MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'geriatric'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:11:42 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5182057&cid=t_146592_122_f&fid=34736&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FChannelN-PodcastsPoweredByOdiogo%2F%7E3%2F70_d3_OsOXE%2F Exercise as a Preventive or Disease-Modifying Treatment of Dementia A neurologist reports on the newly published article “Physical Exercise as a Preventive or Disease-Modifying Treatment of Dementia and Brain Aging,” Ahlskog et al, Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 2011. Their meta-analysis found that exercise affects brain health in animal models, and suggest it can modify cognitive outcomes with normal aging and perhaps reduce the risk of neurodegenerative disease like dementia. Physical (as opposed to mental) exercise is recommended. Although the amount and type of exercise has not been completely assessed, patients are being counseled to practice regular vigorous exercise. DOI: 10.4016/33263.01. (Source: Channel N) Channel N blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5182057 Fri, 02 Sep 2011 01:51:31 +0100 5182057 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4828948&cid=t_146592_105_f&fid=39124&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jeffreymlevinemd.com%2Fpreventing-pressure-ulcers-in-wheelchair-patients%2F In most cases pressure ulcer prevention can be accomplished by risk assessment followed by common sense choices for pressure reduction.  In these days of evidence based medicine, health care providers need to listen to the evidence and implement best practices to reduce the incidence and prevalence of adverse outcomes such as pressure ulcers.  An important [...] (Source: Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers) Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4828948 Mon, 16 May 2011 04:02:58 +0100 4828948 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4775432&cid=t_146592_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F05%2F02%2Fmental-health-needs-of-older-americans%2F As the baby boomers age here in the U.S., they are going to swell the ranks of seniors. And senior care — especially mental health care — is one of the most ignored in America. We act as though seniors don’t matter much, and few health care and mental health care professionals go into specializations, such as geriatric psychology, that can help senior citizens. Perhaps that will change, with more attention and focus provided on this group of people. Because as we age, we often face many of the same difficulties as we did earlier in life. Except these difficulties are often amplified, because of the loss of social support — our friends — and isolation — most often from our own family. The New York Times profiles Marc E. Agronin, M.D., a geriatric psychiat... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4775432 Mon, 02 May 2011 13:50:19 +0100 4775432 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4753725&cid=t_146592_105_f&fid=39124&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jeffreymlevinemd.com%2Ffaces-of-a-generation-essay-by-jerry-winakur%2F An Essay by Dr. Jerry Winakur [This essay written by author and physician Jerry Winakur is reprinted with permission from Caring for the Ages, a publication of the American Medical Directors Association.  Dr. Winakur is Clinical Professor of Medicine at University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio where my exhibit, Aging Across America, was [...] (Source: Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers) Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4753725 Mon, 25 Apr 2011 22:15:26 +0100 4753725 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4742432&cid=t_146592_105_f&fid=39124&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jeffreymlevinemd.com%2Ffalls-in-elderly-persons%2F Recently on hospital teaching rounds a medical resident presented an elderly man who fell.  The patient suffered no fall-related injuries but was diagnosed with pneumonia and congestive heart failure.  The resident called the event a “mechanical fall,” and the interns and residents nodded in agreement regarding the assessment and plan.   When I questioned the young doctor, [...] (Source: Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers) Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4742432 Thu, 21 Apr 2011 17:45:02 +0100 4742432 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4424503&cid=t_146592_158_f&fid=38949&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FAgingWithGraceCareconnection%2F%7E3%2FJyB5HGZ4oMk%2Folder-patients-may-getlower-quality.html Trauma centers may not give the same high-quality care to severely injured elderly patients as they provide to younger patients, according to a new study.Researchers analyzed data on 87,754 trauma patients of all ages treated at 131 trauma centers in the United States and one trauma center in Canada. About one-quarter of the patients were elderly.When patients in all age groups were grouped together, 14 centers were rated as high performers, with lower than expected rates of death. When young and elderly patients were looked at separately, seven centers were high performers for young patients and nine were high performers for elderly patients. Only two centers were high performers for both young and elderly patients.The study findings are published in the January issue of the journal Annal... Aging with Grace CareConnection blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4424503 Tue, 01 Feb 2011 21:44:00 +0100 4424503 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4389201&cid=t_146592_105_f&fid=39124&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jeffreymlevinemd.com%2Faging-across-america-goes-to-san-antonio%2F My new photo exhibit, Aging Across America, will make its debut at the Center for Medical Humanities and Ethics at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio in February 2011. Directed by Ruth Bergrren MD whose background is Internal Medicine and Infectious Disease, the Center hosts special events throughout the year that [...] (Source: Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers) Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4389201 Mon, 24 Jan 2011 04:37:54 +0100 4389201 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4355757&cid=t_146592_105_f&fid=39124&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jeffreymlevinemd.com%2Fbacktrack-on-reimbursement-for-end-of-life-counseling%2F Medical doctors are trained to understand and administer powerful technologies which can prolong life.  They get paid to do this.  But should they also get paid to inform patients of alternatives if they do not want these technologies?  The Obama administration has said no to this question.  During the healthcare reform debate the issue of physician reimbursement [...] (Source: Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers) Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4355757 Mon, 17 Jan 2011 05:07:18 +0100 4355757 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4298662&cid=t_146592_105_f&fid=39124&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jeffreymlevinemd.com%2Fmore-geriatrics-by-legislation%2F In a recent blog post I pointed out some legislative initiatives that essentially make certain principles of geriatric practice required by law.  I noted how these laws can be interpreted as an effort to make up for the scarcity of practicing geriatricians, and the lack of geriatrics training for most physicians in America.   