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Hip-Hope for elderly at risk of falling

March 16, 2017 by Sherry

Hip-Hope cushions falls to prevent fractures in elderly

March 6, 2017

The belt-like wearable device is a high-tech Israeli response to a serious and costly health problem faced by the world’s older population.

“When his elderly mother fell and broke a hip for the second time, former Israeli Air Force pilot and industrial and management engineer Amatsia Raanan searched for a product to prevent this most common serious injury in older people.

‘Through her suffering I learned about the epidemic of hip fractures,’ Raanan tells ISRAEL21c.

Each year, nearly 3 million seniors worldwide are hospitalized due to hip fractures. Many of them experience a drastic deterioration in quality of life. And the direct annual cost of treating hip fractures exceeds $15 billion in the US healthcare system alone.

Rather than focus on better ways to treat the broken bone, Raanan decided to leverage cutting-edge technology to protect the pelvis upon impact and avoid injury in the first place. He and three cofounders developed Hip-Hope, a smart wearable device designed as a belt.”

Medication management

March 16, 2017 by Sherry

Preventing medication mismanagement

Canadian Pharmacists Association

March 5, 2017

“Medication management is an important issue for seniors and their families. Failure to properly manage medications can threaten the lives of seniors, highlighting the emphasis families must place on ensuring seniors take their medications in strict adherence to their instructions.

Polypharmacy, or the taking of multiple medications for different conditions, can be a potential health hazard for the thousands of seniors who must manage health conditions with prescription drugs. Harmful drug interactions are a result of the confusion that can arise when seniors take multiple medications at the same time. The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists estimates that more than 34 percent of senior citizens are prescribed medications by more than one physician and 72 percent use medications they were prescribed more than six months prior. Many people also have begun ‘pharmacy shopping’ to save money. According to a study published in 2010 in American Nurse Today, 44 percent of men and 57 percent of women older than age 65 take five or more medications per week, with some taking as many as 10.

Medication confusion is one risk, but older adults also metabolize medications differently than young people. As a result, they may be more susceptible to overdose or other ill effects. Families looking to help seniors effectively manage their medications should consider the following tips.

• Keep a running list of medications. Maintain a list of all medications being taken, noting both prescription and over-the-counter medications and any supplements and herbs. Provide a copy to any new doctors you visit and any new pharmacies you patronize.”

More tips

Geriatricians–Would you, or someone you know, benefit from seeing one?

February 27, 2017February 27, 2017 by Sherry

Geriatricians Can Help Aging Patients Navigate Multiple Ailments

By Judith Graham, Kaiser Health News

February 23, 2017

“For months, Teresa Christensen’s 87-year-old mother, Genevieve, complained of pain from a nasty sore on her right foot. She stopped going to church. She couldn’t sleep at night. Eventually, she stopped walking except when absolutely necessary.

Her primary care doctor prescribed three antibiotics, one after another. None worked.

“Doctor, can’t we do some further tests?” Teresa Christensen remembered asking. “I felt that he was looking through my mother instead of looking at her.”

Referred to a wound clinic, Genevieve was diagnosed with a venous ulcer, resulting from poor circulation in her legs. A few weeks ago, she had a successful procedure to correct the problem and returned home to the house where she’s lived for more than 50 years in Cottage Grove, Minn., a suburb of St. Paul.

Would her mother benefit from seeing a geriatrician going forward, wondered Christensen, her mother’s primary caregiver, in an email to me? And, if so, how would she go about finding one?

I reached out to several medical experts, and they agreed that a specialist in geriatrics could help a patient like Genevieve, with a history of breast cancer and heart failure, who’d had open heart surgery at age 84 and whose mobility was now compromised.”

Hands-Only CPR can save a life

February 25, 2017 by Sherry

Today, I had the privilege of attending a free group training on Hands-Only CPR in Loveland, CO, a “Heart Safe City.” I met Tommy Lucero, a young man who, according to the Loveland Reporter-Herald, “Went into cardiac arrest during baseball practice in 2014 and was revived by two coaches. He has fully recovered and is a senior this year” at Thompson Valley High School (the same high school my daughter attended).

He would have died without the CPR. “Shortly after the incident, the Lucero family joined the then-newly formed Loveland Heart Safe initiative to help save lives. Since then, the partnership has raised money, knowledge and awareness.”

What is Hands-Only CPR? According to the American Heart Association website, “Hands-Only CPR is CPR without mouth-to-mouth breaths. It is recommended for use by people who see a teen or adult suddenly collapse in an ‘out-of-hospital’ setting (such as at home, at work or in a park). It consists of two easy steps:

Call 9-1-1 (or send someone to do that).
Push hard and fast in the center of the chest.”

Women’s heart attack symptoms

February 16, 2017 by Sherry

Heart Attack Symptoms in Women

from American Heart Association

January 10, 2017

“Heart Attack Signs in Women

Uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain in the center of your chest. It lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back.
Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
Other signs such as breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.
As with men, women’s most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting and back or jaw pain.

