Tag: elderly

Can I Pick Up My Elderly Parent’s Medical Marijuana?

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Elderly Resources

by Kenneth Bancale

April 21, 2025 08:00 am ET
Estimated Read Time: 7 Minutes

As more states adopt medical marijuana programs, questions about caregiver rights and responsibilities become increasingly common. If you’re caring for an aging parent and want to help them manage their medical marijuana, understanding your role, rights, and limitations is essential. Let’s break down everything caregivers should know, from the initial steps to ongoing responsibilities.

What is a Cannabis Caregiver?

A cannabis caregiver is an individual authorized to assist a medical marijuana patient in obtaining and administering their medication. Caregivers play a critical role for those who cannot manage their medical cannabis needs independently, including elderly patients with mobility challenges, chronic illnesses, or cognitive impairments. Caregivers can be family members, friends, or hired professionals, and they must meet the criteria set by the state’s medical marijuana program to act in this capacity legally.

A caregiver’s responsibilities often extend beyond simply picking up medical marijuana. They may include understanding the patient’s treatment plan, administering the medication, and monitoring its effects. This role requires a clear commitment to the patient’s well-being and a solid understanding of local laws and regulations surrounding medical cannabis.

What Caregivers Need to Know About Medical Marijuana

Medical marijuana is still subject to strict regulations and varies widely between states. Caregivers must stay informed about these regulations to ensure they remain compliant and safeguard both themselves and the patient. Here’s what caregivers should prioritize:

Understanding State Laws

Caregivers must familiarize themselves with their state’s medical marijuana laws, as these dictate everything from the process for obtaining caregiver status to legal possession limits and the type of cannabis products that can be used.

Administering Cannabis Safely

The caregiver should be well-versed in how to administer cannabis to meet the patient’s specific needs, whether through tinctures, edibles, vaporizers, or other forms.

Recognizing Potential Side Effects

Knowing how to identify and address potential side effects is critical. Common effects include drowsiness, dry mouth, or dizziness. Caregivers should monitor their loved ones closely and communicate openly with the recommending physician.

Storage and Security

The proper storage of medical marijuana ensures it stays effective and safe from misuse. Cannabis should be stored in a secure, child-proof container in a cool, dark place to maintain its potency.

Should You Talk with Your Aging Parent About Medical Marijuana?

Discussing medical marijuana with an elderly parent can be sensitive, especially if they have preconceived notions about cannabis. However, many older adults are open to learning about new treatments that could improve their quality of life. When initiating the conversation, keep these points in mind:

Approach with Empathy

Understand their concerns or hesitations. Be prepared to share educational resources and reputable studies to ease their worries.

Focus on Health Benefits

Emphasize the potential advantages, such as pain relief, improved sleep, and reduced anxiety. Tailor the conversation to their specific health conditions.

Involve Healthcare Providers

Encourage them to speak with their doctor or a cannabis-trained medical professional to provide an expert perspective on how cannabis might benefit them.

How to Become a Medical Marijuana Caregiver

Becoming a medical marijuana caregiver involves a series of steps that vary by state but generally include these common elements:

Consult State Regulations

Every state has its own set of rules regarding caregiver eligibility. Typically, caregivers must be at least 18 or 21 years old and pass a background check. Check your state’s Department of Health or medical marijuana program website for specific guidelines.

Complete the Application Process

You’ll need to apply either online or through a paper submission. The process often requires providing personal information, a background check, and documentation that proves your connection to the patient.

Receive Your Caregiver ID Card

Once approved, caregivers receive an identification card that grants them the legal right to pick up and handle medical marijuana on behalf of the patient. This card must be renewed according to the schedule set by state law, typically every one to two years.

When is the Right Time for a Patient to Use Medical Marijuana?

Determining the right time to introduce medical marijuana into a patient’s treatment plan requires a well-considered approach that balances potential benefits with individual needs and health conditions. While medical cannabis has gained recognition for its therapeutic benefits, it is essential to assess when its use becomes an appropriate option. Here are some key factors to consider:

Severity of Symptoms

Medical cannabis is often considered when a patient experiences significant pain, discomfort, or other symptoms that traditional treatments have failed to address adequately. For conditions like chronic pain, severe arthritis, or neuropathy, medical marijuana may offer effective relief when other treatments have not.

Doctor’s Recommendation

A physician’s advice is essential for deciding when to start using medical marijuana. Medical professionals can evaluate the patient’s health profile, current medications, and potential benefits of cannabis to ensure it is a safe option. They can also provide guidance on appropriate dosages and methods of consumption tailored to the patient’s condition.

Quality of Life Considerations

Medical cannabis can make a significant difference in managing issues such as chronic pain, anxiety, or sleep disturbances, especially for elderly patients. If these issues are severely impacting the patient’s day-to-day life, medical marijuana might be a suitable addition to their treatment plan to improve their comfort and overall well-being.

Sensitivity and Tolerance

Older adults often have a different response to medications due to changes in metabolism and liver function. Starting with a low dose and gradually increasing as needed under medical supervision helps minimize side effects and allows the patient to become accustomed to cannabis treatment safely.

