Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic Poem for Older Adult Senior Communities

                               

                                               They know you, a bold executioner
                                               roaming their halls seeking humans
                                               to complete your pandemic purpose.
                                               Nights follow days in a quarantined
                                               existence of food, TV and hobbies.

                                              Thoughts of limited time increase
                                               survival of those determined to live.
                                               With distance, washing and masks,
                                               they wrestle with fear, while nearby
                                               victims scramble for scraps of life.

                                               Whispers saying, “She has the virus”
                                               and “He died yesterday” create new
                                               visions of people wracked with pain.
                                               Healthcare workers wearing full-body
                                               protection suits seem sinister, surreal,
                                               surprising in a place known as home.
                                               Posted photographs of deceased friends
                                               remind them of good times that will end.
                                               Their new normal is difficult, but doable.
                                               Mugged by history, they pray for peace.
                                                     
                                               © Frances Shani Parker


Frances Shani Parker, Author
Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes is available in paperback and e-book editions in America and other countries at online and offline booksellers. Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog Website: http://www.francesshaniparker.com/

Healthcare Urban Legends Test-- Nursing Homes, Health, Senior Citizens

If you have opened forwarded e-mails or “chain letters,” you’ve probably read false information that you thought was true. Believing what you read may have caused you to panic. Wanting to help others, you couldn’t wait to forward the warning, protection prayer, or request for a donation to family and friends. But there’s a more constructive way to deal with this phenomenon. Today’s post offers a brief mental workout to help keep you informed about nursing homes, health issues, and seniors while squashing rumors.

Can you guess which of the following health-related stories are true or false? The correct answers are at the end.

1) While being transported from a nursing home to a doctor’s office for an appointment, an elderly patient died when the gurney to which he was strapped rolled away with him, overturned, and caused a head injury.

2) The artificial sweetener aspartame has been proved responsible for an epidemic of cancer, brain tumors, and multiple sclerosis. This story gives a detailed description of the health dangers of diet drinks.

3) Some senior citizens are choosing to live their retirement years on cruise ships where the amenities are much better and the average costs per day are cheaper than living in nursing homes.

Fortunately, there is a website that can help you decipher what’s true and what isn’t. Many of you are probably aware of snopes.com, which has been around for years. This website is the Internet reference source for urban legends, folklore, myths, rumors, and misinformation. If you haven’t already, you might want to bookmark this site and check out information you receive. You can delete the hoaxes and end the spreading of false information. 

Answers:     1. True    2. False     3. True

Frances Shani Parker, Author

"Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes”

“Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog”

Nursing Home Smoking: A Hospice Volunteer’s View (Video 1:16 mins.)

According to MI law relating to nursing homes, smoking is either not allowed or restricted to certain areas of nursing homes. This whole idea of smoking in “restricted” areas reminds me of a restaurant I visited where smokers and non-smokers were separated by five feet of aisle space down the center of a small room. I could actually see a cloud of smoke hanging over the non-smoking section. Where was the “restricted” area?

A nursing home is a healthcare institution. Considering the fragile mental and physical conditions of many residents, I question the safety of some of the restricted areas. Several of my hospice patients who smoked had oxygen tanks stationed near their beds. As if the fire hazard of smoking is not enough, the issue of healthcare should certainly be more of a priority.

All the nursing homes where I volunteered had indoor smoking areas to accommodate patients and staff who wanted to smoke. I held my breath to avoid second-hand smoke every time I briefly entered a smoking room to get a chair when they were not available in the halls. Smoke, which was both seen and smelled, floated into the halls every time the doors to smoking rooms opened. Whether they smoked or not, everybody’s nostrils were assaulted with sucker punches of first or second-hand smoke.

In this video, an elderly woman who uses an oxygen tank sparked a fire at an apartment complex for the elderly. While she was not in a nursing home smoking area, the resulting fire and crisis in having to protect, console, and evacuate all the other residents to buses taking them to a shelter could easily have happened at a nursing home.

Frances Shani Parker, Author
"Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes”
“Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog”

Wii Physical Therapy Technology for Senior Veterans in Hospitals (Video 1:29 mins.)

There’s a reason Nintendo Wii Sports sells in the millions worldwide. It attracts many age groups in lively sports activities and encourages intergenerational participation. Recently, however, Wii Sports has become a fun technology prescription for senior veterans to improve their health. Physical therapists all over America are recommending these games that use the Wii remote to mimic actions of real life sports. The “Pentagon Channel Report” informs that senior veterans have become enthusiastic fans.

Wii technology fans at Veterans Hospital in Washington, DC have made bowling, tennis, and boxing their favorites of the five Wii game simulations. The other two are golf and baseball. All the games are played with simplified rules. Wheelchair veterans say playing increases their heart rates. Therapists find that patients arrive on time more when the games are their designated activities. Gaming is serious business for these veterans. And improved health is always a winner.

