Loosing contact, personal letter is a thing of the past

The personal letter is quickly becoming a thing of the past - The Boston Globe

Last lines
As the longtime practice of writing personal letters by hand to family and friends is quickly becoming a thing of the past in the age of cellphones, text messaging, and e-mails, Globe writer Milton J. Valencia sat down and penned his own letter to the lost art.
By Milton J. Valencia
Globe Staff / September 20, 2009

nightmare for those with disabilities who are struggling to stay at home.

http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Columns/2010/February/020110Gleckman.aspx

Howard Gleckman, Senior Research Associate at the Urban Institute

Feb 01, 2010

There are programs run by states and similar projects run out of Washington. This is a particular nightmare for those with disabilities who are struggling to stay at home. If you don’t believe me, try to find a local phone number for elder care assistance.

Death Panels, Alaska | Sarah's "Palin Care For Seniors" Worked Even Better than Death Squads

Why Use Death Squads In Alaska When Sarah Palin Had Palin Care For Seniors That Worked Even Better?

"Sarah Palin is worried about Death Panels but many Alaskans are worried about Palin Care. During her tenure from 2006-2009, 277 elderly died from the poor management under her command! The Anchorage Daily News reported about this story last July, the situation in the state’s Medicare and Medicaid funded in-home elder care program became so bad that the federal government had to step in and force Palin to make the necessary improvements."
"In one 2 1/2 year stretch, 227 adults already getting services died while waiting for a nurse to reassess their needs. Another 27 died waiting for their initial assessment, to see if they qualified for help."

http://ow.ly/169ijf

Long-term care insurance program

Long-term care insurance program gains in House - Boston.com

a new long-term care insurance program to help seniors and disabled people stay out of nursing homes. The voluntary program would begin to close a gap in the social safety net overlooked in the broader health care debate,

More than 10 million people currently need long-term care services, a number that's only expected to grow as the baby boom generation ages. But most families whose elders can no longer care for themselves have to scrape to find a solution.

The cost of nursing homes averages $70,000 a year, and a home care attendant runs about $29 an hour. Medicare only covers temporary nursing home stays. Middle-class households have to go through their savings before an elder can qualify for nursing home coverage through Medicaid.

The new proposal is called the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports Act, or CLASS Act, and passing it was a top priority for the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass. The Obama administration also has said it should be part of health care overhaul legislation.

In return for modest monthly premiums while they are working, people would receive a cash benefit of at least $50 a day if they become disabled. The money could be used to pay a home care attendant, purchase equipment and supplies, make home improvements such as adding bathroom railings, or defray the costs of nursing home care.

The Diabetes Health Care Crisis

http://oregoneldercareservices.com/?p=712

The Diabetes Health Care Crisis
People with Diabetes Don't Have Access to Adequate and Affordable Health Care

* Health insurance policies don't cover basic diabetes needs and reward crisis care, not the continuous care needed to prevent a medical crisis.
* Pre-existing condition exclusions prevent people from enrolling.
* Health insurance premium surcharges for diabetes drive premiums above what individuals and small businesses can afford.
* Medicaid eligibility limits leave many low income people unable to access health insurance.

Health Insurance Options 65 and Above

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The following options may be available to you.

Medicare
Medicare provides health insurance benefits to persons 65 and older, persons under 65 who are disabled, and individuals with End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD).

Medicaid
Medicaid provides medical care to certain individuals and families with low incomes and resources.

TAA Tax Credit
TAA is a tax credit available to workers who have lost their jobs or whose hours of work and wages have decreased as a result of increased imports.

Prescription Assistance
Most pharmaceutical companies have established patient assistance programs to help uninsured individuals get the medications that they need to stay healthy.