President Obama [...] (Source: Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers) Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4298662 Tue, 28 Dec 2010 05:32:07 +0100 4298662 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4214518&cid=t_146592_165_f&fid=36770&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmetaot.com%2Fblog%2Fwaterbed-sensory-integration Hello OT's of the world, I am a new grad working on a Dementia Unit. I have a client who is often very agitated and busy, and does not respond well to medication. I had received a referral to implement some environmental strategies to ameliorate his behaviours and promote calm and comfort for him. After a sensory profile, it was clear that he craves vestibular movement. During the day when he is awake, and he always seems to be awake, he foot and hand propels about the ward in a wheelchair. This constant movement does prevent him from calling out and thrashing around, which were some of his previous behaviours. Nursing staff have asked me to look into a similar soultion to promote sleep, as he sometimes remains awake for 72 hours at a time. We have come up with some ideas including a water... meta-ot blogs blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4214518 Mon, 29 Nov 2010 16:22:18 +0100 4214518 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4125040&cid=t_146592_105_f&fid=39124&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jeffreymlevinemd.com%2Fa-geriatricians-view-on-elder-abuse-in-film%2F This past Halloween I stayed at home with my wife and watched old horror films.  One of them was the psychological suspense thriller, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane, released in 1962.  This is the story of two aging sisters, one of whom is paraplegic and confined to a wheelchair on the second floor of [...] (Source: Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers) Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4125040 Mon, 01 Nov 2010 17:53:16 +0100 4125040 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4105729&cid=t_146592_105_f&fid=39124&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jeffreymlevinemd.com%2Fspecialty-of-geriatrics-is-in-danger%2F On December 1, 2010, Medicare payments will be slashed by more than 21%, a cut that will severely impact physicians who practice geriatric medicine.  The result will be devastating to the 43 million American seniors who receive Medicare coverage, sharply limiting access to care in an environment that is already facing a deficit in geriatric [...] (Source: Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers) Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4105729 Mon, 25 Oct 2010 04:08:23 +0100 4105729 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3983417&cid=t_146592_105_f&fid=39124&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jeffreymlevinemd.com%2Flegislated-standards-of-medical-practice%2F Recently Governor Paterson signed a law that mandates New York doctors to offer balanced information on choices for end-of-life care – a practice in line with principles of geriatric practice and informed decision making.  All nursing homes are already mandated by regulation to perform assessments for such medical problems as delirium, depression, and pressure ulcers [...] (Source: Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers) Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3983417 Mon, 20 Sep 2010 05:03:10 +0100 3983417 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3701699&cid=t_146592_105_f&fid=39124&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jeffreymlevinemd.com%2Faging-and-invisibility%2F My aging related art was recently covered in a post written by Paula Span in the New York Times blog, The New Old Age.  It was gratifying to spend time with this outstanding journalist and share my images, many of which are finally being shown after years of storage.  I was touched by some of the [...] (Source: Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers) Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3701699 Sat, 26 Jun 2010 14:33:38 +0100 3701699 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3658980&cid=t_146592_105_f&fid=39124&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jeffreymlevinemd.com%2Fgeriatrics-humanistic-medicine-and-art%2F I recently served as keynote speaker at the American Medical Directors Association annual meeting in Long Beach, California.  The title of my talk was Geriatrics, Humanistic Medicine, & Art, and the goal was to weave together themes of art and medicine to draw conclusions as to how geriatrics is the most humanistic of medical specialties.  Humanistic [...] (Source: Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers) Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3658980 Mon, 14 Jun 2010 04:29:10 +0100 3658980 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3635837&cid=t_146592_105_f&fid=39124&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jeffreymlevinemd.com%2Felizabeth-ayello-blogs-on-revised-mds%2F Guest Post by Elizabeth A. Ayello, PhD, RN, ACNS-BC, CWON, MAPWCA, FAAN. Are you ready for the changes in MDS 3.0, Section M: Skin Condition? Having just developed the slide materials and provided the instruction on this for the CMS “Train the Trainer” programs in April 2010, I strongly believe that because section M is expanded [...] (Source: Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers) Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3635837 Mon, 07 Jun 2010 12:56:14 +0100 3635837 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3617859&cid=t_146592_105_f&fid=39124&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jeffreymlevinemd.com%2Fanother-cover-photo-on-the-gerontologist%2F The June, 2010 cover of The Gerontologist features one of my many images of aging.  I have been photographing human aging for the past twenty years, and this magazine has been publishing my work as cover art since 1996.    This photograph featuring Robert and Esther Wolf was taken in Venice Beach about two years ago at [...] (Source: Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers) Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3617859 Tue, 01 Jun 2010 04:57:06 +0100 3617859 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3595621&cid=t_146592_105_f&fid=39124&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jeffreymlevinemd.com%2Fgeriatric-patients-are-different%2F In 1981 I was an Internal Medicine intern rotating through a community hospital in New Jersey.  My job was to carry out the day-to-day patient care under the direction of the private docs.  I will never forget the first experience that showed me that geriatric patients are different, and helped me decide to pursue the [...] (Source: Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers) Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3595621 Tue, 25 May 2010 05:30:28 +0100 3595621 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3569847&cid=t_146592_105_f&fid=39124&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jeffreymlevinemd.com%2Fmedical-residents-knowledge-about-pressure-ulcers%2F   The answer:  Not as much as nurses! This past weekend I presented a new study on how much medical residents know about pressure ulcers at the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) Annual Scientific Meeting in Orlando, FL.  In our research we tested medical doctors in residency training at a major New York City hospital.  For those of us who [...] (Source: Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers) Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3569847 Mon, 17 May 2010 05:58:01 +0100 3569847 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3519483&cid=t_146592_105_f&fid=39124&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jeffreymlevinemd.com%2Fpressure-ulcer-prevention-lacking-in-high-risk-patients%2F A major study published in The Gerontologist has shown that pressure ulcer prevention measures are lacking in high risk patients.  A research group based in the Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine studied elderly patients with hip fractures, following them across care settings that included hospitals, rehabilitation [...] (Source: Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers) Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3519483 Thu, 29 Apr 2010 15:45:00 +0100 3519483 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3508216&cid=t_146592_105_f&fid=39124&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jeffreymlevinemd.com%2Fhigh-tech-devices-for-older-patients%2F A substantial multi-billion dollar industry in implantable cardiac devices has emerged in recent years.  