Monitoring and Adjustments

Introducing medical marijuana should include ongoing monitoring to assess its effectiveness and any side effects. Regular follow-up visits with a healthcare provider can help determine if dosage adjustments are necessary or if a different strain or method of consumption would be more beneficial.

By considering these factors and working closely with healthcare professionals, patients and caregivers can make informed decisions about incorporating medical marijuana into a comprehensive treatment plan. For those seeking assistance, Veriheal connects individuals with experienced medical experts who can guide them through the process and help tailor a cannabis treatment plan that meets their specific needs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a caregiver pick up medical marijuana in Florida?

Yes, a caregiver registered with the Florida Medical Marijuana Use Registry (OMMU) can legally purchase and pick up medical marijuana for their designated patient.

Can someone else pick up my medical marijuana in Florida?

Only registered caregivers can pick up medical marijuana for a patient. If you are not officially designated as a caregiver, you cannot legally purchase or transport cannabis for someone else.

Does marijuana have special risks for the elderly?

While medical marijuana can offer significant benefits to elderly patients, such as pain relief and improved sleep, it also comes with potential risks like dizziness or cognitive impairment. Consulting a medical professional to monitor dosage and response is essential.

How to Buy Medical Marijuana in Pennsylvania as a Caregiver

Caregivers in Pennsylvania must register through the state’s Medical Marijuana Program, complete a background check, and receive approval. Once certified, they can purchase medical marijuana for their patient at state-approved dispensaries.

How To Become a Medical Marijuana Caregiver in Ohio

In Ohio, caregivers must be registered through the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program (OMMCP). This process involves submitting an application, passing a background check, and linking your registration to your designated patient’s account.

What is a Marijuana Caregiver Allowed to Do?

A marijuana caregiver can legally obtain, transport, and administer medical marijuana to their designated patient. They must comply with all state laws regarding possession limits and product types.

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August 13, 2025
Lilly wins FDA approval for new drug to slow Alzheimer’s

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Eli Lilly & Co.’s Alzheimer’s treatment was cleared in the US as the second drug to slow progression of the mind-robbing disease that afflicts 6 million Americans.

It’s a big win for Lilly and its investors, who have been eagerly anticipating the drug since it showed promise in clinical trials more than three years ago. Called Kisunla, the medicine endured a number of regulatory delays on the road to approval. It will compete with Eisai Co.’s Leqembi, which has been available for sale in the US since early 2023.

Shares of Indianapolis-based Lilly closed down 0.8% Tuesday in New York. The stock had surged more than 50% so far this year before today amid rapid growth of weight-loss and diabetes sales. Shares of Eisai partner Biogen Inc. fell 1.3%

The Alzheimer’s drug will cost $32,000 in the first year of treatment, Lilly said. That’s slightly more than the $26,500 annual price for Leqembi for a person of average size. But doctors can stop the treatment if brain plaques — the toxic material that the drug removes — fall to minimal levels, which they did in many people in trials after about a year.

Lower costs

That means that the total out-of-pocket treatment cost of the drug could sometimes be less than other amyloid drugs, Lilly said. In Leqembi’s main approval trial, patients were treated for a full 18 months.
The Eisai and Lilly products are both infusions that remove toxic amyloid from the brains of Alzheimer’s patients. They only modestly slow the disease and are approved only for people with early-stage Alzheimer’s, a minority of the total patient population with the disease. Side effects of both include brain swelling and brain bleeding.

Brain swelling or bleeding occurred in 36% of patients on Lilly’s drug in the company’s main study, and produced symptoms in 6% of them, according to the drug’s label. Regular scans are required to monitor for these effects. Lilly’s drug has a potential convenience advantage since it’s infused every four weeks, compared with every two for Leqembi.

Less frequent dosing and the potential to stop treatment are “a really big deal,” Howard Fillit, co-founder of the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation, said in an interview before the approval.

Series of delays

Lilly faced a series of delays bringing Kisunla to the market. In early 2023, the FDA refused to give the drug accelerated approval based on early trial results, telling the company it wanted to wait for a late-stage trial. When Lilly submitted that data, the FDA needed more time to review it. Then earlier this year, the agency decided late in the review process to convene a day-long hearing to review the drug’s safety and efficacy.

A panel of outside advisers to the FDA voted unanimously in favor of the drug on June 10.
“There’s a lot of emotion in the hallways today,” Anne White, president of Lilly Neuroscience, said in an interview before the approval. “We have portraits up on our walls of family members to remind us why we’re doing what we’re doing.”

Once considered integral to Lilly’s future, Alzheimer’s has been overshadowed by the company’s GLP-1 medicines that aid in weight loss, a market expected to reach $130 billion a year by the end of the decade, according to analysts at Goldman Sachs.

Sales of Alzheimer’s drugs are also expected to grow significantly. Bloomberg Intelligence analysts see sales surging to $13 billion by 2030 from about $250 million this year.

