The Helping Older Parents Podcast

Get practical information about how to care for aging parents from a geriatrician and other experts. Whether you're dealing with memory loss or Alzheimer's, or are just concerned about a parent's safety and well-being, learn what really works, when it comes to helping older parents through this stage of life while respecting their dignity and maintaining a better relationship connection.

017 – Real Eldercare Stories: How Suzanne Cared for Her Mother Until Age 97

by Leslie Kernisan, MD MPH Leave a Comment

Helping Older Parents Podcast

017 – Real Eldercare Stories: How Suzanne Cared for Her Mother Until Age 97

00:00 / 00:40:07

In This Episode:

Dr. K talks talks with Suzanne about caring for her mother during her last years of life, including navigating cognitive changes and shifts in needs that neither of them had anticipated.

She covers:

Real Eldercare Stories: Suzanne W.
Suzanne’s caregiving situation when she joined Dr. K
Suzanne’s earlier conversations with her mom
What Suzanne’s mother had envisioned for her end of life
Shifts in memory and care needs
Challenges of accepting help
Managing distance in caregiving
The last year of life
Trying to move her from independent living to more care
The fall in her last year that changed everything
Navigating a higher level of care after the fall
How Suzanne’s mother died at age 97
Surprises and insights from the caregiving experience
Support systems and resources that helped Suzanne
Managing uncertainties and planning ahead in eldercare

016 – Medications for Sundowning: What Dementia Caregivers Should Know

by Leslie Kernisan, MD MPH Leave a Comment

Helping Older Parents Podcast

016 - Medications for Sundowning: What Dementia Caregivers Should Know

00:00 / 00:35:21

In This Episode:

Dr. Kernisan explains the medications that can be used for sundowning and agitation in Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.

She covers:

Medications for sundowning and dementia agitation
Recap of sundowning
Recap of how to manage sundowning & agitation
Medication options for sundowning
Antipsychotics for sundowning & agitation
Benzodiazepines for sundowning & agitation
Antidepressants for sundowning & agitation
Dementia drugs and cholinesterase inhibitors for sundowning
Less used: Depakote & dextromethorphan-quinidine for sundowning
Comparing the medication options
What to check before trying medication
What dementia/Alzheimer’s caregivers need

[Read more…]

015 – Treating Hearing Loss in Alzheimer’s & Dementia

by Leslie Kernisan, MD MPH Leave a Comment

Helping Older Parents Podcast

015 - Treating Hearing Loss in Alzheimer’s & Dementia

00:00 / 00:39:15

In This Episode:

Geriatrician Leslie Kernisan, MD MPH, talks with audiologist Dr. Cliff Olson, AuD, about what families should know when trying to treat hearing loss in an older adult with cognitive impairment. They cover:

Treating hearing loss when there’s dementia
Can treating hearing loss help cognitive function?
How audiologists evaluate hearing loss in dementia
Mild-to-moderate hearing loss: why OTC hearing aids may not be best
Fitting and adjusting hearing aids in dementia
Treating severe hearing loss in dementia
Lyric hearing aids: an easier option for Alzheimer’s
Adjusting to hearing aids in dementia
Is it ever too late to treat hearing loss?
How to think about hearing aid costs
Lyric hearing aid costs and pros/cons
How to avoid losing hearing aids
Alternatives to hearing aids: Pocketalker and TV headphones
Finding a good hearing care professional for someone with dementia

[Read more…]

014 – Sundowning in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: What to know & do

by Leslie Kernisan, MD MPH Leave a Comment

Helping Older Parents Podcast

014 - Sundowning in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: What to know & do

00:00 / 00:23:40

In This Episode:

Geriatrician Leslie Kernisan, MD MPH, explains what caregivers should know about sundowning, including why it happens and how geriatricians recommend responding. She covers:

