Tips on How to Care for your Elderly Parent

Be inquisitive. Do not hesitate to ask questions. Do not be embarrassed that you do not know certain medical terms or definitions. Have the doctor explain to you in plain English what exactly caused your parent’s chest pain rather than just taking a prescription and leaving.

Keep records. Every time you talk to a doctor, or even a nurse, have a notepad handy and take notes or use a voice-activated recorder. Make sure you record the exact term for that diagnosis, or specific instructions on what to do at home. When you are in a stressed state as you bring your parent for a doctor’s visit it is very easy to forget some important details when relaying this information to others who will be helping with the care.

Do research. Try to find out as much information on your parent’s condition as possible. Make sure you understand what it is caused by and what the long-term consequences are, so that when you talk to the doctor you are not immediately overwhelmed by the TMI syndrome (Too Much Information).
Souce: www.eldercareresidentialservices.com
From ezinearticles.com
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Yipes! Why can’t they all work together. 93 year old patient in a board and care home has a UTI. She needs a Urine Culture done. She is on Vitas Hospice. Elderly patients do not tolerate a UTI and it can cause sudden onset of dementia and other behavioral issues as well as pain and discomfort. This patient becomes confused and combative. The staff notifies Hospice. The family notifies her primary care physician. He orders a Urine Culture and another blood test. The patient is weak and can’t go to the lab to get the tests done. Home Health will not come to her house because she is a Hospice patient. The patient continues to suffer, and it takes a week to get her on antibiotics. The family is still trying to get her lab work done via home health. Although, the last time home health finally obtained her specimens, they lost them.Kaiser had no clue what happened. Political medicine just does not work!
Finally the patient gets on antibiotics, and with in 14 hours she is no longer combative, feels much better and is no longer confused.
Diagnosis: Sudden onset dementia cause by a UTI.
Prognosis: Good Recovery with the correct antibiotics.
We treat our animals better that we treat our seniors! Sad Commentary on HMO Health Care.
What should have happended in a perfect world:
Board and Care notifies Hospice, of patients condition
Hospice RN makes an assessment of the patient and gets the test done to confirm the infectious process.
Doctor orders the antibiotics, and the patient is on her way to recovery with in 24 to 48 hours…. instead of
7 days of suffering with a UTI.

Stress: How It Affects Your Body, and How You Can Stay Healthier

By Elizabeth Scott, M.S., About.com

Stress and Health: Implications of Chronic Stress

When faced with chronic stress and an overactivated autonomic nervous system, people begin to see physical symptoms. The first symptoms are relatively mild, like chronic headaches and increased susceptibility to colds. With more exposure to chronic stress, however, more serious health problems may develop. These stress-influenced conditions include, but are not limited to:

• depression
• diabetes
• hair loss
• heart disease
• hyperthyroidism
• obesity
• obsessive-compulsive or anxiety disorder
• sexual dysfunction
• tooth and gum disease
• ulcers
• cancer (possibly)

In fact, most it’s been estimated that as many as 90% of doctor’s visits are for symptoms that are at least partially stress-related!
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CDC Latest Update on What is going on with the Flu.
Yes people are still getting sick from the flu. No it does not seem as bad as was reported reported.
YES, STILL WASH YOUR HANDS to avoid getting any illness.
Do I practice what I preach? Yes! and I still managed to catch the cold type virus de jour that is going around our area. Scratchy throat,loss of runny nose, and feeling “Yucky” ( a medical term!) Bummer!
More Info on the H1N1

Current and Future Trends of Menopause Therapy: An Expert Interview With Dr. Ivy Alexander

Ivy Alexander, PhD, ANP-BC

Medscape: What are the specific symptoms related to menopausal changes?

Dr. Alexander: There are many, and they vary for the individual woman. Most women will experience changes in their menses with irregular bleeding, either longer or shorter periods or longer or shorter lengths of time in between getting a period. Many women also have changes in flow and experience heavier or lighter periods.

Other really common symptoms include hot flashes, vaginal dryness, difficulty with sleep, irritability, and mood swings, although these last two are probably related to sleep disturbances. In addition, perimenopausal and postmenopausal women often complain of difficulty with their memory — cognition — and that is also usually related to sleep disturbances.^[1-3]

Additional symptoms related to menopause include things like acne, changes in skin tone, wrinkles and dryness, hair changes with dry or thinning hair, or changes in the character of the hair. For example, if the person’s hair was curly, it might be less so. Some women have difficulty with headaches, nervousness, anxiety, irregular heartbeats or palpitations, and urinary changes. Lastly, the vaginal dryness that is associated with menopause comes from vaginal atrophy and can cause pain and discomfort with sexual intercourse or sexual activity.

Medscape: Are these symptoms directly related to menopause or do comorbidities, such as diabetes or heart conditions, affect the types of symptoms perimenopausal and postmenopausal women experience?

Dr. Alexander: Several of the symptoms that occur in menopause are directly related to changes in the hormone levels in the woman’s body. These changes occur because the hormone receptors throughout the body are no longer bound with the hormone and, thus, cause symptoms.

Because some of these symptoms can also mimic other health problems, such as diabetes with blood sugar shifts, untreated high blood pressure, and thyroid disease or, in the case of mood disorders and sleep problems, depression, it can be difficult to determine whether it is menopause or some other health problem that is affecting a woman at midlife. Occasionally, the symptoms are related to menopause and also complicated with another condition. Once the diagnosis is made, treating and managing the other condition may significantly reduce the symptoms related to menopause, but they likely will remain to some degree. More info from this article

Decisions about surgery depend on many factors.

“This is just a roadblock on your way to successful living. You sort of have to figure out how you’re going to get around or get over that roadblock. Our goal with the surgery is to try to maximize the ability of the patient to function. We want to get them back to living. ”

Thomas Frazier M.D.

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