Geriatrics Blogs This is an OPML file. It can be used to export all the MedWorm RSS feeds on this topic into your personal RSS reader (usually you have to save this file to your own computer before clicking on an Import OPML command in your own feed reader to upload the file which will then import all the feeds) or it can be used by webmasters to integrate MedWorm feeds with their own website. This is an RSS file. You can use it to subscribe to this data in your favourite RSS reader, such as GoogleReader, or to display this data on your own website or blog. Subscribe to this data using MyMedWorm.Subscribe to this data using GoogleReader.Subscribe to this data using Bloglines.Subscribe to this data using MyYahoo.

This page shows you the most recent publications within this specialty of the MedWorm directory.

When can you override an advance directive?
An 85-year-old woman with moderate Alzheimer’s disease who enjoys walking in her nursing home’s garden with her walker has fallen and broken her hip. An advance directive signed by the patient states a preference for “comfort measures only,” and specifically states that she does not want to be transferred to the hospital. The physician believes that surgery would provide long-term pain relief and the chance to maintain some mobility. Continue reading ... Your patients are rating you online: How to respond. Manage your online reputation: A social media guide. Find out how. (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog)
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - June 14, 2013 Category: Family Physicians Tags: Physician Geriatrics Palliative care Source Type: blogs

ProPublica Publishes Medicare Part D Prescriber Data
In 2010, the "investigative journalist organization" known as ProPubilca, through donations from the Pew Foundation and several other organizations geared towards attacking industry, began the "Dollars for Docs" campaign. As we have covered extensively since the launch of that campaign, ProPublica aggregated the payment reporting data of approximately 15 manufacturers who were reporting their payments publicly—either as a requirement of a corporate integrity agreement (CIA) with HHS-OIG, or voluntarily—and then created a searchable, aggregated website. Additionally, ProPublica teamed up with national and local medi...
Source: Policy and Medicine - June 13, 2013 Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Authors: Thomas Sullivan Source Type: blogs

SENS Research Foundation Mentioned in Los Angeles Magazine
Here is a recent article from the local Los Angeles press, in which the author manages to touch on a broader range of the pro-human-longevity community than is usually the case: What researchers do know is that there are limits to how far we can naturally extend the human life span. L. Stephen Coles, a UCLA lecturer and executive director of the Gerontology Research Group, documents and studies "supercentenarians" - people who live to 110 or longer. When he started tracking the longest-lived humans around 2000, "the oldest [known] person in history was a Frenchwoman named Jeanne Calment, who died in 1997 at the age of 122...
Source: Fight Aging! - June 12, 2013 Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Authors: Reason Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs

Apps to help manage medications in the elderly: What I’m looking for
I’ve been interested in apps for the caregivers of elders, but like many physicians, I’ve been too busy to seriously research them or try them out. Time to change that. No, I’m not going to exhaustively research and review all caregiver apps on the market. But, as I’ve been invited to give a technology talk to a local group of family caregivers later this summer, I would like to see if I can find a few specific apps or tools that are likely to help caregivers. As this is an event specifically for younger caregivers, I’m expecting a group of caregivers that is generally comfortable with smartph...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - June 11, 2013 Category: Family Physicians Tags: Tech Geriatrics Mobile health Source Type: blogs

Teepa Snow on Planning Activities to Enrich the Lives of People With Dementia
Teepa says that people in the earlier stages of dementia may actually be more difficult to engage than those in the later stages. “This is because they are still lucid enough to know something serious is wrong with them and many are angry and/or frustrated by that.” By +Marie Marley +Alzheimer's Reading Room Entertainment and other activities are essential for the well-being of people with dementia. They can make the difference between a deadly boring day of staring at the floor and a rich sense of purpose and contentedness. They can also help the caregiver make a connection with the person, no matter how b...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - June 10, 2013 Category: Dementia Authors: Bob DeMarco Source Type: blogs