Technologies such as cardiac defibrillators (ICDs) and cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) devices are being implanted in many people who may not need them, and one of the biggest markets is the elderly.  A recent paper published in the Archives of Internal Medicine [...] (Source: Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers) Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3508216 Mon, 26 Apr 2010 14:19:31 +0100 3508216 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3487101&cid=t_146592_105_f&fid=39124&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jeffreymlevinemd.com%2Fping-pong-aging-and-the-disuse-syndrome%2F Back in November I had the opportunity to visit with and photograph the oldest professional ping pong player in the world.  98 year old Dorothy DeLow lives in a well kept home nestled in a suburb of Sydney, Australia.  She demonstrated her ability to keep a ball in the air and in doing so exhibited the [...] (Source: Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers) Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3487101 Mon, 19 Apr 2010 11:00:37 +0100 3487101 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3448890&cid=t_146592_105_f&fid=39124&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jeffreymlevinemd.com%2Fhow-will-health-care-reform-affect-geriatrics%2F The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (HR 3590) purports to contain provisions that will provide for better care for America’s seniors and add stimulus to growth of the field of Geriatrics.  One wonders, however, whether this historic bill will have true impact in stemming the flow of medical doctors away from caring for the [...] (Source: Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers) Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3448890 Wed, 07 Apr 2010 15:06:41 +0100 3448890 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3420509&cid=t_146592_105_f&fid=39124&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jeffreymlevinemd.com%2Fshakespeare-and-aging%2F The plays of William Shakespeare written in the sixteenth century reflected the culture and opinions of his time.  In Shakespeare’s day, life expectancy was in the 30’s, and Shakespeare himself lived to the old age of 52.  In contrast to today’s population, very few people lived into the 80s and 90s.  Throughout Shakespeare’s works there [...] (Source: Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers) Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3420509 Sun, 21 Mar 2010 20:33:01 +0100 3420509 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3420512&cid=t_146592_105_f&fid=39124&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jeffreymlevinemd.com%2Fperipheral-arterial-disease-is-underdiagnosed%2F When ulcers of the lower extremity develop, it is important to find out why. Many ulcers develop over boney prominences which are subjected to pressure, and are therefore labeled as pressure ulcers. However, one common etiology of lower extremity wounds is frequently not considered, particularly in elderly persons. This is atherosclerotic disease of the lower [...] (Source: Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers) Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3420512 Mon, 01 Mar 2010 15:00:39 +0100 3420512 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3420513&cid=t_146592_105_f&fid=39124&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jeffreymlevinemd.com%2Fretooling-for-an-aging-america%2F This study was commissioned by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and put together by the Committee on the Future Health Care Workforce for Older Americans chaired by John W. Rowe.  The document presents an analysis of America’s [...] (Source: Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers) Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3420513 Mon, 22 Feb 2010 13:00:17 +0100 3420513 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3420515&cid=t_146592_105_f&fid=39124&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jeffreymlevinemd.com%2Fnursing-home-care-in-australia%2F I recently attended The International Arts and Health Conference in Port Macquarie, Australia.  Because I spent so much of my medical career in long-term care, I sought out the opportunity to visit a nursing home to speak with staff and make comparisons on how we do things in the States.  I also had lunch with one of the [...] (Source: Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers) Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3420515 Mon, 15 Feb 2010 15:36:25 +0100 3420515 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3420516&cid=t_146592_105_f&fid=39124&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jeffreymlevinemd.com%2Fageism-the-new-york-times-and-geriatric-medicine%2F After reading an article entitled “The Geezers’ Crusade” by columnist David Brooks in the Op-Ed pages of the New York Times last week I felt compelled to comment on it.   The article begins on an encouraging note, pointing out how society’s views of human aging are evolving from negative to optimistic.  Once viewed as a [...] (Source: Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers) Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3420516 Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:03:07 +0100 3420516 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3420517&cid=t_146592_105_f&fid=39124&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jeffreymlevinemd.com%2Ffalls-aging-and-the-bible%2F Falls are a major problem in geriatric patients.  As persons age, falls and their consequences become increasingly more serious.  According to the American Geriatrics Society, for those over age 65 and over, 35 to 40% of community dwelling persons fall annually.  As people get sicker and more debilitated, fall incidence increases as well as their [...] (Source: Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers) Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3420517 Thu, 04 Feb 2010 01:21:05 +0100 3420517 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3420518&cid=t_146592_105_f&fid=39124&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jeffreymlevinemd.com%2Fskin-surveillance-under-medical-devices%2F Most educational materials on pressure ulcers tell you that the most common areas for pressure ulcers are under boney prominences such as the sacrum, ischium, and heels.   However, an area that is frequently under-emphasized in pressure ulcer education is skin breakdown under medical devices.   Tissue damage under medical devices is therefore frequently overlooked when performing skin [...] (Source: Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers) Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3420518 Fri, 15 Jan 2010 23:18:40 +0100 3420518 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2804093&cid=t_146592_125_f&fid=37825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbibbynews.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F09%2F16%2Fseptember-21-is-world-alzheimers-day%2F Every year on September 21, Alzheimer’s Disease associations across the globe recognize World Alzheimer’s Day.  This year’s theme for World Alzheimer’s Day is ‘Diagnosing Dementia: See It Sooner’. Across the globe scientists are aiming to establish a link between oral health and Alzheimers.  