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Learning more about ACT on Alzheimer’s

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Collaborative Work and Goals for ACTing on Alzheimer’s

 

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Caregiver Support Priority and Local Resources

 

The work of ACT on Alzheimer’s® succeeds largely because of the passion and commitment of the partners, supporters, action communities and Minnesotans dedicated to preparing our state for the future.

As a statewide collaboration, ACT on Alzheimer’s fosters collective ownership and accountability in preparing Minnesota for the personal, social and budgetary impacts of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.  No single organization owns, finances or controls the initiative.  The collaboration has more than 250 participants, including 60+ nonprofit, governmental and private organizations, and works toward five goals:

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Downsizing

Spring will be here before we know it and with it HOME SELLS.  The market is about to open up again and perhaps you are looking to put your house on the market.  Many people choosing to sell are looking to move into a smaller home and NOW is a perfect time to get ready.

Now (during our cold winter months)is a good time to do things that does not involve being outside like finding a realtor, doing small interior repairs if needed,sprucing up the home and DOWNSIZING.

Downsizing can seem a little daunting and overwhelming but it doesn’t have to be. I would like to give you

TEN HELPFUL SUGGESTIONS FOR DOWNSIZING

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A “New” Power of Attorney on the Way

(Will it Save the Day?)

Financial exploitation stories appear all over the news. Money is swindled from an elderly or disabled person by a family member or professional they should have been able to trust. Often, the power to take the money was given freely to the offender by the victim in a Power of Attorney. The theft is still theft, but the Power of Attorney (sometimes dubbed a “license to steal”) made it easy.

A new Minnesota Law will make it a little harder for Attorneys-in-Fact (that’s what we call the person given the power on the Power of Attorney) to inadvertently or on purpose abuse their duties.

What is a Power of Attorney? | A Power of Attorney is a document where one person (called the “Principal”) gives another person the authority to manage some or all of the Principal’s financial affairs. It’s a way to have someone ready to pay bills, cancel cell phone service, adjust investments or sell the house when the Principal becomes mentally incapable of doing these things himself or herself.

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Exercise: Have Fun and be Safe

Exercise should no longer be a dirty word for seniors.  At one time exercise was judged to be too dangerous, too vigorous for older adults due to frailty and/or fear of being injured by exercise.  However, a number of well-conducted studies over the last several years have shown that a variety of exercises are not only safe for older adults but have enormous advantages.  In fact, staying active can help you:

  • Ÿ  Keep and improve your strength so you can stay independent.
  • Ÿ  Have more energy to do the things you want to do.
  • Ÿ  Improve your balance.
  • Ÿ  Prevent or delay some diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.
  • Ÿ  Perk up your mood and help reduce depression.

To get all of the benefits of physical activity, try all four types of exercise:

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Home Sweet Home: Making Home More Enjoyable for the Golden Years

According to AARP, 89% of Americans want to stay in their current home as long as they can.  Over the next 20 years, the Boomer Generation will start to look at their ho using options, and the prospect of going to live in a nursing home is not on their radar screen.

There’s a growing movement called “Aging in Place.”  It means remaining in one’s home safely and independently for as long as possible, and this usually requires making modifications to the home.

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Bathroom Safety

Bathrooms have an especially high level of safety concern that other areas in a home do not.  As a physical therapist, I am frequently asked to assess people’s bathrooms for accessibility, and to make recommendations for equipment and modifications that will maximize safety.

If a person uses an assistive device for walking, such as a walker, they can’t always fit them into the bathroom.

  • Avoid adding clutter that may make the walking spaces more restricted,
  • Add grab bars if you need to leave your walker outside the room.

The surfaces in a bathroom are unforgiving.  They become slippery when wet and are hard if you land on them.

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