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Mayo Serves Up Food for Thought on Elder Diet
If you want to keep your engine running, you're got to refuel. And the human body is no exception. Some researchers have gone so far as to say "we are what we eat". Okay, this piece of logical is a no-brainer. So what's the point? The point is that proper nutrition is essential at any age. You might even say it's a lifelong struggle to keep our bodies properly fueled and in good running condition.
Scientists at Mayo Clinic believe that later life raises special issues relative to proper nutrition. "With aging, even healthy adults may face a decreased ability to taste and smell foods, to recognize thirst, and to efficiently digest food and use nutrients", say Mayo health experts. As a result, food preferences and intake may change. Alzheimer's disease can accentuate and accelerate these changes. This can create special nutritional challenges for people with Alzheimer's disease.
In Alzheimer's patients, says Mayo, the sensations of hunger and satiation may be short-circuited by the degenerative changes in brain tissue, especially those areas that regulate appetite. Such changes can confound the caregiving process in a number of ways. "The preparation of food becomes a major issue for caregivers," says Brianna Melom, licensed social worker at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., and director of Education and Family Services at Mayo's Alzheimer's Disease Center. Here are a few examples of the difficulties.
- The elder may forget about food placed in the oven.
- Perishable food may be left on the table indefinitely.
- Refrigerated food that eventually spoils may not be discarded.
- Written instructions for food preparations may not be followed.
- Boredom may lead to over-eating.
- Mealtime may be forgotten entirely.
Not eating or drinking enough may lead to further complications, says Mayo. Dehydration, dizziness, and malnourishment. On the other hand, over-eating creates a new set of problems. "Some family members tell me that their loved ones may eat an abundance of sweets," says Melom. Not knowing when to stop eating, some people with Alzheimer's may try to eat off of the plates of others. "One patient I worked with ate so quickly that his cheeks filled with food. His wife, concerned that he might choke, portioned out his food in a muffin tin, which helped slow down her husband's eating and ensured that he ate appropriate amounts," adds Melom. "Serving food in courses and removing the serving dishes from the table is another good idea."
Mayo Clinic suggests several ways in which caregivers can incorporate more nutrition and calories when a person with Alzheimer's refuses to eat, forgets to eat, or loses appetite.
- Structure mealtimes by eating at regular intervals.
- Address boredom by offering foods varied in texture, color and spices.
- Minimize gulping of food by introducing food proportiately such as finger foods.
- Facilitate mealtime concentration by eliminating distractions: tv, radio, telephone.
- Add socialization to mealtime by eating with the person, offering encouragement and praise.
- Motivate by presenting foods on attractive table settings of varying color and texture.
See related articles in the AgeVenture archives.
Food Fears Prompt Elder Malnutrition
Roam'n Ain't No Holiday for Caregivers
Alzheimer's Research Is Everybody's Business
AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com
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Boomers: Over-the-hill & Back to Toys-R-Us
Individuals over age 50 are increasingly pursuing adoption to fulfill their dreams of parenthood. And according to a survey of one dozen U.S. adoption agencies, these aging boomers are succeeding.
"We used to say that anyone over 40 would have a hard time adopting," says David Pilgrim, Children's Home Society (Minnesota), in an interview with New Choices magazine. "But that's no longer true. The trend today is that people are older." All those in their 50's who are turning to adoption appear to fall into one of three groupings:
- couples in a second-marriage wishing to share child-raising,
- single women ready to go at it alone,
- those who postponed a family in order to concentrate on a career.
Older prospective adoptive parents face obstacles because many adoption agencies won't deal with anyone over 50. A policy that, in the opinion of this reporter, makes absolutely no sense. What's wrong with maturity? Is it better to have younger adoptive parents who are inexperienced and untested on life's challenges? What is the logical basis for this obvious age-bias?
Age-bias isn't the only obstacles for these late-bloomer parents-in-waiting. Adoptive agencies may also limit the choice of child by age and race. Hmmm. Great stereotyping. As if all Blacks or all Whites, or all Hispanics or all Asians are all the same. What is the logical basis for this obvious racism?
At any rate, the obvious biases confronting older parent-wanna-be's tend to force these couples to turn to private adoption. In this case, the prospective parents handle the adoption process themselves or with the help of an attorney. Interestingly, it has been found that in this latter approach, the birth mother often views the advanced age of the couple as an asset, a signal of stability, security, and maturity.
Still, others attempt to adopt overseas, which can also prove challenging. In the Philippines, a coupe where the wife is between 42 and 50 whose husband is 55 or younger may only adopt a child who is over 3 years old. No wonder the Philippines are in a state of near collapse. Russia is more liberal, reports New Choices magazine, allowing a 55-year-old mother to adopt a 3, 4, or 5 year old. Guatemala, on the other hand, approves adoptions of infants by women up to age 50.
Here's the point. Well, in fact, there are three points. First, expect more and more over-the-hill boomers to become prospect parents. Second, expect these established boomers to favorably impact the toddler markets as they seek to indulge their new families. Third, expect that late adoptions such as these to call ever more attention to the issue of age-ism in society. Perhaps, the late-life parenting trend will due more to reverse age-ism then the thousands of age discrimination cases filed in the workplace.
