by Marlo Sollitto, Editor
To determine if an elderly person can safely continue living at home, take a good look at the present housing situation, financial resources, health status and medical needs. Braun says some topics of the assessment should include:
* Medication
Are medications expired? Are they spread out in different rooms, with no apparent structure or routine?
* Meal preparation
Can they cook for themselves? Are they able to safely operate appliances? Do they remember to turn appliances off when finished cooking?
* Safety
Is the home equipped with grab bars, emergency response systems and other tools to ensure safety? Do they have a plan in place to contact help in case of an emergency?
* Personal hygiene
Can they bathe themselves, groom adequately and launder clothes?
* Transportation
Are they driving? Should they be driving? Do they have alternate means of transportation?
* Socialization
Are they isolated from others most of the time? Do they have friends? Are they going to church? Are they depressed? Are there signs of alcohol abuse?
* Home management
Are they paying their bills on time? Are there stacks of papers and unpaid bills laying around? Is the house in general disarray? Is the house relatively clean?
Print an Assessment Checklist
Having been involved in many of these assessments, Braun says, “It’s a delicate situation – it’s a role reversal between adult child and parent, and it typically is not welcomed by the elderly person.”
Verlia Caldwell, Pres.
www.icareforyouhomecare.com
(800) 383-0520
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Friday, July 31, 2009
National Senior's Day
National Senior's Day is August 21. We should recognize and show our appreciation for the value and contribution of seniors.
Seniors around the world will be honored for all of their achievements throughout life, and for all they continue to accomplish today. We should take our hats off for them. Make sure they are safe by placing them in good neighborhoods where they can live a long life.
Take time out of your schedule to spend some time with a senior in your life on August 21. Take a senior out to dinner, or volunteer at a senior facility. I am sure there will be plenty of activities, senior specials, and bargains in Charlotte. They are well deserved.
Verlia Caldwell, Pres.
I Care For You Home Care, LLC
www.icareforyouhomecare.com
(800)383-0520
Seniors around the world will be honored for all of their achievements throughout life, and for all they continue to accomplish today. We should take our hats off for them. Make sure they are safe by placing them in good neighborhoods where they can live a long life.
Take time out of your schedule to spend some time with a senior in your life on August 21. Take a senior out to dinner, or volunteer at a senior facility. I am sure there will be plenty of activities, senior specials, and bargains in Charlotte. They are well deserved.
Verlia Caldwell, Pres.
I Care For You Home Care, LLC
www.icareforyouhomecare.com
(800)383-0520
Monday, July 27, 2009
Doctor And Nursing Shortage Could Undermine HeathCare Reform
Main Category: Primary Care / General Practice
Also Included In: Nursing / Midwifery; Health Insurance / Medical Insurance
Article Date: 24 Jul 2009 - 3:00 PDT
A shortage of doctors and nurses could damage health care reform. Analysis finds that more incentives are needed for primary care doctors and that most medical graduates choose better paid specialties. Meanwhile, a nurse temp agency forms in Texas to address the shortages there.
Reuters reports: "A growing shortage of primary care doctors could place a major burden on the U.S. healthcare system if President Barack Obama succeeds in extending medical insurance to millions of Americans who currently lack it. As healthcare legislation works its way through the U.S. Congress, most of the focus has turned to how to finance a reform that could cost $1 trillion in the next 10 years and aims to cover most of the 46 million uninsured Americans. Less attention has been paid to what might happen if millions of new patients join a healthcare system that is unprepared and unequipped to handle the load. The United States already has a shortage of between 5,000 and 13,000 primary care doctors, according to the Robert Graham Center. Add millions of previously uninsured people and the shortfall will balloon to as many as 50,000 doctors. "http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/158694.php
Verlia Caldwell, Pres.
www.icareforyouhomecare.com
(800)383-0520
Also Included In: Nursing / Midwifery; Health Insurance / Medical Insurance
Article Date: 24 Jul 2009 - 3:00 PDT
A shortage of doctors and nurses could damage health care reform. Analysis finds that more incentives are needed for primary care doctors and that most medical graduates choose better paid specialties. Meanwhile, a nurse temp agency forms in Texas to address the shortages there.