Medigap
Medigap policies are available to Medicare-eligible individuals. They can be purchased from private health insurance carriers and provide benefits that are otherwise not included in Medicare Part A or B

Additional Resources:

• Health Reform Task Force Recommendations
• Health Care Insurance Options for People with Diabetes
• Discrimination Based on Diabetes
• Coalition of Health and Consumer Advocates' Joint Statement on Delivery System Health Reform and Chronic Care

Motivation And Improving Health In Older Adults, Medical News Today

Boosting Motivation And Improving Health In Older Adults, With The Use Of A Simple Tool

Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have identified a tool, the "Getting-Out-of-Bed (GoB) measure" to assess motivation and life outlook in older adults. The study, which appears in the October issue of the /i>Journal of Psychosocial Oncology, shows that the tool has the potential to be an easy-to-use measure to bolster motivation and thus, improve health behaviors and outcomes in the growing population of older adults.

Seniors, Care-Partners, take active role in their care

“Doc Tom” Ferguson A Voice of the Patient Engagement Movement

An engaged patient plays an active role in his or her care. Or, as e-patients.net founder “Doc Tom” Ferguson said, “e-Patients are Empowered, Engaged, Equipped and Enabled.”

We who’ve become e-patients don’t wait for our providers to tell us everything; we get it in gear, we ask questions, we do what we can to help.

Trust yourself.
You know more
than you think you do.

Minorities's; resistance to seeking AD assistance | related issues

A Psychoeducational Model for Hispanic Alzheimer's Disease Caregivers -- Morano and Bravo 42 (1): 122 -- The Gerontologist
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Extract for discussion:

There is a growing body of literature that examines the use of formal services by minorities, and more specifically by Hispanics <snipped> The extensive use of informal support, such as family members, has been suggested as one reason why Hispanics underuse formal services . structural barriers, such as limited access to multilingual case managers or office locations, that discourage the use of formal in-home services by elderly Latinos.; the discretionary nature of social services were additional barriers to Hispanics' use of formal services. Restrictive hours, such as being open only during the traditional hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the location of agency offices are two structural barriers limiting use by Hispanic caregivers ;limited income and lack of insurance as additional structural barriers.

Discrimination and language barriers, particularly for older and less acculturated Hispanics, have also been suggested as reasons why Hispanics underuse formal services . In addition to the suggested barriers that limit use of formal services, the caregivers' perception of the illness could also limit intervention participation . The belief that AD is a mental illness or that nothing will help could also affect a caregiver's willingness to seek assistance. Fabrega found that Hispanics' negative perception of mental illness and psychological services increased their resistance to seeking assistance.
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see:
The Gerontologist 42:122-126 (2002)
© 2002 The Gerontological Society of America
A Psychoeducational Model for Hispanic Alzheimer's Disease Caregivers
Carmen L. Morano, PhDa and Marina Bravo, LCSWb
Correspondence: Carmen L. Morano, PhD, University of Maryland, School of Social Work, 525 West Redwood Street, Baltimore, MD 21201. E-mail: cmorano@ssw.umaryland.edu.

Decision Editor: Eleanor S. McConnell, RN, PhD
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Brigham and Women's Hospital Care Coordination

Useful Links

Care Coordination

This list of resources was compiled by Brigham and Women's Hospital to assist individuals in obtaining more information regarding health care (& care-giving).

Brigham and Women's Hospital bears no resposibility for any information on these sites.

Increased risk of falls

Study finds balance issues are widespread in older people - The Boston Globe

In the new study, ear specialist Dr. Yuri Agrawal and her team examined government health data on more than 5,000 Americans ages 40 or older. They found - to their astonishment - that more than one-third (35 percent) had vestibular dysfunction, an inability of the delicate balance system in the inner ear to function properly.

Many people did not know they were at increased risk of falls because they had not yet experienced dizziness or suffered serious falls. Complications from falls are a major cause of death and disability in older people.

Caregivers Face Role Reversal

Adult Children Caring for Aging Parents Face Role Reversal in Lorain, Ohio | senior home care Lorain Ohio (OH), Elder home care Lorain Ohio (OH), homecare Lorain Ohio (OH)

With all these added stressors, experts emphasize the importance of caretakers looking after their own physical and emotional health. “You can’t take care of someone else without taking care of yourself first,” agrees Bitner. This involves getting help from others, whether it be from siblings, a support group or a health care service.

The staff at Visiting Angels understands this need. The company provides non-medical caregivers who go into clients’ homes to offer companionship, do light housekeeping, run errands, prepare meals or do shopping — all services that can provide a respite for families dealing with the care of a loved one.

