Senior Agenda Link

Senior Agenda airs live every Thursday morning at 10 am. Podcasts are also available.



Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Residential Alzheimer's Homes Meet Neighborhood Resistance

Neighbors in Dublin, Ohio are fighting to maintain a "balance" in their neighborhoods while Alzheimer's advocates believe that supervised home settings make for the best possible care model for folks with Alzheimer's & dementia.  Do the neighbors have a legitimate concern?  Do Alzheimer's patients have a right to live out their last days in a home setting?  Do Alzheimer's patients have an increased  propensity for violence or are they more likely to engage in criminal activity?  Is the residential care model really in the best interest of the dementia resident or is this just another way to squeeze a buck out of distressed families?  Are these care models really safe?  Is fear the driving force at work among the neighbors?  If this is the wave of the future, how can we work together to bring  acceptance and understanding?  What is really going on?

Please join us tomorrow at 10:00 am for the live broadcast where we will be discussing this local situation which has larger ramifications and national relevancy. Both sides have been invited to participate in the discussion.  As always, we also welcome your comments and perspectives.  You can call in at 1-877-932-9766 at any time during the program.

Sunday, April 6, 2014

Senior Bullies Continue to Rule in Too Many Senior Communities

Almost weekly someone shares a story with us that involves seniors bullying other seniors.  They are more often than not at a loss to know what to do about it.  After all, we are not talking about children whom we can assign detention, suspend or remove from the classroom when they bully.  We are talking about mature, accomplished, elders whom we admire and respect. In response to what is seeming more and more like an epidemic, a few years ago we developed a series of senior bullying workshops that have been presented in a number of independent and assisted living communities, as well as senior centers in and around central Ohio.

Many seniors initially attend the bullying workshops out of curiosity and under the impression that they are unaware of any bullying within their communities.  The unfortunate truth is that bullying is human behavior that we do not outgrow just by advancing in years. When they come to understand that bullying includes a whole continuum of conduct that goes beyond physical abuse they are quick to identify and acknowledge bullying behavior.

We include a section in our most popular brochure called - You Might Be a Bully If:

·         You refuse to allow other residents to sit at your table at mealtime.
·         You encourage others not to be friendly with residents you dislike.
·         You participate in hurtful gossip about other residents.
·         You raise your voice resulting in the intimidation of another.
·         You refuse to participate and/or discourage others from participating because you dislike a participating resident. 
·         You label others with hurtful nicknames or engage in name calling.
·         You continue to "tease" another resident even though that individual has asked you to stop.
·         You are the member of a clique which is by definition exclusionary. 

What does bullying typically look like in senior arena?  The most pervasive form of senior bullying is a combination of verbal and social bullying.  This practice involves yelling, spreading rumors, name calling, manipulating relationships and participating in cliques.  There are a large number of disputes over shared resources like seating in the dining room or the attention of staff members in senior communities and centers.   

Consider  the following examples centered around one shared resource - the laundry area. 

Ø  A resident once told me that another resident initially became verbally abusive with him because he entered the common laundry room  in front of her causing her to have to wait to do her laundry.  In the weeks and months that followed, the female resident began spreading rumors about the male resident and would routinely chase him down in her power-chair to call him names and shout obscenities at him. He eventually moved out of the community in an effort to avoid the bully.

Ø  A female resident who was a notorious "busybody" started a hurtful rumor about a new male resident that included the notion that he was a cross-dresser after mistakenly identifying another female resident's laundry for the gentleman's laundry.  This situation caused the gentleman not to want to leave his apartment and culminated in a first time bought with depression. 

Ø  An unidentified resident once hung an extra large pair of bloomers on the pegboard in a laundry room with a note that named a resident (property of so and so) adding that "someone needs to diet."  The resident who was named had been the target of a whole barrage of bullying behavior including hate mail and shunning.  This situation eventually erupted into a physical altercation and the arrest of the woman who had been being targeted because she threw the first punch. 

What can be done to stop senior bullying?  We teach folks to recognize bullying behavior.  We also provide information about the reasons people bully and the potential consequences of bullying.  We teach intervention strategies.  We focus on learning to present as assertive without becoming aggressive.  

  • For the target - learn effective strategies like ignoring or avoiding the bully. Learn to speak from a place of confidence.   
  • For the witness - understand that bullying doesn't continue without a group of by-standers who act like it's okay.  Express your disapproval.  
  • For the bully - learn to listen and see yourself as others see you.  Ask for help or seek counseling if necessary.  
  • For the senior communities - make efforts to schedule educational workshops.  Develop and adopt anti-bullying policies and procedures.                       
We all need to stop pretending that bullying is not a problem in senior communities and centers and start addressing the issue.  It will take all of us working together to change the situation.  

Friday, April 4, 2014

Public Affirmations from Senior Agenda - Our Identity Exposed





ADVOCACY - The act of pleading or arguing in favor of something, such as a cause, idea or policy, active support. - ADVOCACY

Our platform is growing and we believe the time has come to make some public affirmations about our vision, purpose, mission and identity. We are senior advocates.  We actively support seniors.  We work to stir up discussion and make way for dialogue.  We are dreamers with our ears to the grindstone, our eyes on the prize and our feet on the ground.  We toil to stay abreast of ALL the issues that matter to seniors including the personal and the political.  We refuse to be bullied. We are working hard not to be bamboozled. We are unapologetically Christian.  We support Judeo-Christian values. We are bipartisan.  We support those who vote for seniors and we denounce those who do not.  We are volunteers.  We are community builders.  We believe in family and friendship.  We are patriots.  We are students of life and so we study, research, examine and then re-examine the issues and topics we present. We are committed to seniors and the elderly.  

Please continue to listen to the radio program, email us, join the blog and like us on facebook.  These small things make it possible for us to reach larger audiences but more importantly they make it possible for us to stay encouraged.  We celebrate each new supporter and are indebted to those who stand with us already.  There is work to be done!

Here are just some of the initiatives we support:  
  •  To participate in community building and to get seniors involved at the local, state and national levels.
  • To educate and raise awareness.  
  • To honor and protect the elderly. 
  • To celebrate aging instead of practicing ageism.
  • To stop elder abuse, exploitation and neglect.  
  • To support those who provide better healthcare and housing options for seniors.
  • To demand cures and more research for dementia & Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease.    
  • To stop scams against seniors and to support efforts to catch and punish those who prey on seniors. 
  • To understand the aging process. 
  • To refuse to allow seniors to be homeless. 
  • To fight hunger and poverty.  
  • To be a source of encouragement.  
  • To listen to seniors and provide a platform for their stories to be told and heard.    
  • To stop Medicare and Medicaid fraud. 
  • To protect pensions, retirements funds and Social Security.   
  • To protect Medicare & Medicaid.  
  • To ensure that seniors get the same aggressive healthcare treatment as their younger counter-parts.   
  • To focus on wellness including mind, body, and spirit.  
  • To feature local organizations and agencies working with seniors.  
  • To endorse local organizations and agencies that are providing excellent services or care.  

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Celebrating our 1st Year of Senior Advocacy - Join the Fund Raiser for Parkinson's

7973702688_f17a0b6517_z.jpg (640×426)


We are delighted to announce a benefit for The National Parkinson Foundation of Central & Southeast Ohio to celebrate Senior Agenda's first year of programming. The beautiful Parkside Village Senior Living Community has graciously agreed to host the event on Friday, June 13th 2014 at 730 North Spring Road in Westerville just minutes from Polaris. Festivities will kick off at 7:00 pm and include a luscious buffet dinner, open bar, live jazz, highlights from our first year of programming and donated door prizes from local trusted vendors and providers. Tickets are on sale now for just $35 and can be purchased through Eventbright here or by using the tab in the menu section at the top of the blog. All proceeds (100%) will go to The National Parkinson Foundation of Central and Southeast Ohio. Space is limited so purchase now in order to secure your place at what is sure to be a memorable celebration for a wonderful cause.


About the Cause...NPF Central & Southeast Ohio is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing support to individuals and families affected by Parkinson's Disease.  They host and organize a number of activities, fund raisers, support groups and educational opportunities for the local community while simultaneously participating in the national effort to raise awareness. Parkinson's Disease is a neurodegenerative progressive brain disorder for which there is yet no cure.  The best hope is for researchers to continue to work toward a cure and treatment options.  In the meantime, local chapters like the NPF Central & Southeast Ohio work at the community level with grassroots efforts to assist those affected and inform the public.  Visit their website here.


About Senior Agenda...Senior Agenda with Lisa Stockdale is a weekly radio program that goes live every Thursday morning at 10:00 (EST) on talktainmentradio.com. That program re-airs on Thursdays at 5:00 pm during your drive home and can also be heard locally Sunday evenings at 7:00 on Columbus Community Radio at 98.3 and 102.1 on your FM dial.  We focus on all things senior. No topic is taboo.  Nothing is too boring, and nothing is off limits.  Senior Agenda works to raise awareness, educate and issue calls to action by examining pertinent social, political, healthcare, economic and personal issues that impact seniors.  There is a strong emphasis on wellness in aging and celebrating seniors. Listen to recent podcast here.

About talktainmentradio...Talktainmentradio.com (TTR) offers the finest in online radio programming, talent development, audio and video production, show promotion and marketing in the city.  The studio is a high tech, first class operation which easily accommodates several guests creating an atmosphere conducive to spark conversation and encourage dialogue. TalktainmentRadio.com has been streaming 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 52 weeks a year since 2006.  The TTR family works tirelessly to keep the station up and operating at optimal capacity.  They welcomed Senior Agenda with Lisa Stockdale to their lineup in May of 2013.  We are blessed to have one of the most experienced production managers in the nation - Mr. Ed Dozier - overseeing our efforts.  

About the venue...Parkside Village in Westerville has graciously agreed to host our very first fund-raiser/birthday bash.  Parkside Village is central Ohio's newest (2012) and most dynamic Senior Living Community.  More than the stunning property situated on a wooded lot with a country-like feel or the elegant/upscale interior or the varied floor plans or even the delightful staff is the care they provide.  As a community liaison for a home care agency that works closely with Parkside, I can personally attest to the wonderful care, attention to detail and on-going communication provided at Parkside.  They offer assisted living, independent living and memory care.  The memory care unit, better known as "The Glen," is one of the most inviting in the city.  It comes as no surprise that Parkside recently achieved a deficiency-free survey with the Ohio Department of Health.  Visit website here.

About the entertainment...live music will be performed by local jazz artist Dwight Lenox and the Lenox Avenue Express. Dwight has been singing professionally in central Ohio for more than 20 years and he and his band have almost 15 years together.  They specialize in jazz but also offer a fun variety of dance music.  Dwight was interviewed on Senior Agenda recently - a podcast will be available for review shortly.  For a preview of the music, listen here.  We are honored to have such talent to help us celebrate Senior Agenda and raise money for NPF Central & Southeast Ohio.  


About the door prizes...a nice variety of door prizes will be offered by trusted local vendors and healthcare providers.  Those who donate door prizes will be listed in the event program and acknowledged on social media sites in the weeks leading up to the event.  Please contact us at 614-800-5550 if you are interested in making a donation.