Marketplace for Aging

The Aging Marketplace has a great variety of hope and hype. In the last decade we have seen a huge base of products being developed to improve the lives of aging consumers. There are now cell phones for elders featuring large buttons and simple calling plans. Most stores now conveniently offer products that focus on independent living for seniors, like shower chairs and walkers, including local chain stores like Fred Meyer and Walgreens. An article in Mechanical Engineering, called “New Wheels for Grandma,” focuses on automotive improvements made to aid in the safety of senior drivers. A Lear Corp’s concept car, includes a pivoting, sliding platform for loading golf clubs into the trunk. Low-light color cameras in a Taurus Safety Car allow drivers to see vehicles or pedestrians in blind spots. Ford adds dimples and bumps to its controls to aid in distinguishing by touch alone. Cadillac uses ultrasound to calculate distance of the car from the object behind it. However, along with the advancements in the aging marketplace, there continues to be room for improvements.

Prescription bottles are one source of problems for elders. Firstly, the labels are often printed too small for elders to read. Additionally, as the Huffington Post points out in their July 6^th, 2012 article titled, “Drugs & Seniors: Post 50s Overlook Key Warning Labels, “inconsistent design lends to misreading warnings or overlooking important instructions all together.” An additional problem with prescription drugs for seniors, are the bottles themselves. For those with arthritis, oftentimes the safety lids can make the bottles difficult to open. Although there are lids that are easier for senior with arthritis to open, not all are made aware of the options to have those easy open lids used for their prescription bottles. As SeniorCareServices.org explains in their “Prescription Medication: Keeping Seniors Safe and Sound” article, “Ask the pharmacist for easy open caps, large print labels, and sometimes oversize bottles may be necessary.” The aging marketplace has advanced in offering tools that can be purchased for seniors as highlighted by Arthritis Today in their article “Opening Medicine Bottles with Ease.” Most notably is the “PurrFect Medicine Opener Magnet” which is shaped like a cat, and opens a variety of bottles in a variety of ways for a reasonable price of $9.95.

However, the cat shaped bottle opener brings up one flaw with the aging marketplace, that many senior focused products are either designed to be childlike (and thus not very dignified) or are so focused on utility that they are embarrassingly unstylish. Take the GPS shoes that are developed to protect elders with dementia from wandering and becoming lost. The shoe incorporates a sneaker design, which is not very appropriate for most daily activities, except running perhaps. For a sophisticated senior lady wearing a nice dress, the GPS shoes would be extremely inappropriate and tacky. There are bed rails to protect seniors from falling from bed during sleep, but one design appears like prison bars, complete with black metal rails. For this monstrosity, one must shell out $117.40. One would imagine that seniors with sweethearts that spend the night, this would not be an appealing item to decorate one’s bedroom with. Alarm watches made for seniors that vibrate or talk for medication reminders, mostly look cheap and crude. On ModernSeniorProducts.com, a senior alarm wrist watches page shows a small offering of just 11 watches to choose from, of which only 2 look tasteful enough that one would be able to wear the watch to a formal event.

Considering that persons ages “65 years or older numbered 39.6 million in 2009”, a population that continues to grow, according to the Administration on Aging, one would think that products available for seniors would be look better and appeal to dignity. As a Huffington Post article describes it, “Baby Boomers Will Transform Aging in America.” In the same article, Dr. Rhonda Randall, the chief medical officer of united Health Care says, “Boomers also have a "fierce" desire to remain independent, which will lead to an expansion of organizations offering home- and community-based care.” Boomers have a desire to live better. As Ken Dychtwald, president and CEO of AgeWave explains, “a new model of life is emerging”…”They are going back to school at 40 and coming back from illness to run a marathon at 80. They are beginning as late bloomers and hitting their stride in later years.” It’s clear that baby boomers will set new standards for the aging marketplace of the future. Hopefully, along with it will come sensible, stylish product lines that contribute to healthy living and promote dignity.

Have you seen design innovations for the silver market that you loved or hated? 