“Having multiple treatment options is the kind of advancement we’ve all been waiting for — all of us who have been touched, even blindsided, by this difficult and devastating disease,” said Joanne Pike, CEO of the Alzheimer’s Association, in a statement. The nonprofit has pushed hard for approval and broad insurance coverage for amyloid-lowering drugs.

Leqembi’s rollout by Eisai and partner Biogen Inc. has been slowed by logistical issues, reimbursement uncertainties and complicated safety testing requirements. Medicare, the US health program for the elderly, didn’t routinely cover the treatments until recently, and hospital neurology programs weren’t set up to perform the monitoring required to use the drugs.

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Madison Muller, Robert Langreth, Bloomberg

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July 2, 2024
Meet the 102-year-old healthy-living pioneer who was espousing ‘wellness’ long before it was a trend

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Oprah Winfrey, Madonna, Kate Winslet, Jane Fonda, and Bill Moyers have all stayed at the famous Rancho la Puerta wellness resort and spa, an exquisite collection of mountain-edged casitas, pavilions, pools, and gardens on 4,000 acres in Baja California, Mexico.

But the property’s biggest star is Deborah Szkeley, who co-founded the ranch with her husband in 1940, and now—at 102 years old—is the embodiment of all the property aspires to deliver: health, longevity, and peace of mind.

“The morning I turned 100, I lay in bed and thought, ‘Huh, I’m 100. What’s different?’ I couldn’t think of anything,” Szekely tells Fortune, sitting down recently for an interview in her hotel suite in New York City, where she had flown in from her home in San Diego to speak at two different wellness conferences. “I’ve had a lovely life and when it ends, it ends. But I enjoy it,” she says. “I really, truly don’t take on worries that I cannot do anything about. Otherwise I’d be an old lady! But where I can do something, I do something.”

The Brooklyn native has accomplished a dizzying amount in her life, including starting and running Rancho la Puerta and also the Golden Door, a luxe Japanese spa and resort in San Diego (which she sold in 1998). At 60 she ran for Congress and served as president of the Inter-American Foundation; at 80, she realized a long-held dream and founded the New Americans Museum and Immigration Learning Center in San Diego.

All are extensions of her formative years, rooted in values such as healthy living, vegetarianism, and sustainability as put forth by her mother, a Jewish Austrian immigrant and “health nut” who was an RN and the vice president of the New York Vegetarian Society who put her family on an all-fruit diet. In 1934, she made a bold decision that changed their lives forever.

“It was the Depression. And my dad was very depressed,” recalls Szkeley, née Shainman, who was 12 when her mother caught him examining his life insurance policy, and feared his suicide.

“One day my mom came to dinner and she said, ‘We’re leaving in 16 days.’ And my brother and I and my dad looked at her, and my dad said, ‘Where to?’ ‘Tahiti.’ And we said, ‘Where is that?’ and she said, ‘I don’t know. But here are the tickets.’” She had chosen the destination because of its fresh air and fresh fruits—both in short supply in New York during the Depression—and soon they all boarded a steamship, spending several weeks traveling by sea to their new home.

“And from then on, we had a different kind of a life,” the centenarian says, adding that she remembers “a lot” from the few years they spent in Tahiti, living a rustic lifestyle in a grass hut, and that she still “thinks in French much of the time” because of her schooling from that time.

While there, the family met another health-minded transplant: Edmond Szkeley, aka “the professor,” a Romanian immigrant and burgeoning health guru known for his writings and lectures on philosophy and ancient religions, exercise, and the value of fresh organic vegetables. They all eventually returned to the U.S., and Deborah’s family attended his summer “health camps.” That’s when Deborah decided to work for him and when she and Edmond fell in love. They married when he was 34 and she was just 17.

“I did it as a way of getting out,” she explains. “He was head of the British International Health and Education Society, and he was going to England. And I thought, ‘I will go to England, and if it works out, fine. If not, I’m free. I can go to France.’ And it worked out. So I stayed.”

Founding Rancho la Puerta

The new couple, in search of a place to create a health camp together, found their way to Baja, in part as a way for Edmond to sidestep the fact that he had no immigration papers allowing him to stay in the U.S. There, they settled on a vast piece of land at the foothills of Mount Kuchumaa, writing to friends with invitations to come and stay on the land.

“For $17.50 a week,” she says, “it was bring-your-own-tent.” It took off, she adds, as “my husband was well-known.”

They created their own permanent tents, soon replaced with cabanas built from surplus army packing crates, and then added vegetable gardens, exercise classes, a dining hall with mostly raw vegan food (today the menu is pescatarian), and a printing press for Edmond’s books. Advertising in Los Angeles brought in the Hollywood crowd—as it did to the Golden Door, which Deborah created in 1958 after traveling to Japan a dozen times in one year for inspiration.

The couple had two children, and today her daughter, Sarah Livia Brightwood, who has had thousands of trees planted on the property, runs the resort.

“She’s the boss,” says Deborah. “She makes the decisions … I don’t interfere.” (One of her grandsons—a professional surfer—is on the board; the other is a recent high-honors graduate of University of Southern California.)

