Technology For Seniors

From the journal of Biotech & Genetic Engineering:

The results of an open-label pilot study have found that treating patients with an advanced form of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) using the Parkinson’s disease drug, levodopa, stabilized their disease and improved vision. The study demonstrated that oral levodopa therapy was safe and well-tolerated, and reduced the need for patients with neovascular AMD (nAMD) to receive anti-VEGF injections.

Short version: the same drug which seemed to help macular degeneration (MD) patients, also seems to help those with Parkinson’s disease. How much it helps remains to be seen, but further studies are in the works.

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Most of us may be staying at home for everyone’s safety, but that doesn’t mean criminals aren’t still operating in full force. Here are some tips to help keep you safe & secure during these trying times.

• Scammers are out in force trying to use Covid to get into people’s bank accounts. Be particularly wary about clicking links in messages sent to you. Neither the IRS nor any state unemployment will send out random links via text message or email, and they will never ask you for critical identifiers like social security numbers over unsecured lines like that.
• We’re all ordering more online these days, and package thieves are having a field day. And many package carriers simply will not ring doorbells now, even though most of the population is home all day. So you have to take matters into your own hands with a motion detector, which will alert you when a package arrives so you can retrieve it quickly.
• While home break-ins are down, car break-ins are up. Make sure your car is locked and there are no items visible in the cabin.
• Since we’re spending so much more time there, our homes are dealing with added wear & tear. Make sure critical functions – particularly plumbing and heating/AC – are working well. Service techs are also booked more than typical now, so it may take longer to get a service appointment than usual. If you suspect something is wrong, act soon so it doesn’t become a crisis.

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From The Scientist, a worrying report on a link between Alzheimer’s and a more severe form of COVID-19.

“David Melzer of Exeter University and colleagues used genetic and health data on volunteers in the UK Biobank to look at the role of the APOE4 variant, which affects cholesterol transport and inflammation. Of some 383,000 people of European descent included in the study, more than 9,000 carried two copies. The researchers cross-referenced this list with people who tested positive for COVID-19 between March 16 and April 26—the assumption being that most such cases were severe because testing at the time was largely limited to hospital settings. The analysis suggested that the APOE4 homozygous genotype was linked to a doubled risk of severe disease, compared with people who had two copies of another variant called ε3.”

COVID has ravaged nursing homes and other residential care facilities around the world, and this study strongly indicates that there is a genetic element to those deaths. Further study is needed – particularly by identifying the APOE4 variant gene among younger populations – to see just how impactful this gene is in causing the more severe forms of COVID.

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An elderly relative wandering off never to be seen again is the single greatest fear of most caregivers. Simply put, there is no way to completely safeguard against it, but there are some steps which can be taken to help prevent a wandering incident.

Identity jewelry or cards. The old standby of a piece of jewelry – be it a bracelet, pendant or other – with their name and contact info for a caregiver is still one of the best safeguards. It won’t prevent a wandering incident, but it will help get them home after one. If they won’t wear jewelry, make sure they have cards with your cell phone number printed on them in their wallet, purse or coat.

Door alarms. Another simple but very effective tool. An alarm which goes off whenever the door it is mounted on is opened. Our own SMPL Entry Alert is one such device. The wireless alarm receiver can be carried around the home, so you will always know when your door is opened. Experts recommend pairing the alarm with a basic chain or slide lock from the hardware store, which will delay their exit without locking them in. That little bit of time needed to open the lock can give you the chance to intercept them.

GPS Trackers. This is a more extreme measure, but it may be an option for many. Most personal GPS trackers take the form of a watch. At any time a caregiver can access an app or web portal to quickly locate the wearer on a map. Most of these devices also allow for 2 way voice communication in the event of an emergency.

Clocks.  It may not be obvious, but a very visible, legible clock can help ward off wandering. Most wandering events are triggered by confusion; feelings of “I was supposed to be there an hour ago” or similar sentiments cause the person to act. Sometimes something as simple as a clock that shows the time, the day and the period of the day (morning, afternoon, evening, night) can help stave off feelings of lateness or missed appointments.

“Have You Seen Me” Cards. Another analog tool which won’t stop a wandering event, but may help get them home safely & quickly. These are simply cards you have printed up – maybe the size of a postcard – with your loved one’s picture & name, with your contact info on it. You distribute these to places within walking distance where your loved one may go to: stores, restaurants, businesses, libraries, houses of worship. If they are seen by workers in those places, they can call you or EMS to help bring them home safely.

At the end of the day, the most effective tool is regular conversations with your loved one. Wandering incidents are almost always preceded by increases in confusion and time-displacement. If you recognize these attacks in advance, you may be able to cut off a wandering incident before it even begins.

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From the AP:

“Claire Dinneen’s daughters thought that worsening dementia was causing her growing confusion, but her doctor suspected something else.

Dr. Pei Chen asked them to round up medicines in the 89-year-old woman’s home and they returned with a huge haul. There were 28 drugs ordered by various doctors for various ailments, plus over-the-counter medicines. Chen spent a year sorting out which ones were truly needed and trimmed a dozen.

To her daughters’ surprise, Dinneen got better, able to remember more things and to offer advice on what to wear and how to raise their kids. Her symptoms were from “medication fog,” not her dementia getting worse, Chen told one daughter.”