For example, the British Dental Health Foundation received a grant to study [...] (Source: Bibby Library News and Tips) Bibby Library News and Tips blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2804093 Wed, 16 Sep 2009 20:27:44 +0100 2804093 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2522911&cid=t_146592_87_f&fid=34935&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedicine.com.my%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D7311 There’s a bit of a running joke that the UMMC wards have “no class” which is true since unlike MOH hospitals, there is no 1st, 2nd and 3rd class wards. Yes, UMMC practices “socialist” medicine and all patients are treated equally according to their medical needs. Usually when people write in to the media about their experiences, it’s the one who have grouses or want to find fault, and hence negative feedback far outweighs the positive ones. I wish more people would write in with the positive experiences but such is human nature I guess. Anyway it’s nice to read Bhavani’s letter to Malaysiakini and I am sure the doctors in UMMC’s geriatric ward can pat themselves on their backs. Kudos! from the Malaysian Medical Resources UMMC’s ge... Malaysian Medical Resources blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2522911 Tue, 23 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2522911 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1991740&cid=t_146592_117_f&fid=36026&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fzimney%2Fpreventing-alzheimers-disease-a-scambuster-report%2F Last time, I wrote about Ginkgo biloba being ineffective for the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease, which may have led you to wonder what actually can prevent it? In your Internet search, you might have been drawn in by the headline at CNN: “Five ways to keep Alzheimer’s away.” Unfortunately, that article, as with many similar ones that abound on the Internet, is long on hype and short on hard evidence. The article is so misleading, in fact, that before I tell you what’s really known about preventing Alzheimer’s I’d like to briefly puncture that particular hot air balloon.The CNN list of five ways to prevent Alzheimer’s begins with antioxidants, and in particular, vitamins A, C and E. They quote a psychiatrist who claims that “There are... Dr. Z's Medical Report blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1991740 Tue, 25 Nov 2008 19:57:29 +0100 1991740 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1720357&cid=t_146592_87_f&fid=34935&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedicine.com.my%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D4149 If I Had - A Parent with Alzheimer’s Disease - Dr. Lon Schneider, MD, University of Southern California Medical School & Keck School of Medicine Insidermedicine interviews Dr. Lon Schneider, MD, a Geriatric Psychiatrist at the University of Southern California Medical School MMR posts on Alzheimer’s disease a If I Had A Parent with Alzheimer’s Disease (Source: Malaysian Medical Resources) Malaysian Medical Resources blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1720357 Wed, 20 Aug 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1720357 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1512377&cid=t_146592_158_f&fid=36018&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcaregiversbeacon.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F06%2Fneed-help-with-elderly-parents.html Friends, acquaintances and caregiver agencies often offer well-meant advice but where can you find educated, certified, licensed expert help and advice for aging parents? At caregiverlist.com an article on Geriatric Care Managers explains credentials can include being a Registered Nurse, Licensed Counselor of Social Work, Counselor of Psychology or Attorney. Certifications for Geriatric Care Managers require "educational qualifications, supervision, work experience, written exams, and ongoing education to maintain a certificate."I have seen that too often people are overwhelmed with advice from others who do not have the education, licenses, experience and credentials to be genuine experts. Friends, other caregivers, caregiver agencies, and others who are involved in the eldercare world bu... The Caregiver's Beacon - Resources, Links, Ideas, News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1512377 Thu, 12 Jun 2008 17:43:00 +0100 1512377 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1451919&cid=t_146592_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2F293105377%2F The older we get the harder it is for us to make it through surgical procedures and invasive treatments. That is somewhat tongue in cheek due to the fact that as we get older we need more treatment and surgeries. This also proves true for heart patients and more specifically heart valve patients. There is a minimally invasive Phase II EVEREST clinical trial with the aim of treating malfunctioning heart valves in the elderly. The new technique, already proven safe by a Phase I clinical trial in 2005, involves only a small incision through the skin in the groin. A small catheter is then guided up through the maze of the blood vessels of the circulatory system and into the targeted heart chamber. Then, a tiny metal clip is clamped into the area to stabilize the malfunctioning valve. This less... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1451919 Sun, 18 May 2008 18:27:27 +0100 1451919 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2513378&cid=t_146592_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Fcaregiver-jeff%2Fpops-turns-91-and-we-go-golfing%2F My father had his 91st birthday on Saturday, and I took him to the driving range as a kind of birthday outing. I was a little anxious about how he would do (he has a bad left knee), but he used to be an avid golfer, and it’s something he had mentioned that he wanted to do, so if he was game, I was too. When I picked him up at The Mill, the senior residence where he lives, Pops had on a new pink T-shirt that his friends there had given him the night before at a small birthday party. “You’re only as old as you remember you are,” the T-shirt read. So in that spirit, Pops and I went to a nearby driving range and each got a bucket of balls. Unexpectedly, it had turned into a beautiful day despite predictions of rain, so we teed up under blue skies and began happily whaling away at the g... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2513378 Fri, 02 May 2008 19:25:43 +0100 2513378 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1361280&cid=t_146592_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fcaregiver%2Fjeff%2Fliving-to-100%2F My father turns 91 later this month, which is really getting up there. And despite a couple of strokes in 2005 and 2006 and a handful of other asymptomatic chronic conditions, he is, to all appearances, doing pretty well. The only thing that gives him any real trouble is a bad knee that he has to favor. So I was wondering the other day just how far Pops might make it past 91. (After all, he still has an older brother, Bill , who’s 94 or so.) The question led me to a recent HealthTalk Live program on living long (“How to Live to 100 with a Chronic Disease“) . The program consisted of an interview with Dr. Thomas T. Perls, a geriatrician who is director of Boston University’s New England Centenarian Study, which for the past dozen years or so has been studying people who top 100 ... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1361280 Wed, 09 Apr 2008 22:01:32 +0100 1361280 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1327636&cid=t_146592_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fcaregiver%2Fjeff%2Fan-easter-reminiscence-about-my-mother%2F On Easter Sunday, I brought Pops over to our house for an Easter brunch. Both of the daughters were home (Amanda from Norwalk, CT, and Molly on spring break from college) so it was a good time for reunions and family reminiscences. I had been thinking of my mother, Dorothy, and while we were eating our French toast I reminded my father that the twentieth anniversary of her passing away is coming up March 29. My father doesn’t talk about my mother very often. It’s not because he has forgotten her, I am sure, but because he doesn’t like to dwell on loss. Of course there are plenty of fond memories to bring to mind, too, so I broke out an old photo album with pictures of Mom, Pops and their friends and family going back to the 1930’s. There was a photo of Mom as a teenage girl, one of... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1327636 Tue, 25 Mar 2008 21:57:20 +0100 1327636 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1300772&cid=t_146592_117_f&fid=36026&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fzimney%2Ffalls-and-fall-related-injuries-are-all-too-common-in-older-adults%2F My father will turn 89 in early April, and he was recently described by a visiting physical therapist as “a fall waiting to happen.” So the March 7, 2008 article in the CDC’s “MMWR” publication about seniors falling is one of personal interest to me. And since the CDC reports that falls are the leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injury in persons 65 years and older, it’s likely that this subject will resonate with HealthTalk readers concerned with their personal risk of falls as well as with the risks to their parents, friends and other loved ones. The CDC has estimated that in a three-month period in 2006, about 5.8 million persons over 65 fell and of those about 1.8 million sustained some type of fall-related injury. The overall estimate is that each year in the United Stat... Dr. Z's Medical Report blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1300772 Thu, 13 Mar 2008 18:16:09 +0100 1300772 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1278445&cid=t_146592_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fcaregiver%2Fjeff%2Fits-a-small-world%2F I got an unexpected call last week from a man named Bill Kimbark who I don’t know personally, but who was a little kid who knew my father when he was a young man. The Kimbarks were neighbors of my father in the village of Congers, N.Y., back in the 1930’s and 1940’s. Bill’s son – if I got this right – had stumbled across this blog via Yahoo and told his father about it, and he called me up. Bill, who was 18 years younger than my father, recalled how the Muises and Kimbarks used to be fast friends and were in out of each other’s houses all the time in those years, almost like they were the same family. Bill’s much older brother Harold was a close friend and my father’s best man in 1940 when he married Dorothy Eleanor Smith, my mother. Pops and Harold were on the same amate... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1278445 Tue, 04 Mar 2008 14:00:04 +0100 1278445 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1243562&cid=t_146592_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fcaregiver%2Fjeff%2Fmovie-the-savages-portrays-caregiving-with-all-its-warts%2F The trailer of “The Savages” makes the movie look a lot funnier than it is. Even calling this movie a black comedy – as some reviewers do – doesn’t seem quite accurate. Even though there are some funny scenes, I’d have to say this is a pretty straight-ahead serious movie about caregiving. The movie focuses on the Savage siblings, a brother, Jon (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and sister, Wendy (Laura Linney), who suddenly are thrust into caregiver roles when their estranged elderly father Lenny Philip Bosco) begins to slip into dementia. These are all imperfect people. Both of the middle-aged siblings, the story makes clear, suffer from frustrations and disappointments in their own present-day lives as well as the residue of unhappy childhoods. Neither is married nor has a family. Bot... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1243562 Wed, 20 Feb 2008 00:16:35 +0100 1243562 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1143521&cid=t_146592_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fcaregiver%2Fjeff%2Fa-caregiver-rants-about-insurance-company-communication%2F I’m an easy-going sort usually, so why do I find it so hard to keep my temper when I’m talking to customer service reps at insurance companies? Case in point: A week or so ago, out of the blue, Pops got a letter from Aetna welcoming him to the Aetna Medicare Rx Plan – except nobody had ever enrolled him in the Aetna Medicare Rx Plan. The letter was full of irrelevancies and was unhelpful in explaining why he was getting it. I told him I would call Aetna and find out what was going on. I did remember that last year the EPIC New York State Prescription Plan, in which Pops had been enrolled for years, required him to sign up for a Part D prescription plan and provided a list of alternative plans. At that time, I called and talked to the EPIC rep and picked a plan called RX1 administered... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1143521 Fri, 11 Jan 2008 00:32:22 +0100 1143521 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1137291&cid=t_146592_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fcaregiver%2Fjeff%2Fa-caregivers-new-years-resolutions%2F It’s not too late for New Year’s resolutions yet, right? Today, I took a look around the Web, perused the caregiver e-mails in my listserv and asked around to see what kinds of New Year’s resolutions other caregivers were making. I thought some might apply to me and Pops, and I found some that did (or there would be no blog). Anyway, here, in no particular order, is a list of “caregiver resolutions for 2008” I compiled and have paraphrased. I’m not making them all personally, but a couple I have taken as my own. I bet some of these would work for you too: • I will give my own health needs more attention. (This is a resolution I’m going to embrace. In fact, I have gotten to know my father’s doctor, Dr. H, so well that I am making him my doctor too. Next month, I’ll get m... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1137291 Tue, 08 Jan 2008 22:27:13 +0100 1137291 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1128882&cid=t_146592_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fcaregiver%2Fjeff%2Fno-holiday-from-caregiving%2F What with the holidays and a week of vacation, I have been absent from the blogosphere for a while. The last few weeks have reminded me that you can take a holiday from blogging, but the caregiving goes on. We had some weird weather. A good old fashioned Catskill Mountain snowstorm was followed by rising temperatures and days of rain (global warming?), but not all the snow got washed away, and so we managed an “off-white” Christmas. The daughters Amanda and Molly were both home, and I brought Pops over on Christmas Eve and we made up a bed for him in the den. On Christmas morning, we all took turns opening up the presents and enthusing about what everybody got everybody. I got Pops a calendar of Nova Scotia historical photos (we both are members of a genealogical and historical society... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1128882 Thu, 03 Jan 2008 20:53:57 +0100 1128882 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1087745&cid=t_146592_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fcaregiver%2Fjeff%2Fa-caregiver-shops-for-the-holidays%2F I think it’s pretty well recognized that the holiday season is a time of stress and strain for many people, and I am sure there are many caregivers among them. My own holiday stresses are happily minor, but still vexing. For starters, it’s time to buy gifts for the family. When it comes to my 90-year-old father, it means my buying a gift for him as well as all the gifts he gives to the rest of us. Pops doesn’t drive anymore, and though theoretically I could take him shopping, he has always been helpless and overwhelmed in department stores and malls. Come to think of it, even when he was much younger and still got around he depended on me to think of gifts for the family and then procure and wrap them for him. You might call it a holiday tradition. My problem is that I have a hard ti... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1087745 Tue, 11 Dec 2007 19:31:52 +0100 1087745 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1079919&cid=t_146592_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fcaregiver%2Fjeff%2Fnow-where-did-i-put-that-memory%2F My early morning walk (three miles, rain or shine) is supposed to clear my mind for the day ahead, but it had a different effect today. I was ambling along listening to some classical music on my iPod, when I recognized the opening notes of the playful and timid flute piece Syrinx, one of my favorites by the French composer . . . ? My mind was blank. Nothing. What was his name? I knew it yesterday, and I was sure I would know it tomorrow. It was odd that I didn’t know it now. I walked along madly flipping through the 3X5 cards of my memory. I found the cards that said he was the composer of “Clair de Lune” and the “Maid with the Flaxen Hair” and “Afternoon of a Faun.” But his actual name wouldn’t come up. Some of the 3X5s must have stuck together. I tried visualizing the CD... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1079919 Fri, 07 Dec 2007 21:00:43 +0100 1079919 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1075384&cid=t_146592_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F196312481%2F Very interesting collection of recent news...let's connect some dots 1) Great article titled Boom time for retirees writeDate( 1196878752000, 'Grey', '18:12', 9999999999999); (Financial Times) - "By 2015, boomers will have a net worth of some $26,000bn (£12,750bn, €17,670bn) – equivalent to a year’s gross domestic product for the US and eurozone combined. They will control a larger proportion of wealth, income and consumption than any other generation in the country – the first time that consumers over 50 have held such sway over the world’s largest economy." - "But as the boomers aged – by 2015 they will all be outside the fabled under-49 cohort – corporate America failed to grow old with them. Marketing experts argue that the continued focus of large compan... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1075384 Thu, 06 Dec 2007 22:26:32 +0100 1075384 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1060164&cid=t_146592_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fcaregiver%2Fjeff%2Fa-caregiver-sweats-the-medications-again%2F It looked like Pops was going to get through his course of Ciprol (ciprofloxacin) treatment for a bladder infection without throwing his blood-clotting factor out of whack this time. It looked that way. No such luck. Last week – his last week on Ciprol – Pops’ blood test results came back too high. Just like the other time he took Ciprol last spring, the antibiotic interacted with his blood thinner, Coumadin, and made his blood too thin, posing the risk of a hemorrhagic stroke. It was high enough so that Pops’ doctor’s nurse Gina called to say he should skip the Coumadin for a couple of days. So I called Pops and told him to skip the “blue tablet and the half-pink tablet” (4.5 mg) for the next two days. The next day, Thanksgiving, I went and picked up Pops for Thanksg... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1060164 Thu, 29 Nov 2007 21:23:05 +0100 1060164 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1044228&cid=t_146592_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fcaregiver%2Fjeff%2Fmemory-lapses-cause-concern%2F You know, lots of times talking with my father, you would never know he is 90 –years- old. He is completely lucid, often sharp, getting off the clever one-liners that make him the toast of the Mill, where he lives. At other times, the after effect of his two strokes is starkly apparent. Case in point: I was having breakfast at McDonald’s with Pops the other day. He was halfway through an Egg McMuffin and was sipping his coffee. All of a sudden he looked down at the sandwich and asked, “Where did that come from?” This was way beyond Pops’ normal forgetfulness. He honestly did not remember that he had been eating the Egg McMuffin just a moment before. He thought I had just surreptitiously put the half-eaten Egg McMuffin there, and it took a minute to convince him I hadn’t. Then h... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1044228 Wed, 21 Nov 2007 19:11:54 +0100 1044228 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1024445&cid=t_146592_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fcaregiver%2Fjeff%2Fa-lighter-moment-in-caregiving%2F The other day I went over to pick up my father for breakfast, and found his friend Lily there having coffee with him. Lily is in her late 70’s and has an apartment at the Mill, too. She makes a point to check in with Pops every morning, so I asked her to come to breakfast with us and she said OK. That’s when the hilarity began. I had the pickup truck, which technically has a little back seat, so Pops struggled into the back seat with me providing a little lift from behind. The problem started when we got to the diner and had to get Pops out. First, he tried a frontward approach, but couldn’t get his good leg to reach the ground, so he tried backing out. Lily and I clung to Pops’ elbows and armpits trying to ease him out in the narrow gap between the front seat and the doorframe. Ma... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1024445 Tue, 13 Nov 2007 23:28:19 +0100 1024445 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1017957&cid=t_146592_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fcaregiver%2Fjeff%2Fpops-blood-test-looks-ok-this-time-around%2F Pops had a blood test yesterday to see how his clotting factor was trending. As I’ve blogged before, I have been anxious about it because Pops is again taking Ciprol (ciprofloxacin) for a bladder infection, and the last time he took Ciprol it interacted with his blood thinner, Coumadin, and made his blood too thin. To make a long story short, the blood test came out okay this time. It was up a bit from the last test a couple of weeks ago, but it was in the therapeutic range (on the high end). Dr. H’s nurse, Gina, who called with the news, said Pops could wait two weeks for his next blood test. By then, he’ll be done with the Ciprol. As luck would have it, Dr. H was taking one of his monthly vacations this week when the lab results came in, and Gina said his stand-in, Dr. M, suggeste... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1017957 Fri, 09 Nov 2007 17:35:42 +0100 1017957 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1015937&cid=t_146592_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fcaregiver%2Fjeff%2Fpops-blood-test-looks-ok-this-time-around%2F Pops had a blood test yesterday to see how his clotting factor was trending. As I’ve blogged before, I have been anxious about it because Pops is again taking Ciprol [ciprofloxacin] for a bladder infection, and the last time he took Ciprol it interacted with his blood thinner, Coumadin, and made his blood too thin. To make a long story short, the blood test came out OK this time. It was up a bit from the last test a couple of weeks ago, but it was in the therapeutic range (on the high end). Dr. H’s nurse Gina, who called with the news, said Pops could wait two weeks for his next blood test. By then, he’ll be done with the Ciprol. As luck would have it, Dr. H was taking one of his monthly vacations this week when the lab results came in, and Gina said his stand-in, Dr. M, suggested a ... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1015937 Fri, 09 Nov 2007 04:48:37 +0100 1015937 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1015093&cid=t_146592_117_f&fid=36026&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fzimney%2Fblood-pressure-drug-might-help-alzheimers-great-news-for-mice%2F Maybe you saw the headlines that the high blood pressure drug Diovan [valsartan] might have some kind of impact on Alzheimer’s disease. But depending on what article you read, you’d get a very different report. If you read the article in U.S. News & World Report, you’d have gotten a fair and balanced picture of the research on which the headlines were based. But if you read the article at Fox News, you’d have gotten a highly misleading account. First of all, the research being reported was conducted in mice a pretty important bit of information that tells you that it has no immediate relevance to humans and that any potential benefit for mankind would be years away. The U.S. News article mentions the word mice in its title (in the sub-heading) and in the first sentence of the a... Dr. Z's Medical Report blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1015093 Thu, 08 Nov 2007 20:09:04 +0100 1015093 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1009646&cid=t_146592_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fcaregiver%2Fjeff%2Fshare-the-care-group-offers-a-team-approach-to-caregiving%2F The AARP magazine has an article on caring for the caregivers in the current November/December issue. It has the usual scary stuff abut how caregivers are at greater risk for depression, infectious diseases, inflammatory diseases, exhaustion, self-neglect and a bunch of other bad stuff all wrapped up in a new quasi-medical term: “caregiver syndrome.” I almost put the article down. Reading another article about caregiver depression was starting to make me depressed. But then my attention was drawn to a sidebar about setting up a “share the care” group, an approach to caregiving based on the experience of a group of women who got together in 1988 to help care for a mutual friend with cancer. The experience spawned a novel and creative model for caregiving, a book called Share the Car... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1009646 Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:34:12 +0100 1009646 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=998860&cid=t_146592_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fcaregiver%2Fjeff%2Fa-way-to-observe-national-family-caregivers-month%2F I may have sounded a bit dismissive a few blogs back when I wrote about National Family Caregivers Month (which starts today) being government’s way of recognizing caregivers without actually materially helping them. That doesn’t mean we can’t individually recognize the caregivers we know with individual acts of kindness and concern. Here are some ideas I thought of from the caregiver situations I know about, but other individual caregivers may have different and very specific needs. Please write in with your own suggestions: • Take over for your favorite caregiver for a week. For example, in most families, there is one sibling (it’s usually the oldest daughter, isn’t it?) who carries the bulk of the caregiving load for an elderly parent or parents. This is a good time for oth... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=998860 Thu, 01 Nov 2007 21:01:08 +0100 998860 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=992153&cid=t_146592_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fcaregiver%2Fjeff%2Fdigging-up-67-year-old-memories-with-mexican-food%2F I take my 90-year-old father to dinner or breakfast once or twice a week, so the novelty has pretty much worn off these outings. Last Saturday, for a change I suggested we go to a local Mexican restaurant instead of any of the same four or five diners and family restaurants we usually haunt. While Pops likes all kinds of food, including spicy Chinese and Cajun dishes, I had never heard him mention Mexican food, but when I suggested it, he was on board right away. At the restaurant, he looked less certain as he surveyed the menu of unfamiliar dishes like “chimichanga”, “tamale” and “guacamole”. I made some suggestions, but Pops seemed hesitant. Then he saw the words “arroz con pollo” (literally “rice with chicken”) and his choice was made. It turns out this traditional S... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=992153 Tue, 30 Oct 2007 21:30:30 +0100 992153 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=982775&cid=t_146592_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fcaregiver%2Fjeff%2Fgetting-the-clotting-factor-under-control%2F With Pops again taking Ciprol (ciproflaxcin) for a bladder infection, I’ve been anxious about what his Prothrombin test (clotting factor) on Tuesday would show. But nobody from Dr. H’s office called me the day after the test, as they usually do. So on Thursday, I called Dr. H’s office and the office manager Linda said the doctor was away this week. (If I have one complaint with Dr. H it is that he takes a lot of time off: One week a month. And whenever Pops has a problem, guess what week it is.) However, Linda took the extra step and checked with the nurse Gina, then came back to the phone to say the blood test was “okay” and Gina would call me after Dr. H got a look at it on Friday. Sure enough, Gina called today and the test was right in the middle of the therapeutic range this... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=982775 Fri, 26 Oct 2007 22:01:04 +0100 982775 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=972869&cid=t_146592_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fcaregiver%2Fjeff%2Fpops-gets-a-flu-shot-and-i-dont%2F Today was a “twofer” for Pops. I took him to the lab to have his weekly Prothrombin blood test and, then to Dr. H’s office where the nurse Gina administered his flu shot. While I was there I tried to get a flu shot too, but Gina said I couldn’t because I am not Dr. H’s patient. Between the two medical procedures, Pops and I went to McDonald’s for breakfast, and I proceeded to dump a whole steaming cup of coffee in my lap. I may have uttered an off color epithet or two at that moment. “Here have some of my coffee,” Pops offered. “No thanks,” I muttered. “Just give me your pants.” For the next 10 minutes, I stood in the bathroom with the wall-mounted blow dryer aimed at the crotch of my pants. Yes, it has been shaping up as that kind of day. Last night, my asthma ... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=972869 Tue, 23 Oct 2007 20:21:30 +0100 972869 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=961845&cid=t_146592_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fcaregiver%2Fjeff%2Fis-collaborative-caregiving-coming-for-people-with-dementia%2F According to researchers at Indiana University Center for Aging, the U.S. needs a more integrated healthcare system for elderly people with dementia, a system that fosters collaboration among healthcare providers, community service organizations and caregivers. “Well, duh”, was my first response when I saw this new research from the November issue of the “Journal of General Internal Medicine.” Isn’t this obvious? But I guess it is important progress whenever an influential medical journal like the JGIM states the obvious. An expert stumbling over the obvious is the way we get problems articulated and a public conversation going in this country. Anyway, the crux of the journal article was that most people with dementia only get care from their primary care doctor, and, in ... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=961845 Thu, 18 Oct 2007 23:37:56 +0100 961845 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=959066&cid=t_146592_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fcaregiver%2Fjeff%2Fits-time-for-the-flu-shot%2F I guess I have been preoccupied with Pops’ bladder infection because I never thought about the fact flu season is coming until Pops said the other day, “Shouldn’t I get a flu shot?” And, of course, he was right. For a 90-year-old man with chronic conditions, the flu can be a particularly dangerous disease. So I called Doctor H’s office and set up an appointment for next Tuesday for Pops to get a flu shot. For convnenience, I’ll probably get one at the same time (if it doesn’t cost too much. Dr. H is not my usual doctor, so I won’t be covered by insurance). Meanwhile, Pops started his new course of Ciprol for the bladder infection yesterday, but before he took the first pill, I made sure he had a PT blood test. I had the idea it would be a good baseline on which to base ... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=959066 Wed, 17 Oct 2007 20:11:58 +0100 959066 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=944770&cid=t_146592_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fcaregiver%2Fjeff%2Fno-not-another-bladder-infection%2F Pops’ urologist Dr. C called a couple of days ago to tell me that Pops’ urine culture from last week confirmed another bladder infection, and he said he wants to give him a 30-day course of Ciprol (ciproflaxcin). It will be Pops’ second time on Ciprol for bladder infection since March (and he also had a course of sulfanomides). At least, he’s not suffering from any symptoms. Besides the fact of the persistent infection, this is upsetting because Ciprol is the same drug that Pops took this spring and that interacted with his blood-thinner Coumadin to screw up his blood-clotting factor. He had to get PT blood tests weekly all summer before the blood-clotting factor stabilized where it should be just a few weeks ago. When I reminded Dr. C of the difficulties over the summer with the C... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=944770 Fri, 12 Oct 2007 00:37:48 +0100 944770 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=939008&cid=t_146592_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fcaregiver%2Fjeff%2Fnational-family-caregivers-month-approaches%2F In case you didn’t know, National Family Caregivers Month is coming up in November. This year, the official commemoration reportedly will focus on public policies addressing family caregiving issues. If you’re a caregiver, don’t expect cake and a party, much less any extra help with your caregiving responsibilities, but I suppose it can’t hurt that there’s a month set aside exclusively to help raise awareness of caregivers. Well, it’s not actually “set aside” for caregivers. November is also National Alzheimer’s Disease Month, National Healthy Skin Month, Foot Health Issues Related to Diabetes Month, TMJ Awareness Month and a 30-day promotional opportunity for a slew of other health-related issues. I don’t mean to sound jaundiced about National Family Caregivers Month, ... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=939008 Tue, 09 Oct 2007 23:33:12 +0100 939008 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=928122&cid=t_146592_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fcaregiver%2Fjeff%2Fsome-old-health-problems-resurface%2F When I called my father yesterday morning to check in, he said he awoke feeling lightheaded and had to hold onto the furniture as he made his way around the apartment. I told him it sounded like his blood pressure was too low and I said I would call Dr. H to see what we should do. Back in March, a similar thing happened. That time, Dr. R (who was standing in for Dr. H) said Pops’ blood pressure probably had dipped overnight. Dr. R lowered the dosage of Pops’ blood pressure medication Altace from 10 mg to 5 mg a day. That seemed to do the trick, and the lightheadedness went away. Then in April, on the next visit to Dr. H, Pops blood pressure had begun to creep back up on the lower dosage, so Dr. H increased the medication to alternating 5 mg and 10 mg doses daily. Pops had been fine on ... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=928122 Thu, 04 Oct 2007 20:55:11 +0100 928122 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=908818&cid=t_146592_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fcaregiver%2Fjeff%2Fa-little-inspiration-from-a-neighbor%2F My wife Deb recently got a new job as public relations director in a regional rehabilitation center. It’s a facility for severely disabled people, many with brain injuries. Some of the residents (they call them “neighbors”) will succeed in their rehabilitation and “graduate” to the wider world. Others will spend their days at the center. The center has very active arts, music and creative writing programs for the neighbors, and my wife has been coming home with photos of their works of art and some of their poetry. We both loved this poem, an unexpected exultation written by a severely disabled man named Joe: To be a human, what a privilege I could have been a grasshopper on the ledge of a hill Or an elephant, or any kind of animal on the earth But to be a human being, what a gre... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=908818 Fri, 28 Sep 2007 00:57:27 +0100 908818 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=903918&cid=t_146592_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fcaregiver%2Fjeff%2Fcaregivers-go-give-dr-taylor-a-listen%2F I was browsing through some of the programs on HealthTalk the other day (always time well spent) and listened to the interview of Dr. Richard Taylor about what life with Alzheimer’s disease is like. Wow. Every caregiver needs to hear this interview. Go to the Alzheimer’s program page and click on the September 12 program “Alzheimer’s: Active, Involved and Alert .” Dr. Taylor, a former psychologist who suffers from dementia thought to be Alzheimer’s, is the author of the book, “Alzheimer’s from the Inside Out,” which he said he wrote to keep tabs on the progress of his disease. I haven’t read Dr. Taylor’s book yet, but judging from the interview, Dr. Taylor has ideas – some quite surprising – that any caregiver would benefit from hearing. By coincidence... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=903918 Tue, 25 Sep 2007 19:49:13 +0100 903918 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=888902&cid=t_146592_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fcaregiver%2Fjeff%2Fa-caregiver-worries-about-paperwork%2F Right after my father had his stroke in 2006, I was taking care of his bills and writing the checks for him to sign. Then, as he recovered, he began to do this himself again with me looking over his shoulder, just as the rehabilitation people had recommended. A couple of months later, he was able to go back to doing it himself. And I have to say he’s been doing pretty good with the bills. But he’s not so good at keeping track of the important correspondence that comes in, which seems to get intermingled with junk mail and eventually disappears. I’m beginning to think I have to find a graceful way to take that chore over. Case in point is the form Pops just received from his drug plan carrier asking him to update his account information and provide income figures for 2006. There were ... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=888902 Thu, 20 Sep 2007 21:00:56 +0100 888902 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=883022&cid=t_146592_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fcaregiver%2Fjeff%2Fanother-good-checkup-for-pops%2F We had another good checkup for Pops with Dr. H yesterday. His blood pressure is good, his blood sugar is under control, there is no swelling in his legs from the heart failure he suffers, and his lungs are clear. He’s still 90 and bears up under the usual infirmities of age, but his health is actually pretty good. These periodic exams are a three-way conversation with Dr. H often asking me what meds Pops is on (it’s in the medical records, but I guess it’s easier to ask me) and whether I’ve noticed anything of concern with Pops. Sometimes, maybe I get in the conversation too much. I had to laugh when Dr. H asked Pops if he had any chest pains, and Pops looked at me for the answer. Almost a year-and-a-half ago, after Pops’s stroke, Dr. H took me aside and said the upcoming year w... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=883022 Tue, 18 Sep 2007 22:03:50 +0100 883022 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=869699&cid=t_146592_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fcaregiver%2Fjeff%2Ffinally-pops-gets-the-right-coumadin-dosagemaybe%2F Hallelujah! We may have reached the end of the four-month quest to find the right dosage of the blood thinner Coumadin to help protect Pops from a future stroke without putting him at risk of internal bleeding. Pops’ blood clotting factor was thrown off in late April by a drug interaction with an antibiotic given for a bladder infection. Since then, Dr. H has been adjusting and re-adjusting the Coumadin dosage, subjecting Pops to weekly Prothrombin (PT) blood tests to monitor his blood’s clotting factor. Early last week, Dr. H finally returned to what had been the optimal dosage before the drug interaction: 4.5 mg of Coumadin daily and a once-a-week double dose of 9 mg. So I was hoping for a good reading when I took Pops to his weekly Prothrombin (PT) blood test late last week. I was d... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=869699 Fri, 14 Sep 2007 00:07:01 +0100 869699 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=864418&cid=t_146592_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fcaregiver%2Fjeff%2Fa-caregiver-tries-to-loosen-up%2F When I visit my father, I always start out all business, going down my mental check list of caregiver tasks: Is his pill box in order? Are there groceries in the house? Does he have any bills or correspondence that needs attending? Has he checked his blood sugar? Maybe it’s the still unfamiliar sense of responsibility as the caregiver for another person that makes me so serious and task-oriented. My father relies on me for a lot of the basics, so I am always alert to his material needs, but because of that, I sometimes feel that I am a bit of a bore to be with. Anyhow, I have vowed to try to loosen up a little, try to be a bit less serious in my caregiver role. Maybe talk less about Pops’s upcoming doctor appointments and blood tests and more about shared reminiscences or interests. Ma... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=864418 Tue, 11 Sep 2007 20:41:47 +0100 864418