Tuesday, July 21, 2015

How to Pick a Walker


Greetings all.  Laura Barish here to talk with you about the selection and use of walkers.  Walkers are a great assistive device and can help ensure safe ambulation.  Unfortunately most of the people I see using walkers are pushing them ahead of themselves and are hunched over because the walker is too far in front of them.

I believe there are two reasons for this.  First, most people are not taught how to properly use a walker.  The walker is provided and hopefully the height has been adjusted so it is properly set to the individual.  Rarely, however, does someone receive the training or work with an occupational therapist on how to properly walk with their walker; and so we see them hunched over as they stroll along. Sometimes the 'hunch' is due to physical decline but many times not. This hunch, however, can end up throwing off the body's alignment and creating physical pain associated with an incorrect walking pattern.

The second reason we may see the hunch is due to a poor walker design. On many rolling walkers the seat impedes the natural swing through of the leg resulting in the walker being pushed forward to ensure enough.

So, how do you pick a walker that meets all your criteria.  My suggestion is to go to a medical supply store in your area that offer many different types of walkers.  Try them all.  Are you able to stand straight upright and walk in a relaxed manner or are you having to push the walker forward in order to walk?

There is one walker that I have found that meets most of my criteria for a good design.  It is a rolling A frame walker with a fold down seat. The hospital A frame walker is, in my opinion, the best designed walker on the market. However, it is limiting for some adults who find the lack of 4 wheels and hand brakes to be problematic.  And then there is the lack of seat and storage that comes with many rolling walkers.  The rolling A Frame does not have storage but a bag can easily be attached.  The walker is safe, stable, and very adjustable.

Regardless of the walker you choose, select one that will allow you to stand up straight and walk comfortably.

One of my favorite places to look for walkers is Accucare in Escondido.  www.accucaremedical.net. 941 East Valley Parkway.  760-746-2331.  AltaGolden clients get a 10% discount.

Do you need some help at home?  Give AltaGolden a call.  Our in-home support and adult day care for people living with dementia provide great services for all our clients.  Just call to see how we can help.  858-779-9254.  www.altagolden.com 

Monday, July 20, 2015

A Prayer for the World

Greetings and happy July 20th.  Today I was working with a client and they had a wonderful prayer posted on their refrigerator.  I thought it would be nice to share:

A Prayer for the World

Let the rain come and wash away
the ancient grudges, the bitter hatreds
held and nurtured over generations.
Let the rain wash away the memory
of the hurt, the neglect.
Then let the sun come out and
fill the sky with rainbows.
Let the warmth of the sun heal us
wherever we are broken.
Let it burn away the fog so that
we can see each other clearly.
So that we can see beyond labels,
beyond accents, gender or skin color.
Let the warmth and brightness
of the sun melt our selfishness.
So that we can share the joys and
feel the sorrows of our neighbors.
And let the light of the sun
be so strong that we will see all
people as our neighbors.
Let the earth, nourished by rain,
bring forth flowers
to surround us with beauty.
And let the mountains teach our hearts
to reach upward to heaven.
Amen.

by Rabbi Harold S. Kushner

May your day be blessed and refreshed.

Laura Barish
AltaGolden

Do you need help at home?  Give us a call and see how AltaGolden can help.

Do you have a friend of loved one living with dementia?  Perhaps our wonderful day program in Rancho Bernardo is a good fit for you.  Join us for a free half day and try the program with no obligation.  Just call for an appointment: 858-779-9254

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Keep Dancing!! A holistic approach to keeping dementia at bay.

Greetings and welcome!  Today's topic is about healthy aging and was written by my sister, Dr. Maxine Barish-Wreden.  Max is a certified Alternative Medicine doctor in the Sacramento area.  She entitled this article, "Keep Dancing!!"  Enjoy!

Want to avoid your risk of dementia holistically?  Besides controlling your weight, blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugars and decreasing your intake of inflammatory foods, what else can you do?  Start dancing!  Dancing has been shown to have numerous health benefits in various studies.  The most obvious are increased socialization and improved physical functioning.  Two recent studies conducted by University of Missouri researchers found that participation in dance-based therapy can improve balance and gait in older adults.  This can reduce the risk of falls and injuries in this population.  