The Virtual Dementia Tour An Essential Alzheimer's Tool
"The solution to Alzheimer's disease today and in the foreseeable future is in developing a better and more personal understanding of the day-to-day challenges facing those with the disease. The Virtual Dementia Tour® program is a tool that makes that understanding possible." ~ P.K. Beville PK Beville By Bob DeMarco +Alzheimer's Reading Room I first experienced the Virtual Dementia Tour in 2009. I still remember my immediate reaction after taking the tour -- you can better understand how a person living with dementia might be thinking and feeling. The VDT is a real empathy builder. Building empathy wit...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - June 5, 2013 Category: Dementia Authors: Bob DeMarco Source Type: blogs

When Your Loved One Needs to Move to a Nursing Facility but Refuses to Go
“I often work to convince reluctant spouses to change from being a ‘caregiver’ to being a ‘care advocate’. They can still be vigilant to ensure their loved one is receiving care in an appropriate nursing type facility while preserving their own health.” By Marie Marley +Alzheimer's Reading Room Let’s face it, no one wants to place their loved one with Alzheimer’s in a nursing facility. But sometimes that’s the best (or only) alternative, especially for those in the late-stages of the disease. It takes a large team to care for people in these stages. They need a doctor on call 24 hours a day. Th...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - June 3, 2013 Category: Dementia Authors: Bob DeMarco Source Type: blogs

Why medical residents should do house calls
During my ambulatory care rotation, I got the opportunity to tag along with my attending on a house call to a geriatric couple. The husband, “Joe,” had recently been in the hospital for severe respiratory illness. His wife, “Sally,” had recently fallen and broken her hip and was recovering from a hip replacement. Continue reading ... Your patients are rating you online: How to respond. Manage your online reputation: A social media guide. Find out how. (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog)
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - June 2, 2013 Category: Family Physicians Tags: Education Primary care Residency Source Type: blogs

Looking at India on the Cover of The Gerontologist
I went to India with the intention of photographing aging, but was unprepared for the intense spirituality, crush of crowded streets, and the depth of poverty. Part of my trip was a visit to the Buddhist pilgrimage site of Bodh Gaya, in the state of Bihar in northeast India. Outside the gates of the sprawling complex of temples was an elderly woman with an imposing ...Read More (Source: Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers)
Source: Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers - May 28, 2013 Category: Internists and Doctors of Medicine Authors: Jeffrey M. Levine MD Tags: Art & Medicine Travel Source Type: blogs

Adult Day Services for Dementia Patients Reduce Caregiver Stress
The researchers found that stress on caregivers is partially lowered, and mood is improved, on days when dementia patients attend adult social day service programs. +Alzheimer's Reading Room Family caregivers of older adults with dementia are less stressed and their moods are improved on days when dementia patients receive adult day services (ADS), according to Penn State researchers. "Caregivers who live with and care for someone with dementia can experience extraordinary amounts of stress," said Steven Zarit, professor and head, human development and family studies. "The use of adult day services appea...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - May 27, 2013 Category: Dementia Authors: Bob DeMarco Source Type: blogs

Tweetchat Is Terminal! Dying Victim Of Twitter API Changes
Twitter is changing how data can be accessed, which will more than likely lead to the demise of @tweetchat. :( — TweetChat (@TweetChat) May 4, 2013 I am not talking about our Wednesday 9pm EST (8pm CST /6pm PST) HPM tweetchat. Our live palliative tweetchat conversations are alive and well since the inaugural tweetchat in June 2010. We would love to have you join us! What is in a state of demise and is going away June 11 2013 is the web service www.tweetchat.com . This is a site that easily allows you to monitor one subject on Twitter organized around a hashtag. I have been an avid ...
Source: Pallimed: A Hospice and Palliative Medicine Blog - May 22, 2013 Category: Palliative Carer Workers Authors: Jeanette Ross Source Type: blogs

Why we cannot keep the costs of end of life care in a reasonable range
“J.T.” is 92 and clearly a soul who lives to the beat of a different drummer. She has no children and her closest relative is a niece who she despises. Despite this the niece oversees her care, sending in a full time aide and her personnel assistant to run the household. J.T. will not come to the office for a visit. If I call and make an appointment to see her in her home she at times will not permit me into her home. Despite her abrasive nature she is legally competent to make decisions and remains thin and frail but with no major acute medical problems. She is cognitively impaired to a moderate degree but legally com...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - May 21, 2013 Category: Family Physicians Tags: Physician Geriatrics Heart Palliative care Source Type: blogs

