If you don’t have a loved one who has been impacted by this disease, the first image that comes to your mind after hearing “Parkinsons” may well be actor Michael J. Fox, who was diagnosed at age 30. Along with Michael, there are 4 to 6 million others worldwide who suffer from the slowly progressive brain disorder.
4/3/2012
Palliative care is largely misunderstood. It’s an area of healthcare concerned with prevention and relief of suffering. Many assume it’s for people at the end of life, which it often is, but is relevant to people of any age in any disease state, whether the illness is curable or not. In addition to medications and traditional healthcare therapies, practitioners are highly integrative- employ...
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4/3/2012
We all want our elderly loved ones to live enriched and full lives as they age. We also want peace of mind knowing our loved ones are safe, healthy, and comfortable wherever home may be.
Having a plan in place to organize changes in care once they are needed can avoid an “urgent situation” that many clients face as accidental falls, or trips to the hospital happen.
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4/3/2012
When a diagnosis of ALS happens, it can bring out the best and the worst in families coping with the devastating implications of the disease. While there is no known cure for ALS, there are Drug treatments for the disease that can prolong life and help manage symptoms to maintain quality of life. Acceptance, support, communication, and positivity are vital from all parties involved to navigate...
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3/2/2012
Social workers interact with family caregivers of older adults not only throughout the network of aging services and across the health, mental/behavioral health, and long-term care continuum, but also in diverse settings such as child welfare agencies, employee assistance programs, faith-based organizations, housing programs, schools, and veterans service programs.
3/2/2012
If you or someone you know is living with diabetes and requires therapeutic diet, you are not alone. The prevalence of Diabetes continues to grow, and in 2010. 26% of U.S. residents ages 65 and older were living with Diabetes according tothe National Diabetes Information Clearing House. On top of that, an estimated 54 million persons have pre-diabetes, a condition in which ...
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2/10/2012
The sweetest gift of all is to ourselves.
My aching back. My twitchy eye. The outside of me might look ok, but it feels like the life has drained out of me. What many of us want for Valentine’s Day is some sweet, quiet time alone, to put feet up, sip chamomile tea, and to simply breathe. Forget the chocolate and flowers, how about a little time away from all...
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2/10/2012
Undergoing heart surgery is a traumatic endeavor, and with as much planning and preparing as it takes going into the surgery, it is equally important to have a well prepared game plan for coming home. Try creating a checklist of the things you will need and schedule help in the weeks prior to your surgery. When you get home, it is likely that the first thing you will want to do is bathe. Be ...
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2/10/2012
We all crave some level of independence. It could be argued that as we age and become wiser, we demand independence to a greater degree, because we have more experience, more competencies, and tend to care less about what others think.
When there’s a health care issue that threatens this independence, thoughtful consideration is required so that the elder is no...
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12/19/201
Because there are no symptoms it is extremely important to be aware of the effects of glaucoma. Once an individual with glaucoma loses their sight, it is permanent – and up to 40% of vision can be lost without notice. As stated by the Glaucoma Research Foundation, “Glaucoma is the leading cause of preventable blindness.”
Over 4 million Americans suffe...
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