Social isolation is becoming an increasingly common issue, with one in five Americans reporting they feel lonely. Seniors are especially vulnerable to these feelings. In fact, 43 percent say they experience loneliness regularly. A new survey of adults age 65 and older by Home Instead, Inc. found regular interaction with animals can help to reduce feelings of isolation and loneliness.

“While we recognize that pet ownership isn’t for everyone, we find that interaction with pets, even on a small scale, can have a big impact on older adults,” said Joe Malagon, senior care expert and owner of the Home Instead Senior Care office in Thousand Oaks. “A simple act like petting a dog, holding a cat or watching a bird can bring so much joy to a senior who may be feeling lonely.”

Additional survey results found that nearly half of older pet owners cited stress relief, sense of purpose and exercise as leading advantages to owning a pet. In addition to providing positive health benefits, pets can also provide constant companionship for older adults who would prefer to age in place. In fact, 82 percent of senior animal owners surveyed said they would not consider moving to a senior living community without their pet.

These findings are not a surprise to Steve Feldman, executive director of the Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI), a nonprofit research and education organization. “There is a strong connection between heart health and pet ownership or interaction,” Feldman said. “Pet owners are more likely to get recommended levels of exercise, have lower blood pressure and experience reduced levels of stress. Pets have even been shown to aid in recovery after a heart attack.”

While there are many benefits to owning a pet later in life, Home Instead also found that even occasional interactions with pets prove to be beneficial for older adults. Survey results indicate that older adults achieve the same positive feelings when spending time with animals in other capacities, such as visiting with pets owned by family, friends or neighbors.

Elisabeth Van Every, communications and outreach coordinator for Pet Partners, a nonprofit North American therapy animal organization agrees. “Research also shows animal interaction can help perceptions of pain and discomfort and improve motivation for treatment protocols for diseases such as cancer by helping individuals feel more focused and positive moving forward,” said Van Every. “Even interactions for half an hour a week can make a difference.”

Senior News Line
by Matilda Charles

No end to summer heat (now that it has started)

Summer heat … although the days are getting shorter, it’s just not ending. As seniors, we need to beware the impact that heat can have on us, especially on our hearts. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a list of ways to avoid heat-related illnesses, broken down into three sections: stay cool, stay hydrated, stay informed.

Staying cool means staying inside in air conditioning or going to a library or mall. Take a cool shower. If you must go out, take it easy and stay out of the midday sun.

Staying hydrated can be tricky if we’re on certain medications, such as ACE inhibitors and diuretics. Drink water before you go out but ask your doctor just how much is safe. Avoid cold, sugary drinks, and don’t try sports drinks unless your doctor okay’s it.

Staying informed involves checking the weather so you’ll know in advance what to expect. Investigate apps for your phone or bookmark a few weather websites.

My favorite weather website for the computer is Wunderground.com. Put in your ZIP code or town, and it shows you a graphic of either that day’s weather or the weather for the next 10 days. The fact I check most in summer is humidity levels, because that adds to how hot the heat feels. It’s also great for winter when I can check the arrival of snow and determine if I should go to the grocery store today or tomorrow.

When it comes to apps for your phone or tablet, the choices are many. Download four or five free ones and play with them for a week. See which ones you like best and delete the rest.

Eventually summer will be over and we’ll be thinking about storms and snow (well, not in Ventura). But for now, we need to be safe in the heat.

(c) 2019 King Features Synd., Inc.

Exercise is good for almost everyone, but there are so many things that can get in the way of staying active. It’s time for some positive thinking. No more excuses!

Older woman holding an exercise ball in a group exercise class

Here are some tips to help you overcome those barriers and improve your health.

Finding Time to Exercise

Try exercising first thing in the morning. Combine physical activity with a task that’s already part of your day, such as walking the dog or doing household chores. If you don’t have 30 minutes to be active, look for three 10-minute periods. As you progress, add more 10-minute sessions until you hit your goal!

Sticking with Your Exercise Plan

Make exercise interesting and enjoyable. Do things you enjoy, but pick up the pace and try new activities to keep your interest alive. Being creative about your physical activity plans and regularly trying new forms of exercise prevent boredom. If you can stick with it for at least 6 months, it’s a good sign that you’re on your way to making physical activity a regular habit.

Exercising without Spending Money

No more excuses: overcome exercise barriers infographic icon. Click through for full text

Read and share this infographic for tips to help you overcome exercises barriers like not having time or being too tired.

Being active doesn’t have to cost a thing! All you need for brisk walking is a pair of comfortable, non-skid shoes. For strength training, you can save money by making your own weights using soup cans or water bottles. Check with your local parks and recreation department or senior center about free or low-cost exercise programs in your area.

