Elderly With Dementia, Delirium Confused by ER Visits: Study

(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.

…continue reading from caring.com

Age Advantage caregivers are available to talk with you and your family about all of your care needs, including, how to reduce caregiver stress while providing better, affordable care. Age Advantage is a home care agency providing In Home Care in Columbus OH.

Caring For Elderly Parents: Top 10 Concerns
Source: aolhealth.com

Parents care for their children, to strengthen body and mind, and nurture them forward to independence. Siblings, grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins and even friends and neighbors often join in the family circle, helping to care for the kids. Such is what caregiving is all about, a nurturing, supportive commitment by family and extended family members. Many of us have the opportunity to return that same level of commitment and support to Mom, Dad or both as they age.

It is time to return the favor, not just individually, but as a family, to provide support where necessary and preserve your parents’ ability and independence as long as possible. What are the 10 most important family concerns in caregiving for a parent? Consider:

1. Rally the Troops
Deborah Halpern, Communications Director for the non-profit National Family Caregiver’s Association, urges that caregiving your parent is not a one-person job or burden. Instead, you should have a family team that includes friends and neighbors, each with a role and responsibility in the caregiving process. There must be a ringleader, according to Halpern, who contacts each family member with the invitation or challenge to "step up to the plate and help."

Consider the team concept as akin to hiring for different jobs in a company. Everyone is good at something, while he or she may be inept or less than qualified in another task or field. When several family members are involved, even for just a few hours each week, the burden on the primary caregiver is reduced significantly. Sharing responsibilities also brings more family members into active contact, sharing, support, monitoring, understanding and visiting with Mom or Dad.

2. Talk with Your Parent
Discuss freely with your elderly parent his or her current needs, limitations and concerns, stating your positive belief and commitment to providing the services and assistance to maintain independence and activity while also fulfilling medical and other needs.

3. Consult with Medical Practitioners
Meet with physicians and other medical providers to learn their concerns and suggestions.

…continue reading from aolhealth.com

 Age Advantage caregivers are available to talk with you and your family about all of your care needs, including, how to reduce caregiver stress while providing better, affordable care. Age Advantage is a home care agency providing In Home Care in Columbus OH.

How Caregiving Sneaks Up on Adult Children
by Carol Bradley Bursack, Editor-in-Chief

Today, many caregivers can feel swamped about aging parents’ needs. If you get caught in the "sneak-up factor," it may be time to readjust your caregiving priorities.

What Happened to My Life?

My mother had her second hip replacement surgery when my dad was already in a nursing home, the same home as my uncle. Until that time, I was taking my mother, daily, to see my dad who’d had brain surgery that had backfired, as well as my uncle who’d had a series of strokes. We were fortunate that an excellent nursing home was just blocks away from my home and near my mother’s apartment and my mother-in-law’s condo.

At the time, I was helping my mother each day with her shower and other morning routines, getting my sons to school, going back to my mother’s and taking her to the nursing home to visit, running over to my mother-in-law’s apartment to make her lunch and visit with her, going back to the nursing home to visit my dad and uncle and take my mother back home, then going to get the kids at school. My youngest son also had many health issues, so that also complicated my caregiving schedule.

After Mom’s surgery and recovery I thought things would go back to that "normal" routine. However, she didn’t recover well and continued to need more and more care. Seven days a week, seven hours a day, I ran from place to place to help all of these people.

This went on, in varying degrees, for years.

Constant Caregiving: What Happened?

My situation is not that different from that of many caregivers.

You start out caring for a parent or other loved one because they need a little help. Maybe they can’t drive anymore so you get their groceries. Or you accompany them on doctor visits. Or you help them with their recovery from surgery, expecting then to get on with your life. Only, somehow your life never quite gets back normal.

Okay, you can handle that. However, the care needs typically grow exponentially.

When Dad has a stroke, not only does Dad need more care, but now Mom needs help getting that care for Dad, and her health may become more fragile because of the stress.

You are the one in town. Your siblings check in now and then, but hey, you seem to be handling everything so well. Mom and Dad sound great when they talk to them on the phone, so just keep doing what you’re doing. So, you get a verbal pat on the back (if you are lucky) and you continue coping with the snowballing needs of your elders.