How about any products that you haven't seen that you'd like to see for seniors?

Caregiving Journal - Lessons in Sensitivity

Today Pa had a doctor’s appointment. Pa phoned me at work shortly after I arrived to tell me to cancel his appointment. I told him it was too late to cancel. He said he’d go next week. I told him the appointment was this week, not next week and it was too late to change it. Pa said he knew my sister did not want to drive him so I told him I’d come pick him up if she wouldn’t. In the end my sister drove him, but told me how Pa didn’t want to go to the doctor because he didn’t want to spend money. Since the doctor’s appointments are not expensive, and take place seldom, I knew this was simply an excuse.

Later Pa was in good spirits after he saw his doctor, so I confront him. I ask why he didn’t want to go earlier and he mentions not wanting to burden us driving him. When I ask about the financial concern he mentioned to my sister, he admits that both issues bother him (spending money and burdening us to drive him).

A couple days before this, on a quick trip to the store shortly before they closed for the night, my sister decided not to take Pa along. Pa wanted to go, but they were just 15 minutes to closing and she didn’t think he’d have enough time to walk the place quickly. As Pa is just 1 ½ months post knee surgery, his walking is still labored.  Sis was being sensible, but not sensitive to Pa and they argued when she returned from the store. Pa took offense, stating that sis was embarrassed to be seen with him. While this was not true, it was how Pa interpreted being left out of the trip.

About two weeks before this, when I was sick with the flu, I had sis take Pa to his post-surgery follow up appointment. After the appointment, on the drive home, Pa phoned me from his cell phone asking to go out to eat breakfast. Since I was still sick, I asked that they go eat out without me. When they arrived at the house just a few minutes later, I knew they’d skipped breakfast. When I asked what happened, Sis said Pa wanted to come home, and for the rest of the day, Pa didn’t speak to either of us. Later that day, Pa blew up and complained that he wanted to eat out for breakfast. Pa was trying to be subtle by saying he wanted to go home, but he actually wanted to eat out with the family.

Lessons Learned – 1) We must be cautious of the things we say, even in passing, with our loved ones. Oftentimes with lessened abilities, sensitivity is increased and little things can be misinterpreted and considered offensive. 2) Sometimes convenience is hurtful. Try to include your loved one even when it may take longer or on the flipside, go out and do things your loved one wants even when it’s more convenient to stay home.

Have you and your loved one misunderstood each other? What things do you do differently to keep the peace? What did you learn?

Caregiving Journal - Making Time

The big outing for today was a 2-hour shopping trip to the grocery store. Now this may sound silly, but you don’t know Ma.

Ma can become cantankerous on shopping trips. If she’s not hurling complaints about the store itself, she may likely wander off in a place like Costco, where she can be impossible to find at the petite stature of 5 feet 2 inches.

But today was different. Ma was walking slowly, pacing herself through the store. We deliberated on each aisle, reading what it contained, and then deciding if we needed anything on it. She reminded me of things we needed that I’d forgotten. We negotiated and came to an agreement to pass on foods that weren’t diabetic-friendly (I relented on the Gluten Free Waffles.) We talked about veggies each of us liked, that neither of us knew the other liked (and threw some in the cart.) I asked her which meats she liked and she picked out a few types. And, as we finally ended up at the register with a full cart that took both of us to push, she was still in good spirits.

She chatted and joked with the cashier, then told her how she normally is forced to rush through the store, but today she got to experience it fully. Although this statement didn’t surprise me, as we usually do rush through the stores, it got me thinking.

Was all our rushing around causing her displeasure at the stores? If we simply gave her the time to shop (taking it slow to explore everything) would she find shopping pleasant, maybe even enjoyable? If this one trip was any indication of how to do it right, maybe it needs to be the guide for all future shopping trips.

What I learned – Allow for the time on the things your loved one enjoys - it may improve your experience and your interactions.

  What do you rush through that a loved one might want to take more time on?