This video shows older veterans demonstrating that they’ve still got game.

Frances Shani Parker, Author
"Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes”
“Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog”

HIV/AIDS and Senior Citizens (Video 2:36 mins.)

Did you know that, according to the Centers for Disease Control, one-quarter of the one million HIV-positive people in the U.S. are older than age 50? Half are expected to be older than 50 by 2015. People tend not to think of HIV/AIDS as an illness of senior citizens, but it is. Compared to HIV negative seniors their age, this population is more likely to experience far more health challenges, including memory problems, depression, liver and kidney problems, and a bone disease linked to medications they take.

Any discussion of HIV/AIDS and seniors must include the importance of their using safe sex practices. Because many senior women are postmenopausal, they may not use condoms with the vigilance they would for preventing pregnancy. More sexual experimentation among seniors, including some increased by drugs like Viagra, also promote the likelihood of unprotected sex. Seniors must be committed to not taking sexual risks.

This video titled “Senior with HIV/AIDS” presents more information and insights on this critical topic.

Frances Shani Parker, Author

Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes is available in paperback at many online and offline booksellers and in e-book form at Amazon and Barnes and Noble online stores.

Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog

Sexuality, Hospice-Palliative Care and Senior Citizens (Video: 3:56 mins.)

Like death, sex is another American taboo that many people avoid discussing, particularly when it relates to senior citizens. Including palliative or hospice care in the discussion can be even more difficult. Inaccurate stereotypes often surface during sexuality conversations. Why is an old man interested in sex called a “dirty old man,” but an interested young man isn’t? Why do people think the elderly outgrow all their sexual desires? Sex doesn’t belong to youth, and safe sex practices belong to all ages.

Living with terminal illness can be traumatic to patients’ sexual well-being. Communication is critical for making good sexual adjustments during this vulnerable time. Professional help can often make this transition easier. According to the American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care, there is a place for sexuality, depending on patients’ conditions, during a terminal illness. Health professionals should acknowledge and support patients’ desires to function sexually within their abilities. In fact, health professionals should initiate this discussion.

Seniors who are not terminally ill should also have their sexuality recognized and accepted. Dr. Myrtle Wilhite, medical director of A Woman’s Touch Sexuality Resources, does this by teaching a sexuality class for seniors. She says she teaches them the same things she teaches nurses. Whether it’s technique, anatomy, and everything else in between, she makes sure they leave with all the information she can give them to enjoy their sexuality, including tips on what to do when sex doesn’t work out right.

As one senior stated, “I still enjoy hearing about sex and all that.” Now, if we can just get more seniors and others to say, “I enjoy hearing about death and all that.” Hopefully, millions of baby boomers will make that statement a common one in the near future.

This video gives a classroom view of the senior sexuality class.

Frances Shani Parker, Author

Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes is available in paperback at many online and offline booksellers and in e-book form at Amazon and Barnes and Noble online stores.

Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog

Elderly Brain Health: It's Never Too Late to Exercise.

Do you really lose it if you don’t use it? Is it no pain, no healthy brain? That depends on the people you ask. Before you start asking, however, keep in mind the DNA factor that we all have when it comes to heredity. Aside from that, we can do a lot ourselves to keep from losing our capacities to stay sharp mentally and possibly keep dementia at bay. An important key is to start exercising our brains early when we are young, in preparation for when we get old. But it’s never too late to start.

Speaking of brain exercise, here’s one submitted by Javan at Braingle: Brain Teasers, Puzzles, Riddles, Trivia, and Games. Answers are at the end of this post:

Find out what the animals are! For example, "to run away or escape" would be a "flea.”

1. Hair-control foam
2. Very exposed
3. Telling falsities
4. A lamenting cry
5. A dull person
6. A precious or loved one
7. First, you get a parking ticket, and then you get this.
8. These make up a chain.

A study by Advanced Cognitive Training for Independence and Vital Elderly (ACTIVE), which included about 3,000 volunteers, concluded that after 18 instructional hours of varied thinking skills, participants were still better at those skills five years later. Learning to do new and challenging activities during old age has its benefits.

Even better is coming to old age with a history of being mentally active, with brain power in reserve. Good nutrition and physical exercise will enhance chances of success even more. One study showed that physical exercise by seniors increases brain power. Start crunching and doing that brain cardio. You can listen to more about maintaining a healthy brain in old age at the NPR.org Web site.

