With several relatives in our family impacted by Parkinsons Disease and all its symptoms over the past several years, I am always interested when I spot useful books on this topic. This week I discovered three of interest that I wanted to share with those of you who are also dealing with this disease.

Pills, Bills, & Parkinsons Disease: Coping with the On-Off Syndrome by Paul A. Luscombe is the story of the former chairman of Lafayette College's athletic Hall of Fame who was 53 when he was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. He writes, "My initial symptoms included numbness in my hands and legs, a moderate limp, general form of body rigidity, and highly illegible handwriting. My original thought was I wanted to rid myself of these conditions to improve my golf game. As a general optimist, I never envisioned that I suffered from a permanently degenerative situation. It was quite a shock for me, after a physical exam and an MRI of my brain, to hear my neurologist, Dr. Melvin Vigman, officially label me as a Parkinsonian. Suddenly, I felt a lot older than 53 as I compared myself with the older residents of my in-laws nursing home."

He followed that book with a sequel, Scoot, Adventures of a Parkinsonian. According to a news article that I found on his site, PAL, "although it was undoubtedly traumatic for him to go from being a top bond trader and Senior Vice President of Morgan Stanley in New York City to early retirement in 1999, when he must focus on self maintenance and wearing mens elastic waist pants and shorts that are easy to don, Luscombe discusses his transition with humor and a positive attitude that inspires with its dignity. He reports honestly about diet dilemmas, problems getting dressed, how he manages his medications, and other intimate details of his condition. "

My dad would have appreciated reading this book when he was first diagnosed in the early stages of Parkinsons. As he progressed on to the advanced and then end stage Parkinsons Disease, these types of books were a big help to him and my senior mom. I'm definitely going to send this info on to a dear friend whose spouse is dealing with that right now.

You can purchase a used copy of Pills, Bills & Parkinson's Disease: Coping with the On-Off Syndrome from Amazon or from his own website, where you can also find his sequel, Scoot, Adventures of a Parkinsonian. 

One other book of interest to those dealing with Parkinsons Disease and its varied symptoms and treatment is The Parkinson's Disease Treatment Book written by Mayo Clinic doctor J. Eric Ahlskog, M.D." Dr. Ahlskog is "one of the leading Parkinson's disease specialists in the country. People from all over the world come to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., to be treated by Ahlskog and his miracle-making staff," according to Newschief writer, Velma Daniels.

According to Amazon's description, "Dr. Alhskog offers a crystal-clear, nuts-and-bolts approach to the treatment of Parkinsons Disease, distilled from over twenty years of experience as a clinician and researcher. His goal is to educate the patient so that they can better team with their doctor to do battle with the disease, streamlining the decision-making process and enhancing their treatment...the book covers virtually every topic related to Parkinsons Disease…There are also lists of support and advocacy groups and Internet sites that focus on Parkinson's. The ultimate guide to symptoms and treatment, this superb book is the first place patients should turn for reliable, easy-to-grasp information on Parkinson's disease."

All three sound like good additions to the library of every family caring for elderly parents with this difficult disease. For that matter, as members of the hate-to-admit-to-aging Baby Boomers Generation, many of us might need these for ourselves – now or later. 

The Baby Boomer Generation, caring for elderly parents, can enjoy this piece of good news. Via one of my favorite resources, Seniors For Living, I was very encouraged to read the headline that "this new 'CLASS Act' may relieve financial burdens for caregivers." Referring to the just signed Affordable Care Act, Joe LaGuardia explains that "the benefit, which is tucked in this rotund, controversial legislation, is called the CLASS Act.  The CLASS Act will establish a voluntary long-term insurance policy that pays cash stipends to people who become disabled or require long-term, in-home care." It's a very interesting and informative article and particularly useful for those caring for elderly parents. You can read the entire article at Caregiver Spirituality. Do check it out.

An interesting news video that came out earlier this year links Ibuprofen and Parkinson's Disease symptoms in a positive way. Early tests seem to indicate it can help ward it off. The video explains the details and the cautions about this intriguing possibility:

Watch CBS News Videos Online

Definitely some interesting and useful news and information for all of us in the Baby Boomers Generation caring for our beloved seniors! Until next time…

How is your day today? Fairly peaceful and quiet I hope. Today should be a quiet day for this member of the Sandwich Generation dealing with the issues of caring for elderly parents and helping with the grandchildren. No grandkids due to visit so it's the perfect time to check out the latest resources of interest to the Baby Boomers Generation and the Sandwich Generation. I'd love for you to join me.

Seniors & Boomers: News You Can Use – The latest issue of this excellent blog carnival from Seniors for Living is out and it's full of useful resources and information for all of us in the Sandwich Generation! Some of the articles I found most interesting include:

• Positive news for those caring for elderly parents with dementia symptoms, as well as for those with Parkinson's Disease symptoms!
• Info about foods that can impact or lower your blood pressure
• Good advice and ideas for those of us who suffer from arthritis pain – including pool exercise for arthritis which is one of my senior mom's favorite options – whether you go with water aerobic exercises or just gentle stretching, it's all much easier on your body when you go with aqua exercise!
• Other topics included an emergency kit for your elderly parents, elderly depression, and pet therapy for seniors – and not just in nursing homes!