Studies also have shown a strong link to a decrease in the development of dementia among participants who danced.  A study funded by the National Institute of Aging and published in 2003 in the New England Journal of Medicine showed a significantly reduced risk of dementia in older adults who danced frequently.  The study looked at almost 500 adults aged 75 and older, tracking their activities and incidence of dementia for 5 years.  It showed a surprisingly strong correlation between dancing and reduction in dementia -- a whopping 76 percent.  Dancing was also the only physical activity that reduced dementia.  There was, for example, no reduction in the development of dementia among those who golfed frequently.  Other physical activities studied included playing tennis, swimming, bicycling, walking for exercise and doing housework.  

Some mental activities that did reduce the risk of dementia were reading and doing crossword puzzles.  Why does dancing help maintain the brain?  The principle of Neuroplasticity hypothesizes that we continue to rewire synapses in the brain with continuous activity.  This is literally a "use it or lose it" phenomenon.  When we are dancing, we are using our cerebral cortex and hippocampus, which are critical to dancing.  These areas of the brain are remarkably plastic, and they rewire themselves based upon their use.  Researchers hypothesize that perhaps this greater cognitive reserve and increased complexity of neuronal synapses keeps dementia at bay.

Published by Drs. Maxine Barish-Wreden and Kay Judge for The Sacramento Bee The Daily news Online.

So, I guess the message is to shimmy up to your loved one and go out and dance, dance, dance!  It will work both your brain and body.

I hope you have enjoyed the article.  Check back for more topics of interest related to health, caregiver issues, and support.

Do you need help at home to help maintain your independence?  Just give us a call and we'll see how AltaGolden can help you.  858-779-9254

Take care and have a blessed day!  Laura Barish

Thursday, May 14, 2015

Social Group for Seniors


Good morning all.

Last night AltaGolden hosted our monthly support group.  A gentleman who attended talked about his loneliness and feeling of isolation now that his wife is no longer living with him.  I told him that I would reach out to some of our clients that might value a new friend. 

After he left I realized that perhaps when I need to do is to start a social group for older adults that have lost their partner in one way or another. Please give me a call if you would be interested in coming to a social group to meet people and establish new friendships. If we get enough interest I will start the group.

Laura Barish
AltaGolden
858-779-9254

Saying goodbye to a special client

Good morning all.  AltaGolden works with a lot of incredible people but every once in a while someone truly special walks into our loves.  Fred was one of those people.

Fred came to us because he was dealing with moderate dementia and had severe breathing issues due to lung disease.  We helped him at home and he came to our Adult Day Program.  Fred was one of the kindest people I have ever known.  He married his wife 50+ years ago and raised her three young children (from her first marriage) as his own.  He adored all of them and was greatly adored by them in return.

A couple of weeks ago I was driving Fred from the Memory Center and I asked him what he did that day. He replied that they learned how to grow things and that he went to the bathroom several times--and that was probably the most important thing. Then he cracked up.  He looked over at me and said, "you know, there are times you guys are driving me home and all I'm doing is thinking to myself, 'hurry, hurry!'" At that point t we both lost it.

This Monday Fred's daughter called me to let me know that Fred passed away Sunday night.  We all loved Fred so much and his great humor, kindness, and grace will be missed by all.  Fred was one of those rare human beings who bless everyone by his mere presence.

So farewell to you, our good friend and ...

Fair winds and following seas,
may forever you feel, upon your cheek, the salty breeze.
Your spirit lives on in many a heart,
your words captured, and never to depart.
May your loved ones have the comfort in knowing,
to heaven is where you are going.
For all that they have to do is look above,
and they will be reminded of your love.

May your days also be blessed by a 'Fred'.

Have a wonderful day filled with joy and gratitude.

Laura Barish
AltaGolden In Home Services and Adult Day Program
858-779-9254 - call if you'd like to discuss how we can help you or if you'd like to try a free half day at our adult day program

Sunday, March 29, 2015

Another wonderful client review...

Thanks to Gerri Beth Borga for this wonderful review...

Wow!! I am so, so, so happy to have found this wonderful place with it's outstanding people! Everyone goes above and beyond for the care, safety, health and happiness of the clients. Not only do we have their caregivers going to my parents home, my dad attends the memory center!! I have accompanied him on several occasions and it is a blast!! The clients are engaged, happy, active and safe!! A really wonderful program.

Honey bear is a beautiful white standard poodle who keeps the clients company as well. All in all, a well rounded, outstanding program!!
Thank you for all you do for my parents....and me!!

Laura some how always has the energy and finds the time to make that personal connection and check in with clients and family members. Not sure how she does it, but very, very much appreciated!! I am already looking forward to volunteering again!!!  Gerri Beth Borga, daughter of client

Saturday, March 21, 2015

Client Review - Tricia L (we work with her mom--our caregiver is amazing!)

