What is an Elder?

"An elder is a person who is still growing, still a learner, still with potential and whose life continues to have within it promise for and connection to the future.  An elder is still in pursuit of happiness, joy and pleasure and her or his birthright to these remains intact.  Moreover, an elder is a person who deserves respect and honor and whose work it is to synthesize wisdom from long life experience and formulate this into a legacy for future generations."

The author of this is unknown but because it was so directly and aptly stated, decided to share this with the rest of you.  Olga@agooddaughter.com  

55 Ideas on Ideas

Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

55 Ideas on Ideas

View more OpenOffice presentations from Ricardo Sosa.

The best way to succeed in any challenge that arises is to surround yourself with an Expert.

32 Hours Towards a New Career

By Olga Brunner ALF Training Classes will cover the following coursework over two consecutive weekends. Our classes include licensing, facility administration, marketing, resident records, facility records, food service, medications management, personal care of your residents, providing stimulating activities, Alzheimer's, Mental Health problems, Hospice, Resident Rights and Abuse.   Besides that we will look at what a business owner does when she "wears all the hats". Why? Because as you build your business that is exactly what you will do.  We will look at networking in the community, press releases, advertising, etc. Remember, Entrepreneurs live their lives being non-negotiable, No maybes, or I'll try!   See you in class!  REGISTER NOW!

Olga Brunner Resumes ALF CORE Training for Florida Administrators

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact Person:  Olga Brunner, MS CMC
Company Name:  A Good Daughter Elder Care Management
Telephone Number:  561-392-3574
Fax Number:  877-226-9219
Email Address:  olga@agooddaughter.com
Web site address:  http://olgabrunner.com

Olga Brunner Resumes ALF CORE Training for Florida Administrators

Boca Raton, Florida, May 23, 2009 —  Olga Brunner, Founder and President of A Good Daughter Elder Care Management in Boca Raton, has resumed classes targeted to train administrators in passing the ALF CORE Training course for licensure by the State of Florida.  Classes will be held during two consecutive weekends a month at the Boca Raton offices of A Good Daughter Consulting beginning Saturday, June 6, 2009 from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.  Among the coursework presented will be “Steps towards licensure, Marketing, Diseases of the Aging, Florida statutes, Occupancy Cycle, Food Service, Medications Management, Bill of Rights, Dementia, Mental Health, and Elder Abuse Reporting, etc.”  Attendees will be provided with a Training Manual, handouts, power point slides, videos, and multiple aids throughout the course.   

A series of four quizzes and a final will be administered.  During the last class applications will be submitted to the University of Florida for the State Exam.  Exam fee and application will be sent overnight via FedEx to Tallahassee and a recommendation will be made by our trainer for those students participating in the examination. 

Olga Brunner runs A Good Daughter, Inc., a Boca Raton Geriatric Care Management agency that does what long distance families cannot:  Be there at a moment’s notice.  As Brunner recently stated: “As a senior care advocate, my goal is to help qualify individuals interested in providing affordable Assisted Living in the community to our elderly population.”   Brunner comes from a background of hospital administration, nursing home administration and activities planning for seniors.  She relocated to South Florida to care for her own mother who had Alzheimer’s related dementia in 1997. 

Our training staff may be reached (toll free) at 800-963-3877 (seven days a week). For more information about what makes us different, feel free to contact Olga Brunner at: http://olgabrunner.com

# # #

When a Private Duty Caregiver Steps Over the Line

Are private duty aides guests of the facility in which they work?  I recently went to see a client who’s in a rehab facility and was stopped by the Assistant Director of nursing (ADON), the Unit Manager, and the Director of Nursing (D.O.N.) about a private duty caregiver presently caring for a client of ours.  It seems the private duty aide hired by the family on my recommendation has interfered with the operations of the unit and has alienated staff with constant interventions, accusations, and mistrust of the facility’s caregivers.  Although an exceptional caregiver in a private home setting, she doesn’t understand how a nursing facility operates and is a bit too compulsive when it comes to the facility’s staff.  In her defense, she has been wonderful about keeping me abreast of the client’s condition, lets me know when the doctor visits, how the client reacts after physical therapy, etc.  She has not only sent long emails describing every person who has entered the patient’s room and what was done, but all too often these emails are peppered with, “they don’t know how to do this”, or “they did that”.  I have been good about listening and not reacting but when I was told she had been visited by an administrative person, I decided to see for myself what the problem was.  Having been trained as a nursing home administrator I understand the numerous regulations imposed on facilities and the fact that extensive documentation is done by the nursing staff.  I was right, the moment I approached the A.D.O.N., I was informed that this caregiver’s excessive watchfulness of the facility's staff and not the patient has been documented “ad nauseum” in their records.  

Private duty Caregivers need to be aware of the scope of their duties when in a nursing home facility or rehab facility.  These facilities are “nursing” centers for a reason.  Patients are moved to these facilities because they need nursing care.  No matter who the administrator is, the Director of Nursing has the overall responsibility for patients in her building and takes her position very seriously.  Not only responsible for the care of the individual patient, she is responsible for employee training and ongoing monitoring; interacting with the professional staff (individual therapy modalities), doctors, family members, geriatric care managers, administration; scheduling staff and switching personnel when she or he has personnel calling-off; is knowledgeable with Agency for Health Care Administrations numerous regulations; is responsible for grievance procedures, and takes risk management seriously so everything has to be document.  Anyone who has worked in a nursing home realizes, “if it isn’t documented, it didn’t happen.” 

