Life Happens

“This idea of moving is really that inherent innate thing that all of us do. But it has real therapeutic power to it. And there are little tips and you know, strategies, you can have to get the most out of movement. And so, we like to talk about movement as medicine more than because it sounds catchy, but because we want movement to feel as accessible and inclusive as possible.” Amanda Rees Today...

I call the first category better body. So, this category refers to technology that might actually help your body be more able to do things than it otherwise would. I'll give you a couple of instances, there's a tool called my seismic, and what it does is it straps on your back and around your body and it uses electricity to provide strengthening to your core. So, if you're a person with back pain,...

I also saw this in schools where parents would be concerned about their kids or teachers were concerned about kids with behavior issues or falling behind academically. And one of my first questions to a parent would be, has anything changed in the home? And I can't tell you how many times I wish I'd taken data on this. But I can't tell you how many times the response was. Well, you know, my dad ha...

How you hear is with your brain. The ear is just a tool to get the information to your brain. And what happens over time is hearing loss as it goes down, that processing is affected. So essentially your brain once you can't hear will rewire itself to find information in other methods. I like to tell my patients that generally speaking, it's kind of like, they're always playing wheel of fortune. Th...

When you get into a Medicare advantage plan, you're really not in Medicare anymore. Medicare pays that insurance company each month and they're not going to pay original. Medicare is not going to pay your claim at all. So, you know, there are no do-overs with Medicare. ~Toni King- Medicare Specialist With Medicare open enrollment right around the corner, Kim thought it would be a good idea to brin...

Now, in all fairness, taking care of an aging parent brings challenges that no one's been prepared for. So, it's a highly emotional time. There's so much decision making and there's so much at stake. And really most of us don't do well when there's that much pressure. So, there's also the added pressure, there's family history dynamics, plus added pressure. And the fear of, you know, the margin of...

Well, what has happened is we have to remind ourselves that at one time, all of us are independent right now. We get to go to work, we get up, we go out and have fun with our families. We go to restaurants and movies, and then suddenly for whatever reason, we have someone that maybe falls and gets hurt. And then they start having issues, other health issues, and it is recommended that maybe they n...

Really look for activities that they've always enjoyed doing in the past and maybe that they enjoy doing now. Oftentimes that just really helps to give them a sense of purpose. So, if it's things, even daily activities, whether it's helping you to dry dishes, setting the table, even sitting and planning for a meal, talking that through, those are really wonderful things. They're normal daily activ...

I'm a clinician, so I'm a nurse for a really long time. I am a hospice nurse and I thought this is going to be super, I'm a dementia practitioner. And my mother-in-law has dementia. And I was like, oh, this is going to be cake. And what I realized is that the easy stuff is really hard. ~ Jennifer Prescott Before you make this big step listen to what Jennifer Prescott and Kim Hegwood have to say. I...

“I think we have to start with defining what is dementia, right? Dementia is a set of symptoms that affect our memory, our problem-solving ability, and our language. The Alzheimer's Association says that 50% of all residents that are living in assisted living have some type of dementia or cognitive impairment. Danna Barnes Making the decision to move someone with dementia is not easy. And choosing...

“Her nephew was doing most of the check writing. And during this process, he bought a boat, and he bought a motorcycle. Nobody besides a nephew was looking after this. So, he had a free checking account to do whatever he wanted to do.” ~Richard Claywell Kim Hegwood and Richard Claywell sit down to discuss scams and other types of elderly fraud abuse. Learn what to look for and what to do. Title: E...

“The goal here is for somebody to be able to go in there and it takes two seconds for them to figure out what information they need and how they can utilize it to help you when you're dealing with just going to a doctor. Does it matter if it takes you 30 seconds versus 60 seconds or a minute? No. Does it matter when the EMT shows up at your door and you're dealing with an acute or critical situati...

“There's a wide variety of activities. But focusing just on a senior activity as you mentioned, the dancing, the Tai Chi, those kinds of activities are very beneficial, especially for older adults living in assisted living facilities or things like that. So that's a form of physical exercise. But you know, in recreation therapy, we want the individuals to have fun and not think of it as therapy, b...