If you have any of these signs, call 9-1-1 and get to a hospital right away.

We’ve all seen the movie scenes where a man gasps, clutches his chest and falls to the ground. In reality, a heart attack victim could easily be a woman, and the scene may not be that dramatic.

‘Although men and women can experience chest pressure that feels like an elephant sitting across the chest, women can experience a heart attack without chest pressure,’ said Nieca Goldberg, M.D., medical director for the Joan H. Tisch Center for Women’s Health at NYU’s Langone Medical Center and an American Heart Association volunteer. ‘Instead they may experience shortness of breath, pressure or pain in the lower chest or upper abdomen, dizziness, lightheadedness or fainting, upper back pressure or extreme fatigue.’

Even when the signs are subtle, the consequences can be deadly, especially if the victim doesn’t get help right away.”

Falls affect all of us

February 15, 2017February 8, 2017 by Sherry

My 83-year-old Mom who lives in Iowa fell at her home last winter. A neighbor found her unconscious, lying on her living room floor a day or two later. She was transported to a hospital and later to a rehabilitation center. She doesn’t remember what happened or being in the hospital. After a couple of weeks, she was back in her home living independently but walking with a cane.

In December, she fell twice. Once at the hospital while visiting a dying friend. Luckily, two orderlies helped her to her feet. A day or so later she fell again at her home but luckily she was able to get herself upright after several attempts. I spoke with her about the importance of setting up a system to notify someone if she has fallen and is unable to get back up. This system would be imperative if she wants to continue living independently in her home.

A dear friend of mine notified me recently about her Dad’s (80+) recent fall. He was hospitalized and diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury. He has also developed pneumonia. Needless-to say, the family is extremely distraught. In her last text to me she said, “It’s been a roller coaster ride of emotions over the past two weeks….”

“Falls affect us all—whether personally or someone we love or care about. Every second of every day an older adult falls. In 2014 alone, more than one in four older adults reported falling and more than 27,000 older adults died as a result of falls—that’s 74 older adults every day.

There are simple steps you can take to prevent falls and decrease falls risks. CDC has developed the STEADI (Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths & Injuries) initiative which includes educational materials and tools to improve fall prevention.

If I were to fall and break a bone, I wouldn’t be able to play with my grandkids. So I take a vitamin D pill each day to keep me strong. Lisa, 74

What You Can Do to Prevent Falls

Falls can be prevented. These are some simple things you can do to keep yourself (or a loved one) from falling.

Talk to Your Doctor

Ask your doctor or healthcare provider to evaluate your risk for falling and talk with them about specific things you can do.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist to review your medicines to see if any might make you dizzy or sleepy. This should include prescription medicines and over-the counter medicines.
Ask your doctor or healthcare provider about taking vitamin D supplements.

Do Strength and Balance Exercises

Do exercises that make your legs stronger and improve your balance. Tai Chi is a good example of this kind of exercise.

Have Your Eyes Checked

Have your eyes checked by an eye doctor at least once a year, and be sure to update your eyeglasses if needed.

If you have bifocal or progressive lenses, you may want to get a pair of glasses with only your distance prescription for outdoor activities, such as walking. Sometimes these types of lenses can make things seem closer or farther away than they really are.

Make Your Home Safer

Get rid of things you could trip over.
Add grab bars inside and outside your tub or shower and next to the toilet.
Put railings on both sides of stairs.
Make sure your home has lots of light by adding more or brighter light bulbs.”

For more information and resources about older adult falls

A second opinion may give you peace of mind

January 23, 2017 by Sherry

When to Get a Second Opinion

by Nellie S. Huang for Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazine

December 2016

“Your doctor has just diagnosed you with a serious disease, or recommended a costly procedure, or advised you to have major surgery. Before panicking or following a drastic course of treatment, get a second opinion. Not only can a medical evaluation from a different doctor help you learn more about your illness, the options available to you, and the risks and benefits of each path, but it can also ‘give you the confidence and peace of mind that you’re making a good decision,’ says Robert Nielsen, medical director of PinnacleHealth System in central Pennsylvania.

Most insurance policies will cover the fee for a second opinion as they would cover a regular office visit, but it’s always wise to check with your insurer before you schedule the appointment, especially if you plan to go out of network. ‘In some cases, such as certain elective surgical procedures, a second opinion is mandatory,’ says John Ulatowski, vice president and executive medical director of Johns Hopkins Medicine International, in Baltimore.

Ask for referrals from people you trust—your primary care physician, the doctor who delivered your first opinion, your family and friends. Avoid seeing a colleague at the same practice or medical center as the doctor who gave you the first opinion—the approach to care can vary from place to place. For example, ‘some cancer centers are more aggressive about treatment; others are more concerned about side effects,’ says Jerome Groopman, Recanati Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School.

For cases that involve a specific procedure—for example, heart-valve replacement surgery—consult a doctor who frequently performs those surgeries.” Read more

Hip-Hope for elderly at risk of falling

Hip-Hope cushions falls to prevent fractures in elderly

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