In 2008 my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's.  She already lived with us and was able to care for herself during the day while my husband and I were at work.  We noticed mid way through 2012 that the disease was causing her to decline and she was becoming unable to initiate daily living tasks (bathing, eating, picking up after herself).  We made daytime as easy as possible with easy premade food items that could just be taken out of the fridge and consumed, which she still found difficult to do.  We started to engage mom in discussions to get some help for her during the day while we were away.  The discussions did not go well and she did NOT want a "stranger" to help her during the day. I finally had to realize that I was now in the parental role and that I needed to start acting on what needed to be done for her health and safety and stop asking for permission.  My husband actually found AltaGolden online by searching for in home assistance for seniors.  We had the difficult discussion with mom that we had engaged AltaGolden and they would be coming to the house to meet us and discuss our needs.

Both Laura and Nancy came to the house and it didn't take more than 10 minutes for us to realize we made the right decision to engage them.  They were both incredibly warm and friendly and immediately put all of us at ease with the process.  Even mom was excited! It was immediately obvious that this isn't just a business to them, they genuinely care about helping seniors live life to the fullest and to insure that they are able to stay in their homes as long as possible with kind, loving, skilled care.  I loved the fact that unlike other similar businesses, they didn't just have a pool of people ready to be "assigned."  I was very honest with them about my expectations of the type of individual I wanted them to try to find and they absolutely understood. It took them only a few days before they contacted us with their excitement regarding the individual they found.  They wanted to arrange a meeting so both mom and we could meet her and see if we felt she would be a good fit.  The meeting could not have gone any better than it did and we immediately felt comfortable with their choice.  I think the importance of this is that I have heard horror stories from people about companies who just have people that they "dispatch."  May not be the same person every day and it is a job to these individuals.   Alta Golden makes sure that they provide a caregiver that becomes part of your family and someone who truly has the best interest of the senior at heart.

Needless to say we started the service immediately and a little over two years later we cannot express how happy we have been with every aspect of AltaGolden.  They make a personal visit once a month and send notes regarding any changes to mom's environment that they feel may be needed.  They email articles they feel might be of interest to us.  They provide memory games that they swap out monthly so mom has some fun games to play with "her Vickie."  Yes mom refers to her caregiver as "her Vickie" and several times a week she will comment how she loves her dearly.  Vickie helps with appointments, they do light housekeeping, she makes mom lunch every day, they share stories about their families, look at pictures and of course I love receiving the "selfies" they send to me at work.  If laughter is the best medicine than I know mom is getting some healthy doses each day.  Her demeanor when Vickie is there will warm your heart.

If you are reading this review because you are starting your own journey to find the best care for your aging parents or other relatives, I would strongly encourage you to let AltaGolden into your lives to provide this care.  You will not regret your decision and you will know without a doubt that you made the right decision once you meet Laura and her staff.  If I could rate AltaGolden more than five stars, I would.

Client Review - Eric H (we supported his dad)

The Short Version ~
Without hesitation I recommend Laura and Alta Golden for anything to do with adult care.  They did an amazing job with and for my dad.

The Gory Details ~
We have endured the loss of 3 family members over the last 18 months.  In August of 2013 we lost our sister to a bad driver.  Then, in July of 2014, we lost our dad's 2nd love-of-his-life after their 15-year relationship.  Dad had just returned from a month-long ordeal in a local, highly rated, skilled nursing facility (SNF - sniff).  That facility for dad was a "less-than" experience.  He came home completely bedridden, having gone in with the ability to walk with a cane.

We interviewed several in-home service providers and settled on Laura and her team.  They would be responsible for all of dad's daily care, maintenance, doctor visits, medications, meals, re-ambulation ~ everything.

At our insistence, they set-up 5 rotating in-home 24/7 caregivers; with the primary goal of re-ambulating him ASAP.  We knew his recovery/rehab was going to take a few months.  Dad had a vibrant and amazing mind - we did not want him to get bored with the same stories from the same person too quickly; or have a possible personality clash he would have to endure for a long period.

I spent quite a bit of time with dad and the AltaGolden team starting at the end of July, learning from, watching, and interacting with all of them.  The care and caring were evident; it was not just a show for me, it was clearly their modus operandi.

