Recommended Foods that Aid Senior Recovery
Posted by Pittsburgh Healthcare Report on Apr 28, 2012 in Long-Term Care, Senior Care | 0 comments
We all know that getting proper nutrition and staying hydrated are the keys to leading a healthy life. But what if you have a senior loved one who recently returned home from the hospital and is not well? Are there certain foods that can help speed recovery and help him or her feel better sooner? According to WebMD and other research, the answer is “yes.”
Eating the right foods can help your senior loved one prevent complications such as dehydration, and constipation. Among the first suggestions are to include lots of fiber and lean protein in his or her diet.
Fiber will help keep your senior loved one regular and may prevent long-term issues such as intestinal problems and diabetes. High fiber foods include whole grain breads, fresh fruits, vegetables (fresh or frozen), oatmeal and certain cereals. Before purchasing any cereal, make sure to read the label to see that is has high fiber content.
Some fresh fruits and vegetables, such as blueberries, apples, broccoli and sweet potatoes, contain numerous vitamins, antioxidants, calcium, iron and other nutrients that are essential for healthy living, bone building and cell recovery. Be sure to include as many of these as possible in your senior loved one’s diet.
Be Proactive: Help Prevent Prostate Cancer
Posted by Pittsburgh Healthcare Report on Apr 24, 2012 in Men, Senior Care | 0 comments
By Aaron E. Katz, M.D.
Prostate health issues are becoming increasingly common in men, particularly those who are 50 years old and older. In fact, one in six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. The disease is the third most common cause of death from cancer in men of all ages. Thanks to a simple physical exam and the prostate specific antigen (PSA) test, most prostate cancers can be detected before there are symptoms. If you do get prostate disease, you can harness the power of potent natural medicines to strengthen your body’s own ability to heal. But why wait for a negative diagnosis?
Here are steps that men can take to improve their prostate health, today.
Improving Your Diet — Reduce fat: Studies suggest a correlation between dietary fat and prostate cancer. Eat less than 30 percent fat overall and favor unsaturated fats such as olive and canola oils over saturated and trans fats.
Eat organic: Eat a largely organic and vegetarian diet.
Your Health Matters: Exercise Benefits People of all Ages
Posted by Pittsburgh Healthcare Report on Apr 17, 2012 in Boomers, Senior Care, Wellness | 0 comments
By Dr. Judith Black
Americans are living longer and are in better physical condition than their predecessors because today’s senior citizens are more aware of the need to remain physically active into their “Golden Years.” Whether you are a senior yourself or you are looking for ways to help the seniors in your life live longer, healthier lives, it is important to remember that physical fitness can benefit people of all ages and physical conditions.
Many older adults may not get started with an exercise or physical fitness program because of their fear of injury, aggravating another medical condition or being strained beyond their limitations. Don’t worry, it is normal to feel this way. It is important to remember, however, that you should always begin by having a conversation with your family physician before starting with any new program. Everyone is different, but your doctor will know your medical condition and history as well as any limitations you may have. By discussing the degree and intensity of your exercise program, together you can agree on what has the potential to work best for you.
Diabetes Drugs, Blood Thinners Are Leading Cause of Adverse Medication Events
Posted by Pittsburgh Healthcare Report on Apr 15, 2012 in Long-Term Care, Senior Care | 0 comments
There are nearly 100,000 emergency hospitalizations each year for adverse drug events that involve U.S. senior citizens, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Of the thousands of medications available to patients, a small group of blood thinners and diabetes medications caused two-thirds of the emergency hospitalizations, the report said.
The study used data collected from a nationally representative sample of 58 hospitals participating in CDC’s National Electronic Injury Surveillance System-Cooperative Adverse Drug Event Surveillance project.
Almost half (48.1 percent) of these hospitalizations occur among the elderly aged 80 years or older, and two-thirds (65.7 percent) of the hospitalizations were due to overdoses, or to situations in which patients may have taken the prescribed amount of medication but the drug had more than the intended effect on the patient’s body. Four medications, used alone or together, accounted for two-thirds of the emergency hospitalizations:
- 33 percent, or 33,171 emergency hospitalizations, involved warfarin, a medication used to prevent blood clots.
- 14 percent involved insulins. Insulin injections are used to control blood sugar in people who have diabetes.
- 13 percent involved antiplatelet drugs, such as aspirin or clopidogrel, which prevent platelets, or pieces of blood cells from clumping together to start a clot.
- 11 percent involved diabetes medications that are taken by mouth, called oral hypoglycemic agents.
Having someone check on you or your senior loved one could make you feel more at ease. A Home Instead CAREGiverSM can provide personal care services including medication reminders and transportation to doctors’ appointments to help give you peace of mind.
CAREGivers from Home Instead Senior Care can make a difference in the lives of older adults and their families by providing support with activities of daily living to help keep them independent for as long as possible. For more information about Home Instead Senior Care visit www.homeinstead.com/greaterpittsburgh or call 1-866-996-1087
More information about how to be better prepared for medical emergencies can be found at www.SeniorEmergencyKit.com. To learn more about this study, go to http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2011/p1123_elderly_risk.html.
Start the Conversation: National Healthcare Decisions Day 2012
Posted by Pittsburgh Healthcare Report on Apr 13, 2012 in Long-Term Care, Men, Senior Care, Women | 0 comments
By Denise Stahl, Executive Director, UPMC Palliative and Supportive Institute
Families are often given the difficult job of making critical decisions about the care of their loved ones who have become seriously ill and are unable to speak for themselves. But all too often, families are making those decisions without knowing exactly what their loved ones would have wanted. That’s why UPMC is joining with healthcare leaders across the country to encourage families to start the conversation about advance care planning for National Healthcare Decisions Day on April 16.
Advance care planning is the process of planning ahead for future medical care should you become unable to make your own decisions due to a life-limiting illness or injury. The best time to think about advance care planning is before you are sick so that you understand what your options are and can communicate them to your loved ones and your doctor. An advance directive, or living will, is a written document stating your wishes that guides the decisions of the health care team and provides comfort to your family.
Are Your Meds Making You Sick?
Posted by Pittsburgh Healthcare Report on Apr 6, 2012 in Patient Advocacy, Senior Care, Wellness | 0 comments
Robert S. Gold
A Pharmacist’s Guide To Avoiding Dangerous Drug Interactions, Reactions And Side Effects Common Drug Combinations Can Be Lethal
Dangerous drug interactions and common drug-induced illnesses are a hidden epidemic in the United States. Unqualified use and abuse of prescription drugs is becoming commonplace as many doctors prescribe multiple meds because either they don’t have the time to fully diagnose, or worse, they are pressured to prescribe (sell) highly profitable drugs. In the United States alone adverse drug interactions cause death, injury or hospitalization to more than 2 million people each year and that number could be the tip of the iceberg, as millions of cases go undetected or unreported.
Are Your Meds Making You Sick? A Pharmacist’s Guide to Avoiding Dangerous Drug Interactions, Reactions and Side Effects is a highly accessible and clearly formatted quick reference for the layperson. Written by Robert S. Gold, RPh, MBA, a clinical hospital pharmacist and affiliate instructor of clinical pharmacy at Purdue University with over 27 years of experience, Are Your Meds Making You Sick, shows readers how to protect themselves by learning to think like a clinical hospital pharmacist. Gold lists “16 Rules of Safe Medication Use” that can help prevent the most common adverse and dangerous drug interactions. He then gives specific examples and scenarios featuring the thirty-six drugs that are the most prevalent offenders and explains how even seemingly good drugs can harm a patient’s kidney, liver, brain and heart if the patient’s medical history and physical vulnerabilities are not taken into account.
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