Chance encounter decades later reunites student, principal | Family | Kentucky.com

By Mary Meehan at 12:00am on Jan 26, 2011 —herald-leader.com 

James Peyton made a big difference in the life of Medra Van Zuyen when she was a child and he was principal of Athens Elementary School. BY MARY MEEHAN

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He remembers her as the girl with the 6-foot-long snake.

She remembers him as the man who changed her life by teaching her how to learn.

And 40 years after their lives first intersected, they met again and sat together at the kitchen table and cried.

"I look at kids now who have trouble in school ..." said Medra Van Zuyen who credits her elementary school principal James Peyton for changing her life. "They are being told they are never going to make it. Man, how blessed I was that I had a bunch of people who said, 'We can make a difference' and 'Let us try.' "

Peyton, who had thousands of kids under his care over the years and recalled Van Zuyen not as a girl with special needs but as the child who gave a yearly presentation about her pet snake, said he was surprised to hear her story.

The two reunited recently when Van Zuyen came to help Peyton, 96, with household chores through the Home Instead Agency.

Van Zuyen works part-time and fills in for regular caregivers. The first few times she worked in his home she didn't recognize this Mr. Peyton as her Mr. Peyton.

Then, while doing the laundry one day, she noticed a picture of him that was taken around the time she knew him as a child. She couldn't believe it.

"When you're a kid, you never think to say thank you," she said. "As I got older, I always wanted to tell him how much what he did meant to me."

She rushed up the stairs to tell him her story at his kitchen table.

"She sat down and just started telling me her life story," he said.

Van Zuyen, 49, was halfway through her fourth-grade year when Fayette County redrew school attendance lines and she was transferred to Athens Elementary.

Her parents were reluctant to send their special-needs daughter to a smaller, rural school. A swing-set accident when she was a toddler had resulted in a brain injury that made learning difficult for Van Zuyen. Her parents had hired tutors and put her in special classes at school, but Van Zuyen said she entered fourth grade not knowing her numbers, letters or colors.

Peyton heard about the family's reluctance and gave them a call.

"If you will send her here we can give her the help that she needs," he told the parents.

Peyton, who retired from Fayette County schools in 1976, doesn't remember the call. But the pride in his school and faith in his staff is still evident.

"That school turned out to be one of the top schools in the county," Peyton said. He was and is still passionate about helping children with special needs. What he did with Van Zuyen and other special needs students was mainstream them during a time when the practice wasn't common.

"It gives them a chance not to be stigmatized," he said.

Van Zuyen, who was then Medra Hayes, said that under Peyton's leadership a team of teachers went about trying to find a way to reach her.

They tapped into her love of animals. She learned her colors because bears are brown and sheep are white and chickens are yellow. She learned her numbers because she would go out to the family chicken coop and collect eggs each morning. Her teacher would ask her each day how many she had collected.

"I think it was kind of rigged," said Van Zuyen, adding, "At first there was only one egg and then two, and then three."

They paired her with students who were more academically advanced and encouraged her to share what she knew best. That was snakes.

Her father, Rodney Hayes, was a biology professor at Transylvania University. The family had a pet indigo snake that Van Zuyen brought to school and presented to the entire fourth grade.

All of those efforts began to pay off. Numbers began to mean something. She had words for colors. By the end of the year she was on par with her class, she said. She went on to graduate from high school on time and attended Midway College for a few years.

Her life took her to California for several years before she moved back home to care for her ailing mother. After her mother's death, Van Zuyen was looking for fulfilling work, and that's how she came to find Peyton.

Now, she said, she sees helping the elderly man with the sharp mind stay in the home where he's lived for decades as a small way to give back to him what he gave to her.

"It's wonderful to go over there. I can't imagine what my life would have been like if I didn't get to go to that school," she said.

Reach Mary Meehan at (859) 231-3261 or 1-800-950-6397, Ext. 3261

Read more: http://www.kentucky.com/2011/01/26/1611063/chance-encounter-decades-later.html#more#ixzz1CN4wkrBn

Chance encounter decades later reunites student, principal | Family | Kentucky.com

Alzheimer's called 'defining disease' of baby boomers – The Chart - CNN.com Blogs

As any family who has gone through it can tell you, Alzheimer's disease is tragic on a number of levels. Once vibrant men and women become shells of the people they once were. Not only do memories fade, there also is anger. And loneliness. Former first lady Nancy Reagan famously referred to it as "the long goodbye."