Dad had no loss of mental faculties - so he and I discussed his likes and dislikes about his situation and the individual caregivers.  He did state often that none of them could cook like mom or his 2nd life-partner - but, he respected them and appreciated what they did for him.

In late November, he had recovered a good portion of his ability to ambulate with a walker.  Thanks in large-part to AltaGolden -- and his drive to be self-sufficient again.  We gave the caregiver that weekend off.  He and I were headed out to dinner one evening and while getting in the car, I was not attentive enough, or close enough to catch him ~ he fell; breaking his hip.  The story of his health and efforts to recover again ended on January 21st, 2015, when he passed with me sitting by his side.

Throughout his decline after the fall and ongoing hospitalization, Laura and her team continued to help, be supportive, and present without requesting compensation of any kind.

Bottom Line ~
I consider Laura and members of her team extended family - they provided quality care to dad and peace of mind to our family; we trusted them in caring for dad and would do so again without hesitation.

Client Review - Christina K (support for aunt and uncle)

Another happy client...

My family contracted AltaGolden to provide services for my 82 year old aunt who has COPD.  She and my 83 year old uncle wanted to live independently as long as possible, but needed help with light housework, dealing with repairmen, driving to doctor's appointments, setting up their meds, etc. The caretaker that AltaGolden sent to help them was very personable and compassionate and took very good care of them both.  She soon came to be a trustworthy friend to them, which was very important later on as they became less independent.  My aunt and uncle were much more accepting of receiving additional help when it was coming from a caregiver that they knew and trusted to care for them.  After my aunt passed away, we continued to utilize AltaGolden's services with a caregiver to help my uncle with his everyday needs as well as provide him companionship when family members couldn't be there.  This helped him with his loneliness and grief in the loss of my aunt.

AltaGolden's services took a major load off of our family, since we all have busy lives and many important responsibilities.  We were comforted to know that our aunt and uncle were being well taken care of when we couldn't be there.  My uncle looks forward to his caregiver's arrival so much that we have increased her visits to everyday.  We are so fortunate and pleased to have found AltaGolden and we highly recommend them to anyone who needs elder care.

Client Review - Lisa C (her dad comes to the Memory Center and is an in-home client)

Another wonderful AltaGolden review that was removed by Yelp.

AltaGolden's "Family" has been a God Send to myself and my siblings, but mostly my father.  My father was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, in 2013 with the begining stages of dementia .  My frustration was,  I needed a place for my Dad, that had programs designed to help him with his short term memory and keep him engaged.  I tried other Elderly "Day Cares", but they were noisy, crowded and the staff did nothing to help him with his memory nor assist him in activities.

Alta Golden Memory Center is staffed with people who greet him with a smile and hug every time we arrive.  They assist him with puzzles, games, exercises, music, art projects and even for a while helped him remember how to use a cell phone, all in a quiet relaxed atmosphere.  He feels safe here.

I also use their in home care several times a week.  This service has been invaluable for me as I also care for my own home and family.  For my father, it allows him to remain "independent" in his own home.  He has the same two care givers, whom he adores and looks forward to their "visits".  They work with him on word games, prepare his dinner, clean up, encourage him to take walks, listen to music together, and even do an occasional load of laundry.  If there is ever a question on what needs to be done they contact me.  I have tried other in home services, but the care givers sat and watched TV and snacked on my father's food.  Never engaging him or stimulating his mind.

If you are looking for a welcoming, safe and stimulating center and/or in-home care for your loved one with any type of memory disorder, this is the place.  You won't be sorry, you'll be as grateful as I am.

Client Review - Anna S. (lives in a multi-level senior community)

This is a client review from someone we've worked with for several years.

I don't know what's wrong with Yelp. I wrote a review and they removed it so I'm writing one again. Hopefully they won't delete this one!!!

My name is Tilda and I'm an epidemiologist. I have both a Masters degree and PhD from Johns Hopkins.  The reason I'm telling you this is because I know what it means to be professional and do great work. I've been using AltaGolden for 5 years.  I believe they are the reason I am still alive.  Two years ago I had an internal bleed and almost died. The surgeon couldn't fix the bleed and I was put on hospice. Miraculously I survived but was told the recovery would be long and difficult. I was despondent and lost all will to live. I asked AltaGolden to provide me with caregivers to help me as I felt my only recourse was to let go.