Okay, here are the animal answers:

1.Moose (Mousse)
2. Bear (Bare)
3. Lion (Lyin')
4. Whale (Wail)
5. Boar (Bore)
6. Deer (Dear)
7. Toad (Towed)
8. Lynx (Links)

Whether you have them all right or not, your brain is healthier for trying. Congratulations!


Frances Shani Parker, Author
"Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes”
Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog

Elderly Healthcare Almost Two Years After Hurricane Katrina (Audio)

This is an update on healthcare of the elderly and others in New Orleans, my hometown, almost two years after Hurricane Katrina. What New Orleans needs most in the area of healthcare is a workforce. There is a severe shortage in medical doctors. In one Mid-City neighborhood, five doctors remain of the 120 practicing there before the hurricane.

While the general population is still far below previous numbers, it is much higher than the number of healthcare workers available. The few remaining hospitals are overcrowded. Large numbers of medical records were destroyed in the floods. Before the hurricane, 2,269 beds existed for acute care patients in Orleans Parish. Only 635 remain today. Many chronic mental patients who need hospital care have few services available. Besides depression, patients are suffering with post-traumatic stress disorder and substance abuse. The suicide rate has tripled.

New walk-in patients often show up with no medical records, no memory of prescriptions they had been taking, and no insurance. A significant number are elderly and on Medicaid. Chronic coughing, related to particles inhaled during cleanup and home renovation, is common. Treating patients is a stressful challenge to doctors, many whose own homes and private practices were destroyed.

As an incentive to increase the number of healthcare professionals, Louisiana is slated to receive a federal grant of $15 million dollars to provide up to $110,000 in payments to primary care doctors and other healthcare workers who move to New Orleans or surrounding areas. The government has a record of being extremely slow in disbursing financial aid in New Orleans.

Dr. Robert Travis Kenny, one of the five remaining Mid-City doctors, states, "I question why people with medical problems would return. Until you have enough hospital beds and the system gets up and running, it's a dangerous place to live for unhealthy people." Unfortunately, many unhealthy, elderly people have no other choice.

Most of the above information about healthcare in New Orleans came from an April 30, 2007 “Los Angeles Times” news article titled “A Post-Katrina Doctor Drought” by Ann M. Simmons.

You can listen to a more detailed account about the treatment of mental health patients in New Orleans at this June 11, 2007 interview titled “New Orleans Mental Health Crisis” at NPR.com

Frances Shani Parker, Author
"Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes”
Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog

Nursing Home Technology: Wii Video Game (Video 58 secs.)

During the past year, something unexpected has enhanced the culture change in some senior citizen communities. That phenomenon is the playing of Wii (pronounced “we”), a Nintendo video game that leads the nation in sales. Why unexpected? Most of the players have never used a video game before.

This popular cross-generational game is played with a handheld remote control (cutely called a “Wiimote”) that is mounted to the wrist and includes a motion sensor. Players press buttons and move to translate their actions onto a television screen. As complicated as that sounds, the game is very user friendly. Unlike most video and computer games, Wii involves a pleasing combination of mental and physical exercise, along with positive social interaction. There are several digital versions such as bowling, tennis, golf, and baseball. The best way to understand how Wii works is to watch people play. Click here to see a
Wii bowling game in progress.

Frances Shani Parker, Author
"Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes”
Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog

Hospice and Nursing Home Writing: Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes (Loving Healing Press, Sept. 2007)

For those who enjoy writing, hospice work can be a great source of inspiration. I have always been fascinated by the written word and the impact it has on readers. As I became more involved with hospice volunteering in Detroit nursing homes, I found myself writing poetry and prose about my experiences.

During poetry readings at various venues, I noticed that people approached me often to discuss a loved one who had been terminally ill. They seemed relieved to talk to someone who was open to discussing illness and death. Most people avoid talking about these topics. With our aging, diverse population, there is an urgency for more conversations on end-of-life care.

“Write what you know” is a common saying, and that’s what I did. Becoming Dead Right includes true stories, poems, “how to” advice, general information, and insights resulting from my hospice volunteer experiences. While universal concerns are covered, the often-ignored perspectives of people of color are included in this tour guide for navigating death journeys.

Stringing thoughts together into written words can be challenging, pleasurable, and therapeutic. From places inside, words rise that affirm oneness with others, make sense of nonsense, and, hopefully, sweeten the world.

You can read a review of the book here.
You can listen to a podcast radio interview with me at www.AuthorsAudio.com.

Frances Shani Parker, Author

Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes is available in paperback at many booksellers and in e-book form at Amazon and Barnes and Noble booksellers.

Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog

Nursing Home Humor (Video 2:23 mins.)

So many negative stories circulate about nursing homes, sometimes we need to be reminded of the good times that happen there. From giggles to hysterical howls, the healing effects of laughter contribute positively to everyone’s health.