Return of the “???” monster
The bane of many a Dexcom 7 Plus user was the infamous triple question mark icon:???Officially, it meant that the receiver couldn’t understand the signals coming off of the sensor. Basically the receiver was asking the CGM sensor, “What the f. are you saying?” Of course users would also start off by asking the receiver, “What the f.?” and end (hours later) by screaming at the receiver, “WHAT THE F.?!!!!!”Naturally, the dreaded triple-Q icon showed up at the worst possible times: when you were going to bed with a ton of insulin on board, when you had the flu, were getting married or divorced, going to prom, or...
Source: LifeAfterDx--The Guardian Chronicles - May 15, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: Wil Source Type: blogs

The Preacher’s Wife and the Baker’s Wife
We, as caregivers, friends and family members of older people should understand that our elders have wonderful gifts of stories to share with us if we will only take the time to listen. By Tom and Karen Brenner +Alzheimer's Reading Room They sat across from us, giggling, the preacher’s wife and the baker’s wife. They were telling us stories from their lives; snapshots, moments from earlier days. This reminiscence session came about as we were working with a series of small flags from around the world. One of the women picked up the flag from Denmark, the other waved the flag from Norway. Holding the f...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - May 6, 2013 Category: Dementia Authors: Bob DeMarco Source Type: blogs

Raising Palliative Care Awareness Through Film Screeenings
(Ed. - Can you believe it another new author! Please welcome Paul Tatum @doctatum, a family medicine physician board certified in geriatrics and palliative care who practices medicine in at the University of Missouri in Columbia. Paul is no stranger to blogging and also posts at Geripal. Please welcome him to Pallimed! - Christian) When I strike up conversation on the airplane and discussion turns to palliative medicine, the response tends to be either one of a blank stare and question about what is palliative medicine or a knowing smile and a ready story about how hospice and palliative medicine made a ...
Source: Pallimed: A Hospice and Palliative Medicine Blog - May 1, 2013 Category: Palliative Carer Workers Authors: Paul Tatum Source Type: blogs

Video: Aubrey de Grey at TEDxDanubia 2013
Aubrey de Grey is a tireless advocate for the development of rejuvenation biotechnology, the means to repair and reverse the root causes of aging, and he is the more visible face of the SENS Research Foundation - which is not to diminish the hard work of the many other folk, staff and volunteers, who have helped to make the Foundation the growing success it is today. Without their efforts the path towards human rejuvenation would be far longer. If you've been following along these past years, you'll know that de Grey travels widely to give a great many presentations to the public, and here is one example from a recent TEDx...
Source: Fight Aging! - April 30, 2013 Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Authors: Reason Tags: Healthy Life Extension Community Source Type: blogs

Ghost Motels of Arizona
Much of the history and romance of America has been bypassed by the Interstate system. This past winter I traveled to Arizona and drove down old Highway 60 from Wickenberg to Quartzite and encountered a living museum of Americana in its defunct roadside motels. A few were repurposed as homes or businesses, but most were abandoned and crumbling. On a bright sunny day with desert skies ...Read More (Source: Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers)
Source: Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers - April 28, 2013 Category: Internists and Doctors of Medicine Authors: Jeffrey M. Levine MD Tags: Art & Medicine Travel Source Type: blogs

How my geriatric practice works
A little over a year ago, I found myself burning out and realized that my worklife was unsustainable. I’d been working at an FQHC clinic, and had become the site’s medical director a few months before. I was practicing as a primary care doc, trying to improve our clinical workflows, problem-solving around the new e-prescribing system, helping plan the agency’s transition from paper charts to electronic charts, and working on our housecalls and geriatrics programs. Continue reading ... Your patients are rating you online: How to respond. Manage your online reputation: A social media guide. Find out how. (Source: Kevi...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - April 22, 2013 Category: Family Physicians Tags: Physician Geriatrics Primary care Source Type: blogs

Aubrey de Grey on "The Undoing of Aging"
Philanthropy by high net worth individuals has the potential to move the needle on any major biotechnology project these days. The cost of research in the field is falling rapidly, thanks to spectacular ongoing gains in computational power and materials science. There are now thousands of individuals in the world with a net worth sufficient to completely fund a cure for a disease, from a starting point of nothing but ideas through to first human trials. But of course to exchange your entire net worth for a cure, to give up on the whole of the vast process that has been your business life to date, you'd have to be something...
Source: Fight Aging! - April 19, 2013 Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Authors: Reason Tags: Activism, Advocacy and Education Source Type: blogs

Hemingway’s Garden
“The world breaks everyone, and afterward many are strong at the broken places.” Subscribe to the Alzheimer's Reading Room Email: By Tom and Karen Brenner Alzheimer's Reading Room In spring each returning plant is welcomed as an old friend. The crocus and daffodil bring color once again to the sleeping garden; they also bring hope that winter is finally past. While spring is the time to celebrate new life, there is a darker side to the burgeoning season. This is also the time when the gardener must be prepared to rip up, dig out, cut back. In my garden, I become ruthless with shears and shovel, many o...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - April 18, 2013 Category: Dementia Authors: Bob DeMarco Source Type: blogs

Do Alzheimer's Medications Work, Who Should Take Them?
Over the years my clients have asked me, “Should my loved one be taking any of the Alzheimer’s medications?” By Bob DeMarco Alzheimer's Reading Room Over the years my answer has differed depending on how much I knew about the medications, the relative costs of the medications, and how much research has been done on the effectiveness of the medications. Here is what I’m saying currently. There are only 5 medicines that the FDA has approved for treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. None of the medications cure the disease. None of the medications stop the disease process from continuing on long term, alth...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - April 15, 2013 Category: Dementia Authors: Bob DeMarco Source Type: blogs

Tea and Empathy
It’s quite an experience to go into a tea shop for a cup of tea and find out that you changed someone’s life for the better. By Tom and Karen Brenner Alzheimer's Reading Room We were sitting in a beautiful little tea shop with cups of Earl Grey tea and some manuscript pages from our book filling up the small table. We were discussing various aspects of the book and our work (reaching and connecting to people living with dementia). The tea shop was not busy early in the afternoon and we noticed that the tea shop owner kept glancing our way. Finally, the owner of the shop walked over to us and apologized ...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - April 12, 2013 Category: Dementia Authors: Bob DeMarco Source Type: blogs

Pressure Ulcer Guide Helps New Jersey Nursing Homes
In an unusual agreement between the New Jersey Hospital Association, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and the New Jersey Department of Health, the Pocket Guide to Pressure Ulcers authored by myself and Elizabeth Ayello PhD, RN will be distributed to skilled nursing facilities across the state of New Jersey. Money collected through Civil Monetary Penalties for survey deficiencies will pay for purchase ...Read More (Source: Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers)
Source: Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers - April 8, 2013 Category: Internists and Doctors of Medicine Authors: Jeffrey M. Levine MD Tags: Pocket Guide to Pressure Ulcers Pressure Ulcers & Wound Care Source Type: blogs

The Montessori Method for Alzheimer’s Care
Dr. Montessori believed devoutly (as do we) that every person deserves to be treated with respect and compassion. She encourages us to celebrate each person’s individual gifts. By Tom and Karen Brenner Alzheimer's Reading Room He first stacked the pink tower cubes from the largest to the smallest, very slowly and carefully placing the smallest cube right in the center on top. He leaned back and smiled at this accomplishment. Then the pink tower was carefully dismantled and, to our amazement, reassembled upside down! This time the smallest cube became the supporting base as the painstaking task of building the tower u...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - April 7, 2013 Category: Dementia Authors: Bob DeMarco Source Type: blogs