Sundowning in dementia
What is sundowning?
Why sundowning happens
Neuropsychiatric symptoms of dementia
Sundowning versus delirium
Other causes of agitation in dementia
How to respond to agitation
Before trying medications
Medications in sundowning
Non-drug approaches for agitation and sundowning
Recommended approach to reduce sundowning

[Read more…]

013 – How to Pay for Eldercare for Aging Parents

by Leslie Kernisan, MD MPH Leave a Comment

Helping Older Parents Podcast

013 - How to Pay for Eldercare for Aging Parents

00:00 / 00:44:04

In This Episode:

Geriatrician Dr. Leslie Kernisan, MD MPH, teams up with experienced geriatric care manager Michelle Allen, LCSW, to discuss a common FAQ: how to pay for elder care. They cover:

What types of help do elders usually need
What are the options for eldercare?
How much does eldercare cost?
How to pay for eldercare?
What to know about long-term care insurance
How Medicaid pays for eldercare

[Read more…]

012 – How to get an aging parent to accept help

by Leslie Kernisan, MD MPH Leave a Comment

Helping Older Parents Podcast

012 – How to get an aging parent to accept help

00:00 / 00:31:09

In This Episode:

Geriatrician Dr. Leslie Kernisan and Linda Fodrini Johnson, a certified geriatric care manager, explain how to get an aging parent to accept help in the home, especially if the parent has memory loss or other thinking problems.

They cover:

A daughter’s true story of arguing with her mother
How to join in the aging person’s frustration
Addressing their concern about their independence
Creative alternatives to “you need help”
Alternative to waiting for your parent’s agreement
How a geriatric care manager can help
Incorporating the aging person’s life purpose and meaning

[Read more…]

011 – How to Respond to False Accusations from Aging Parents

by Leslie Kernisan, MD MPH Leave a Comment

Helping Older Parents Podcast

011 – How to Respond to False Accusations from Aging Parents

00:00 / 00:10:58

In This Episode:

Dr. Kernisan talks with Linda Fodrini-Johnson, a certified geriatric care manager, about how to respond to false accusations made by older adults, particularly from those experiencing memory loss or thinking problems.

The discussion covers various scenarios, such as accusations of theft or infidelity, and provides practical strategies to handle these situations with empathy and understanding.

[Read more…]

010 – How to Know if Your Aging Parent Should Still be Making Decisions

by Leslie Kernisan, MD MPH Leave a Comment

Helping Older Parents Podcast

010 – How to Know if Your Aging Parent Should Still be Making Decisions

00:00 / 18:37

In This Episode:

Dr. K explains what all family caregivers should know about decision-making capacity, especially if there’s a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease or another type of dementia. Plus how incapacity is confirmed to activate a power of attorney.

She covers:

How to recognize signs of “mental incompetence”
4 decision-making abilities needed for capacity
Why capacity is decision-specific
Incapacity vs incompetence
How to get an older person’s decision-making capacity assessed by professional
How to activate a “springing” power of attorney

[Read more…]

009 – If Your Aging Parent is Resisting a Memory Loss Evaluation

by Leslie Kernisan, MD MPH 2 Comments

Helping Older Parents Podcast

009 – If Your Aging Parent is Resisting a Memory Loss Evaluation

00:00 / 10:29

In This Episode:

Dr. K explains what you can do, if your aging parent has been refusing to see the doctor for their memory or thinking problems. She covers:

Why older adults are often reluctant to get medically evaluated for memory loss
5 tactics that families can use to try to persuade the older person
How to trigger less fear of the evaluation
How to frame the evaluation in a positive way for your parent
If they are still refusing despite your best efforts

[Read more…]

008 – Is getting a memory loss evaluation really worth the trouble?

by Leslie Kernisan, MD MPH Leave a Comment

Helping Older Parents Podcast

008 – Is getting a memory loss evaluation really worth the trouble?

00:00 / 12:33

In This Episode:

People with memory loss often refuse to see a doctor. So how important is it for them to go and get medically evaluated? Dr. K answers this common question in this episode. She covers:

[Read more…]

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