“You can be confident that your caregiver is qualified and has excellent references,” says Bitner. The company hires only experienced caregivers who pass a rigorous screening process. They also look for intangible traits such as a caring personality. Many of the company’s caregivers are former hospital staffers looking for the opportunity to do one-on-one personal care.

“We work with each family to develop an individualized program to manage the daily needs of the client and then match those needs to the best possible caregiver,” explains Bitner. Caregivers are then introduced to the family, who has the final say in the selection process.

Once the caregiver has been placed in the home, Visiting Angels continues its personalized contact through telephone check-ins and home visits to make sure the match is a good one.

Visiting Angels has senior homecare agencies in most states. For more information on the office nearest you, visit their Web site at www.visitingangels.com or call (800) 365-4189.

Courtesy of ARA Content Jeff & Robin Donnelly Visiting Angels

the Alzheimer's Roller Coaster the slow journey into the Alzheimer's Twilight Zone.

Thoughts from the Roller Coaster by LCC Metairie, Louisiana

LCC shares her thoughts, feelings and ideas on a long, slow journey on the Alzheimer's Roller Coaster into the Alzheimer's Twilight Zone.

A very personal EOADer's journal by a woman sharing her daily life while dealing with Early Onset Alzheimer's. I became aware of LCC while reading her valuable contributions to cargiver discussions on the AD Message Boards

Long Distance Caregiving, by Heritage Elder Law & Planning, P.L.C

Solutions to Long Distance Caregiving « Heritage Elder Law & Planning

It is becoming increasingly common for family members to provide care to a loved one from a distance. This is an inevitable result of the shift from the days when families were multigenerational in the same area (or sometimes the same house!) to the modern trend where the family members are distant from one another. Hence, it is not uncommon to find a child from a different area or state being responsible for an aging parent or parents.

With the distance approach, however, comes a unique set of problems. The distant caregiver cannot generally take the proper amount of time to care for the loved one. This is especially true as the care needs increase over time. The caregiver increasingly relies upon telephone contact with medical and other professionals to meet the needs of the loved one.

Inside the heart and coronary vessels

Software gives detailed artery view - The Boston Globe

Boston Scientific Corp. updated version of an ultrasound-imaging software designed to provide physicians more accurate 360-degree view inside the heart and coronary vessels than is possible with angiography alone is not approved for US sale at this time

The imaging system has functions meant to improve the diagnosis process and cut down the time needed, including a feature called iMap that gives a color analysis of plaque in patients.

LifeCare, consultations by Matt Burns

LifeCare, Alzheimer’s Assoc. offering consultations - Business First of Columbus:

The Central Ohio branch of the Alzheimer’s Association is moving from knocking on doors to opening its own through a new partnership with Columbus’ LifeCare Alliance.

The association and LifeCare, which runs the Meals on Wheels program among other services, this month began a program offering free consultations to individuals and families dealing with Alzheimer’s or those who believe a family member could have the disease.

In Columbus, the groups are hosting five consultations a month at churches, senior centers and community centers, while several other nearby counties will have similar consultations set up on a less frequent basis, association CEO Michelle Chippas said.

For the sake of public health

Shortage of doctors hits MetroWest - Framingham, MA - The MetroWest Daily News

the Massachusetts Medical Society to discuss the primary care shortage.

In its latest survey of state doctors, released this week, the society found shortages of dermatologists, neurologists, urologists, vascular surgeons, OB/GYNs and, once again, the internists and family practioners who make up primary care.

In particular, this year the society found that 40 percent of family care doctors and 56 percent of internists are not accepting new patients, the highest proportions in the study's eight-year history.

Also, this year marks the first appearance of OB/GYNs on the shortage list, exacerbating the lack of internists and family doctors since many women rely on that specialty for routine care.

"With our state health reform initiative, we quickly learned that universal coverage doesn't equate to universal access," said Medical Society President Dr. Mario Motta, referring to a 2006 state law that has achieved insurance coverage for 97 percent of residents but strained the system.