In The Villages and surrounding communities that cater to the older population, local libraries have been providing programming to help make the aging process easier, safer and a less lonely experience.
The Leesburg Public Library hosted the “Learn How To Age In Place” program on Sept. 12, bringing in Deborah Wolkhamer, community liaison for Home Instead, to discuss positive approaches to caregiving and dementia in a two-part session.
Wolkhamer provided insight on how to be independent in your own home as you age while highlighting the “four enemies of aging”.
She also answered questions from the audience — getting many from people who currently enjoy living independently but had concerns about their aging process.
“The first thing you have to do is start thinking differently,” Wolkhamer advised. “Retrain how you approach your day-to-day life. Be proactive.”
As the human body ages, the strength of the five senses deplete.
“The older we get, the faster we age. When you injure yourself as (you get older), you usually don’t recover to the same place you were at before,” Wolkhamer said.
Highlighting the most common dangers that elder adults face in the home that can lead to death or serious injury, Wolkhamer gave advice for how to safely evade the dangers of falling, fires, accidental medicine misuse and food poisoning.
“The most common cause of falling is postural hypotension. It makes you feel lightheaded when you stand up after laying down or sitting too quickly,” Wolkhamer said, explaining it is important to take a beat to gather yourself before moving.
“First put your legs over the bed and wait for your body to adjust,” Wolkhamer said. “Hydration is important. By the time you are thirsty, it is too late. It also helps with cramping.”
In the case of fires, Wolkhamer stressed the importance of being proactive — advising to create a plan with your loved ones and having a fire extinguisher for you home and even car.
Wolkhamer also taught the proper technique for using a fire extinguisher with the acronym P.A.S.S. — pull out the pin of the top of the extinguisher, aim the end of the hose at the base of the fire, squeeze the handle, and sweep across the fire until it is extinguished.
“Try not to wait until there is a crisis,” she said. “Do drills to practice having a plan in place.”
Handling medications and food were also key points in the session.
Because it’s become common for older adults to have multiple medications, Wolkhamer suggested people visit their pharmacy in-person and ask to have a personal prescription packet created for them — which most pharmacies will do for free.
Eating expired food and cross contamination are two of the most common causes of in-home food poisoning for older individuals. And Wolkhamer had tips to fight against it.
“Put dates on items placed in the fridge and freezer,” she said, “so you can remember the date you bought it and help you notice when it goes bad.”
Though Wolkhamer deeply enjoys speaking to groups about how to safely and efficiently age in place, she knows the message needs to be reinforced by other people in the lives of the older adults.
“I wish I could reach (the younger, 20-to-30-year-old) age group more. Sometimes when we’ve gotten to the older ages, it can be hard to have these conversations. It is helpful to have (that) generation start those conversations with their parents and grandparents,” Wolkhamer said.
“It is also important for family and friends to stay aware of the signs of struggle and be honest if you need help.”
“It will help maintain the relationship if you say, ‘I need this to get back to the basis of our relationship. I want to be your wife again. I want to be your daughter again. Not solely your caregiver’,” she added.
If a non-family member is the best option for caregiving, Wolkhamer said people should treat that process the same way.
“Do your homework on who you are hiring. Make a list of what matters to you and of your questions and concerns,” she said. You have options…aging comfortably at home is not an either or, it’s a continuum. You want to have an option before you have an emergency.”
Another program geared toward aging and care — “ABC’s of Dementia” hosted by Coping with Dementia LLC — held an informational session at the Lady Lake Public Library on Sept. 20.
The class helped caregivers of individuals with dementia and individuals living with dementia, giving explanations on how to understand the symptoms of the disease.
“Dementia is an umbrella term for people who are dealing with memory loss,” said Debbie Selsavage, founder and president of Coping with Dementia.
“Short term memory is the first thing to go. At that point, (the person diagnosed) can’t make new memories.”
Selsavage also gave pointers on how to communicate with someone suffering from dementia — explaining it is important the person feels heard and understood.
“As the caregiver it’s important to communicate from a calm place,” Selsavage said during the presentation.
She also stressed the importance of understanding the needs of a dementia patient so adjustments are made to help make day-to-day life easier.
“If they keep asking you, ‘Where are we going today?’ or ‘What are we doing?’, then get them a white board that has the answers to the questions they frequently ask,” Selsavage said. “(If you or a loved one has dementia) it doesn’t mean you stop living.”
Along with making small adjustments, Selsavage stressed the importance of people going to their primary care doctor for regular testing to be aware of what is going on with their body, because symptoms can sometimes be misleading.
“There are some medical conditions that may look like dementia,” Selsavage said. “You may have a urinary tract infection that comes with symptoms that look like dementia.”
And dementia itself is a blanket term, as there are many types of the disease — like Alzheimer’s Disease, vascular dementia, or dementia with Lewy bodies — and each can affect a person differently.
“Most people are in a dementia journey for four or five years before they get diagnosed,” Selsavage said. “The behaviors the person does can help diagnose the type of dementia they have. Also going to a research center can prove or back up the diagnosis.”
For more information about how to cope with dementia, visit coping.today.com.
Staff writer Brea Jones can be reached at 352-753-1119, ext. 5414, or brea.jones@thevillagesmedia.com.