My Mentor in Geriatrics: Leslie S. Libow MD
Were it not for Leslie S. Libow I would not have entered the specialty of Geriatrics. This past weekend at the annual meeting of the American Medical Directors Association (AMDA), I sat in the audience as Dr. Libow received the prestigious James Patee Award for Excellence in Education. Afterward I had the opportunity to schmooze with my former mentor, whose photo is above. In 1983 ...Read More (Source: Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers)
Source: Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers - March 26, 2013 Category: Internists and Doctors of Medicine Authors: Jeffrey M. Levine MD Tags: Geriatric Medicine Source Type: blogs

Pain Training Pays Off for Physicians and Patients - National Pain Report - National Pain Report
Chronic pain patients who are treated by primary care providers will experience significant improvement in their symptoms if their physicians are trained in pain management, according to a new study published in the Clinical Journal of Pain.The Primary Practice Physician Program for Chronic Pain (4PCP) helps doctors learn how to treat pain patients through educational classes taught by psychologists, occupational therapists, and physical therapists who specialize in pain management.Even just a few hours of training provide "remarkable" benefits, with patients returning to work faster, and experiencing less pain, fatig...
Source: Psychology of Pain - March 21, 2013 Category: Psychiatrists and Psychologists Source Type: blogs

Webinar on Infectious Aspects of Chronic Wounds
This is a webinar I recently delivered on Infectious Aspects of Chronic Wounds including Infection Control. It was sponsored by the Gold STAMP (Success Through Assessment, Management, and Prevention) program, which is funded by the New York State Department of Health under the Medicaid Redesign Team (MRT) to reduce pressure ulcers in New York State. Information in this webinar is applicable to any chronic wound, including pressure ...Read More (Source: Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers)
Source: Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers - March 15, 2013 Category: Internists and Doctors of Medicine Authors: Jeffrey M. Levine MD Tags: Pressure Ulcers & Wound Care Source Type: blogs

Senior Living - technology for the elderly from Germany (video)
In Germany, as the number of seniors is increasing, the number of younger people is decreasing, and there are not enough caregivers. Scientists are examining a possible role for robots in the care for the elderly. Posted at Clinical Cases and Images. Stay updated and subscribe, follow us on Twitter and connect on Facebook. (Source: Clinical Cases and Images - Blog)
Source: Clinical Cases and Images - Blog - March 14, 2013 Category: Professors and Educators Tags: Technology Video Geriatrics Source Type: blogs

Faces of Istanbul
I took these shots last spring after completing a ten day trip through Russia and Central Asia to photograph aging. I didnt intend to do a lot of picture taking in Istanbul, but the visual lure of this picturesque city got me out with my camera. One of the largest cities in the world, Istanbul is bursting with history and visual delights. Former capital of four ...Read More (Source: Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers)
Source: Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers - March 9, 2013 Category: Internists and Doctors of Medicine Authors: Jeffrey M. Levine MD Tags: Travel Source Type: blogs

Quartzite: Where Snowbirds Come to Roost
In my pursuit of growing old in America, this past February I went to Quartzite, Arizona to photograph and talk to the locals. This dusty town off Interstate I-10 is a destination for thousands of elderly retirees seeking an inexpensive getaway from the cold winter months. To my surprise I discovered that Quartzite is a barometer for economic changes affecting the elderly across the United ...Read More (Source: Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers)
Source: Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers - March 3, 2013 Category: Internists and Doctors of Medicine Authors: Jeffrey M. Levine MD Tags: Art & Medicine Travel Source Type: blogs

Radio Interview with Dr. Jeff Levine on Photographing Aging Around the World
This interview appeared on Care Diary: Simplifying Life for the Caregiver on Tuesday, January 26, 2013. The host is Margery Papst. Click here to access the interview. (Source: Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers)
Source: Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers - March 3, 2013 Category: Internists and Doctors of Medicine Authors: Jeffrey M. Levine MD Tags: Publications Source Type: blogs

Can We Calculate The Price Of Human Dignity?
I never claimed I was brilliant. I never bragged that MENSA representatives were knocking on my door and pleading for me to join. But I am smart enough. Smart enough to matriculate medical school and residency. Savy enough to own and operate a business. Lucky enough to be married and have kids. Most difficult projects in life require hard work and a certain amount of stubbornness. And I rejoice in that I have been given the mental faculties and vast opportunities to succeed. I reluctantly admit, that I have always found a way around most of the hurdles...
Source: In My Humble Opinion - February 28, 2013 Category: Family Physicians Authors: Jordan Grumet Source Type: blogs

