Helping Older Parents Podcast: Recent Episodes
Leslie Kernisan, MD MPH
A doctor's podcast about how to care for aging parents, hosted by practicing geriatrics specialist Leslie Kernisan, MD MPH. Whether you're dealing with memory loss or Alzheimer's, or are just concerned about a parent's safety and well-being, learn what really works, when it comes to helping older parents through this stage of life. Dr. K and her guests discuss common issues such as helping parents maintain independence and quality of life, getting them to accept more help when needed, dealing with healthcare, and the most common health problems that family members may need to help parents with. Show notes and related articles are at BetterHealthWhileAging.net.
In This Episode:Geriatrician Dr. Leslie Kernisan, MD MPH, teams up with experienced geriatric care manager Michelle Allen, LCSW, to discuss a common FAQ: how to pay for elder care. They cover:
- What types of help do elders usually need
- What are the options for eldercare?
- How much does eldercare cost?
- How to pay for eldercare?
- What to know about long-term care insurance
- How Medicaid pays for eldercare
Related episode:
- 096 – Interview: Paying for Long-Term Care: 2019 Updates
Related Resources:* Hiring In-Home Caregivers for Aging in Place- What to Know: https://betterhealthwhileaging.net/hiring-home-care-for-aging-in-place/ * Caring for an aging parent? Learn about Dr. K’s Helping Older Parents programs here: https://betterhealthwhileaging.net/helping-older-parents/
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In This Episode:Geriatrician Dr. Leslie Kernisan and Linda Fodrini Johnson, a certified geriatric care manager, explain how to get an aging parent to accept help in the home, especially if the parent has memory loss or other thinking problems.
They cover:
- A daughter’s true story of arguing with her mother
- How to join in the aging person’s frustration
- Addressing their concern about their independence
- Creative alternatives to “you need help”
- Alternative to waiting for your parent’s agreement
- How a geriatric care manager can help
- Incorporating the aging person’s life purpose and meaning
Related episode:
009 – If Your Aging Parent is Resisting a Memory Loss Evaluation
Related Resources:* When Your Aging Parent Needs Help: A geriatrician’s step-by-step guide to memory loss, resistance, safety worries & more
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Dr. K and geriatric care manager Linda Fodrini Johnson discuss how to respond to false accusations made by older adults, particularly from those experiencing memory loss or thinking problems.
Dr. K covers the latest on COVID in the US now, how to follow COVID levels, updates on COVID boosters, how to know if you still should take precautions, tips on staying safe for the summer, and more.
Dr. K discusses the latest COVID news for 2023, including what’s most important for aging adults and their families to know for the spring. She also covers the problem of doctors inappropriately not prescribing Paxlovid (the best treatment if an older adult does catch COVID), and how to advocate to get it successfully.
In this episode:
- The current COVID & flu situation (cases & hospitalizations)
- About the new Covid variant XBB.1.5
- What the public health emergency ending will mean for you
- How to know if you need to worry about COVID
- What to know about COVID reinfections
- If you’re high risk and need to avoid catching COVID
- Update on the bivalent COVID booster
- When can you get your next COVID booster?
- Update on masks to prevent COVID
- COVID symptoms in 2023
- The best treatment for COVID (Paxlovid) & an FDA checklist that can help you get it
- Summary of what to know for COVID in Spring 2023
Note: For the masks Dr. K recommends, you can get 3M Aura here https://amzn.to/3PJJyRO, the 3M V-flex here https://amzn.to/3OxrsRY, and the Powecom KN95 here https://amzn.to/3W9frXf
These are Amazon affiliate links, so any purchases will help support Better Health While Aging, thank you!