Increasing Your Energy

Regular, moderate physical activity can help reduce fatigue and even help you manage stress. Exercise can also reduce feelings of depression, while improving your mood and overall emotional well-being. Once you become active, you’re likely to have more energy than before. As you do more, you also may notice that you can do things more easily, faster, and for longer than before.

The Ventura County Elderly Fall Prevention Coalition will be hosting a Fall Prevention Forum that will focus on life-saving strategies and offer a variety of other services, including health assessments and immunizations. The event will be held at the South Oxnard Senior Center on September 20 from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Registration begins at 9 a.m. This event is free and open to the public.

With a tagline to Be Your Own Hero: Learn to Prevent Falls, this annual event will provide a variety of methods and informational sessions that are designed to arm older adults and caregivers with the tools necessary to prevent falls and increase mobility. Nationally recognized research shows that one in four adults over the age of 65, and half of the population over the age of 75, fall each year. Of those individuals, half will die within a year from complications and injuries sustained from the fall.

The forum will feature health assessments, free vaccinations, as well as glucose, blood pressure, and vision screenings. Individuals will also have the opportunity to take part in exercise demonstrations for Zumba, Tai Chi: Moving for Better Balance, Stepping On, and A Matter of Balance. Lunch and refreshments will be provided to those in attendance. Spanish translation will also be provided by request.

Dr. Paulo Carvalho will be a featured speaker for the event. Dr. Carvalho serves as Medical Director at the Conejo Family Medical Group, and is part of the Las Posas Family Medical Group and the West Ventura Medical Clinic. Joining Dr. Carvalho will be Dr. Thomas Duncan, Trauma Medical Director for the Ventura County Medical Center.

The South Oxnard Senior Center is located at 200 E. Bard Road in Oxnard. To register for the event, or for more information, please contact the Ventura County Area Agency on Aging’s Fall Prevention Program at (805) 477-7300.

The following is a statement from James Firman, President and CEO of the National Council on Aging (NCOA), in response to the U.S. Department Homeland Security (DHS) Inadmissibility on Public Charge Grounds rule scheduled to take effect on October 15, 2019.

“The National Council on Aging is extremely concerned about the effects the new DHS regulation will have on vulnerable older immigrants who are in this country legally, on their caregivers, and on the diverse communities where they reside.

An Impossible Choice Between Well-Being and Status

“Immigrant seniors who have played by the rules will have to make an impossible choice between going hungry and avoiding needed long-term care support or losing their immigration status. This regulation will create a personal and moral hazard for older adults who are looking to age with their families around them. NCOA opposes this harsh and arbitrary rule that is antithetical to the values of a just, caring, and welcoming America.

“We have heard from our community partners that older adult immigrants are already afraid and unwilling to seek participation in public benefits for which they are eligible – and have an intense need for – because they fear repercussions for their family or themselves. Now, we fear a wider range of older adult immigrants will not seek these health care, nutrition, and housing programs that enable them to live independently and with dignity.

Non-Immigrant Seniors Also Will Be Hurt

“This change also will affect the thousands of older adults and caregivers who rely on home health care. One in four home health aides is an immigrant. We know that overwhelmingly people want to age in their own homes, but the proposed rule could threaten the economic security of these low-income workers who sometimes rely on limited public assistance. This could decimate the support needed for America’s aging population to age in place.

A Callous Vision of America

“This change forces families to make an impossible choice between aging well or aging securely with their loved ones. It imposes a callous vision of America and is in stark juxtaposition to NCOA’s vision of a just and caring society where everyone can age with dignity, purpose, and security.

“NCOA is proud to stand with the Protecting Immigrant Families (PIF) campaign on this and other critical issues facing communities of color nationwide.”

About NCOA

The National Council on Aging (NCOA) is a trusted national leader working to ensure that every person can age well. Since 1950, our mission has not changed: Improve the lives of millions of older adults, especially those who are struggling. NCOA empowers people with the best solutions to improve their own health and economic security—and we strengthen government programs that we all depend on as we age. Every year, millions of people use our signature programs BenefitsCheckUp®, My Medicare Matters®, and the Aging Mastery Program® to age well. By offering online tools and collaborating with a nationwide network of partners, NCOA is working to improve the lives of 40 million older adults by 2030. Learn more at ncoa.org and @NCOAging.

Imagine entering the home of an elderly loved one and being greeted by a foul-smelling odor that seems to have no identifiable source. The house is in disarray and there are papers, dirty dishes and other debris covering most of the countertops. Your loved one is wearing soiled clothing and appears as if they haven’t bathed in days or weeks, but they act as if everything is totally normal. Understandably, you’re shocked by this scene. The last time you visited just a few months ago, both their house and their physical appearance were nearly immaculate.