Today Rancho la Puerta, which she calls “the ranch,” is “a small town” with 400 employees. It charges guests $5,100 and up per person for weeklong packages and is replete with 20 full-time fitness instructors, 11 gyms, a cooking school, an organic farm, three spa treatment centers, programs including group hikes and workshops, and peaceful nature trails for walking—with not a single golf cart in sight. Of its 10,000 acres, only about 300 are actively used by guests, which is part of a conscious effort towards keeping the footprint as small as possible.

“We do not grow,” says Deborah. “We’re smaller than we were, by design.”

Deborah is at the property three days a week and still holds weekly Q&A sessions with her guests to an always-packed house, often fielding questions about how she’s managed to live such a long and healthy life. People want to know what kind of water she drinks—a question that makes her laugh—and what her skincare routine is, to which she replies, “Soap and water.” As she tells Fortune, “Those are not my occupations. The fact that I don’t worry is more important than the water. I really have accepted what I can do and can’t do.”

But really: What’s her secret?

Her healthy lifestyle—including having never eaten red meat and still walking a mile a day even after twice breaking a hip (she now uses a wheeled walker)—has certainly been a contributing factor to her longevity. But Deborah knows it’s not everything: Her father lived to 81, but her mother died of cancer in her 60s. Edmond died in his ’70s (after they had separated), albeit due to his refusal to have surgery on an umbilical hernia. “He died from a strangulated hernia, as soon as he went to the hospital,” she says. She’s outlived her brother. And then there was the greatest loss of her life: the death of her son (which she declines to go into detail about).

But when it comes to having outlasted so many people, Deborah says, “I don’t think about it. You just accept.”

She tends to have much younger friends, which helps. “I’ve always had friends that are younger—because of the conversation, the theater, the plays we go to see, the activities we do, you know? They’re in their 40s,” she says. “It’s fun.”

Her advice to others seeking longevity is to keep both body and mind active—and to read a lot, as she does, favoring ninth-century Japanese mysteries. “I like Buddhism,” she says. “I call myself a Jewish Zen Buddhist.”

But an active mind, for Deborah, does not include rumination.

“The thing is I do not allow negative thoughts. We are in control. And we can say, ‘I don’t want to go there.’ You just don’t go. I don’t,” she says. “I mean, the world is a terrible place and there’s terrible things happening all the time … But I’m trying to help as many people as I can to live healthier lives.”

More on aging well:

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Beth Greenfield

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May 24, 2024
Legalized Weed Is Landing More Seniors in the E.R. – Cannabis Business Executive – Cannabis and Marijuana industry news

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Legalized Weed Is Landing More Seniors in the E.R. – Cannabis Business Executive – Cannabis and Marijuana industry news

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AggregatedNews

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May 22, 2024
We’re all just grumpy old men at heart (20 Photos)

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Jon

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April 13, 2024
gruesome elderly dispensable

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I’m very drunk and decided to rewatch Avatar after watching nostalgia critics review of the shamaylan movie I had sucj a crush on Katara as a kid imagine ypr a 12 year old boy stuck in a ball of ice for 100 years and the first thing you see after waking up is a cute brown skin girl staring you practically nose to nose in the face boner

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March 8, 2024
Rotorua CBD crash: Mobility scooter and motorcycle collide, elderly man injured – Medical Marijuana Program Connection

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Shocked witnesses have described hearing a “bang” as a mobility scooter and motorcycle collided in central Rotorua.

A spokesman said police were called to a two-vehicle crash about 10.20am.

The crash closed the road near the Tutanekai St and Amohau St intersection but it has now reopened.

Hiria Pohutuhutu was working at Colombus Coffee across the road when she heard a “bang”.

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She “looked straight up” and saw that an elderly man on a mobility scooter was involved.

Pohutuhutu said she immediately called the ambulance, and ran outside and saw the motorcycle nearby.

She said the elderly man was lying on his side.

A passerby began administering urgent first aid.

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The crash is near the Tutanekai St and Amohau St intersection in central Rotorua.

Emergency services then arrived on the scene and took over.

She said the incident was “traumatising” and everyone was concerned about those involved.

“I did a little prayer for him.”

Another witness to the incident, who asked not to be named, said he was facing a window when the crash happened.

The man said a small motorcycle came through the intersection.

”I didn’t even hear the bike until I heard a bang.”

He saw other people by the intersection “freaked out” and heard screaming.

”I rushed out and called an ambulance.

“When I got outside the first responders had started showing up.” .

St John responded with one ambulance and one rapid response unit, but…

Original Author Link click here to read complete story..

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November 20, 2023
Woman clobbers 88-year-old stranger in head with heavy bag in unprovoked Manhattan street attack

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A woman wielding a heavy bag swung it at an 88-year-old stranger, clobbering him in the head in an unprovoked attack on a Manhattan street, police said Sunday.

The woman approached the victim from behind on 10th Ave. near W. 26th St. about 8:15 a.m. Sept. 10 and used a blunt object in a bag to bludgeon the victim, police said.