For all of these interesting articles and more, providing info and help for the Baby Boomers Generation and the Sandwich Generation in the wide variety of issues we deal with, do enjoy a visit to the Boomers & Seniors: News You Can Use Blog carnival.

By the way, be sure to mark your calendar for April 13. That's when SandwichINK will again be hosting the Boomers and Seniors Blog Carnival right here at SandwichINK! And if you are interested in submitting an article for it, just pop on over to the Boomers and Seniors Blog Carnival submission site.

EldercareABC Blog – I popped over to visit their blog carnival and while I was there, I discovered another article I thought might also be of help to any of you dealing with the Sandwich Generation issues of caring for elderly parents but having to separate your parents. Joy Loverde has some very useful information from a Chicago family lawyer to help if one of your elderly parents is not willing or able to care for the other, but also is not willing for others to take over. That has to be a very sad and frustrating situation and if it is one you are facing, this article should be a big help. I thought you would also be interested to learn that Joy Loverde is the author of The Complete Eldercare Planner, which was just updated in 2009. It's available in paperback or for your Kindle. Don't you love high-tech help when caring for elderly parents!

HomeSchoolBytes Blog Carnival has lots of great ideas for educational activities for grandparents and their grandchildren. Some of my favorite articles included:

• A Tinkering School that would a fun way for grandparents and grandchildren to bond together and learn some useful woodshop tips together.
• Growing Borax Crystals – I could be a bit prejudiced here, since one of my sweet grandchildren won a prize for doing a science project along these lines.
• Art, muffin tin, and letter projects for the preschool grandkids
• Be sure to check out her links as well. I found some great math tips from a math blog she is linked to. If your grandchildren need a little help in that area, this is definitely a terrific resource for all of us Granny Nannies!

Have a delightful time finding more great resources to help you with the Sandwich Generation issues you are dealing with. If you find something especially interesting, we'd love to hear about it! And for more resources and info for the Sandwich Generation caring for elderly parents and helping with their grandchildren…

When my dad's Parkinson's Disease started to progress, we were having to deal with more doctor appointments, more trips together so I could help them, more medications, more… At the same time, one of my daughters was dealing with a difficult pregnancy requiring bedrest, which meant we were also dealing with more babysitting, more errands to help them, more… I think one of the major keywords for the Sandwich Generation is definitely MORE. God is good and we did fine. But that doesn't mean minor things didn't sometimes "slip through the cracks." A common occurrence for most of us in the Sandwich Generation, don't you think? We juggle the best we can, and when we can't keep everything in the air, we do our best to make sure it's the least important things that topple to the ground.

One of the things that didn't get a lot of attention at the time was "Durable Medical Equipment." Do you know that term? If you do, you're lightyears ahead of where I was at the time. After about 15 years with Parkinson's Disease, my dad's only real needs had been his medications and good exercise. All of a sudden, though, that wasn't enough. It was time to get some equipment to help him with his walking. For us, that meant a black transport wheelchair and a very spiffy, maroon rollator walker.

As is often common with Parkinson's Disease, my dad's worsening health was very dramatic at first. That really shook us up! I immediately sprung into action, did some basic research, and got him the transport wheelchair quickly so we would have something right away. Then we ordered the rollator walker and had it delivered to our local store. It wasn't until much later I discovered that his Medicare insurance through Kaiser provided "Durable Medical Equipment items such as a rollator walker. They would also have provided a wheelchair if we wanted. By the time I discovered all this, he had perked up quite a bit. His neurologist explained to me, "With Parkinson's symptoms, you can have a serious drop in the patient's condition, then they'll get better – but rarely as good as they used to be." She was right. We saw this happen two more times before the Lord took him home.

By the time everything had eased up, he was doing better and I had another adorable grandchild. At that point, I was finally starting to learn new questions to ask, finding out about such things as DME (durable medical equipment), and dad was rarely using the wheelchair. I realized I was really glad we had done it ourselves as we probably got it a bit quicker and easier. Then again, with budgets so tight right now, not knowing could be a real problem. Having your insurance provide the DME is a true blessing. It can, however, add some extra work to a caregiver's life.

Turns out the transport wheelchair we got was a bit smaller than a regular one and less padded, but it was much easier for my senior mom and me to lift, fold, and put away. It fit great in the back of my minivan, along with the Sit N Stand stroller I had for my grandkids. We talked about getting another bigger wheelchair or maybe a power wheel chair. He didn't want to try that as he was afraid his shaking hand would make it too difficult to control. We used that transport wheelchair the whole time and it was really handy. I have such sweet memories, and photos, of my dad scooting around my house with that same sweet grandchild on his lap, both grinning widely!