“I believe that a person who has early-stage dementia should move into assisted living, depending on their behaviors and what they're struggling with, so that they can adapt to the environment and really start getting that stimulation to get the highest level of care and stimulation and nutrition so that they stay where they're at. They don't decline as fast. And we can't guarantee that, but we're...

“Dad, I'm going to be visiting you on March 15th and my flight arrives at. And so that means, you'll see me at approximately this time." That created all kinds of stress for him. "When is it when Irene getting here? Is it March 15th yet?" You know, he'd be bugging the staff. And they said you don't need to tell him ahead of time that you're coming, just come. So, I did, I just arrived. He would go...

“She asked him to come so she can have a vacation. That's the best way for that sibling to find out really how mom can live safely in her own home. When she puts the coffee pot in the refrigerator, when she opens the door to strangers, when she wants to write a check to the person that calls on the telephone, he's going to know, yeah, this isn't safe for mom.” Linda Johnson Today Kim Hegwood has a...

“And just for the folks out there, even a window can be an escape artist. Which you don't know of until it happens, and I've seen it happen. So, if somebody has dementia, we'll look at the home, there are some homes that are licensed with dementia as well. So, we could take care of them there at a small community that's certified with dementia. We look into them to make sure that they are a good f...

“I think one of the most important things about navigating the emergency department, preparing for a trip to the emergency department, is making sure that you have a list of all medications, an up-to-date list. Make sure you have a list of all allergies that a patient may have. It's helpful to have a list of their physicians, with or without phone numbers. And it's important to bring patience beca...

“I'm a physician and I know how to take care of things all by myself and yes, I had a hard time asking for help because I didn't think I needed help. I thought I could do it all by myself because I'm a strong person, but I did learn eventually to accept help. Right?” Today, Kim Hegwood and Dr. Renee Harmon will discuss why it is so important to have a caregiving team. Dr. Harmon will talk from her...

“I remember a moment, when a friend of mine came to visit my mother and which was very rare because a lot of people don't visit. So, I was very grateful that she even visited. But she immediately went to work on her phone and my mother turned to me and said she doesn't wanna be here. It’s important to really to be present.” Dani Klein Modisett Kim Hegwood will be asking comedian Dani Klein Modiset...

This is part 2 of When Caregiving Calls. Dr. Blight has so much great information last time he was on the Life Happens Show that Kim Hegwood decided we needed to have home back. Today Kim Hegwood and Dr. Aaron Blight will be discussing what to do When Caregiving Calls 1. In your book you talk about resilience. How do caregivers develop resilience? 2. How does a family member learn to fulfill the c...

  “They're able to really participate in enrichment activities. Things like the arts music, the Houston Symphony is one of, of our partners. We have art classes that are taught by local painters. We do a lot of movement through exercise and discovering our, how our bodies can move differently through Tai Chi and sit and be fit and very fun exercise activities.” Andrea Williams- CarePartners T...

“And then in the car,  on that day in 2006, when she was diagnosed, we were driving home and she was, I mean, dead silent. And I kept asking, you know, how do you feel? Cause she, of course, was near tears. And I said, how do you feel? What are you thinking? She's not saying a word. So, at a traffic light, I reach over into my console, and I get my bag of legos.” Loretta Veney Today Kim Hegwo...

You may have heard the term mindfulness, but have you practiced it before? By boosting mindfulness in day-to-day living, a caregiver can do practices that boost resilience and enhance overall comfort, ease, peace, and tranquility, no matter how chaotic and intense the caregiving duties are . Larissa Carlson Kim Hegwood and Larissa Carlson will talk about how you can practice mindfulness even when...

It is heartbreaking when you hear about a senior becoming a victim of a scammer. Unfortunately, this happens more than we like to think. “A lot of us get Robocalls. We pick up the phone, it says, press one for more information, we press one. Do you know what that scammer does? They take that phone number because they're trying to see if your phone number works. If your phone number does not work,...