In this case, the Unit Manager knew me personally so the issues were resolved amicably, the caregiver was admonished to pay closer attention to her patient and not to be so involved with subjective observations of the facility’s nursing staff.  The family has paid her to do a job and not be a “house monitor”.  

In her defense, I was a personal caregiver to my mother when in decline from Alzheimer’s disease.  I finally realized what a pain I was to the staff.  I was riddled with guilt for placing her in a home which created the “nothing is good at this facility” mentality and "nobody can care for her like I can".  I even attempted to do the caregiver’s job once and dropped my mother accidentally on the floor as I was untrained.  The outcome was that it prompted me to pursue Nursing Home Administration as a career choice.  Once I realized what was involved in obtaining and maintaining the license for the building and the scope of responsibilities that nurses and nursing assistants are challenged with, I sang a different tune.  Next time I need a private duty caregiver in a nursing home setting, I will staff from an agency with personnel familiar with nursing home procedures or perhaps start my own agency.  I think it's time.  If you have comments, please feel free to post them below or contact me at: olga@agooddaughter.com

Part 1: The Memory Tapes

I watched this episode twice and still needed the Kleenex.  It seems what touches me most is that last gentleman in his dying bed.  I have witnessed that end of life scene a dozen times with dying clients and I've never had an opportunity to release them the way I have managed to release them viewing this film.  I am looking forward to viewing tomorrow's segment with Maria Schriver.  So far The Alzheimer's Project has been a realistic window into the various stages depicting varying options of care from Josephine and her daughter on the farm to Yolanda at the nursing home having hallucinations about bugs and snakes in her wheelchair.  Please feel free to leave your comments below.  

Olga at A Good Daughter Elder Care Management will be reviewing segments of the HBO Alzheimer's Project during our Dementia Support Group on May 20th at 5:30 pm at our elder care management office.  Please call to RSVP: 561-392-3574 or email: info@agooddaughter.com  

Happy Mother's Day!

I thrive on family. Although mine is shrinking and my own daughter resides on the California coast, I would just like to take this time to reflect on Mothers, Grandmothers, and New Mothers out there. Don't ever take each other for granted as we women share a common sisterhood that should be supported by one another each and every day. Be good to one another. Take some time to be with someone special tomorrow and make tomorrow a good day by putting away CNN news for a day, employment worries, economy worries, and just laugh at it all. Soon this economic downturn will stop being the talk of the day and we will all be in a better place. Have a very happy mothers day to all. Enjoy practicing your faith, enjoy the grandchildren, enjoy some good music and food, and enjoy each other's company.

Dr. Bill Thomas' Plea to Oprah

This morning I watched a video that needs to be shared with anyone who advocates for the elderly. This is an amazing person who is taking his role as geriatrician and advocate for Seniors to new heights with his personal plea to OPRAH. Please enjoy.

A Great Lady Has Passed - A Testament to Love

A short time client who lived with Alzheimer's disease these last few years of her life and died all too soon at age 68 was loved by all who knew her.  She participated at the FAU Memory and Wellness Center and her artwork is on exhibit there.  She was a resident of Arden Courts in Delray Beach and her husband who was a White House correspondent still participates in a weekly lecture series at both FAU and Arden Courts.  He will continue to do so which is a great testament to their love for one another.  This morning I saw him briefly after his lecture and he handed me the newspaper article written by him on the day she left this life entitled, "A Farewell To My Dear Wife".  I have never been so moved as I have been by his words of praise and recognition of her talents, poise, dignity, and nurturing soul.  Among her numerous files kept during the White House years was a handwritten note kept in a "Capital Speakers" folder which says:

Live your life to the fullest, Enjoy here while here because there is no here there - think about it... There is no here there.  So many people die before their time, for reasons difficult too difficult to understand..For reasons so difficult to accept.  Don't we hear so much of people who have been dealth the wrong hand by destiny?  On the other hand how many people having it all, make their lives a living hell?

So many people die who wanted so desperately to be here with us, so many people live that are wasting their lives - not really living--Feeling miserable all the time.  When I think of all those who have gone never to return , their hopes unfulfilled, their goals unrealized, it brings to mind a beautiful and tender poem which I would like to share with you:  

To Those I Love

If I should ever leave you whom I love, to go along the Silent Way, grieve not, Nor speak of me with tears, but laugh and talk, of me as if I were beside you there.  (I'd come - I'd come, could I but find a way!, but would not tears and grief be barriers?)

And when you hear a song or see a bird I loved, please do not let the thought of me be sad...for I am loving you just as I always have... You were so good to me!  There are so many things I wanted still to do -- so many things to say to you...Remember that I did not fear...It was just leaving you that was so hard to face...We cannot see Beyond..But this I know:

I loved you so - 'twas heaven here with you!

Frances Goldstein passed away on March 24, 2009.  Her memorial service in Washington D.C. was attended by family members,  friends and fellow journalists.  Among the speakers honoring Frances was white house correspondent, Helen Thomas.  

Black Box Warnings - FDA Warnings

While there are blackbox warnings against using these drugs for Alzheimer's behaviors, you must also be aware that this video was produced by "Lawsuit Guru".  My advice is that you speak with a trusted mental health professional first before making a decision about using any of these drugs for the treatment of behaviors associated with Alzheimer's disease for a loved one. Carefully weigh all of the options.  If you'd like to know more, contact a Senior Care Pharmacist who specializes in this field.   olga@agooddaughter.com