Then one day you stop to realize you haven’t seen a friend for coffee for months. You’ve skipped your physical, since there wasn’t time to fit it in. You haven’t golfed, gone for a run, or even taken a walk in the park for eons. And your spouse and kids barely recognize you.

continue reading from eldercarelink.com

Age Advantage caregivers are available to talk with you and your family about all of your care needs, including, how to reduce caregiver stress while providing better, affordable care. Age Advantage is a home care agency providing In Home Care in Columbus OH.
 

Senior Care Columbus OH: What a Heart Failure Diagnosis Really Means For You

(ARA) – Hearing the words "heart failure" from your doctor is a frightening thing. If that is your diagnosis, you’re not alone – more than 5 million Americans are affected by heart failure. But while it is certainly serious, it is not quite as ominous as it sounds. The good news is that there have been tremendous strides in heart care treatment in recent years, which enables patients with the disease to live full, active, normal lives.

One key thing to remember about heart failure is what it actually means. It’s not a death sentence; it means that your heart muscle has changed. It’s either weakened or it has become stiff, which means that it has to work harder to pump blood throughout your body.

"Many people with heart failure can lead relatively normal, active lives. The key is early diagnosis and treatment," says Dr. Stephen Gottlieb, chair, Heart Failure Society of America Education Committee. "New treatments can be very effective in slowing and stopping the progression of the disease, and in some cases can even reverse the process."

It’s when heart failure goes undiagnosed and untreated that things go wrong, which is why it is the leading cause of hospitalization in people older than 65. Many people have questions about this common disease, and the more you know, the better you’ll be able deal with a heart failure diagnosis.

Question: What causes heart failure?

Answer: Heart failure develops following an injury to the heart. Heart attacks, long-term untreated high blood pressure, alcohol abuse, or an abnormality of one of the heart valves can all cause the damage that leads to heart failure. You are also at increased risk if you have a history of a heart murmur, suffer from enlargement of the heart or have a family history of enlarged hearts, or if you are diabetic. In some cases, the exact cause of heart failure is not known.

Question: What symptoms should I watch for?

Answer: Symptoms of heart failure include shortness of breath even when the activity you are engaging in is not strenuous; difficulty breathing in a laying down position; weight gain and fluid retention that lead to swelling in the legs and ankles; and general fatigue and weakness. Of course, many other health problems may share some of these symptoms, so it’s important to talk to your doctor for an accurate diagnosis. Early diagnosis and treatment are vital.

Question: I’ve been diagnosed with heart failure. What do I do now?

Answer: Take charge. Working with your doctor, you can find a treatment plan that will help you live the healthiest life possible for you.

Your treatment will include diet modifications, an exercise plan and certain medications. Limit your salt and alcohol intake. If you smoke, quit. Lose weight if your doctor advises it and exercise regularly. And be sure to weigh yourself daily and report any sudden weight gain or swelling to your doctor.

Once you’ve been diagnosed with heart failure, it’s important to take good care of yourself and to enlist the support of family and friends.

To learn more about how to live well with heart failure, visit www.abouthf.org to download information or request to have complimentary materials mailed to you. All the information on this site is designed for patients and is easy to read and understand.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Age Advantage caregivers are available to talk with you and your family about all of your care needs, including, how to reduce caregiver stress while providing better, affordable care. Age Advantage is a home care agency providing In Home Care in Columbus OH.

Population-Wide Reduction in Salt Consumption Recommended

ScienceDaily (Jan. 14, 2011) — The American Heart Association January 13 issued a call to action for the public, health professionals, the food industry and the government to intensify efforts to reduce the amount of sodium (salt) Americans consume daily.

In an advisory, published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association, the association sets out the science behind the American Heart Association’s recommendation for the general population, which is to consume no more than 1500 milligrams (mg) of sodium a day because of the harmful effects of sodium — elevated blood pressure and increased risk of stroke, heart attacks and kidney disease. Elevated blood pressure (hypertension) is a major public health problem — approximately 90 percent of all Americans will develop hypertension over their lifetime.