She ran off uptown on 10th Ave., police said.

Medics took the victim to Lenox Health Greenwich Village in stable condition, cops said.

NYPD/DCPI

This woman wielding a heavy bag swung it at an 88-year-old man and clobbered him in the head in an apparently unprovoked Chelsea attack, police said Sunday.

Police released surveillance footage of the suspect Sunday and are asking the public’s help identifying her and tracking her down.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential.

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John Annese

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September 17, 2023
How Hybrid Work Has Given Family Caregivers a Lifeline | Entrepreneur

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Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Hybrid and remote models are not just influencing how we do our jobs but significantly transforming the approach towards elder care. These new work formats have empowered the way we care for our elderly loved ones while diminishing the previously unchallenged role of senior housing facilities.

Unfortunately, newspapers like The Wall Street Journal are decrying this change with headlines like “Is Work From Home to Blame for Senior Housing’s Muted Recovery?” Such pieces smack of an anti-consumer, anti-family and pro-special interest attitude. Instead, we should celebrate consumers not having to shell out money unnecessarily for services they don’t need on senior living, while also maintaining multi-generational family units that strengthen family bonds.

Related: Addressing Employee Elder Care Issues Is Good Business

The benefits of hybrid work for the “sandwich generation”

The advent of hybrid work schedules has proven to be a game-changer for a particular group of people known as the “sandwich generation,” middle-aged adults — often between their 40s and 50s — caught between the responsibilities of raising their children and caring for aging parents. Before the rise of hybrid work models, these individuals often felt like they were in a tug-of-war, being pulled in multiple directions at once.

But now, the paradigm has shifted dramatically. The flexibility of hybrid work has transformed this seemingly endless juggling act into a more manageable, even gratifying endeavor. It’s as if they’ve been given a magic wand, turning a high-stakes balancing act into a well-choreographed ballet.

Picture this: An employee, let’s call her Lisa, is in the middle of her workday. In the traditional work model, she would be in her office, miles away from her elderly mother and children. Now, working remotely, she can attend a virtual meeting, then immediately switch gears to help her child with homework and later accompany her mother to a routine doctor’s appointment, all without leaving her home.

This seamless integration of professional and personal life has become a reality thanks to hybrid work. The days of Lisa rushing through traffic, anxiously glancing at the clock as she races from the office to a nursing home, are a thing of the past. Now, Lisa can fulfill her role as a loving daughter and mother, all while continuing to excel in her career.

Moreover, this shift isn’t just benefiting Lisa. It’s positively impacting her entire family. Her elderly mother gets to spend more time with her family, her children are receiving more attention and guidance, and Lisa herself is less stressed and more fulfilled. This new work model has not only given her the flexibility to manage her time better but also the satisfaction of knowing she is there for her loved ones.

In this way, the rise of remote and hybrid work models is not just a trend, but a societal shift that is empowering the “sandwich generation” and transforming the dynamics of family care. It’s a radical change that is having profound impacts on families, businesses and communities across the country.

Remote work schedules have come as a much-needed boon for those juggling the dual responsibilities of raising children and caring for older parents, often referred to as the “sandwich generation”. The flexibility of hybrid work is turning what once was a stress-inducing juggling act into a more manageable endeavor.

Now, with flexible work hours, employees can attend to elder care responsibilities without the fear of compromising their careers. The days of rushing from the office to a nursing home are being replaced with a seamless transition from professional tasks to personal responsibilities, all within the comforts of home.

Reframing the senior housing narrative

The era of hybrid work has led to a shift in focus from senior housing facilities to home-based care, causing a noticeable decrease in demand for the former. Some media outlets, such as The Wall Street Journal, have negatively framed this trend, attributing the muted recovery of the senior housing market to the rise of remote work. However, this perspective only captures a part of the broader narrative.

Rather than viewing this as a setback for senior housing providers, it is essential to see it as an opportunity for innovation and adaptation. After all, progress and innovation are born out of change. Just as a chameleon changes its colors to adapt to its environment, senior housing providers need to adapt to the evolving needs and expectations of their customers.

In the past, the senior housing sector may have been the go-to solution for families juggling work and elder care responsibilities. But now, as hybrid work becomes the norm, families have the flexibility to care for their loved ones at home. This shift doesn’t necessarily signal a death knell for the senior housing industry. Instead, it offers an opportunity for these facilities to reinvent their services and find new ways to support families.

For instance, senior housing providers could offer more flexible, part-time care services for families who need support but not full-time care. They could also develop programs that help the elderly stay engaged and connected with their communities while living at home. In essence, this is a time for the industry to creatively respond to the changing landscape of elder care.

From a financial standpoint, this shift towards home-based care presents families with potential significant savings. Rather than seeing this as a threat to the senior housing market, we should see it as an opportunity for families to better allocate their resources. The money saved from reducing reliance on full-time senior care facilities can be redirected towards enhancing the quality of life for the elderly or investing in other areas like education for the younger generation.