Dad's rollator walker was a bit short for his height, so we did go through the medical insurance to get him a higher one. When it came, he still preferred the one I had bought on my own. He did use the new one as well, though, when his back was bothering him.

All in all, we learned a lot about medical equipment during this Sandwich Generation series of crises. Even though we didn't always ask the right questions, or even know the right questions to ask, God saw us through and we got the equipment we needed. And we did learn to ask broader questions, such as, "Is there any medical equipment he needs that might be covered by his insurance." We also learned that the doctors and nurses don't always know what is provided, even with an HMO. So it's well worth calling your insurance office and asking them as well.

How about you? What questions have you learned to ask? Do you have a preference for a wheelchair, such as the transport wheelchair? What about your favorite rollator walker? We'd love to hear. We'd also love to have you join us regularly by signing up for the free SandwichINK email, keeping you up-to-date on the Sandwich Generation.

Senior Home Care Givers:

Top 10 Diseases Made Famous by Celebrities – Parkinson’s Disease is #4 and Autism is # 10. @ParkinsonsInfo

An interesting EldercareABC blog carnival.

Boomers and Seniors: News You Can Use 10/27/09 – Transition, Memories & Meaning…

Good info for those who will soon be having cataract surgery! @mike_gamble

Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass…it’s about learning to dance in the rain! @TeresaBaine

Lack of ZZZZs Linked to Alzheimer’s Disease in Mice.    @GlenboAZ

Grandparenting:

Kids elect “awesome” homecoming queen with autism. @SafetyNetSource:

Show off your grandkids in a high-tech tiny keychain fun sort of way. Giveaway – Digital Photo Keychain.  @Janetfaye

Sandwich Generation:

Go get your free Christian holiday book now – The Purpose of Christmas by Rick Warren. @HomeEverAfter

Encouragement – You are my help and my deliverer; O my God.

Are eggs required for baking? A better option is to grind a tablespoon of flax seed & dissolve it in 3 tablespoons of water. This equals the same consistency and binding power as the eggs and is a lot healthier for our baby boomer generation bodies (not to mention our senior parents’ bodies). @Carebuzz

Mixed news from many quarters on whether the economy is better, worse or the same. The bottom line, though, is that there are still plenty of people I know who are out of work and need some extra help. If you know anyone using food stamps, let them know that many wholesale clubs like Sam’s Club are now taking food stamps. For a large, multi-generational family, that could be a big help!

Democrats Agree to Extend Home-Buyer Tax Credit as part of a package that would also extend unemployment benefits. It could come up for a vote today. If you want to express your opinion on this, either way, you’ll find the congressional contact info at SandwichINK.

Food safety is vital for the Sandwich Generation and their families. Poultry is the #1 source of food poisoning in the U.S. — here’s how to keep your family safe. @parenting

Humorous & interesting article – My Neighbor Rocks – Baby Boomer Generation Meets Guns and Roses.

Twelve years after his diagnosis, my dad experienced some new and major Parkinson’s Disease symptoms. One of the more noticeable things he experienced was a dramatic change with his voice, going from a fairly normal volume down to almost a whisper. It turned out that was a fairly common problem for Parkinson’s Disease patients.

Now researchers are working on various ideas to help with that and Jessica Huber has found an interesting technique that is helping many. As Redorbit’s article explains, [Parkinson's Disease patients] are being retrained to speak louder using an interesting recording called “multitalker babble noise.”  Well worth reading the article! That’s something I would have asked our doctor about immediately.

Uh Oh! I must admit I’m not happy about this story from CNN. “Heart Group Urges Daily Limit on Added Sugar.” Apparently, not carefully limiting our sugar intake not only hurts our weight, which in turn can lead us straight into being diagnosed with Diabetes which then requires a Type 2 Diabetes diet which has even less sugar! Added sugar is also

“’associated with risk factors such as obesity, high blood pressure, high levels of triglycerides, and high levels of C-reactive protein, which has been linked to oxidative stress and inflammation,’ says Linda Van Horn, a registered dietitian and chair of the American Heart Association’s Nutrition Committee.”

Of additional importance for those of us in the Sandwich Generation is the example we are setting for our grandkids. I have to confess I am bad about my sodas. I have started using more diet sodas, though there are concerns about those as well. I will have to think about this. How about you? Are you ready to give up on sugar?

Last but definitely not least is the news that the latest Boomers & Seniors: News You Can Use blog carnival is out. With articles on such topics as what the Baby Boomer Generation is doing to accommodate aging parents who want to stay in their own home along with the other side of the coin: info about geriatric care managers as well as non-profit nursing homes vs. for-profit nursing homes, you’ll find plenty of useful news! There’s even an interesting post about AARP members who are upset with AARP’s stance on the health care proposal and have left AARP and turned to a brand new option, meaning we have choices. I’m definitely going to be looking closely at that! And be sure to keep your eyes open for a couple of articles from SandwichINK.   See you there!