Sodium consumption is currently more than two times higher than the recommended upper limit of 1,500 mg daily, with 77 percent of that consumption coming from packaged, processed and restaurant foods. "Even a modest decline in intake — say 400 mg per day -would produce benefits that are substantial and warrant implementation," say the advisory authors. The 2005 United States Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommended a sodium intake limit of 2,300 mg per day, which many health experts say is too much for most Americans. Earlier this year, the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee recommended to the secretaries of the United States Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that the goal should be modified to 1,500 mg per day for the general population. The advisory committee consists of leading scientists who reviewed the most recent scientific studies and created a set of recommendations that are being reviewed by the secretaries.

Source: Science Daily

The caregivers at Age Advantage are available to talk with you and your family about all of your live-in home care needs. Age Advantage is a home care agency providing quality, affordable home care in Columbus OH and the surrounding areas. Call 614-442-6944 for more information.

February is American Heart Month

Heart health is an area of grave concern among healthcare professionals, policy makers and the government. Heart disease has killed more Americans than any other diseases or chronic illnesses. It is the leading cause of death among patience of all race, gender and age. About 785,000 patients in the nation suffer their first heart attack every year and 470,000 of them have recurring heart attacks in a year. It has been estimated that heart attack affects one patient in every 34 seconds in America, costing a whopping healthcare bill of $316.4 billion a year. The risks of heart disease also dramatically increases with age affecting one in every five women above the age of 65 as compared to one in every 10 women between ages 45 and 65.

For 37 years, the American Heart Association tirelessly organized and campaigned for the fight against heart disease. February is the ‘American Heart Month’ where efforts are spent to increase awareness and raise funds for research and education on heart disease. 

Heart disease is a lifestyle-related condition. Risk factors that can lead to heart disease or stroke are physical inactivity, obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, diabetes and alcohol. As more elderly patients tend to have high cholesterol, high blood sugar or high blood pressure conditions coupled by weaker immunity systems, healthy living to promote elderly health is one of the primary concerns during American Heart Month.

Good heart health can be attained by adopting change in lifestyle, diet and regular monitoring of one’s blood sugar level, cholesterol level and blood pressure. The following are five healthy living tips to good senior health that not only help keep heart disease at arm’s length but also increase one’s quality of life.

Regular Exercise or Physical Activity
Moderate exercise on a regular basis is the best remedy for elderly health and wellbeing. Walking, jogging, yoga, swimming, golf, dancing and others help to build strong healthy hearts and help to improve blood circulation. In fact, statistics show that a sedentary lifestyle is a leading threat to heart health; those who are physically inactive and seldom participate in regular exercise program are 39.5 percent more likely to suffer from heart disease or stroke.

Balanced Diet 
Healthy living starts with balanced diets rich in fiber and low in trans fat, sugar and sodium. Elderly patients should also consume high nutrient foods that are good for the heart and body as a whole. Greasy food and food high in trans fat found in cooking oil and meat should be avoided to prevent gradual formation of blockage in the arteries especially among elderly patients’ whose body metabolism decreases with age.

Control blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar level 
Senior health checks should never exclude regular monitoring of seniors’ blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar level as these are among the top risk factors to cardiovascular disease. Senior patients can perform regular monitoring of their conditions at home and take precautionary measures such as diet and prescribed medication if levels are higher than normal.

Maintain Healthy Body Weight
Being overweight can also lead to heart disease or stroke; it is as unhealthy to one’s heart as it is to one’s bones and joints. Excessive fats in the body can strain the heart and cause additional stress on the bones and joints. Maintaining a healthy body weight is crucial to good senior health as it helps to prevent adverse conditions such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol that can potentially lead of heart disease.

Stop Smoking and excessive Alcohol intake
Smoking and excessive intake of alcohol are harmful habits that are especially damaging to elderly patients. Smoking increases the chances of blood clot and accumulation of fatty deposits in the arteries, hence increasing the risks of coronary heart disease. It can also increase the chances of a relapse or recurring heart attack. Smoking is also linked to many elderly health conditions such as cancer, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive decline.

The caregivers at Age Advantage are available to talk with you and your family about all of your live-in home care needs. Age Advantage is a home care agency providing quality, affordable home care in Columbus OH and the surrounding areas. Call 614-442-6944 for more information.

Don’t Make Wintertime Danger Time for Seniors in Columbus OH

Snow, cold disproportionately threaten older people

By Kathleen Ewald, www.Move.com

Winter storms bring new health hazards for seniors. Cold-related injuries, from frostbite to falls, are particularly common among older people who are more susceptible to the effects of winter weather than younger people.

