Caregiver's Use of Technology

The PEW Research Center has just published a report, "Family Caregivers are Wired for Health", about how caregivers use the internet to get health information. Thirty-nine percent of Americans care for an adult or child with serious health issues. Seventy-two percent of these caregivers search online for health information. This report found that caregivers are more likely than other internet users to:

• Gather health information online, particularly about medical problems, treatments, and drugs.
• Go online specifically to try to figure out what condition they or someone else might have.
• Consult online reviews about drugs and other treatments.
• Go online to find others with similar health concerns.

You can access the complete report here.

The July/Aug Issue of the Elder Update is available

The Florida Department of Elder Affairs publishes a bimonthly newsletter, the "Elder Update", for Florida Seniors. The current issue includes articles about:

• Exploitation, Frauds, and Scams
• Mild cognitive Impairment - the mild memory loss problem
• Move it or Lose It (exercises for older adults to decrease their chance of falls)
• Medicare and Durable Equipment Changes
• Florida State Parks App

You can download the current issue here. Alternatively, you can sign up for a print subscription here.

Upcoming Library Programs for Older Adults

Would you like to learn about gardening, learn about local hospice options, or see a popular British TV series? These are just a few of the upcoming Pasco library programs. The Friends of the Library sponsors our programs.  Here are some of the upcoming library programs for Older Adults in Pasco County:

Fridays in July at 2:00pm
    Friday Flicks!
    South Holiday Library
Come for afternoon tea and join us each week as we follow the lives of an aristocratic family and their servants during the reign of King George V.
South Holiday Library
4649 Mile Stretch Drive 
Holiday, FL 34690 
(727) 834-3331

Sat, July 27th at 11:00am
     Sit-n-Knit            
     South Holiday Library
Join our knitting club for ALL AGES! No experience necessary. Supplies are provided for in-house use or bring your own project.
South Holiday Library
4649 Mile Stretch Drive 
Holiday, FL 34690 
(727) 834-3331

Thurs, July 30th at 2:00pm
     Hospice Information Session
     New River Library
 The Gulfside Regional Hospice will be providing a free informational session on the different levels of hospice care available to residents.
New River Library
34043 State Road 54, Zephyrhills, FL 33543
(813) 788-6375

Tues, Aug 6th at 6:30pm
    Gardening Program
     Hudson Regional Library
The Pasco County Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners provide program on gardening topics. Please contact Hudson Library for more information.
Hudson Regional Library
8012 Library Road, Hudson, FL 34667
(727) 861-3040

Also, many branches offer book discussions.

America's Health Rankings

The United Health Foundation is a nonprofit organization that publishes a report called "America's Health Rankings Senior Report". The 2013 report ranks all 50 states according to the health of their seniors and uses 34 different measures of health ranging from smoking and obesity to Intensive Care Unit usage. Florida's overall rank was 30. Florida's strengths include:

• a high prevalence of health screenings     
• a high percentage of diabetes management     
• a high percentage of hospice care  

Florida needs improvement in:

• a limited availability of home health care workers 
• a high prevalence of chronic drinking 
• a low percentage of volunteerism

You can read more about the Florida rankings here.

Plant City Senior Fun Fest

The Lifestyles After 50 Fun Fest will be held on Thursday, June 27th at the Strawberry Festival Expo Hall from 9am - 2:00pm. Admission and parking are free. The event will feature:

• Free Health Screenings
• Live Music
• Senior Friendly Sports Center
• free coffee and goodies
• free bingo and giveaways

             Strawberry Festival Expo Hall            
             2202 W. Reynolds St.  
             Plant City, FL
             813-653-1988

You can call for directions at this number: 813-752-9194. For more information, you can click here for the event flier.

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is June 15th, 2013. According to the Administration on Aging, "Every year an estimated 2.1 million older Americans are victims of elder abuse, neglect, or exploitation". What are some of the warning signs of elder abuse?

• Signs of neglect: lack of basic hygiene, medical aids (i.e. glasses, medications), left without care if confined to a bed, or untreated bed sores.
• financial abuse: caregiver has control of the senior's finances and does not use the money to take care of the senior's needs or the older adult is giving large amounts of money or gifts to their caregiver.
• psychological abuse 
• physical abuse

You can learn more about the signs of abuse here and learn more on what you can do to protect Seniors from abuse by reading the National Center on Elder Abuse factsheet. In addition, the State of Florida Department of Elder Affairs also has a webpage about how to report elder abuse and how to prevent it.

If you suspect that an older adult is being abused, you should call the Florida Abuse Hotline at 1-800-962-2873. Another great resource is the Area Agency on Aging of Pasco-Pinellas elder helpline: 1-800-963-5337. If the senior lives at a nursing home or assisted living facility, a volunteer from the Florida Long-Term Care Ombudsman program may be able to help. You can contact them via the elder helpline: 1-800-963-5337.

Taking Care - a PBS Long-Term Care Series

PBS NewsHour has launched “Taking Care” - a series of six reports on the challenges of long-term care. The first one aired on May 30th and the video is provided below. It is a video profile of Mary Wyant. You can find supplemental information about the broadcast and links to Alzheimer resources here.


 

 

Watch A Mother and Daughter Portrait Of Long-Term Care on PBS. See more from PBS NewsHour.