As the first baby boomers turn 65 this year, a new report suggests they will be especially hit hard. One out of eight boomers will develop the disease, according to the report released by the Alzheimer's Association. That comes to about 10 million people. Of those who reach 85, nearly one in two will get it. "Alzheimer's is a tragic epidemic that has no survivors. It is as much a thief as a killer," says Harry Johns, president and CEO of the Alzheimer's Association, in a press release.

Currently Alzheimer's disease is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States. Each year, it kills more Americans than breast and prostate cancer combined. Last year, Alzheimer's and other forms of dementias cost families, insurers and the government $172 billion. In 2050, researchers estimate, it will cost more than $1 trillion.

There is currently no treatment or cure for Alzheimer's. Officials with the Alzheimer's Association say it's time for the government to start spending more to fund research. They point to the money spent on cancer and AIDS and the strides made in treatment.

"When the federal government has been focused, committed and willing to put the necessary resources to work to confront a disease that poses a real public health threat to the nation – there has been great success," says Robert. J. Egge, vice president of public policy of the Alzheimer’s Association. "In order to see the day where Alzheimer’s is no longer a death sentence, we need to see that type of commitment with Alzheimer’s."

Alzheimer's called 'defining disease' of baby boomers – The Chart - CNN.com Blogs

Elderly With Dementia, Delirium Confused by ER Visits: Study

TUESDAY, Jan. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Elderly patients with dementia and delirium who are taken to a hospital emergency department often do not comprehend why they are there and do not understand discharge instructions from doctors or nurses, a new study finds.

U.S. researchers interviewed 202 elderly patients about why they were in an emergency department and found that those with cognitive impairment (dementia and delirium) were less likely than those with no cognitive impairment to agree with the person who brought them to the emergency department about why they were there.

The study authors also interviewed 115 elderly patients about their discharge and found that those with cognitive impairment were much less likely than non-impaired patients to understand their discharge instructions.

The study results were published online Jan. 21 in the journal Annals of Emergency Medicine.

"Emergency physicians miss delirium and dementia in the majority of cases because emergency patients are not routinely screened for them. Our study suggests screening for these forms of cognitive impairment in the emergency department is warranted," lead author Dr. Jin H. Han, of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., said in a journal news release.

Dementia and delirium affect about 25 percent of elderly patients seen in emergency departments, according to the researchers. Communication problems with these patients "affects our ability to adequately provide quality care for these vulnerable patients," Han said.

"We need to do a better job in identifying older patients with cognitive impairment, but this can be challenging in the chaotic emergency department environment. For this reason, we and several other research groups are trying to develop brief screening tools to help the busy emergency physician better identify delirium and dementia," Han concluded.

More information

The U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke has more about dementia.

Elderly With Dementia, Delirium Confused by ER Visits: Study

Facebook’s oldest user is 103...and she updates from an iPad.

Great-grandmother Lillian Lowe has taken the title of oldest Facebooker from 104-year-old Ivy Bean, who died in her sleep this past July. Lillian checks her wall about twice a week and is friends with 34 different people, including 7 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren!

Born in 1907, Lillian has seen all kinds of changes during her lifetime - the sinking of the Titanic, two World Wars, the first computer, and now the advent of social networking and tablet computers!

Thanks to the publicity that comes with being dubbed the oldest person on Facebook, she has recently received over 900 Facebook friend requests. She says she has also heard of Twitter, but does not know what it is.

Alzheimer's Disease & Dementia Top 10 Warning Signs | Alzheimer's Disease Signs

How do you know if your parent has Alzheimer's disease or dementia? If dad continually forgets where he puts his keys, or mom seems to get easily confused these days, does it mean they have Alzheimer's? Not necessarily. Only a doctor can diagnose the condition. Every person experiences different symptoms, to different degrees. But here are some warning signs to look for.