The following tips can help seniors get through the icy, cold, wet weather that is winter.

Icy, unshoveled walkways.

Slippery and snowy sidewalks can be difficult, particularly for seniors with balance and stability problems, to navigate.

Solution: Keep sidewalks and driveways well shoveled; apply rock salt or sand to create traction on wet or icy patches. Shoveling is strenuous and shouldn’t be undertaken by older or unfit people. Look to friends and neighbors to help shovel or hire a contractor to plow or shovel after a storm. Sturdy, waterproof boots with rubber soles and treads make walking on slippery surfaces easier and safer.

Frigid temperatures

Exposure to cold weather can lead to frostbite (white, frozen skin) or hypothermia (lowered body temperature, characterized by shivering, confusion and dizziness). Seniors, with less efficient circulatory systems than younger adults, are at increased risk.

Solution: Check a weather report before leaving home, paying close attention to the wind chill factor, which indicates how cold it feels outside. (A wind chill below -10 degrees F is considered bitterly cold.) Dress in layers to avoid losing body heat. Wearing a hat with earflaps and mittens (which allow the fingers to touch, promoting heat) or insulated gloves thwarts frostbitten ears and fingers. Thick wool or synthetic socks and waterproof, insulated boots will protect feet from frostbite. If you notice signs of frostbite, seek medical attention immediately.

Hypothermia can be life threatening for older adults. If you suspect hypothermia, take the person’s temperature. If it’s below 96 degrees, it won’t register on an oral thermometer, an indicator the person must get to a hospital immediately.

Sun glare

Sunlight reflects off white snow, causing glare that can make it difficult to see.

Solution: Wear sunglasses with ultra violet (UV) filters, suggests Connie Harvey, an American Red Cross health and safety expert. Overexposure to UV rays can lead to cataracts of the eye. In addition, sun is damaging to skin, even in winter. Seniors (and everyone) should apply an SPF 15 sunscreen to their faces before engaging in outdoor activities on a sunny winter day.

Finally, don’t lose contact with others when bad weather hits. "Seniors should always have a network of friends or family who will check in on them," says the Red Cross’s Harvey.

Source: www.Move.com

Age Advantage is a home care agency providing quality, affordable home care in Columbus OH and the surrounding areas. Call 614-442-6944 for more information.

Planning for Temporary Home Care After the Hospital Stay
By LESLEY ALDERMAN

ANNIE BRUMBAUGH has become a bit of an expert on recuperating at home. Over the last two years, the 65-year-old wardrobe consultant has had two serious operations on her foot, plus a bone graft, each of which left her homebound for weeks at a time. “This is not easy,” said Ms. Brumbaugh, who lives alone in Manhattan. “Most people have no idea what they are in for.”

Even straightforward procedures, like C-sections and hip replacements, can involve longer-than- expected recuperations. Preparing for these requires more than stocking up on novels, DVDs and plenty of frozen entrees (though such supplies certainly are useful).

After a hospitalization, you will need help doing things that you’re unable to do for yourself — even with performing basic tasks like cleaning and dressing. You may need a nurse to change the bandage on a wound or to administer intravenous drugs. You may need equipment, too: a walker, a bath seat or a commode to ensure you don’t injure yourself during recovery.

Equipment and support services will help speed up your recovery, but they also can put a dent in your savings. That’s because most insurers pay for home health care by skilled professionals only during the first, acute part of your recovery. Insurers do not pay for care provided by home care aides, often needed for both short and long recuperations.

Source: New York Times
Continue reading…

Home care counselors at Age Advantage are available to talk with you and your family about care needs for your loved one, including, how to reduce caregiver stress while providing better, affordable care. Age Advantage is a home care agency providing In Home Care in Columbus OH and surrounding areas.

Setting Up a Plan of Care
By Maria M. Meyer, Paula Derr, and Jon Caswell, Contributing Writers

A plan of care is a daily record of the care and treatment a person needs on a daily basis. The plan helps you and anyone who assists you with caregiving tasks.

A plan of care helps caregivers manage the day-today activities of the person in their care–medications, appointments, exercise, etc. This type of written record is also very helpful when respite (relief) care is used.

