Holistic Elder Care, Part 2 - December 2011

Here are some real life solutions that can help us reform the care of our elders.

By Del Muzzillo

In the past article we looked at some of the limitations of the present system of providing care for our elders.

Now we are going to look at a few of the solutions. With some of these you can take the initiative right now. With others it will be a process (and for those to take place we will need all good people like you to advocate for it.)

Let’s look at the early stages first:

As I have been suggesting in past few articles, early intervention is key. The earlier the better!. The problem is that many elders do not even perceive that there could be a problem brewing at that stage. So, it is sometimes difficult to persuade them to take early action.

But what if those early actions could be made simple enough and packaged in a way that makes them an attractive option? The Senica Project is currently exploring this and hopefully will be able to offer high level services within the near future.  In the meantime think about ways that you can help make good nutrition, supplementation, exercise, cognitive fitness, etc. all seem more interesting, easy, and exciting.

When our elders are showing signs of vulnerability, there is often resistance to assistance and home support.  Often well meaning family members lack the knowledge and skills to competently serve their elders. To this end a thorough, fast-track training system for family care-givers would be highly valuable. This is rarely, if ever, available.  The Senica Project aims to develop a training system and institute using the best practices within the industry within a supportive learning environment.

Trained, compassionate family care-givers are always the first line of defense. But, these dedicated individuals need to be supported both financially and functionally.

If you carefully look at the demographics of most adult children care-givers you will find that there are a large percentage of these people in a position of being recently retired or laid off, or at a period of under-employment. It makes all the sense in the world that an elder’s own family member by the primary care-giver, and be compensated for their efforts.  It is time to lobby your government for this.

It is much more cost efficient to pay a family care-giver a modest wage (so they can continue to provide service without totally draining their own savings account) than to hire outside providers at a much higher cost. Don’t worry, these outside providers will still be needed for respite work (at the very least).  As your elder requires more and more support, there will be a need to bring in even more professional coverage. But, let’s  at least start with the family.

The other element that can be greatly helpful is the concept of the “adult day program”. These services provide up to 7 hours of care-giver respite on the days they are used. But even more importantly they can give that needed social interaction with fellow elders.

What is presently available is certainly a step in the right direction, but almost of the “adult day services” available now are using a pretty outdated model.  Some are OK. Some are just downright “lame”. None are presently using that precious time and opportunity to its full potential.

Another solution is a new generation of updated “adult day programs”.  Within the Senica initiative is something called the L.E.A.P. program. (Life Enhancing Activities Program).  It uses the same amount of time line, but makes better use of that time. Vitally nutritious food at lunch and snacks, cognitive support activities (such as “Brain Gym”), reasonable exercise incorporating Tai Chi, balance, better breathing, connection with nature, and meaningful outings, are just a few of its enhanced services.

These programs can enhance the lives of our elders and greatly reduce the burden on care givers.

There has been much improvement in the home-support field. Some more progressive companies (such as “Nurse Next Door” for example) are now offering some life enhancing modalities. This is a good step forward. The limitation is within the staffing and staff training. With the demand as high as it is these days, these companies are scrambling to hire enough good staff to provide coverage.

The challenge is that the kind of person who makes for an outstanding care aid is a very special and rare individual. They have to be compassionate. They have to be very intelligent. They have to be highly trained in order to consistently perform at the level that you and your elders will need. That takes time and costs money.

To really do it right could easily result in 30% to even 40% higher costs than we are all presently paying. How many hours could you afford if that rate hit $40.  per hour or more?

One solution is government subsidies. This is one time when government support that enables the average person to afford superior home care could pay off big time.  Combined with an upgraded “adult day program” this enhanced home support service would make it possible for these elders to stay home longer, safer, and healthier. This alone could save the government more money than the small investment in partially subsidizing the home support and also the day program. Small investment. Big payoff.

When the time comes when it is not longer possible for these elders to continue living in their own homes, then there is a practical, cost effective, humanistic solution:

Presently, there is a split in the way people approach this.

One way is that an elder moves early on and into an “independent living” complex. Some elders own their units, but most rent. This is usually their first “downsize”.

Then, a few years later, they move into “assisted living”.  These are even smaller, and almost all are rented.

Then, just as they are at their most vulnerable, they have to move once more, into “residential care”,  and into an even smaller “shoebox” in an institution.

Does this not seem a little crazy to you?

The other way it often goes is the elder stays at home until something catastrophic happens.

Both scenarios do not serve the elder well. It doesn’t have to be this way.

Another positive solution on the horizon is a new scenario in which the elder makes one move and one move only. They make that move with much less resistance because what they are moving into is so cool! They move into a compact mini-condo that is able to replicate the best features of their own home. And when they open their door, they enter a world that is beautiful, alive, safe, life-enhancing, healthy, and stimulating.

They have the option of actually owning their unit (which makes much more economic sense) and they will be able to be there for the rest of their lives. Services increase as they need them. The quality of their personal and social life is very high. Because residents remain healthier there, and because it is much safer, there is less sickness and less injuries. This saves lives and saves money at the same time.

This is the whole new paradigm that is presently being explored and developed within the Senica Project. It might become the first, but it will not be the only initiative  that aims at reforming the way we care for and house our seniors.

Positive change is in the air. But, for this change to happen, we will need to support of good people like you who have elderly family members. You want the best for your elders. You will want the best for yourselves when that time comes.

Positive change is not just going to happen on its own. It will require all of us to roll up our sleeves and get to work, supporting and advocating for these promising new advances.

Let you MLAs and MPs know (if you are in Canada), or let your Senators and Members of Congress know (if you are in the U.S.). Tell them what you want  and what you want them to do.

And, if anything you have just read (in this and the previous five articles) resonates with you, then by all means contact us thru email below.  

Want to get involved?  There are “ground floor” opportunities to become an active part of this initiative, and investment opportunities that could be very exciting once this gets established and is fully operational.

The next few articles will look at how family care-givers can make a real positive difference while simultaneously reduce care-giver stress and burn-out.

Happy aging everyone!

Del's Bio: Del Muzzillo has been involved in the wellness industry, the health resort business, and the human potential world for over 35 years. He has served at a leadership level in these areas in Canada as well as three decades in the U.S. He has brought this background into the field of aging and especially in the care of elders. He presently is directing the SENICA Project which aims to reform elder-care with a modern holistic approach. 250-328-8834 - Email