Who influenced the Prime Minister about this?
There is no evidence base for proposed dementia screening We are writing in response to the Department of Health’s consultation on ‘early’ or ‘timely’ diagnosis of dementia in primary care and the debate this and other policy initiatives have exposed in England. Similar policy change has been promoted in the United States (US) with the introduction of a Medicare Annual Wellness Visit (2011) which includes an annual cognitive screen. Our first point is around the use of the term ‘early’ diagnosis, which appears to have entered public discourse without discussion of what it actually means. The prevailing view...
Source: PharmaGossip - February 27, 2013 Category: Pharma Commentators Authors: insider Source Type: blogs

A Podcast Interview With Aubrey de Grey
An audio interview with Aubrey de Grey of the SENS Research Foundation: Like it or not, aging is a byproduct of the daily activity of life. But Aubrey de Grey believes that the molecular and cellular damage that defines aging and creates disability and disease can be targeted for medical interventions that restore health and radically extend life. We spoke to de Grey, chief scientific officer and founder of the SENS Research Foundation, about the need to think differently about aging, how a new era of regenerative medicine might slow or reverse its effects, and why it is necessary to focus on medical interventions rather ...
Source: Fight Aging! - February 27, 2013 Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Authors: Reason Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs

Fujitsu Prototype Smart Cane Makes You Want to Get Old (w/video)
The classic walking cane has remained pretty much unchanged for millenia. Really just a walking stick with an ergonomic handle, it’s hard to come up with novel improvements to the cane. Fujitsu engineers, nevertheless, decided to integrate a bunch of technology into a cane to see what they could come up with.The intriguing result is a device that uses GPS to guide the user who now doesn’t have to use a smartphone with the other hand. It also integrates a small heart rate meter right into the handle and, because there’s wireless connectivity, it can call loved ones automatically if the rate is too high. Al...
Source: Medgadget - February 25, 2013 Category: Technology Consultants Authors: Gene Ostrovsky Tags: Geriatrics Rehab Source Type: blogs

The Old Have Been Persuaded to See Themselves as Worthless
One of the more depressing consequences of degenerative aging is the pervasive ageism of our societies. It is taken as read that the old are worth less than the young, are less deserving, their wants and desires less meaningful, their rights to the pursuit of life and happiness weak to nonexistent. This is something that even the old themselves are largely sold on, one of those shared cultural myths that isn't so much taught as absorbed and spread invisibly, clinging on to every story and conversation as a cloud of assumptions and implicit judgments of value. The value of a life diminishes with age, or so goes the belief...
Source: Fight Aging! - February 22, 2013 Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Authors: Reason Tags: Of Interest Source Type: blogs

The Essential EMR Checklist for Psychiatry Practices
The Unique Requirements of Medical Documentation in Psychiatry & Psychiatry Electronic Medical Records Psychiatry and psychology hold somewhat unique requirements among the medical specialties in that the diagnosis itself cannot be visualized or examined in the same way as a healing surgical incision or a growing infant. The physical results of some psychiatric disorders, however, are demonstrable by physical symptoms. Anorexia, for instance, can be clearly identified by individuals untrained in medicine. Psychiatrists, psychologists and psychiatric nurses can also identify the mania of a bipolar diagnosis, the usual p...
Source: EMR EHR Blog for Physicians - February 21, 2013 Category: Technology Consultants Authors: Aparna Prasad Source Type: blogs

Cleaning out the inbox
I've gotten a couple of press releases lately, which I usually ignore because I don't like to be told what to write about, if you know what I mean, but these I do commend to your attention.This Time Magazine article by Steven Brill has gotten some coverage in the blogosphere, but it won't hurt to link it here as well. The general idea is that hospitals and other health care provider institutions don't tell you ahead of time what prices they will charge, and a lot of those prices end up looking totally outrageous. They also vary enormously, and seemingly arbitrarily. Insurance companies, which you would think would have a l...
Source: Stayin' Alive - February 21, 2013 Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Source Type: blogs

