Seniors Site

In caring for those who are sick with Alzheimer’s disease, care givers must take into account all the daily activities which include eating. There are a couple of suggestions given by the Alzheimer’s Association regarding this. Here is the list:

1. Set at least one hour for each meal. Never try to rush the person to finish the meal.
2. Make sure the posture of the person is correct. Keep them seated upright for at least 30 minutes after eating.
3. Always prepare soft food for them to eat. Make sure that they are easy to chew and swallow.
4. To reduce the trouble of choking, thicken the drinks with gelatin or cornstarch.
5. Learn the Heimlich maneuver. Those with Alzheimer’s are prone to choking.

According to Dutch researchers, there are many old people who undergone planned surgery and have done pretty well for the next couple of years. However, this is not the same case for those who would require unplanned surgery or intensive care unit treatment for some medical reasons. They most likely have a slim chance to survive.

Older patients whose average age was about 82 years old, stayed alive and well for the next 3-5 years. But those who required immediate attention lived off for only a couple of months.

This research has just proven how effective a planned surgery is. Most of the time, those who undergo emergency surgeries have more complications and have other diseases that have not yet been fully diagnosed.

 

According to a survey conducted by a couple of researchers, the higher levels of spending on medical care do not even improve the perception of the patients regarding all the care that they receive.

The University of Massachusetts researchers surveyed the population of 2515 medicare beneficiaries about their perception of health care quality. They compared the answers to the amount being spent in different regions of the United States.

There was a strong link that they found between the per capital spending and the treatment that patients receive. Some of these include ambulatory visits and more cardiac tests. But then, seven of the 10 patients’ perception was not in anyway related to the amount being paid.

Actually, there are more cases when patients think that they are not receiving ample care and treatment on health care providers with higher costs as compared to those with lower costs.

As a summary, most families of elders should check the quality as opposed to the amount to be paid because of course, nobody wants to spend a lot of money without getting what is due. So, the best way is to make it a point that the quality of the care that seniors should receive must equal or even surpass the amount being paid.

There was a current research whose findings show that antipsychotics drugs are dangerous for the elderly with dementia. If they have been given this kind of medication, even for a very short period of time, they could end up in the hospital or they may even die according to the research.

Even though the study was carefully administered, there is a flaw. One flaw is that the participants were not randomly administered with antipsychotics. There are other reasons why they are administered this types of medications, it could be because of aggression or agitation. The authors of the study have acknowledged that there is about 17 percent patients taking antipsychotic drugs within 100 days of their stay in a nursing home.

The best way is still to work closely with an expert when dealing with problems regarding dementia especially for seniors. Antipsychotics should be the last resort.

According to the research conducted by researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, anticholinergics, a common drug can cause the elderly people to slow down in their daily activities.

Anticholinergic drugs which treat diseases and conditions that include acid reflux, Parkinson’s disease and urinary incontinence can cause older people to lose their thinking capability rapidly as compared to those who do not take these medicines.

The results were true and were tested even in elders who have normal memory and thinking abilities. When the they take this medicine, their function was similar to that of someone who is three or four years older. The common medicines cited in the report were Adalat, Procardia, Zantac and Detrol.

The results of the study suggest that the physicians should carefully consider the implications and possible side effects when prescribing anticholingeric medications to the elderly.

Alzheimer’s disease is a disastrous news that you are about to announce to friends and your beloved relatives. It is hard to accept and its doubly hard to share this with your loved ones. Telling people that you are sick of something that has no specific cure is generally uncomfortable.

Here are just a few of suggestions on how to deal with it from the Alzheimer’s association:

1. Provide basic explanation about the disease. Tell them that it is not just because of the age but it is a brain disease that impairs memory and behavior.
2. Encourage them to learn more about the disease.
3. Share your fears, concerns and the diagnosis to your loved ones.
4. Tell them that they are important and that you may need them in the near future. Tell them that their support is something that is important to you too.

Who would have thought that superheroes would grow old as well? Here is what the Gotham City superheroes would eventually look like when they turn into their good old senior years. Let’s just hope that Batman and Robin has enough lights in the bat cave or else they might trip and fall. Also, the bat belt may be a little rusty. They might opt to get a driver for the bat mobile as well. Enjoy this funny depiction of the Gotham City crime busters in their senior years! This was drawn by Donal Soffritti.

According to research, senior citizens that are hounded with disabilities are twice as likely to be taking at least one prescription drug that is inappropriate for them as compared to their non-disabled counterparts. The study was based on the 2004 data where in about a quarter of disabled seniors have taken one of 33 medications that are rather ineffective or has a high risk of garnering side effects. These drugs include Xanax and Procardia.

According to careful analysis, only 13 percent of seniors without disabilities take these kinds of medication. The researchers also noticed that the misuse of drugs ran slightly higher on those with complex disabilities than those with basic disabilities.

Complex disabilities are those that fall under the category of people whose work and other activities are hindered. On the other hand, those with limited ability to walk, bathe and perform everyday activities are considered to be having a basic disability.

Basic or complex, seniors must bear in mind that there is a risk for every medication that they take. They must therefore consult their health care provider first before purchasing over the counter drugs.

It is such a shame that there is a trend going on about people who are taking advantage on our poor elderly. Just recently, news broke out when a 96 year old man who needs help from a caregiver found himself helping them financially. His credit cards were used  by the caregiver and her daughter to pay for their bills and student loans. Another caregiver also used his very own debit card to pay for gas bills at a nearby gas station.

The caregiver company who provided these employees already terminated them and stated that they also violated company policies. Mr. Oatman on the other hand have learned something valuable that day - never leave your cards in the open. He said that he felt violated and taken advantage of by the people that he entrusted his life and health on. Now, he kept his cards locked up and joked that he would get a bulldog.

I just hope that this trend stops now. Seniors deserve people who will take care of them in their time of need.

Don’t you just hate it when private insurance health agents knock at your door and force their products right up into your face in the middle of the day when you are very busy doing household chores, watching TV or reading your favorite book? Yes it does! My grandmother used to hide from these people all the time. Especially when they urge her to buy medications and insurance that she does not even need.

Say goodbye to this scenario when the federal rule against agents selling private health insurance is approved. This rule states that the agents will be barred from door - to - door solicitations and cold-calling their products outside the hospitals waiting rooms or pharmacies.

This rule is designed so that the elderly will not be pressured by agents who sell products just for the sake of selling it. Some seniors do not even need the products and thus, if they get to buy some, they will just be wasting their money for nothing at all.

This is actually a good rule for me. This will pretty much relieve most of the tension among the seniors. I have first hand knowledge about this every time I see my grandmother hiding from agents who are selling medicine.