The plan of care includes the following information:

• diagnosis
• medications
• physical limitations of the care receiver
• a list of equipment needed
• diet
• detailed care instructions and comments
• services the home health care agency will provide, if using such on agency.

This information is presented in a certain order so that the process of care is repeated over and over again until it becomes routine. When the plan is kept up to date, it provides a clear record of events that is helpful in solving problems and avoiding them.

Source: Caring.com

Continue reading…

At Age Advantage we understand how important quality care is for our loved ones. If you need help with home care, please call us at 614-442-6944. Age Advantage is a home care agency providing caregivers and in home care in Columbus OH and surrounding areas.

When Elderly Spouses Care For Each Other at Home Something Has to Give
By Isabel Fawcett, SPHR For LTC Expert Publications

“In sickness and in health, until death do us part,” are words used in traditional marital vows.

The harsh realities of caring at home for a spouse or domestic partner in old age can be physically, emotionally, and financially devastating.

It is difficult for aging spouses who must face and assist with their partner’s incontinence, declining health, mental confusion, uncertainty of care circumstances and medical prognosis. Some partners make a promise to self and/or partner that they will do the honors or perceive that they have a responsibility to do the caregiving at home honors – for the duration. Nothing is further from the truth, however.

A marital or domestic relationship does not mean that an aging partner should not ask for, and/or seek outside help.

Benefits of Home Care and Aging at Home
If there is any care circumstance well-suited to home care, aging spousal caregivers may
be one such ideal profile, for many reasons.

1. If a domestic partner or spouse has less assistive care chores to do around the home, he or she is likely to have more quality moments to spend with his or her spouse or partner and others.
2. The healthier spouse may be at home and available to provide direct supervision and daily guidance to home care workers.
3. The spouse or partner who is chronically ill is not left alone with a home care worker for extended periods of time if his or her healthier partner is not employed outside the home.
4. The healthier spouse has ample opportunities to enjoy respite while the home health care worker is on duty.
5. The healthier spouse may elect to do the assistive care honors on weekends only, for example. Regardless of alternating care days elected, the healthier spouse will still be doing less, rather than more heavy-duty assistive care responsibilities.
6. If the couple wants a less invasive home care service, they may choose meal deliveries only, be it Meals on Wheels type programs, or private company services that deliver high-end, nutritious meals to their customers.
7. Time and effort saved through a less invasive home care program or service may lead elders to consider additional home care programs or services, if the less invasive service is similarly successful.
8. Home care services offer sustained relief to local and long-distance family caregivers if their elders are in good hands.
9. If the home care provider nurtures the provider-elder relationship and builds trust, elders have someone with whom they can talk as often as the service allows.
10. Given a choice, few elders would choose institutional care over in-home support.
11. Elder independence is encouraged with skilled home care.
12. The healthier spouse or partner no longer feels alone. There is someone else your elder can call locally.  Long-distance family caregivers are also encouraged to periodically touch base with the direct care provider to ensure greater checks and balances.

For many individuals, home is where their heart remains. Adult children can help our aging parents keep their homes as long as it is safe for them to do so. As with other major decisions in our lives, ongoing evaluation is important. What works today may no longer be effective at some future date.

To avoid surprises, let your parents know that you need and welcome their feedback in evaluating what works and what doesn’t in their home care services. Allow your parents to retain as much decision-making authority in their lives as reasonably possible. No one enjoys feeling powerless.

What is Home Care? What Can Your Family Expect?
If your parents only require companion services, there may be local volunteers available through care agencies and religious organizations. By far, skilled nursing care is the most expensive in-home care option. Nurses are licensed, as are physical and occupational therapists.

Home health aides and nurse’s aides are trained to assist with bathing, getting dressed, toileting, lifting and other personal care needs.

Start with your parents’ treating physician and hospital-based geriatric management services. They are trained to steer families in the right direction based on exhaustive medical assessments of your aging parents’ needs.

If you think that home care is not financially affordable, remember that most long-term care alternatives are costly. By comparison, home care may be the most affordable alternative for elders and caregivers.

For information about how Age Advantage can help your family with Elder Care in Columbus OH and surrounding areas,  call us at 614-442-6944.