What makes people laugh in the nursing home world? Animals, children, and humorous situations involving people they know, both real and imaginary, can be hilarious. They laugh about the same things that tickle everybody’s funny bones. A suspense thriller, this video about a pug and a peacock shows why animals are so entertaining.

Frances Shani Parker, Author

Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes is available in paperback at many booksellers in America and other countries and in e-book form at Amazon and Barnes and Noble booksellers.

Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog

Caregiver Resources

Whenever I’m approached by local, frustrated seniors who need help and don’t know where to go, I recommend the Detroit Area Agency on Aging. The phone number there is (313) 446-4444. Caregivers can find a wide variety of support services available to them through this agency. Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) are located in just about every state. They can be found by calling the National Eldercare Locater at 800-677-1116 or going online at www.eldercare.gov.

Some of the services they provide are legal assistance, respite care, home health aide care, Meals on Wheels, transportation, and help with chores and repairs. Many of the services do not have an income requirement, so it’s best to check to see what’s available. Two helpful Internet resources for caregivers are AARP, which has extensive information, and the National Alliance for Caregiving, a non-profit coalition of national organizations focusing on issues of family caregiving.

Frances Shani Parker, Author
Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes
Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog

Sex Offenders in Nursing Homes (Audio)

Around the country, public awareness grows regarding registered sex offenders’ whereabouts, including the fact that many live in or work as staff among vulnerable nursing home populations. Because their presence there can lead to dangerous consequences, this is a serious problem that must be addressed to provide security for staff, residents and visitors.

The 2006 “U. S. Government Accountability Office (GAO-06-326 Highlights) Report” identifies about 700 registered sex offenders living in nursing homes across the country. Keep in mind this is an underreported crime, and numbers continue to increase. States have broad discretion on how to implement notification of sex offenders. Nursing home administrators are not always aware of sex offenders’ previous convictions. Even when they are, due to the Privacy Rule, they are not sure if they can share that information with others. Known sex offenders are usually evaluated on their demonstrated behavior and not separated from other residents.

A 2007 NPR.org news article titled “Sex Offenders Fill Geriatric Wards of U.S. Prisons” by Laura Sullivan, refutes a common belief that elderly sex offenders are not as threatening as young offenders. In actuality, sex offenses are more likely to be repeated as offenders age. Although the geriatric sex offender population discussed in the article is in a prison, the information has important implications for nursing homes. The following are definitely worthy of mention:

1) Offenders typically sexually abuse children because they are the easiest targets (similar to many nursing home residents).

2) Susan King, the prison psychologist at Laurel Highlands and director of the sex-offender program, says that some older men become sex offenders as they age. One man said he started when he was in his 50’s. Another man was first arrested at age 74.

3) Some sex offenders refuse to admit their crimes or receive counseling. Statistically, sex offenders in this category have a higher rate of repeating sexual offenses. Whether counseling will keep sex offenders from repeating their offenses is still controversial.

4) Two studies conclude that sex offenders are more likely to start committing crimes or keep repeating them in their old age.

You can read the entire news article and listen to the related “All Things Considered” podcast at the NPR.org Web site.

Frances Shani Parker, Author
"Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes”
Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog

Louisiana Road Home Program and Seniors

A New Orleans native, I want to share information on what is really going on there, particularly with senior citizens. Keep in mind that the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers has admitted that their failure to construct the levees properly is what caused the flooding of New Orleans, not Hurricane Katrina.

With the hoopla of the Mardi Gras season over, major parts of the city remain in ruins. I recently spoke with a young woman who volunteered for three weeks with the rebuilding there earlier this month. She said she was shocked by how much of the cleanup still hasn’t been done. Less than half of the population before Hurricane Katrina has returned.

What is the Road Home Program?

Briefly, it is the hurricane housing grant program established by Louisiana Governor Blanco in August 2006, a year after Hurricane Katrina. The purpose of the program is to provide assistance to the state’s eligible homeowners who suffered Hurricane Katrina and Rita damage to their homes. To help these homeowners find the “Road Home” as soon as possible, they would be compensated up to $150,000 for their losses. Criteria for eligibility are based on FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) guidelines, depending on damage and other aid they receive. Grants for homeowners who do not reinvest in Louisiana property are docked 40%.

What about senior citizens?

In October 2006, the governor announced that senior citizens (homeowners 65 years and older) who apply for Road Home assistance will not be penalized if they sell out, move out of the state or rent within the state.

Is the “Road Home” really open for immediate access?

These latest program statistics can be viewed at the Road Home News Room Web site: At this rate, it will take years before all applicants receive the financial assistance they have desperately needed since fall 2005. Many seniors will have died waiting for the "Road Home" to open for them.

Frances Shani Parker
Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog