I am a former college professor and television executive, turned eldercare expert, knowledgeable in all aspects--including Long Term Care Insurance, which would have saved our family's entire life savings as well as a fortune in Kleenex. I had to sell my home to provide 24-hour (in their home) care, for 5 years, to 2 parents, both with (misdiagnosed) early stage Alzheimer's disease. My once-adoring father turned verbally and even physically abusive towards me, and I was heart-broken to have lost his love. But then, I just couldn’t believe it when I’d take him to the doctor--where he could act completely normal when he needed to! It was an unbelievable nightmare, but with sheer determination I finally solved the endless crisis--medically and behaviorally.

I was so infuriated that I didn’t get the help I needed with my father sooner and compelled by the experience that I wrote my first book, Elder Rage, to help prevent the 77 million baby boomers from making the mistakes I made while caring for their aging parents. Actually written with laugh-out-loud humor to make a tough subject palatable, Elder Rage has become the “Bible” for a generation beginning this difficult phase of their lives. Now an advocate for eldercare awareness and reform, my biggest missions are: funding for, and the importance of, early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s; prevention of elder abuse/neglect/exploitation; and funding for Adult Day Cares, which saved my parents’ lives as well as my own. More than 5,000 new centers are needed just to cover the current need. I have testified before the Assistant Secretary on Aging about the need for more funding.
 

·         I am the author & publisher of Elder Rage, a Book-of-the-Month Club selection, which has received 50+ prestigious endorsements www.elderrage.com/Review.asp and 155 five-star reviews on Amazon.com. It is required reading at several universities for graduate courses in geriatric assessment & management, and is being considered for a feature film.
 

·         As a national speaker on dementia/eldercare awareness & reform (CEU’s & CME’s for professionals), I have “edu-tained” at 60+ conferences in the last two years. I also speak at writing and publishing events about what it takes to create a bestseller. I am the spokesperson for an upcoming series of tapes on Alzheimer’s, and I am featured in an upcoming documentary about AD. View a half-hour presentation, Laughter & Tears in the Caregiving Years: www.intelemedia.tv/IE030423Hi.asx. References available.
 

·         I produce & host an Internet radio program, interviewing six health/aging/caregiving professionals every Saturday from 3-5 PM Pacific Time on www.wsradio.com/copingwithcaregiving. 300+ archived interviews are available for listening-on-demand. WsRadio is now powering eBay Radio--69 million subscribers! Perhaps you’d be an appropriate guest, or you can refer experts who would be, or perhaps you have a related product or service you’d like to advertise to a targeted market.
 

·         As a frequent guest on talk radio & television, I discuss dementia/Alzheimer’s, long-term care insurance & planning, and how to get “challenging” elders to: give up driving, accept a caregiver/cleaning person, take medication, see the doctor, attend adult day care, move to assisted living, sign Durable Power of Attorney, etc. Listen: www.findaguest.com/Guests/JacquelineMarcell.htm.
 

·         I am honored that the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) will present me with “Advocate of the Year” at their Remarkable Women Awards event October 24th.
 

·         For a current schedule and past events, please see www.elderrage.com/Events.asp.

 

For more information:

One in Three will be Affected by Dementia
Either in Themselves or a Loved One

IRVINE CA--If you’re caring for elderly loved ones and find the task daunting, you're in the same position that Jacqueline Marcell found herself in. She gave up her career as a television executive, went through 40 caregivers, and cried rivers for a year before she succeeded in solving the endless crisis--and she tells how she did it in her riveting bestseller: Elder Rage, or Take My Father... Please!  How To Survive Caring For Aging Parents (Impressive Press, $19.95, www.ElderRage.com).

Delivered with a humorous tone to make a tough subject palatable, Marcell relates how she fought through an unsympathetic medical system and endured her "Jekyll & Hyde" father's physical and emotional wrath, until she finally found help for him and her ailing mother. What she didn't understand was that his deeply engrained life-long negative behavior pattern of screaming and yelling to get his way (though never at her before), was becoming intermittently distorted with the onset of dementia, namely--Alzheimer's.