1. Forgetfulness and memory loss
   The most common symptom of Alzheimer's disease is memory loss. However, just because dad can't remember where he put his shoes or calls the grandkids by the wrong name doesn't mean he has Alzheimer's. Anyone can sometimes forget the details of a conversation, but early onset Alzheimer’s causes a person to forget entire conversations that took place only moments ago. Alzheimer's usually affects short-term memory first, meaning the person forgets information that he/she recently learned. They have trouble remembering important dates and events. They ask for the same information over and over again. They may even forget the faces of family members.
2. Lack of concentration and confusion
   Getting confused about times and places is a common sign of Alzheimer's. Your mom or dad may have difficulty concentrating and take much longer to do things than they did before. People with Alzheimer’s may forget where they are, or how they got there. They might have difficulty understanding that an event happened in the past, or will be occurring in the future, versus something that is happening in the present. They lose track of the seasons and passage of time.
3. Losing things
   A person with Alzheimer's disease may put things in unusual places. For example, misplacing your keys can a happen to anyone, but finding lost keys in the freezer could indicate Alzheimer's. A person with Alzheimer's may lose things and be unable to retrace steps to find them again. They may swear they placed an object in a certain place, and accuse others of stealing it when it doesn't turn up where they expected to find it.
4. Difficulty doing familiar tasks
   Alzheimer’s affects the ability to do normal, everyday tasks. People may have trouble remembering how to drive, how to cook a favorite recipe, or how to play a familiar game. They may start relying more on a spouse or family member to do things for them that they once enjoyed doing themselves.
5. Language and speaking problems
   People with Alzheimer’s have trouble remembering the right words. For example, they say “what-cha-ma-call-it” instead of eyeglasses, or call a watch a “hand-clock.”
6. Problems with simple math
   People in the early stages of Alzheimer's may have difficulty working with numbers, including simple math problems. They may have trouble balancing a checkbook, or calculating simple addition. Along with math, Alzheimer’s can affect one’s abilities related to vision, such as depth perception, judging distance or seeing colors.
7. Poor judgment
   Look for changes in decision making, rationalizing and judgment skills. A person who has made poor decisions all of their life might not have Alzheimer's. But Alzheimer's could be the culprit when a once logical decision maker who weighed all the options and made sound decisions suddenly exhibits poor judgment.
8. Personality changes and mood swings
   A person with Alzheimer’s might exhibit changes in personality and sudden mood swings. They could become fearful, suspicious, depressed, fearful or anxious. A once self-confident person might become tentative and shy. They may be easily upset at home, or in places where they are out of their comfort zone.
9. Changes in grooming and personal hygiene
   Sudden or declining attention to hygiene – not bathing, wearing the same clothes over and over again, not brushing teeth – can point to Alzheimer's disease. When a person once kept her home immaculate all her life, but suddenly stop cleaning and leaves clutter laying around for weeks, it could be cause for concern.
10. Withdrawing from friends and family
    Someone with Alzheimer’s might start withdrawing from family, friends and activities they once enjoyed. Rather than calling attention to memory lapses or communication issues, they avoid situations where they have to be around others. They are typically embarrassed at their inability to communicate or perform tasks like they once did. Alzheimer’s-related depression also cause withdrawal from social situations.

Doctors diagnose Alzheimer's or dementia only if two or more brain functions - such as memory and language skills -- are significantly impaired without loss of consciousness. If you think someone you love has Alzheimer's disease, contact your doctor.

Alzheimer's Disease & Dementia Top 10 Warning Signs | Alzheimer's Disease Signs

5 Reverse Mortgage Scams

Staying vigilant against computer scams and other fraud has become a natural part of life for many consumers, yet scams are successfully perpetrated every day. One reason: Individuals who intend to commit fraud have become more creative than ever, and they choose their targets with care. One group of people that scammers like to target is the elderly, believing that older people are less quick to catch on to a potentially harmful scheme than younger people may be. In recent years, as the number of senior homeowners who opt for a reverse mortgage has risen and so has the prevalence of reverse mortgage scams. (For related reading, also take a look at The Reverse Mortgage: A Retirement Tool.)

IN PICTURES: Digging Out Of Debt In 8 Steps

The Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) is the FHA's reverse mortgage program, which is available to homeowners age 62 and older and can be a valuable financial tool for tapping into home equity and providing income for retirees. Homeowners working with a legitimate reverse mortgage lender will be required to participate in financial counseling to ensure that they understand the loan and how it works.

