books on caregiving, including Take Your Oxygen First. He is the Vice President - Provider Relations for WellMed Medical Management.
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Social Security Information for Caregivers
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I would like to do something a little different for this month's Signals Newsletter. With the Holiday Season in full swing, I would like to present you with "The Twelve Sites of Social Security." It's inspired by the popular traditional holiday song, "The Twelve Days of Christmas," a holiday favorite since 1780.
With all the to-do- lists that we have, it is nice to be presented with a list that might just make taking care of your Social Security business a little easier. With this in mind, I bring you "The Twelve Sites of Social Security."
For the first site of Social Security, we give to you: our home page, www.socialsecurity.gov. It's the place to go for all things Social Security. Everything you could want-from online services and benefit screening tools to publications and frequently asked questions-you can find easily on this site. Read more.
*Oscar Garcia is a Public Affairs Specialist with the Social Security Administration.
You can direct your questions to him at: SSA, 411 Richland Hills Drive, San Antonio, Texas, 78245. You can also email him at Oscar.h.garcia@ssa.gov.
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Resources and References
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Texas State Securities Board
TEXAS SECURITIES REGULATOR IDENTIFIES
TOP 10 INVESTOR THREATS
The State Securities Board released a list of the most common types of fraudulent investment schemes and offered strategies to avoid becoming a victim. Emerging red flags on this year's list include digital currency transactions, stream-of-income investments, and new ways in which unregistered securities are being offered to the public. Read more. ooooooooooo
National Institutes of Health
 Who is a long-distance caregiver?Anyone, anywhere, can be a long-distance caregiver, no matter your gender, income, age, social status, or employment. If you are living an hour or more away from a person who needs your help, you're probably a long-distance caregiver.
What can I really do from far away?
Long-distance caregivers take on different roles. You may:
- Help with finances, money management, or bill paying
- Arrange for in-home care-hire professional caregivers or home health or nursing aides and help get needed durable medical equipment. Read more.
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Washington Post
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Daughters tend to aging parents more often than sons, but some are seeking a change
Velma Henderson fusses over her mother the way her mother once fussed over her. She flits around her mother's bed, straightening a blanket, muting the sound on the television so they can talk. She calls her mother "Girl Friend." Read more.
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Caregiver SOS Resource Centers
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Caregiver SOS Centers are safe, confidential community resources where caregivers and family members can chat with other caregivers, and find out about wellness activities, information, support, and education.
Examples of other ongoing classes include: Diabetes Self Management, Chronic Disease Self Management, Healthy Eating, and A Matter of Balance--along with general and women's support groups, crafts and health-related activities. A resource library is available. See the Activity Calendars below for the current schedules.
Caregiver SOS at Northern Hills
14100 Nacogdoches, San Antonio, TX 78247
210-599-4614
Under renovation until January 5, 2015
Caregiver SOS at the Alicia Trevino Lopez
Senior One-Stop Center
8353 Culebra Road, San Antonio, TX 78251, 210-558-0718
Caregiver SOS at Lindale Senior Center 3135 Swantner Dr.; Corpus Christi, TX 78404
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In Closing . . . .
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W e hope you found this Signals newsletter both useful and informative. Please share it with caregivers you know, your friends, and colleagues by clicking on 'Forward to a Friend'. (Since Signals is optimized for the Internet, forwarding it through your email system very seriously alters the appearance.)
Carol Zernial, Executive Director
WellMed Charitable Foundation |
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For most of human history, requiring help in old age was uncommon. As Atul Gawande writes in 