Rotations
by usmleworld1 (Posted Thu Feb 21, 2013 9:49 am)Clinical USA is a profession cooperation that sets up clerkships in the USA for IMG. Clinical USA secures Clinical Rotations (Core and Electives) in Top Rated Teaching U.S Hospitals and Affiliated Medical Clinics. We have the following Core and Elective Rotations available. CORE CLERKSHIP:1. Internal Medicine (12 weeks)2. Obstetrics & Gynecology (8 weeks)3. General Medicine Surgery (8 weeks)4. Surgical sub-specialties (12 weeks) *5. Pediatrics (6 weeks)6. Family Medicine (6 weeks)7. Psychiatry (6 weeks)8. Radiology (4 weeks)9. Clinical Pathology (4 weeks)§ Anesthesiology§ N...
Source: Med Student Guide - February 21, 2013 Category: Medical Students Source Type: blogs

Sketching in the Desert
There is no better antidote to the busy streets and crowded subways in Manhattan than a few days in the American Southwest desert. Last weekend I flew to Phoenix, rented a car, and drove to Wickenberg – a cowboy town replete with Saguaro cacti and blazing sunsets. Living in New York City makes a horizon-to-horizon view in complete silence with nobody around an amazing treat. ...Read More (Source: Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers)
Source: Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers - February 18, 2013 Category: Internists and Doctors of Medicine Authors: Jeffrey M. Levine MD Tags: Art & Medicine Travel Source Type: blogs

Three Things I Regret – Are You Doing Them, Too?
Although it was difficult for me to master the new approaches, when I finally did our relationship blossomed again and life with him was much more peaceful and emotionally rewarding. By Marie Marley Alzheimer's Reading Room As Leeza Gibbons wrote in her book, Take Your Oxygen First, “If you’re caring for someone with Alzheimer’s and you’ve never lost your temper with the person – just wait. You will.” To that I add: If you don’t, then either you’re a saint or you’re incredibly out of touch with your feelings. I was a caregiver for seven long years for Dr. Edward Theodoru, my beloved Ro...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - February 18, 2013 Category: Dementia Authors: Bob DeMarco Source Type: blogs

Fight Aging! Newsletter, February 18th 2013
Discussion - Latest Headlines from Fight Aging! - Nitric Oxide and Longevity in Nematodes - On Greater Longevity in Colder Environments - Searching for Commonalities in Cancer - Dietary Fatty Acids and Autophagy - Comments on Teaching an Ethical View of Life Extension - Arguing DNA Damage as a Cause of Aging - Relative Risk For Causes of Cognitive Decline - An Upcoming Oxford Debate With Aubrey de Grey and Richard Faragher &nbs...
Source: Fight Aging! - February 17, 2013 Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Authors: Reason Tags: Newsletters Source Type: blogs

Medications that Increase the Risks of Patient Falls
Falls are the leading cause of both fatal and non-fatal injuries for adults 65 and older. Alzheimer's Reading Room “Falls are the leading cause of both fatal and non-fatal injuries for adults 65 and older, and research suggests that those taking four or more medications are at an even greater risk than those who don’t – perhaps two to three times greater,” said Susan Blalock, Ph.D., an associate professor at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. In 2007, more than 21,700 Americans died as a result of falls and more than 7.9 million were injured by a fall including over 1.8 million older adults who had a fall-rela...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - February 14, 2013 Category: Dementia Authors: Bob DeMarco Source Type: blogs

The Progression of Alzheimer's Can Be Slowed
This study is a groundbreaking event in the fight against dementia, including Alzheimer's, which has been so pervasively devastating for individuals and families, especially given the limited treatment options for patients and their families," said Dr. JoAnn Tschanz, Professor at USU and the study's lead author. "Except for psychiatric symptoms, few studies have examined how caregiver characteristics affect the rate of dementia progression, and our findings indicate significant associations between caregiver coping strategies and the rate of cognitive and functional decline in dementia." Conducted in Cache County, Utah, by...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - February 14, 2013 Category: Dementia Authors: Bob DeMarco Source Type: blogs