Education is the Key

Marcell points out that not everyone becomes aggressive with dementia. She says her mother was “sweet and lovely” both before and after her Alzheimer's diagnosis--indicating that the disease can manifest itself in many ways. There are many types of dementia, Alzheimer's is just one type, and there’s no stopping the progression nor is there yet a cure. Alzheimer’s is typically preceded by “Mild Cognitive Impairment” (MCI), which can last five to ten years. 90% will then progress to Stage One Alzheimer’s, which lasts 2-4 years. Stage Two lasts 2-10 years (and requires full-time care), and Stage Three, the end, typically lasts 1-3 years.

By the age of 65 one out of every ten persons has some form of dementia, and by the age of 85 (the fastest growing segment of the population), one out of every two. Shockingly, over 54 million Americans struggle to provide care for aging family members and friends (providing 95% of the care they need), but statistically families (and many doctors who are not dementia specialists) ignore the early warning signs of dementia, because they incorrectly believe that these intermittently odd behaviors are just a normal part of aging and untreatable senility.

Marcell says her mission is to “spread the word about the importance of early diagnosis to the 77 million baby boomers who are so often in denial about eldercare and dementia until they are in a crisis.” She wants everyone to know that with the proper treatments and medication, dementia symptoms might be masked and slowed down by 2-5 years, keeping a person independent and in Stage One longer, which is intermittent and mild. “Seeking help early can save families a lot of heartache and money, and save our society the burden of caring for so many elders who decline sooner than need be.”

The Alzheimer’s Association reports that by delaying the onset of AD for five years, we could save $50 billion in annual health care costs. Even a one-month delay in nursing home placement could save $1 billion a year. Marcell says, “It's really very simple: When your loved one does something that strikes you as illogical or irrational--it is! You don't need to be a Ph.D. to know something is wrong--you need an M.D. who can diagnose it and treat it properly.”

Finally the Answers

Marcell credits the Alzheimer's Association (800-272-3900) for referring her to a geriatric dementia specialist who uncovered her father's early stage Alzheimer's disease. (His regular doctors missed it completely.) Medication was prescribed to slow the dementia down and improve his cognitive functioning (Aricept, Exelon or Reminyl), and then the aggression and (often-present) depression were treated.

After balancing her father with optimal nutrition, as well as Vitamin E, anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory therapies, Marcell implemented her own behavioral technique of rewards & consequences (because his short-term memory was still quite good), and succeeded in turning around his bad behaviors--the majority of the time. When that didn’t work she used distraction, redirection, reminiscence and calmly validated his frustrated feelings--but discovered that the offer of his favorite ice cream usually worked the best to get him into the shower--even as he swore a blue streak that he had just taken one (a week ago!).

The final keys were getting herself into a support group, and getting both parents out of bed ("waiting to die") and enrolled in physical and emotional therapies at an Adult Day Health Care facility--which completely turned their lives around at 80 and 85. Marcell adds, “75% of dementia patients are being cared for at home, and sadly, elder abuse/neglect/exploitation is rising dramatically because families are so unprepared for the frustrations of caring for their elders, who are living longer than ever. She believes that with education and the use of Adult Day Care, the horror of elder abuse can be reduced. She is pleased that the National Center on Elder Abuse published a very favorable review of Elder Rage in their national newsletter, and that the National Adult Day Services Association (NADSA) honored her with their media award for her tireless efforts to bring national attention to the value of Adult Day Care.

Also a Self-Help Book

Elder Rage is a combination non-fiction novel & self-help book, with answers to difficult "how to" questions like: getting obstinate elders to give up driving, accept a caregiver, see a different doctor, go to adult day care, move to a new residence--and includes a wealth of valuable resources, websites and recommended reading. The addendum by renowned dementia specialist, Rodman Shankle, MS MD, “A Physicians Guide to Treating Aggression in Dementia,” helps doctors diagnose and treat this troubling aspect of dementia, which can occur in some patients. The bottom line message of both author and doctor is that, “there can still be a good life after a diagnosis of dementia, if it is properly managed medically and behaviorally.”