Related Episodes:131 – COVID Update for Aging Adults (12.8.22 Edition)
Related Resources: BHWA: + COVID & Aging Adults: 2023 & 2022 Updates + COVID Vaccination for Aging Adults: What to Know & Do * To track COVID data: + NY Times COVID Tracker + Wastewater: - CDC Wastewater Surveillance - Biobot.io wastewater tracker + Walgreens Test Positivity Tracker + OurWorldInData.org Coronavirus Data Explorer + CDC Nursing Home Covid-19 Data Dashboard + CDC Variant Proportion Tracker + CDC COVID cases and deaths by vaccine status * CDC & FDA information referenced in this update: + FDA: PAXLOVID Patient Eligibility Screening Checklist Tool for Prescribers* + CDC: Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) Presentation Slides: February 22-24, 2023 Meeting - Updates to COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness in the United States + FDA: Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee January 26, 2023 Meeting + Weekly U.S. Influenza Surveillance Report + CDC: RSV National Trends * From medical journals and research groups: + NIH COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines: Molnupiravir + Molnupiravir plus usual care versus usual care alone as early treatment for adults with COVID-19 at increased risk of adverse outcomes (PANORAMIC): an open-label, platform-adaptive randomised controlled trial (12/22/22) + Lancet: Past SARS-CoV-2 infection protection against re-infection: a systematic review and meta-analysis (2/16/23) + Cochrane: Physical interventions to interrupt or reduce the spread of respiratory viruses (1/30/23) - See related commentary: Multiple studies show that face masks reduce the spread of COVID-19; a Cochrane review doesn t demonstrate otherwise + Paxlovid Associated with Decreased Hospitalization Rate Among Adults with COVID-19 United States, April September 2022 12/2/22 * From news and other media: + What Not to Ask Me About My Long COVID (2/15/23) + PBS/KQED: When Can I Get a Second Bivalent COVID Booster? Here’s What We Know Right Now (2/22/23) + KFF.org The End of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency: Details on Health Coverage and Access - More detailed: What Happens When COVID-19 Emergency Declarations End? Implications for Coverage, Costs, and Access * For masking, ventilation COVID transmission information: + Masks Dr. K uses: - 3M V-flex N95 - 3M Aura N95 - Powecom KN95 + Project N95 + Twitter resources - @joeyfox85 - @masknerd
Never Miss an Episode! Sign up here to be notified of our latest podcast episodes by emailThe post 132 COVID 2023 News Update for Aging Adults (2.23.23 Edition) appeared first on Better Health While Aging.
Dr. K explains what all family caregivers should know about "incompetence" and decision-making capacity, especially if there s a diagnosis of Alzheimer s disease or another type of dementia. Plus how incapacity is confirmed to activate a power of attorney. The post 010 How to Know if Your Aging Parent Should Still be Making Decisions appeared first on Better Health While Aging.
Dr. K explains 5 specific approaches to try, if your aging parent has been refusing to see the doctor for their memory or thinking problems. The post 009 If Your Aging Parent is Resisting a Memory Loss Evaluation appeared first on Better Health While Aging.
Aging parents with memory loss often refuse to see a doctor. So how important is it for them to go and get medically evaluated? Dr. K covers 6 specific reasons why it's worth the effort. She also covers the most common cognitive tests used in the initial evaluation, how long it often takes to get a diagnosis, and more. The post 008 Is getting a memory loss evaluation really worth the trouble? appeared first on Better Health While Aging.
What can you do if your parent with memory loss is refusing to discuss it, or gets upset when you bring up your concerns? In this episode, Dr. K explains her 5-step framework for these conversations, including sample phrases you can use with your parent. Plus, learn the one thing to stop doing when you talk to your parent about this. The post 007 How to Talk to Your Parent About Their Memory Loss appeared first on Better Health While Aging.
When an older person starts to develop symptoms of Alzheimers disease or another dementia, what are the earliest warning signs to look out for? Dr. K explains 10 warning signs that often catch her attention, including false accusations and more. The post 006 10 Warning Signs of Early Alzheimer’s Disease appeared first on Better Health While Aging.
Dr. K explains what types of daily life difficulties are most common when an older person has memory loss, or even early Alzheimer's disease. Learn what to expect when it comes to finances, driving, and other IADLs. She also explains how dementia can affect ADLs. The post 005 How ADLs and IADLs Change in Early Alzheimer’s appeared first on Better Health While Aging.
Dr. K explains what are Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs), and why they matter when it comes to aging in place and/or memory loss concerns. The post 004 What are ADLs and IADLs (& why they matter in memory loss) appeared first on Better Health While Aging.
Dr. K explains the difference between mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's disease, and dementia, and how each one is diagnosed. Older adults are sometimes misdiagnosed; this information can help you ask better questions. The post 003 Mild Cognitive Impairment, Alzheimer’s, & Dementia: What’s the difference? appeared first on Better Health While Aging.
Dr. K covers 10 common causes of memory loss in aging adults, and why cognitive decline doesn't mean a person is getting Alzheimer's or another form of dementia. The post 002 10 Causes of Memory Loss in Aging Parents appeared first on Better Health While Aging.
Dr. K explains why short-term memory loss is not normal in aging, and what to do if your parent has become forgetful. She also explains what types of memory changes ARE normal with aging. The post 001 Is Memory Loss Normal in Aging? appeared first on Better Health While Aging.