If you are considering a reverse mortgage, watch out for these potential scams:

1. Foreclosure Scams
   In this scam, the perpetrators go after seniors who are in danger of losing their home to foreclosure. They artificially inflate the value of the home with the help of a dishonest appraiser, and then obtain a reverse mortgage on the property. After the mortgage approval, the scammers have the seniors transfer the title to them and the seniors are left without a home and without the funds from the reverse mortgage. Another way of defrauding the senior homeowners is to work with a fake financial institution that will inform the owners that they cannot qualify for a reverse mortgage but that they can have a different type of loan. During the closing, the title to the property will be transferred away from the homeowners.

2. Equity Theft Scams
   These complicated schemes often involve several individuals who work together to buy a distressed property or a foreclosure, then obtain an inflated appraisal and then recruit a senior to repurchase the property and take out a reverse mortgage on the property. Usually the settlement attorney for the reverse mortgage is also in on the scam, so all of these individuals abscond with funds from the reverse mortgage at settlement, leaving the seniors with little or no equity and no cash.

3. Free Homes
   Scammers and con-artists use advertising to recruit seniors to live in a home so that a reverse mortgage can be obtained on the property. The scammers keep the reverse mortgage proceeds and the seniors pay the property taxes and insurance on the home. Generally, the reverse mortgage is obtained on a false, inflated appraised value. Once the seniors pass away or move, the reverse mortgage lender is stuck with a loss due to the lack of true value in the home.

4. Document Fraud
   Some con artists simply send letters to seniors about their loan documents, such as a "Reconveyance Deed", requesting money in order to provide them with copies of the deed, a document that should be on file with the lender. Other scam artists charge money to seniors, sometimes thousands of dollars, for information about a reverse mortgage that is available free from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

5. Investment Scams
   While there are hundreds, perhaps thousands, of investment-scams run on individuals all the time, some are specifically geared to getting the target to "invest" in an annuity or real estate fund affiliated with reverse mortgages. The victims will lose the money they invested when the con-artist, usually someone associated with a fraudulent reverse mortgage lender, will walk away with the funds.

IN PICTURES: Financing For First-Time Homebuyers

FBI Tips for Avoiding Reverse Mortgage Scams

• Do not respond to unsolicited advertisements.
  
  
• Be suspicious of anyone claiming that you can own a home with no down payment.
  
  
• Do not sign anything that you do not fully understand.
  
  
• Seek out your own reverse mortgage counselor.

Reverse Mortgage Tips
Seniors interested in learning more about their options for a reverse mortgage should start by going to the HUD website that explains the basics of these loans and has a link for finding a HUD-approved HECM counselor. Another option to try is the National Council on the Aging website. Homeowners can call 800/510-0301 for a free booklet from the National Council on the Aging about reverse mortgages.

Reverse mortgage proceeds can be received as a lump sum, in monthly payments or as a line of credit. The amount to be borrowed depends on the age of the homeowners, the value of the home and how much equity is available. The loan will be repaid when the home is sold or the homeowners passes away. If any equity remains in the home after the loan is repaid, the funds go to the homeowners or their heirs. Homeowners cannot be forced out of their home because of a reverse mortgage, however, they are obligated to keep the property maintained, pay their property taxes and pay for homeowners insurance.

The Bottom Line
Avoiding scams and obtaining legitimate information on a reverse mortgage can make this loan product a valuable financial tool for seniors and their families. Like any mortgage, before you sign the dotted line, you need to consult the appropriate professionals and do your own homework or you risk being taking advantage of by financial predators. (For additional reading, see 6 Tips For Protecting Your Home's Value.)

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2011/01/21/investopedia50283.DTL#ixzz1BiWPjqIF

5 Reverse Mortgage Scams

50/50: Solving Family Conflict | CaregiverStress.com

50-50 Rule® programs and practical support services are offered to develop open discussions between adult siblings in an effort to help them improve communication skills, develop teamwork, make decisions together and divide the workload in caring for aging parents. Check out these tips on how to share the care.

Real-Life Situations

Unpaid bills, Mom's shrinking retirement nest egg, heirloom squabbles, freeloading siblings, the devastating effects of a loved one with Alzheimer's disease… These are just a few of the family caregiving stresses that can fray relationships among siblings. What do you do when one family member seems more interested in preserving his future inheritance than in making sure Dad has the care he needs? Or what about the sister who drops in from out of state just long enough to undo the progress you made toward getting Mom to accept a little help around the house? There are ways to minimize family conflicts caused by these and similar real-life situations.

read more

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Top Issues Causing Family Stress

Do you know the top 5 issues that can send brothers and sisters into turmoil over the care of an elderly parent? And what 3 key factors, more than any others, will influence whether sibling relationships will deteriorate, possibly to point that the quality of their parents' care is compromised? How about the impact of birth order and parental favoritism on caregiving situations in families with multiple siblings? You may already know the answers from personal experience.