AltaGolden provided me with exactly the help I wanted and needed--no more and no less.  Their caregivers were professional and caring. They provided me with support and companionship.  They helped ensure that I was surrounded by friends, that I always had soft music playing, and they massaged my arms and legs and encouraged me to live.  The result of all of this incredible support is that I chose to try to get better.  I signed myself off hospice, started back with physical therapy, regained my strength, and then moved back to my apartment.  Without their incredible support I would not be alive today.  Every step of the way they were kind, conscientious, professional, and caring.  I can't imaging a better company to have in my corner. My family and I are all extremely grateful for the efforts of this great company and their wonderful caregivers.  Since my recovery I have gone to London to watch my grandson be nominated for BAFTA awards, I went to New York to watch another grandson graduate from Medical School, and I went to Sacramento for a family reunion with all of my children and grandchildren.

None of this would have been possible without AltaGolden.

Client Review - Rick Y. (parents in their 90's living independently at home)

Yelp has pulled so many of our postings that I am going to put them here.  The next several posts are ones that are on Yelp.  This is one of several that Yelp has determined are "not recommended".

My family hired Alta Golden about a year and a half ago to provide care for my parents in their home for a few hours daily. Both my parents and us, their 2 sons, are extremely pleased with the choice we made. Our father is 96, blind, and, has Parkinson's.  Our mother is 93, has fibromyalgia, mild dementia and, is only partially mobile.  They were both fiercely   opposed to having anyone in the house to help them. After considerable prodding by us they finally relented to having help three to four hours a day.    That is when Alta Golden came into the picture. The owner, Laura Barish, is very caring and knowledgeable. She has sent two highly qualified people to care for my parents.  They shop, prepare meals and clean up, do laundry and light housework and keep an extremely careful watch on the medications taken by our parents.  They also take them to all their doctor's appointments and make certain that our parents follow the doctor's instructions to the letter. Laura, herself, will drop in and visit our folks to see how they are doing.  Through her, they have found a doctor willing to make house visits, making their life much easier, as getting out is traumatic for both of them.  They have had a few medical emergencies between them and Laura accompanied them to the hospital and followed up on them, advocating for them in the hospital when the doctors seemed slow to respond to their needs. In another case, the care giver went with them to the hospital and when back in the house stayed for two evenings to ensure their safety. All along, my brother and I were informed and consulted with by Laura and her staff about each step needed.  Most importantly, my parents are very satisfied with the attentive care they are given. All of us consider ourselves very fortunate for having found this gem.

Problems with Yelp

Greetings all.  It's been quite a while since I've written and hopefully my schedule will allow me to share more with you.

Today I want to discuss issues with online media.  My note today is about Yelp.  I have had a very interesting experience with Yelp lately--they have removed 50% of my five-star ratings.  Yelp has an algorithm that automatically scans all listings and it decides which listings should remain and which should be removed from ready view.  For AltaGolden this means that we've had multiple 5-star reviews moved into an area called "other reviews that are not currently recommended".

I personally think this is wrong on multiple levels.  First, when my appreciative clients have spent the time to go online to post their review, only to have Yelp remove it, it disincentivizes people from posting.  Second, it does not allow consumers who are coming to my site to see all of the wonderful reviews that have been posted.  And lastly, it does not give an accurate aggregate rating when half of the ratings have been arbitrarily removed.

When I saw this happening I started to investigate Yelp.  I learned from other small business owners that their wonderful reviews are also being removed.  I then looked at the Better Business Bureau site and learned that Yelp is not an accredited business; they have over 1500 complaints against them; and there are many many complaints listed on the BBB site with exactly the same complaints.

Yelp has had one federal investigation against them for collecting data about minors and there have been two law suits brought about the same advertising practices that I mention above.  In addition, they have no rating on the BBB site.  I don't understand why this is because you don't need to be an accredited business to have a rating on the BBB.  Most businesses listed on the BBB that have the numbers of complaints that Yelp has are given an "F" rating. 

So, my request of all business and consumers is to not use Yelp.  Don't read their reviews, don't buy their marketing products, don't click to their site until they fix their disreputable business practices.  Yelp claims to be an unbiased venue for consumers to post their opinions.  The problem is that they cannot truly be unbiased when they are removing reviews; and they do not give businesses the ability to speak with a customer support person when there is a problem.  I have their sales staff contact me on a regular basis trying to get me to pay for advertising.  They will not, however, let me speak to a live customer service person.  When I sent an email to their help line I received back a canned note and no follow up.

Yelp is not a credible business.  Please use other sources for the information you are seeking about a business in which you have an interest.  In my opinion, Yelp should not be given your consideration.