The list of 50+ high-profile endorsements (www.elderrage.com/Review.asp) include: Hugh Downs, Regis Philbin, Dr. Dean Edell, Jacqueline Bisset, Ed Asner, Dr. Bernie Siegel, John Bradshaw, Dr. John Gray, Betty Friedan, Julie Harris, Art Linkletter, Leeza Gibbons, Dr. Nancy Snyderman/ABC News, Erin Brockovich, the late Steve Allen and Robert Stack, Johns Hopkins Memory Clinic, Duke University Center For Aging, Dr. Eric Tangalos/Mayo Clinic, Dr. Rudy Tanzi/Harvard Medical School, Senator John D. Rockefeller IV, and the National Adult Day Services Association--who honored Marcell with their Media Award for her tireless efforts to bring attention to the value of Adult Day Care.

Hitting a Chord

Marcell’s speaking career began when she was invited to replace an ailing Maureen Reagan at the California Governor's Conference for Women, presenting a caregiving seminar with First Lady, Sharon Davis. She speaks nationally to families, and to professionals who earn CEU’s & CME’s, about eldercare awareness and reform (www.elderrage.com/Events.asp). She is the spokesperson for an upcoming series of tapes on Alzheimer’s Disease, and is featured in an upcoming documentary about AD. Having been a sought-after guest on hundreds of radio & television programs, including CNN (twice) and NBC--Marcell launched her own Internet radio program, “Coping with Caregiving”, heard worldwide, where she interviews experts in the fields of health, aging and caregiving on www.wsRadio.com/copingwithcaregiving.

A feature film company is considering Elder Rage for a movie; the Book-of-the-Month Club selected it; and 155 five-star reviews on Amazon.com indicate she’s hit a chord with a timely issue--but Marcell says she is most honored that several universities use Elder Rage as required text for their courses in Geriatric Assessment & Management. The National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) will honor her with “Advocate of the Year” at their Remarkable Women Awards event October 24th.

Numerous publications have featured Marcell, including: Prevention, Woman’s Day, Los Angeles Times, San Diego Union Tribune, Kaiser Permanente Journal, Aging Today, Family Therapy Magazine, Institute of Gerontology, Modern Healthcare and The Gerontologist--but it was when she landed the cover story of AARP's Bulletin (circulation 22 million) that Elder Rage catapulted to the fast track of becoming a bestseller.

Marcell emphasizes, “Dementia costs American business over $61 billion a year--largely due (79%) to lost productivity and absenteeism of employees who must take time off work to care for ailing loved ones. Everyone should know the ten early warning signs of dementia and the importance of seeking help sooner than later.” She says she learned caregiving the hard way, which is why she wrote her first book, “so that no one would ever have to go through what I did.”

Determined to make a difference, Marcell says her mission is to, “get to Washington as quickly as possible and help change our eldercare laws. 34 million Americans are age 65 and older right now, and by 2030 there will be 69 million--and I will be one of them." She laughs, "I have an ulterior motive, I don't have children--so I've got to help straighten things out before I get old!"

      Ten Warning Signs of Alzheimer’s
1.   Recent memory loss that affects job skills
2.   Difficulty performing familiar tasks
3.   Problems with language
4.   Disorientation of time and place
5.   Poor or decreased judgment
6.   Problems with abstract thinking
7.   Misplacing things
8.   Changes in mood or behavior
9.   Changes in personality
10.  Loss of initiative

###

Copyright 2003

Permission is granted to distribute all/part of this article with the following contact information:

Jacqueline Marcell    Impressive Press   25 Via Lucca, J-333,  Irvine, CA  92612

Ph (949) 975-1012   www.ElderRage.com    j.marcell@cox.net

“Coping with Caregiving” Radio Program: www.wsRadio.com/copingwithcaregiving

Jacqueline Marcell, B.S.
Author / Publisher / Radio Host / Speaker / Eldercare Advocate

Elder Rage, or Take My Father… Please!  How to Survive Caring for Aging Parents

A Book-of-the-Month Club Selection
www.ElderRage.com

"Coping with Caregiving" Radio Program
www.wsRadio.com/CopingWithCaregiving

Impressive Press

25 Via Lucca,  Suite J-333

Irvine, CA 92612-0673

P  949-975-1012

F  949-975-1013

C  714-878-3713
j.marcell@cox.net