Changing the world by caring about older people
Who is doing work that matters?
Dr. Peter Lichtenberg is a rare find — a combination of a first-class leader at the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State, a respected researcher and author, a renowned thought leader in the field of dementia, and someone who deeply cares about older people.
For those of you that question the generosity of others, Dr. Lichtenberg will change your mind:
I met Peter in a most unusual way. My mother was extremely ill in the hospital for several months. In addition to the physical problems, I knew there were psychological problems; my mother’s behavior completely changed. But the doctors had no idea what was wrong.
At that point I had lost all shame. After reading a book authored by Dr. Lichtenberg, I boldly emailed him (a complete stranger) and said: “My mother is sick and I don’t know what to do. She has been staring at the ceiling for a month.” He responded in less than 24 hours and was a huge help to me. Find the story at:
He introduced me to delirium—one of the most misunderstood, serious, and common side effects that plague older patients in the hospital. Watch my blog for future articles on delirium. You may know this as Sundowners or ICU Psychosis.
And he opened my eyes to the wonderful work he leads in Detroit, Michigan that is important to the field of aging and longevity.
Check out these resources:
- http://www.wwj.com/pages/888045.php Radio station link to the Caring for Aging Parents home page, where much of the Institute of Gerontology research and information is highlighted.
- http://www.dementiacoalition.org/ Michigan Dementia Coalition (Peter has been the chair) has easy to understand information about the types of dementia and resources.
- http://www.apa.org/topics/topicaging.html Page on Aging from the American Psychological Association where Peter has chaired the Committee on Aging and served on the Presidential Task Force on Integrated Care for an Aging Population.
Who do you know?
If you have found special people that do work that matters in your efforts to care for loved ones, please tell us about them.
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About: Louise: Louise Morman, Founder of Eldercare Learnings is a management consultant, executive coach and eldercare advocate. She is also a keynote speaker for organizations such as the Institute of Gerontology’s Annual Art of Aging Successfully conference and the National Gerontological Nurses Association conference. Louise is a seasoned senior management executive with experience leading marketing, financial, and sustainability initiatives for three large energy companies. ******* Liked this post? Please click on the stars to rate it. Know someone else who might like it? Please click on an icon below to share. |
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As more and more of my friends face the issue of delirium in their loved ones, this is timely and useful advice. Most of us don't know enough about the causes of behavior change i the elderly – much less that there is something that can be done. Looking forward to the follow-up posts.
Louise — thanks for this informative and comforting post. As you know my husband suffered from Sundowners in the hospital which is very frightening. Unfortunately, this happens all too often to the elderly in the hospital and sadly they are not equipped to deal with it properly. The hospital creates the very environment that causes the condition. I am so glad to have all the resources that you listed.
I am unfortunately my husband has been in the hospital for almost a month and suffered Sundowners Psychosis. It was a very frightening experience and hospitals are ill prepared to deal with it. This is a very serious problem that has been shoved under the carpet and the elderly and their caretakers have no idea that it could happen to them. I was told by the head resident when Charles finally was admitted to a room after languishing 36 hours in the emergency room, that "this happens all the time" when the elderly are left too long in the emergency room. If it happens all the time, why aren't hospitals addressing this issue?
My 92 year old mother has just entered a northern new jersey nursing home and is diagnosed with dementia and mild alzheimers. How do I go about finding out the best way to be with her when I visit twice a week? . She has very little memory of what happened the day before and struggles to formulate words and to communicate. I can feel her sadness and impatience with her fading cognition and communication skills. any advice would be appreciated. thanks.
For those of you that are interested in learning more about delirium, check out this site:
http://www.careforelders.ca/prereading_iddx.php
Also visit the TTN blog site often. My Twitter "tweets" are posted on the right side (KalidaLouise). I post lots of good site references for those caring for aging loved ones.
Please continue to submit your comments and questions. We need to help each other.
This is such an important topic. A few years ago, my aunt became seriously ill while out of state and by the time I got to see her in the ICU she was in a delerious state, i.e delusional and paranoid. The psychiatrist, not being acquainted with her usual, lucid and agile mind, was about to administer a potent antipsychotic drug. I implored him not to, and to get her into a room with a window asap. As soon as he did, she reverted to her very sane, normal state. It is so important for people to be informed and to know that this is a reversible and temporary state – what is important is finding a way to anchor the personal to reality.
http://www.activeseniorsintransition.com
In addition to all he does, Dr. Lichtenberg is also a wonderful mentor – I wouldn't be where I am at today if it weren't for him. — Dr. Michelle Proctor
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