This is a classic example of elder self-neglect, and scenarios like these are often what initially cause family members to step into the caregiving role. The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services defines elder self-neglect as “behavior of an elderly person that threatens his/her own health or safety and generally manifests itself by failure to provide himself/herself with adequate food, water, clothing, shelter, personal hygiene, medication (when indicated), and safety precautions.”

Elder self-neglect is a more prevalent problem than most people recognize. In fact, most research points to self-neglect being the most common form of elder abuse—a confusing statement, since this form of mistreatment doesn’t involve others at all. Because self-neglect often occurs inside private homes and among isolated seniors, it is likely that reports do not fully represent the magnitude of this issue.

According to a 2009 study, self-neglect is not only damaging to one’s health but also potentially life-threatening. Through the collection and analysis of data from almost 10,000 seniors over several years, it was discovered that elder self-neglect was associated with a significant increase in premature death. This heightened mortality risk was most prominent in the year after self-neglect was reported to and/or confirmed by social services agencies, such as Adult Protective Services (APS).

Self-neglect comes in many forms. Some elders stop taking their medications, others cease cleaning their homes, still others stop bathing and grooming themselves. The above study found that seniors who have limited or nonexistent social networks are more prone to falling into a dangerous pattern of self-neglect. This may also explain why long-distance family members are often blindsided by discoveries like the hypothetical one presented above when they come for infrequent visits.

Self-neglect is increasingly common among seniors who are physically handicapped and/or cognitively impaired because they do not have the ability to properly care for themselves. However, some elders who are fully functional still make poor decisions that result in outcomes that appear to be self-neglect. The challenging aspect in cases like these is that competent older adults can make hazardous lifestyle choices freely and without intervention as long as they are not causing immediate harm to other people.

In fact, countless concerned family members struggle to get self-neglecting elders to accept assistance with personal care, housekeeping, medical care, and financial management. Some even resort to filing reports with social services agencies like APS to get their loved ones help. This can be an effective intervention if APS follows up on the report, conducts an investigation, and confirms that the elder is at risk and requires assistance, but this is not always a guaranteed solution. Typically, elders have the choice to accept or reject the services and supports offered to them.

Even if a self-neglecting senior doesn’t “officially” require outside care yet, it is important to keep a close eye on the situation. Illnesses or conditions that follow a progressive pattern, such as Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, Parkinson’s disease, depression, or addiction may lead to a gradual loss of ability or interest in self-care. Sadly, as their situation deteriorates, it may take more than one APS report, a major medical setback or some other kind of emergency to instigate a full intervention and get a self-neglecting elder the help they need.

The Ventura Parkinson’s Disease Support Group invites our members and care-partners, families, visitors and new friends who find themselves navigating Parkinson’s disease to join us on Wednesday, September 11th from 12:30-2:30 PM for a very special presentation. We will be hosting The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research at Ventura City Hall in Community Meeting Room #202, located at 501 Poli Street, in Ventura, California.

Associate Director, Advancement, Mary McQuillen of The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) will present on the following topics: an overview of MJFF’s mission and business model; an update on promising Parkinson’s disease research; a look at the latest symptomatic treatments on the market and those currently under FDA approval and information on how to get involved with clinical research through Fox Trial Finder and Fox Insight.

The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research is dedicated to finding a cure for Parkinson’s disease through an aggressively funded research agenda and to ensuring the development of improved therapies for those living with Parkinson’s today. Since inception in 2000, 88 cents of every dollar spent by MJFF has gone straight to grants and initiatives to speed a cure for Parkinson’s. To date, the Foundation has funded more than $900 million in research to bring an end to Parkinson’s disease. For more information about the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, visit www.michaeljfox.org.

Find out how you can be a part of finding the cause and hopefully a cure for Parkinson’s Disease! The Ventura Parkinson’s Disease Support Group welcomes the public along with those who find themselves navigating the challenges of PD and other neurological conditions. We are an independent and volunteer-organized group not affiliated with any other organization or group. For more information and important detailed directions to our meetings, please call Patty at 805-766-6070.

by Peter J. Pitts, a former FDA Associate Commissioner, is president of the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest.

Roughly 125,000 Americans will die this year as a result of not taking their medications. This phenomenon — known as “medication non-adherence” – is the cause of 10 percent of all hospitalizations nationwide. It also costs our health care system up to $289 billion annually.  

The reason patients don’t stick to their prescription regimen is simple: They can’t afford to. Right now, nearly 25 percent of Americans taking prescription drugs struggle to afford their medications. And due to high out-of-pocket costs, 30 percent of patients had to forgo taking their medication at some point within the last year.  