See related articles in the AgeVenture archives.
Boomer Couples Cling to Role Stereotypes
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Boomer Callers Take Note of Hold-Music
AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com
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Researchers Crack Alzheimer Gene Code
Researchers have cracked part of the code for an important gene function in familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD), and early-onset type of AD. Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia.
The work of the scientists representing Harvard Medical School and the University of Tennessee, focuses on the chemical events that may lead to the development of brain damage and the symptoms of dementia. In their search to explain why the amyloid fragments clump into plaques, which surround the brain cells of Alzheimer's disease patients, the researchers gained an insight into the interaction of two key molecules involved in amyloid formation. When they altered the sequence of amino acids of the presenilin protein from the normal sequence in two critical locations, buried within the cell membrane, amyloid formation was reduced.
This continuing study of the mechanisms of plaque formation moves the researchers closer to the possible development of new drugs to intervene in the processes leading up to Alzheimer's dementia. According to Dr. Stephen Snyder, who directs studies of the Etiology of Alzheimer's Disease at the National Institute on Aging, "These studies have implications for the treatment of AD and related disorders of amyloid accumulation." If this finding proves true, says Snyder, "it could lead to significant advances in therapeutics research by showing us how to intervene before plaques form."
The National Institute on Aging (NIA) is the lead federal agency supporting and conducting Alzheimer's disease research, including studies of the basic, clinical, and epidemiological aspects of this and other related dementias of aging. The NIA's Alzheimer's Disease Education and Referral Center can provide more information on AD by calling 1-800-438-4380.
See related articles in the AgeVenture archives.
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AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com
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Clueless Boomers Short on Long Term Needs
A new study released by the American Health Care Association (AHCA) shows that Baby Boomers are clueless on many of the realities of long term care. They are concerned about retirement security, says AHCA, but aren't saving adequately when it comes to the costs of long term care. The study does offer explanations for why boomers are coming up short on long term care.
"Boomers are completely confused about how health care, specifically long term care, is paid for in retirement", says Tony Fabrizio, one of those commissioned to do the AHCA survey. "At this rate, these Americans will be forced into destitution if they need long term care at some point in their lives."
Forty percent of Americans will experience their most costly purchase in life, long term care, during their retirement years. Despite this, the survey found that Boomers are poorly informed about what insurance coverage they have and what their policies will cover. Twenty-seven percent of Boomers think they are covered by long term care insurance, but in reality, only about six percent of the elderly have this insurance and very few Boomers actually carry this coverage.
Four out of five Boomers interviewed do not know how long term care is paid for and 25% say they are unwilling to consider paying for any additional insurance to cover these costs. While 41% are willing to pay between $1-$49 per month for long term care insurance, in most cases this is well below actual costs of long term care policies as indicated by data from the American Council of Life Insurance.
While 68 percent of those surveyed know they are not financially prepared to handle long term care costs, only 15% correctly identified Medicaid, the government program for the poor, not Medicare, as the principal source for long term care funding assistance. "Two out of three Boomers believe that they should not be forced into poverty to get government assistance for long term care, but that is exactly what Medicaid requires", says Fabrizio.
There is a footnote here that's worth mentioning. Women are particularly hard hit by the financial and emotional devastation of long term care needs. According to AHCA spokesperson, Linda Keegan, "Forty-one percent of women interviewed who had been in caretaker roles had been forced to quit their jobs or take a leave of absence". "Fifty percent said they had to cut back their working hours and give up space in their own homes to accommodate loved ones needing care."
See related articles in the AgeVenture archives.
Tax Credit May Trigger LTC Insurance Boom
AHCA: Boomers Need LTC Plan ASAP
Long Term Care Insurance Short on Consistency
AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com
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Not Every Race A Winner in Grandparenting
White grandmothers experience more burdens from raising their grandchildren than Black grandmothers, according to a study by Boston College. Reporting in the April 1999 issue of The Gerontologist, Dr. Rachel Pruchno notes that "White grandmothers were more likely than Blacks to feel trapped in their role, tired, isolated, and alone and to feel that they do not have enough time for themselves."
There were similarities between the White and Black grandmothers. For example, the reasons both groups become responsible for the care of their grandchildren were the same. These reasons include death of the natural parents, imprisonment, drug and alcohol addiction, and child abandonment. Both groups were also similar with respect to age, educational level, age and gender of the target grandchild.
The similarities were contrasted by significant differences. White grandmothers, for example, were more likely to be married. White grandmothers were more likely to be living with a grandchild whose race was different from their own. Black grandmothers were likely to be widowed or divorced. Despite the difficulties of being the primary caretaker of the grandchild, both groups reported high levels of satisfaction with their grandparent role.
It is estimated that two and one-half million households in the United States include a grandparent and a grandchild under the age of 18. Just two years ago, 4 million children were living full-time in the homes of their grandparents. The Gerontologist is a research journal published by The Gerontological Society of America.
See related articles in the AgeVenture archives.
Help for Grandparents Who Raise Grandkids
National Grandparent Daze Seems Inevitable
Faith Is Tie That Binds Elders to Grandkids
AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com
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