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Checklist for Sibling Family Caregivers

Caring for an aging parent isn't simple, but this straightforward checklist, along with links to resources for more information, can help you breakdown and organize what can feel like an overwhelming responsibility.

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The Dynamics of Sibling Caregiving

Sometimes just understanding the factors that play into family dynamics can help you feel a little less frustrated about your role as primary caregiver. At least you know you're not alone in feeling like your brother is taking on less than his fair share of the responsibility, and maybe you really are doing four times the work because you were always "the responsible one." Here are the facts behind the feelings.

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Sharing the Care Plans

No matter what you family relationships are like, an aging care plan represents unchartered waters for most families. Who takes care of Mom and Dad, and where? Do you seek outside support or try to do it all yourselves? What do you do when you can't agree or when someone feels left out?

read more






http://www.solvingfamilyconflict.com

Scientists developing blood test for Alzheimer's - McKnight's Long Term Care News

Scientists have developed an antibody-screening blood test that may one day be used to detect diseases such as Alzheimer's.

Researchers say while this test is in its infancy, there is cause for excitement because the test allows them to identify biomarkers for any disease to which the immune system reacts. However, additional testing needs to be conducted in a larger patient sampling. The study was published in the Jan. 7 issue of the journal Cell. Researchers agree a blood test would be less invasive than current diagnostic methods, HealthDay News reported.

In related news, investigators at Tufts University asked 1,463 study participants to respond to randomly generated scenarios in which they were asked if they would get a blood test to find out if they had a disease such as Alzheimer's. The scenarios stipulated that the disease was not preventable and that the out-of-pocket fee for the test is high.

Researchers found that the majority of respondents would get the test anyway. Those who did want to know said they'd be more likely to sign up for an advance directive and spend more time with friends and family members. This study was published in the journal Health Economics.

Scientists developing blood test for Alzheimer's - McKnight's Long Term Care News

Study: Adults diagnosed with ADHD three times more likely to develop dementia | AHN

According to a recent study, adults who suffer from attention-deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are more than three times as likely to develop a common form of degenerative dementia.

Researchers from Argentina confirmed the link during a study of 360 patients with degenerative dementia.
Some 48 percent of patients diagnosed with dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), the second most common cause of degenerative dementia in the elderly after Alzheimer's, had previously suffered from adult ADHD.
DLB is believed to be responsible for nearly 10 percent of dementia cases in older people, however it remains under-diagnosed because it can be confused with Parkinson’s. Both diseases share certain characteristics.
ADHD is one of the most common behavior disorders in child and adolescent psychiatry. The problems it causes, such as difficulty paying attention, hyperactivity and doing things impulsively, can continue into adulthood.


Read more: Study: Adults diagnosed with ADHD three times more likely to develop dementia | AHN

Shingles Vaccine Reducing Outbreaks

A study of more than 300,000 elderly patients showed that the shingles vaccine reduced the incidence of outbreaks by 55 percent, even in the oldest populations. But only about only about 11 percent of the elderly population nationwide get the vaccine.

FOX 9 Medical Expert, Dr. Archelle Georgiou, talks about the benefits of getting the vaccine and why so few people may be getting it.

Shingles Vaccine Reducing Outbreaks

10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer's Disease

Do you know the 10 warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease? According to the Alzheimer’s Association, memory loss that disrupts daily life is not a typical part of aging. It may be a sign of Alzheimer’s, a fatal brain disease that causes a slow decline in memory thinking and reasoning skills.

Individuals may experience one or more of the warning signs in varying degrees. These signs are:

1.       Memory loss that disrupts daily life.

2.       Challenges in planning or solving problems.

3.       Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work or at leisure.

4.       Confusion with time or place.

5.       Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships.

6.       New problems with words in speaking or writing.

7.       Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps.

8.       Decreased or poor judgment.

9.       Withdrawal from work or social activities.

10.   Changes in mood and personality.

Persons exhibiting any of the signs are encouraged to see a doctor.