This is a problem – and one that is easily preventable. Lowering patient out-of-pocket spending on prescription drugs would improve medication adherence, boost patient health outcomes, and generate billions in savings. 

Thankfully, there are a number of promising reforms in Washington, DC. Some of those reforms target patient out-of-pocket spending in Medicare’s “Part D” prescription drug benefit. This program currently helps more than 40 million seniors and people with disabilities afford their prescription drugs.  

Right now, there is no cap on how much Part D beneficiaries could pay out-of-pocket for their prescriptions. This is a huge problem for beneficiaries battling one or more chronic diseases — many of whom require multiple drugs to live normal, healthy lives.  

More than 800,000 Part D beneficiaries spend more than $5,000 per year on prescription medications — less than 2 percent of all enrollees. This 2 percent, however, accounts for 20 percent — roughly $3 billion — of enrollees’ total out-of-pocket drug spending.  

One proposal from the Trump administration would create an annual out-of-pocket maximum on prescription drugs. Once a beneficiary has paid $5,100 out-of-pocket at the pharmacy counter, he would no longer be on the hook for paying for his necessary medications for the rest of the year. For those patients who require costly, specialty drugs, those savings could add up quickly. 

Another reform, also proposed by the Trump administration, would crack down on the greedy practices of pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs. PBMs work as middlemen between drug manufacturers and insurers. They negotiate large discounts on prescription drugs — sometimes 30 percent off a drug’s initial list price. 

Unfortunately, patients don’t always see these savings. And as a result, industry profits go up while patient cost sharing remains the same. 

President Trump’s proposal puts a stop to this malpractice. Under his plan, it would be illegal for PBMs to keep any manufacturer rebates for themselves. These savings would instead flow directly to patients.

Patients would benefit greatly from this proposal. If the discounts negotiated by PBMs were re-directed to Part D beneficiaries at the point of sale, seniors would save up to $28 billion at the pharmacy over the next decade.  

The federal government, meanwhile, could save up to $73 billion over the same time period. 

The solution is simple: Americans are far more likely to take their medicines when they can afford them. And when patients follow their prescription regimen, they have better health outcomes as a result. 

Capping out-of-pocket spending for Part D beneficiaries — and putting a stop to the predatory practices of PBMs — will save lives. Patients and lawmakers alike should fully support these reforms.  

In general, elder abuse refers to intentional or neglectful acts that lead to, or may lead to, the harm of an older adult. The abuse may be physical, emotional, psychological, verbal, sexual, or financial. Neglect and abandonment are also types of elder abuse and, in many states, self‐neglect is also considered a form mistreatment.

Elder abuse prevention programs, including Adult Protective Services (APS) programs, are available nationwide to investigate and intervene when allegations of abuse are reported. To find APS and other programs in your community, enter your ZIP code or city and state in the search bar at the top of this page or speak with an information specialist at the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116.

National Center on Elder Abuse

This website provides resources on elder abuse prevention, including information on reporting suspected cases of elder abuse.

National Domestic Violence Hotline

The Hotline is a nonprofit organization that provides crisis intervention, information, and referrals to victims of domestic violence, friends, and families. Reach the Hotline 24 hours a day at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or TTY 1-800-787-3224.

Legal Assistance

The legal issues of older adults are often more critical than those faced by other segments of the population. Such issues may include income security, housing, utilities, protective services, abuse, neglect and age discrimination. It is important for older adults to understand their rights and seek advice when necessary.

The Older Americans Act supports legal service programs that provide and enhance important protections for older adults. To find services in your community, enter your ZIP code or city and state in the search bar at the top of this page or speak with an information specialist at the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116.

National Consumer Law Center

This website offers an extensive array of publications specifically for older consumers.

Federal Trade Commission: Identity Theft

This website is a one-stop national resource to learn about the crime of identity theft. It provides detailed information to help deter, detect, and defend against identity theft.

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

This website offers information and tools to help consumers navigate financial choices. The site also includes easy-to-understand guides to help financial caregivers managing someone else’s money.

Federal Communications Commission

This website offers information to help consumers know their rights and what you can do if you have a billing problem.

Long-Term Care (LTC) Ombudsman Program

Authorized under the Older Americans Act, the LTC Ombudsman Program provides advocates for residents of long-term care facilities. The Program works to resolve problems of individual residents and bring about changes at the local, state and national levels to improve resident care and quality of life. To find an ombudsman in your community, enter your ZIP code or city and state in the search bar at the top of this page or speak with an information specialist at the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116.

National Long-Term Care Ombudsman Resource Center

This website provides additional information about the long-term care ombudsman program and residents’ rights in long-term care facilities.