In reframing the narrative, we should celebrate this change as a positive evolution in the way we care for our elders. This shift is not about choosing one form of care over another, but about providing families with more options to choose what works best for them. The rise of hybrid work has catalyzed this change, and it’s up to all of us to embrace it and adapt accordingly.

Related:

A win-win scenario for families and businesses

The shift towards hybrid and remote work is indeed a win-win scenario. It allows employees to strike a better work-life balance, and businesses to retain valuable staff who previously struggled with care responsibilities. It’s about time we celebrate this change instead of resisting it, as I tell companies that ask me to help them figure out their hybrid work models.

The transformation of our work culture has far-reaching effects, extending beyond the confines of our workspaces and into our family lives. The shift to hybrid work is driving change in elder care, demonstrating the profound impact of workplace flexibility on various aspects of life.

Rather than lamenting the challenges, let’s embrace the opportunities this change brings. The hybrid work model has already shown its potential to benefit our careers and care duties. It’s fostering stronger family bonds by maintaining multi-generational family units and reducing unnecessary expenditure on senior living services. That’s a future worth celebrating!

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Gleb Tsipursky

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August 1, 2023
The highest rates of Alzheimer’s are in these U.S. counties, new research shows

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The eastern and southeastern United States have the highest prevalences of Alzheimer’s dementia, according to new research released Monday at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Amsterdam.

The study, by researchers at Rush Medical College in Chicago, includes county-level estimates of Alzheimer’s rates among adults age 65 and older in all 3,142 U.S. counties.

Among…

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July 17, 2023
U.S. Seniors Bearing Brunt of COVID Wave – Is Help Coming?

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Jan. 10, 2023 – It might appear that we’re back to some semblance of “normal” at this point in the COVID-19 pandemic. But many people remain at higher risk for serious outcomes like hospitalization and death, especially older Americans.

Legula Estiloz was diagnosed with COVID-19 at age 104, for example. “She and I both came down with COVID at the same time, a few days after Christmas of 2020,” her son Tim Estiloz says.

“I went in to wake her up for her breakfast, and she was just drenched, sopping wet – her bed clothes and her nightgown,” Tim says.

Legula, a resident of The Willows, a skilled nursing community in Oakmont, PA, owned and operated by Presbyterian SeniorCare Network, sought care at nearby Magee Hospital. Both Legula and Tim were swabbed for COVID-19 and tested positive. They had low-grade fevers and fatigue. Legula lost her appetite for months. But neither lost their sense of smell or taste or had respiratory challenges.

The COVID-19 vaccines were not available at the time. “It is all the more miraculous that she survived it at that age, and without even the benefit of the vaccine to get her through it,” he says.

Americans 65 and older are dying at disproportionately higher rates from COVID-19. For example, people ages 65 to 74 account for 22% of COVID-19 deaths, even though this age group represents less than 10% of the U.S. population, CDC figures show. The picture is more dire for those 75 to 84 – a group that accounts for 26% of deaths but less than 5% of the population.

The oldest Americans, those 85 and over, account for 27% of deaths but make up only 2% of the U.S. population.

Add to this the yet-to-be-fully appreciated impact of the latest Omicron subvariant on the rise, XBB.1.5, and the future remains anything but certain.

Legula, who survived COVID-19, went on to have a heart attack and be diagnosed with breast cancer, all before spring 2020.

Her prognosis is good now, Tim says. “She’s doing quite well. I think for a period of time, she was doing better than me.” She plays notes on the piano, likes to “dance” in her wheelchair, and catches a ball thrown from 3 or 4 feet away “each and every time.”

To summarize her pandemic experience, Legula “battled breast cancer, had radiation treatment, she fell once, she survived COVID, and she survived a heart attack,” Tim says. Although the admitting doctor warned that his mother might not survive the night of her heart attack, she improved and in January 2021 celebrated her 104^th birthday.

“And now, God willing, in a few days she’ll celebrate her 106th.”

Bivalent Booster Buy-In

A key factor in Legula’s recovery: She also is up to date on her COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters.

The bivalent boosters – which target some Omicron strains and the original coronavirus – are 84% more effective at keeping seniors from being hospitalized, says David Gifford, MD, chief medical officer at the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living in Washington, DC.

A Jan. 3 preprint study published in the journal The Lancet backs that up. While it hasn’t been peer-reviewed, researchers studied 622,701 people ages 65 and older and found those who had received the bivalent booster were 81% less likely to be hospitalized and 86% less likely to die from COVID-19 than others who did not receive it.

But only slightly more than one-third of Americans 65 and older, 38%, have received a bivalent booster, compared to 15% of all Americans 5 years or older, CDC data shows. So there is great room for improvement, experts say.

“We have this ongoing push among our members to increase booster acceptance rate among residents,” says Lisa Sanders, director of media relations at LeadingAge, a national association of nonprofit providers and aging services, including nursing homes, retirement community settings, and affordable housing for older adults.

One of the biggest misconceptions, she says, is “the thinking that the bivalent booster is not necessary.” In addition, ongoing education and access to vaccines remain important “because there is a lot of misinformation.”