Dobbs newsletter
Dobbs is the exclusive (and free!) forum for Malaysian doctors which we have maintained for 12 years now. This is the latest update/newsletter: Dear Dobber, Greetings and a Gong Xi Fa Cai to all who are celebrating! This is our new look Newsletter which we’ll use periodically to update members on the goings on in Dobbs. Dobbs and Facebook For our new Dobbers, a friendly reminder on the new Facebook login feature – if you have a Facebook account, you can now login to Dobbs by clicking on the blue Login to Facebook button. Do note that the email address you use with Facebook and Dobbs must be the same for th...
Source: Malaysian Medical Resources - February 13, 2013 Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Authors: palmdoc Tags: - Dobbs - Site updates Source Type: blogs

10 reasons why I love Medicare as a physician
I know. I know. Medicare is the insurance that all of us love to hate. But being both an internist and geriatrician, I have learned to see the good side of the sometimes annoying government program for several reasons:1. Medicare’s fee schedule. It’s bad, but not that bad. Sure, Medicare’s fee schedule has only increased 3.1% over the past 12 years, while practice costs (based on the Medicare Economic Index) have increased 30% during that period. But are other insurances that much better? For many insurance plans, the gap between Medicare and private insurance fee schedules is only 5-10%, and it is rarely mor...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - February 12, 2013 Category: Family Physicians Tags: Physician Medicare Primary care Source Type: blogs

OpenNotes in geriatics: 6 awkward concerns
I found out this past weekend that the VA will be making clinician progress notes available for patients to view on the MyHealtheVet portal. In other words, the VA is going OpenNotes. (Note: I was a primary care provider in geriatrics clinic at the San Francisco VA from 2006-2010.)My first reaction was to be impressed by this bold progressive move.My next reaction was to feel mildly relieved that I’m no longer a PCP there.Continue reading ... Manage your online reputation: A complete social media guide. Read the book by KevinMD. (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog)
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - February 11, 2013 Category: Family Physicians Tags: Physician Geriatrics Health IT Source Type: blogs

More on mTOR and Gender Longevity Differences
This paper comes from a group that considers aging to be a programmed process involving later-life overactivity of processes vital to early-life development rather than the result of stochastic accumulation of unrepaired cellular and molecular damage. I think that this view isn't well supported by the balance of evidence, but it does illustrate the complexity of aging that such divergent interpretations of the same data exist. The researchers' views don't diminish the data they produce from animal studies, but do mean that you have to read their interpretations of the data with that bias in mind: One of the most long-stan...
Source: Fight Aging! - February 11, 2013 Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Authors: Reason Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs

The Only Predictable Aspect of Alzheimer’s Is Its Baffling Unpredictability!
Two weeks after her fall, she was lucid enough to realize her wandering didn’t make sense, but not aware enough to know she didn’t have a car. Elaine Pereira Alzheimer's Reading Room My professional background is as an Occupational Therapist specializing in pediatrics, primarily special needs children, to improve their self-care, fine motor and perceptual skills. Although geriatrics may not be my specialty service, I did work ten years in adult home care. From my perspective as a therapist, adults often can be a little easier to work with than kids. They don’t cry when they are having a bad day; well usually...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - February 11, 2013 Category: Dementia Authors: Bob DeMarco Source Type: blogs

My Hospice Care Decision for Dotty
Hospice allows a person who is critically ill to live their life to the end with compassion, great care, and dignity. By Bob DeMarco Alzheimer's Reading Room Last week I wrote - Is Hospice Care an After Thought? In the comments section under the article our reader Judy K asked: Bob -- Thanks for referencing the excellent article about Hospice utilization. Can you give us a little more detail about your statement, "There were two times when I thought it might be necessary for me to utilize Hospice to help care for Dotty. Two false alarms. She bounced back. The third time there was no doubt - it was time for Hospi...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - February 11, 2013 Category: Dementia Authors: Bob DeMarco Source Type: blogs