Reuters reports: "A growing shortage of primary care doctors could place a major burden on the U.S. healthcare system if President Barack Obama succeeds in extending medical insurance to millions of Americans who currently lack it. As healthcare legislation works its way through the U.S. Congress, most of the focus has turned to how to finance a reform that could cost $1 trillion in the next 10 years and aims to cover most of the 46 million uninsured Americans. Less attention has been paid to what might happen if millions of new patients join a healthcare system that is unprepared and unequipped to handle the load. The United States already has a shortage of between 5,000 and 13,000 primary care doctors, according to the Robert Graham Center. Add millions of previously uninsured people and the shortfall will balloon to as many as 50,000 doctors. "http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/158694.php
Verlia Caldwell, Pres.
www.icareforyouhomecare.com
(800)383-0520
Friday, July 24, 2009
A new drug approved for drug related-Osteoporosis
Health News
Forteo Approved for Drug-Related Osteoporosis
7/24/2009
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FRIDAY, July 24 (HealthDay News) -- Eli Lilly's Forteo (teriparatide injection) has received expanded approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat osteoporosis associated with long-term use of glucocorticoid medication, the company said Thursday.
Glucocorticoid therapy is commonly prescribed for inflammatory conditions including rheumatoid arthritis and obstructive lung disease. These drugs are among the most common causes of secondary osteoporosis, which increases users' risk of bone fracture, Lilly said in a news release. continue reading http://www.everydayhealth.com/publicsite/news/view.aspx?id=629360
Verlia Caldwell, MA
www.icareforyouhomecare.com
(800)383-0520
Forteo Approved for Drug-Related Osteoporosis
7/24/2009
Print E-mail
FRIDAY, July 24 (HealthDay News) -- Eli Lilly's Forteo (teriparatide injection) has received expanded approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat osteoporosis associated with long-term use of glucocorticoid medication, the company said Thursday.
Glucocorticoid therapy is commonly prescribed for inflammatory conditions including rheumatoid arthritis and obstructive lung disease. These drugs are among the most common causes of secondary osteoporosis, which increases users' risk of bone fracture, Lilly said in a news release. continue reading http://www.everydayhealth.com/publicsite/news/view.aspx?id=629360
Verlia Caldwell, MA
www.icareforyouhomecare.com
(800)383-0520
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
For Elderly Investors, Instant Experts Abound
Elderly clients thought they had every reason to trust Michael DelMonico as a financial counselor. After all, the Massachusetts insurance agent had become a certified senior adviser in 2002, a credential he made sure to advertise on fliers sent to retirees. continue reading http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/08/business/08advisor.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=elderly%20articles&st=cse
Verlia Caldwell
www.icareforyouhomecare.com
(800)383-0520
Friday, July 17, 2009
QuestionsTo Ask About Arthritis
Questions to Ask Your Doctor About Arthritis
Get the most out of your visit to the doctor.
By Jen Laskey
Medically reviewed by Ed Zimney, MD, and Rosalyn Carson-DeWitt, MD
Print Email
While your doctor usually asks the questions during an exam, you can respectfully and proactively take charge, too. In fact, asking the right questions can make a big difference in the way you manage your arthritis. Your health is important both to you and to your doctor, so don't hesitate to inquire about any consideration you feel is relevant to your condition, whether it's a question about your diagnosis, something regarding your arthritis medication, curiosity about complementary or alternative therapies for arthritis, or concern about your emotional health, your financial health, or any other lifestyle issue. continue reading http://www.everydayhealth.com/arthritis/arthritis-questions-to-ask-your-doctor.aspx?xid=nl_EverydayHealthHealthyAging_20090717
Verlia Caldwell, MA
www.icareforyouhomecare.com
(800)383-0520
Get the most out of your visit to the doctor.
By Jen Laskey
Medically reviewed by Ed Zimney, MD, and Rosalyn Carson-DeWitt, MD
Print Email
While your doctor usually asks the questions during an exam, you can respectfully and proactively take charge, too. In fact, asking the right questions can make a big difference in the way you manage your arthritis. Your health is important both to you and to your doctor, so don't hesitate to inquire about any consideration you feel is relevant to your condition, whether it's a question about your diagnosis, something regarding your arthritis medication, curiosity about complementary or alternative therapies for arthritis, or concern about your emotional health, your financial health, or any other lifestyle issue. continue reading http://www.everydayhealth.com/arthritis/arthritis-questions-to-ask-your-doctor.aspx?xid=nl_EverydayHealthHealthyAging_20090717
Verlia Caldwell, MA
www.icareforyouhomecare.com
(800)383-0520
Monday, July 13, 2009
Yes, we do. Even at our age.
I SAT on the examining table in my urologist’s office and tried to cover myself with the ridiculous blue paper gown that has become the standard patient uniform in our throwaway society. Surely this wasn’t designed with an adult in mind.
“Put it on with the opening in the front,” the nurse mumbled, probably for the 20th time that day, as she raced out of the room.
Or did she say to put the opening in the back? Either way, it was never going to cover my thighs. I hugged the two halves of the gown together as I waited for the doctor.
The urologist, who most likely saw a similar scene in every examining room, ignored my open-in-the-front gown and began to ask about my symptoms. When did I first notice the problem? Do I need to get up more than two times a night?
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