Claire’s situation may be an outlier, but there’s no question many seniors are on a lot of medications & supplements. Often these drugs are prescribed by several different doctors who don’t communicate with one another. It’s essential that you sit down with your senior loved ones regularly and go over the medication regimens they’re on. Make a chart or spreadsheet detailing all of the drugs and supplements they take, what they treat, who prescribed them, and when they began taking it. At their next appointment with their primary care physician, make sure that the chart or spreadsheet is discussed. It’s possible there are drugs there which should be stopped or even ones which may be having harmful interactions.

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A new study shows that people who don’t regularly get a good night’s sleep may be more susceptible to Alzheimer’s disease.

Participants who experienced less deep restorative sleep and less non-rapid eye movement were more likely to show an increase in beta-amyloid plaques, a main component in the development of Alzheimer’s, according to the study. The beta-amyloid destroys memory pathways and other cognitive functions, which affects more than 40 million people worldwide, according to a Berkeley news article.

At this point the study seems to indicate that the lack of sleep is an indicator of future Alzheimer’s symptoms rather than being a cause of them. But further work is needed on this to determine just what direction doctors will go on this matter.

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Growing old shouldn’t have to mean falling behind. And that includes technologically.

Here are just a few items which can help your senior loved one use and enjoy the technological bounty around us.

Vertical Mice – 90 degrees can make a world of difference. Vertical mice function just like normal mice, but are ergonomically designed to alleviate stresses on the hand, wrist and forearm. They’re often used by sufferers of carpal tunnel syndrome or chronic wrist tendonitis, but they can be extremely beneficial for arthritis sufferers, too.

Digital Magnifiers – These relatively inexpensive items combine a camera and a screen to help magnify small text or objects for the reader. They have several advantages over your basic looking glass, including the ability to take still images, and even to digitally highlight or sharpen text to make it easy to read. Some now even have the ability to ‘read’ text and convert it to speech on the fly. This is a tremendous aide for persons with compromised vision who don’t want to stop living life to its fullest.

Bluetooth hearing aids – An old medical device, with a modern twist. These hearing aids can connect to audio sources via Bluetooth, allowing persons with hearing impairment to get the sound directly from the source. By connecting wirelessly to your stereo, computer or TV, the wearer can hear their media clearly without boosting all other sounds around them. Many such hearing aids can also boost the clarity of spoken words, helping those with conditions like auditory neuropathy or tinnitus.

Large-Button or Simplified TV Remotes – We take the remote control for granted. I’m sure a lot of people reading this may never have used a TV without one. But as you grow older, they can become a problem. For starters, the buttons are getting smaller and harder to press in modern remotes. A remote with larger buttons and ergonomic casing can help with that. But then you get to the issue of too many buttons. Modern remotes have so many functions which the average user will rarely – if ever – utilize. In those cases, a simplified remote with fewer functions may be helpful.

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Some fascinating reading on a potential treatment for Parkinson’s.

Neurostimulation through surgically placed, battery-powered implants is often used to help reduce tremors in people with Parkinson’s disease. However, the devices are often large and batteries may need to be charged or replaced through surgery. Their wires can also facilitate infections.

Neuroengineers at Rice University have developed a tiny (about the size of a grain of rice) wireless surgical implant that uses “magnetoelectric” technology to electrically stimulate the brain and nervous system.

Scientists have known the value of direct neural stimulation in the treatment of neurodegenerative conditions for decades. The problem was always scale: surgeries were too invasive to be done regularly, and implants were too large to be usable in most cases. This breakthrough in miniaturization may be a great leap towards more effective treatments for Parkinson’s and other related conditions.

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From the San Antonio Express News, some great suggestions to help keep seniors active while living with arthritis.

Before exercising, try putting a heating pad on the painful joint for several minutes to loosen it up. And consider taking an anti-inflammatory like naproxen sodium (Aleve) or ibuprofen (Advil) or a pain reliever like acetaminophen (Tylenol) before or after a workout.

[Licenced trainer Warren] Young recommends exercises that build the muscles surrounding the joint, so they can provide more support. For arthritis of the knee, he suggests things like straight leg raises (lie on your back and raise your leg 6 to 12 inches off the ground), step-ups (step up and down a single stair) and calf raises (stand upright and raise yourself up until you’re standing on your toes)

Aging comes with a plethora of conditions that are tough on the body, but the above link has great suggestions for keeping active with many of the more common and debilitating ones.

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It’s still blazing hot in much of the US, but Fall really is right around the corner. Which means it’s time to check in with your elderly relatives and make sure they’re prepared for the coming season.

Clothing – Make sure they have clothes which can be comfortably worn in layers, including sturdy shoes. Even a resupply of reusable masks may be appropriate.

Food –  Go into their fridges & pantries. Are they properly stocked? Is there anything expired/freezer-burned or otherwise not fit for use? Then dump them and help restock with new foods.

Bathrooms – Are they stocked with essentials (paper goods, toiletries, safety/support aides)? Are all of their over-the- counter medicines & supplements still within their ‘use by’ dates?

Pleasure – Do they have new books/games/DVDs to watch? Exercises or hobbies to engage in? Any new activities do engage in while much of the world is still locked down? If not, drop some off and encourage them to participate.

With Covid lockdowns still in force in many places, residential facilities are still generally restricting visitors, but you should still make time to contact facility management and ask some pertinent questions:

• What is the Covid status of the residents and workers at the facility? Are distancing guidelines being enforced?
• Do they have new activity plans going forward for residents?
• When & where can you drop off season-appropriate apparel for your loved one?

Fall can be hard on people, and Covid will make it even tougher. But these are questions which need to be asked, and soon, for the sake of everyone’s senior loved ones.

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