“The messaging has to be clear: You need to get the bivalent booster,” Sanders says, “especially now after the holidays and [when] new variants are emerging.”

COVID and Congregate Living

With older Americans more vulnerable to serious effects of COVID-19, a question that comes up is: What about settings where they live together, such as nursing homes, skilled nursing facilities, and other care centers? Earlier in the pandemic, these locations faced greater infection control challenges with the coronavirus.

“Long-term care professionals have known since day one that older adults with chronic conditions are most vulnerable when it comes to this virus. They have been bedside to unspeakable tragedy these past 3 years,” Gifford says.

“Unfortunately, ageism has been on full display during this pandemic, as evidenced by long term-care facilities begging public health officials for resources to no avail in the beginning,” he says.

So where are they now?

On the plus side, defenses and preventive measures have come a long way since the pandemic started, Gifford says. “While older adults are still most vulnerable, we have the tools to help protect them from serious illness and hospitalization. First and foremost, seniors need to stay up to date on their COVID vaccinations, which means getting the updated, bivalent booster.”

Florida at the Forefront

The three U.S. states with the most residents ages 65 and older are California, Florida, and Texas. As a percentage, more than 1 in 5 Floridians, or 21%, for example, are in this age group, according to 2021 U.S. Census numbers.

With one of the country’s most vulnerable older populations, the Florida Health Care Association in Tallahassee continues to promote the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine and boosters. Kristen Knapp, senior director of strategy and communications for the association, says, “While the booster may not prevent infections, we know that it can help residents from becoming very sick or being hospitalized.”

COVID-19 vaccination is not a requirement for resident admission or staff employment. But Knapp says that, vaccinated or not, anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 is required to follow infection control protocols.

The Feds Get Involved

On Nov. 22, the White House announced a campaign to promote boosters in older adults. The focus is on reaching seniors and other communities hardest hit by COVID-19, making it even more convenient to get vaccinated, and increasing awareness through paid media.

The initiative includes new enforcement guidance through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to ensure nursing homes are offering updated COVID-19 vaccines as well as timely treatment to their residents and staff.

Shortly thereafter, LeadingAge joined forces with American Health Care Association to create an “All Hands on Deck” initiative to help achieve the White House goals. One strategy is to get hospitals more involved. This is important, Sanders says, because about 90% of nursing home admissions involve people transferred from a hospital.

Ongoing Vigilance

Future variants continue to be a threat, but the vaccines are incredibly effective in preventing hospitalizations and death, experts emphasize.

“We continue to monitor and prepare for anticipated surges, like this winter’s, and encourage everyone, including our residents and staff, to get their boosters,” Gifford says.

There needs to be an ongoing vigilance that this is a community issue, Sanders says. “There’s a human tendency to want to push it away and say, ‘oh it’s their problem.’

“Really, it’s all of our problem, and if we all take steps to protect ourselves and each other, we’ll be better off as a society.”

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January 10, 2023
The Complicated Landscape of Seniors and Medications

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Oct. 10, 2022 – When the time came for Ginny Erickson-Ebben’s elderly mother to move into a senior living facility in 2018, the entire family agreed the best place was near Erickson-Ebben. The weather was warm where she lived in Texas, and Erickson-Ebben lived just a mile down the road from the facility. She also had the time to help with her mother’s care. While happily and willingly taking on those duties, she didn’t realize what a big job she’d signed up for.

Ebben did have physical help from a caretaker at the facility, but she was not authorized to manage medications – Erickson-Ebben’s mother took 20. Even for a bright, middle-aged woman like Erickson-Ebben, the medication management was a complicated task.

“I was ignorant of how overwhelming the job would be,” Erickson-Ebben admits. “There was a nurse at the senior living facility who stopped in once a day to check on my mother, but otherwise the job fell to me, and it was stressful.”

Erickson-Ebben developed a system to keep everything straight. She made regular trips to the pharmacy to pick up the medications, and then, once a week, carefully counted out the meds and placed them in her mother’s pillboxes, separated by morning, afternoon, and evening doses. “It was scary at first, because I didn’t know what pill did what, but after a month, I learned them all and knew what I was doing,” she says. “But I was always worrying about what would happen if she missed a pill or if she took the wrong one at the wrong time.”

Like many seniors, Erickson-Ebben’s mother had a host of ailments and illnesses, and managing the prescriptions to keep them all in check is a huge undertaking. Recently, the American Medical Association took steps to help with the problem, issuing a new policy called “Reducing Polypharmacy as a Significant Contributor to Senior Morbidity.”

Reducing Polypharmacy

The doctor who championed the new policy is Louisville, KY-based Tom James III, MD. He’s been concerned for some time about the complicated picture of patients – especially seniors – taking multiple medications.

“There’s an inverse relationship between the number of prescriptions a patient takes and their longevity,” he explains. “Of course, patients who are sicker are on more medications, but while all drugs are tested for their side effects, they’re not tested in combination.”