Caregiving Journal - Hand-Picked

 

This week has been noteworthy for Ma’s protein consumption. The reluctant carnivore who often claims that the meat I’ve prepared makes her nauseous then gives her portions away to my husband, has not complained once about the meat this week.

This is a new record.

I started to wonder what might be causing my good luck this week and it dawned on me – the grocery trip. She selected all the cuts of meat herself. I expressed no opinions or objections, even though selecting meats is something that my husband or I normally do. This week she chose the meat and now mealtimes are complaint-free and pleasant.

What I learned – Folks like when they are allowed to be part of the decision-making. If a loved one is complaining about a certain part of their meals, have them help you select ones they prefer better.

What routines have you changed that improved a caregiving experience for the better? 

Who is Walter Karabian?

I've been using rescued potholder for about a year. I retrieved it from my grandparents' kitchen when they moved into assisted living. My mother, who believes in keeping only new things, had already tossed out all the cast iron frying pans and skillets before my arrival. But, I was able to salvage two old wooden rolling pins, miscellaneous utensils and some potholders (like this one).

Today, as I was removing the lid to a pot of boiling beans, I became curious about the printing on this particular potholder as I set it down print-side up.

Who is Walter Karabian?

From a Google search, I found Mr. Karabian, listed on USC's History Alumni page. Walter Karabian was a California State Assemblyman from between 1966 and 1975 and is now a practicing lawyer in Los Angeles, CA at Karms & Karabian.

Obviously this potholder was a campaign giveaway during his 1960's election, and it was a clever choice, considering my family kept and used it in their kitchen ever since. Funny how one piece of bric-a-brac uncovered a small slice of California's history for me.

I continually implore my father to record stories about the mementos he has packed away in miscellaneous boxes in the garage. So much history exists within our elders that won't be accessible when they are are no longer with us. We aren't always lucky enough to have something printed on each item. I look forward to asking my grandfather his what he thought of Mr. Karabian's campaign and why he saved his potholder.
So if there is anything to take away from this clever little potholder, it's a reminder to record our stories today.

Ref:
http://dornsife.usc.edu/hist/alumni/

Dementia: A Focus on the Good

Today was a good day. I had the privilege of spending 3 hours with my grandparents at their assisted living home in Southern California, after not seeing them since September of 2010.

I was happy to find their health and cognition was better than I expected. (I always imagine the worst as I live at a distance and phone calls are difficult due to hearing.) Although my grandmother (who has dementia) could not remember some things we brought up (her former job, my husband’s grandmother), she did remember me and told me how happy she was to see me. She even told me she loved me as she patted my arm. It was about 2.5 hours into my visit at that point, and came as a complete, but wonderful surprise.

This is what fascinates me about dementia and Alzheimer’s. I recently read a book about Oscar, the cat that seems able to predict death in a dementia ward of a skilled nursing facility. The geriatrician who wrote the book interviews families, and all the families commented on the selectivity of their loved ones’ memories. For many, feelings seem to be immune to the memory barrier of dementia. One particular family spoke of how when their mother and aunt ended up with dementia and were in the nursing home at the same time, they decided to place them in the same room because they’d always been close and lived together in the past. Although the sisters could not recall their own names, or each other's, somehow the feelings they’d had toward each other remained. Their rapport and connection was apparent even during the throws of dementia.

I often waiver between regrets, wishing I done more with my grandma while she was cognizant, wishing I’d listened more closely, recorded more stories, never been a rude and rotten teenager. I must live with all these regrets, but somehow today it felt that her dementia has bought me the forgiveness I was never able to allow myself. She can’t remember the bad; she just remembers the good. It’s a lesson to me. There are so many things I would be wiser to let go of.

I am grateful for what I have learned in how to deal with dementia. During my visit today, I didn’t correct my grandmother. When she said, “I don’t know”, I said, “That’s okay” or “It’s not important.” When she clapped her hands or drummed her open palm on the table, I made eye contact and smiled. I believe what I have learned of dealing with dementia allowed this visit to be one of the best visits I’ve had with my grandmother since dementia took hold.