Encore Episode #2, Rayna Neises, your host, speaks with Elizabeth Landsverk, MD. Dr. Liz trained at Harvard and has been a geriatrician for over 20 years. She served as Assistant Professor of Medicine at USC and was a consultant to the Elder Abuse Forensic Center in San Francisco. She shares her experiences in a new book released at the end of May, ‘Living in the Moment: A Guide to Overcoming Challenges and Finding Moments of Joy in Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias’. Dr. Liz shares the following insights:
- (2:00) First challenges are when someone’s behaviors start to change regardless of their age.
- (3:04) Quick tests to determine if more evaluation is needed:
- Draw a clock showing 10 minutes after 11:00
- Calculate 25% of $22.50
- (4:15) Every county will have a Division on Aging and can direct you to resources.
- (8:00) Find a place where the staff is doing activities with them and they look like they enjoy being there.
- (9:16) You should not use medication for someone bored or not sleeping, but there are cases when it is needed to take the angry edge off.
- (11:05) The top two treatments for agitation are Tylenol and ice cream.
- (14:53) To find a geriatric doctor, look for medical schools with memory/geriatrics clinic or the VA.
- (17:08) Liz’s book provides a step-by-step guide from diagnosis to the end and is available on Amazon.com.
- (19:10) We need to help families figure out how they are going to pay for support.
- Sponsored by Content Magazine pre-orders starting next week
Rayna Neises understands the joys and challenges that come from a season of caring. She helped care for both of her parents during their separate battles with Alzheimer’s over a thirty-year span. She is able to look back on those days now with no regrets – and she wishes the same for everyone caring for aging parents.
Rayna is the author of No Regrets: Hope for Your Caregiving Season, an ICF certified coach, the host of “A Season of Caring” podcast, Positive Approach® to Care (PAC)Independent Certified Trainer and speaker who is passionate about offering encouragement, support, and resources for regret-free caring aimed at preventing family caregivers from aimlessly wandering through this important season of life.
Rayna lives on a farm in southeast Kansas with her husband, Ron, and small pack of adorable dogs. She is the baby of her family, but most would never guess that. She is a former teacher who enjoys crafts of all kinds and spending time with her grandkids most of all.