As a result, says James, every patient taking multiple medications becomes their own individual test site. Compounding the issue, he says, is the fact that in medical school, doctors receive training for adding medications, but not subtracting them.

Another compounding issue is the fact that, like Erickson-Ebben’s mother, many senior patients have multiple doctors treating them at once. Today’s modern medicine means that, often, doctors don’t really have opportunities to discuss their mutual patients in person.

“It used to be that we’d chat in the doctor’s lounge, often comparing notes on a patient,” says James. “Now we often put information into electronic charts, but don’t talk face-to-face.”

What’s sometimes lost, says James, is a chance for multiple doctors to be on the same page about a patient’s medications. “Medication profiles often don’t catch all the drug interactions,” says James, “because the tools we use are not discriminatory.”

This spills over into over-the-counter meds and supplements, too, which can sometimes interact with prescription drugs. All in all, many elderly patients are at risk for the complications of over-medication.

Erickson-Ebben found it essential that she and her family research the medications her mother was taking, and why. “You have to advocate for the patient,” she says. “Unfortunately, if there’s a reaction to a medication, you need to research that, too.”

In the case of Erickson-Ebben’s mother and her 20 medications, if one caused a rash, it was difficult to know which. “You can’t just take them off one medication,” she points out. “Talk to the doctors about your concerns, and don’t let them be dismissive of patients just because they’re elderly.”

Creating a Safety Net

The new AMA policy aims to create a network of caretakers to educate patients about the significant effects of all medications, as well as many supplements. It encourages pharmacists, doctors, and other caretakers to teach patients to bring lists of all updated medications/supplements to each point of care.

The idea is to “get patients thinking in terms of becoming the victim of too many medications,” James says. “Ask questions when you need answers.”

Many doctors have limited time with patients these days, so advocacy is crucial. “If there’s an adult child or home-health nurse in the picture, they should review the medication list at least twice a year with the patient’s primary care physician,” says James. “Too often, if a doctor didn’t write a prescription on the list, he or she won’t mess with it. So we hope a pharmacist might catch the potential interaction.”

Erickson-Ebben’s family specifically chose to work with one hospital system, hoping there would be good coordination between doctors. But that didn’t happen. “The doctors didn’t always communicate well with each other,” says Erickson-Ebben. ”We found that each specialist was focused on their specialty only.”

This is part of the current gap in care, one that James hopes to begin resolving with the new AMA policy. In the end, he says, the current system relies too much on the “I hope this will work,” approach. “We need to go beyond the resolution and add in an educational approach, too.”

The new AMA policy is a good first step on the road to improving health care for seniors, and James hopes to keep moving the needle. “There’s universal agreement that there’s a problem,” he says. “There’s not yet a universal agreement on the approach.”

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October 10, 2022
Rlyf Ensures Seniors Are Able to Age in Place by Revolutionizing the Way Family Members Monitor Them

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While senior citizens maintain their independence, families gain a sense of relief knowing their loved ones are safe

Press Release
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updated: May 24, 2021

BOISE, Idaho, May 24, 2021 (Newswire.com)
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CheckIn LLC announces the launch of its iOS application Rlyf (pronounced “relief”), which helps senior citizens stay safe and connected to their loved ones through a simple, automated check-in that is far less intrusive than the standard wearable devices.

The Rlyf app provides family members peace of mind knowing their loved ones are okay.

CheckIn is working to revolutionize the way millions of American seniors are supported through technology. In a fast-paced, busy world, Rlyf provides a convenient and automated way to check in on loved ones.

Consider Rlyf a modern monitoring system. Rlyf enables designated contacts the ability to see the last time their senior was active, down to the minute, and provide peace of mind knowing they are okay. Rlyf is the first app to be launched to market using automation and eliminates the need for a wearable when one is not needed or wanted.

“Some time ago, my grandmother fell while at her house and laid there unsure how long it would be until one of us family members came to check in on her. She refuses to wear a ‘send help’ button, and I can’t blame her because it’s embarrassing and costly. So, I knew there had to be a better way to check in on my grandma daily without being intrusive to her life. Rlyf is providing me peace knowing she is okay and providing her comfort knowing her family is checking in on her,” said co-founder Cody Perryman.

A recent Pew Research study found that 27% of adults ages 60 and older live alone. Also, CBS News recently found that 47% of adults believe it’s okay to communicate with their parents once a week or less. Hundreds of thousands of senior citizens are living alone with limited personal contact with loved ones. Rlyf helps bridge the gap by providing real-time updates to those who may not speak very often with their parent(s). With more baby boomers retiring, young families moving to the cities, and the pandemic preventing people from seeing their loved ones, checking in on family and friends to ensure they are okay is more paramount than ever.

Concerned loved ones and seniors alike can download the Rlyf app today within the iOS App Store. Rlyf is offering lifetime memberships starting at $4.99 for a limited time. Download Rlyf today here: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/rlyf/id1528908361.

Contact:
Cody Perryman, Co-founder
contact@rlyf.app
(408) 471-9023

Source: CheckIn LLC, dba Rlyf

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May 24, 2021