Free Alzheimer’s Training Now Available To Local Family Caregivers

Posted by on May 10, 2012 in The Daily Beat | 0 comments

The local Home Instead Senior Care® offices are offering a unique approach to help area families in the Greater Pittsburgh area manage the challenges of Alzheimer’s and other dementias, diseases that eventually rob seniors of their memories and independence. Free training for families caring for these older adults is now available through online e-learning modules, available at HelpForAlzheimersFamilies.com, and also will be offered locally beginning May 22.

The Alzheimer’s or Other Dementias CARE: Changing Aging through Research and EducationSM  Training Program offers a personal approach to  help families care for seniors with Alzheimer’s disease at home, where 60 to 70 percent live, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.

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Family Hospice 25th Annual Golf Benefit a Success

Posted by on May 10, 2012 in The Daily Beat | 0 comments

Family Hospice and Palliative Care held its 25th annual Golf Benefit Monday May 7 at Valley Brook Country Club in McMurray. More than 110 golfers took part in the event that benefits the non-profit hospice’s patient and family services. Since its inception in 1988, the Family Hospice Golf Benefit has raised more than $1.6 million.

At the Family Hospice and Palliative Care Golf Benefit May 7 are Rona Nesbit of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Maureen Haggarty of Family Hospice, and U.S. District Judge Maurice Cohill.

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RPH Summer Lecture Series: For Seniors, Family Members, & Caregivers

Posted by on May 10, 2012 in Events | 0 comments

The RP Home, in collaboration with the Aging Institute of the University of Pittsburgh, will be hosting three early evening seminars this spring and summer which will address important issues facing seniors, their family and caregivers. Please note the times for each. Light refreshments will be served. RSVPs are encouraged by emailing: Rebecca King or calling 412-321-4139. See the ad below for further details.

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County Health Department Honors Students for Science Fair Projects

Posted by on May 10, 2012 in Events | 0 comments

The Allegheny County Health Department honored three students with awards for outstanding projects at the 73rd annual Pittsburgh Regional Science and Engineering Fair held in March at the Carnegie Science Center.

The Health Department, in its 21st year as an award sponsor, recognized the following students:

  • Julia Zenkevich, an 8th grader at Sacred Heart Elementary School in Shadyside, in the environmental health category, for a project titled “Acid Rock.”
  • Aditi Chattopadhyay, a 7th grader at Fort Couch Middle School in Upper St. Clair, in the public health category, for a project titled “Reckoning the Effectiveness of Flu Vaccine.”
  • Jennifer Hofmann, a 10th grader at North Allegheny Intermediate High School in McCandless, in the air quality category, for a project titled “Study of the Relationship between Atmospheric Ozone and UV Radiation.”

The winners and their projects are posted on the Allegheny County Health Department’s web site at www.achd.net.

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May is National Meditation Month

Posted by on May 8, 2012 in Wellness | 0 comments

By  Mark C. Brown, Ph.D.

Americans lead busy lives. We work hard, we take less time off than workers in many other countries, and with our high tech devices and the 24-hour news cycle beckoning us to watch and listen, we experience a level of stimulation that previous generations could scarcely have imagined.

Add to this particular worries such as a faltering economy, unhealthy influences on our children, an unstable political world, and the care of aging parents, and it is easy to see why we are stressed.

And even if some of us can escape for a week to an isolated Caribbean island, we will likely carry a good deal of that “noise” along with us in our heads.

Sounds bleak. Fortunately, there is an effective method for quieting a busy brain, creating inner peace, and countering the effects of stress on our bodies and minds that anyone can do. That method is the practice of meditation. And since May is National Meditation Month, this is the perfect time to integrate the practice into your life.

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Common Seasonal Allergens May Trigger Asthma Symptoms

Posted by on May 5, 2012 in The Daily Beat | 0 comments

Dr. Sally Wenzel

Whether running the Pittsburgh Marathon next week or simply spending more time outdoors, the warm weather has finally arrived in Western Pennsylvania. But what do these warmer temperatures mean for people who suffer from asthma or allergies? And do they know the proper ways to keep their symptoms under control?

“Many of the same substances that trigger allergies may also trigger asthma symptoms,” says Dr. Sally Wenzel, Director of the Asthma Institute at UPMC. “With high counts of allergens such as tree, grass and plant pollen this time of year, it’s crucial that people understand what triggers their symptoms and how they can keep them under control.”

May is asthma awareness month, and nearly 25 million Americans live with asthma – with approximately 70% of asthmatics also having allergies, according to the American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology. Successful asthma management includes knowing the warning signs of an attack, avoiding things that trigger an attack and following the advice of a healthcare provider.

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Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)—Sleep Apnea Patients Can Breathe Easier Thanks to Dr. Linda Lakdawala

Posted by on May 4, 2012 in The Daily Beat | 0 comments

Linda Lakdawala

By Amanda Leff Ritchie

Concerned about the care of surgical patients with obstructive sleep apnea, alumna Dr. Linda Lakdawala (’10), DNP, RN, CPAN, used her experience in Chatham’s Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program to affect positive change in the care administered to these patients.

As part of her capstone project in the DNP program, Linda, a medical surgical advanced practice nurse at UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside Hospital, sought to determine how nurses can use screening tools to create a safer perioperative environment for patients with episodes of apnea. Surgical apnea patients can breathe easier thanks to the results of her research, published in the February 2011 issue of the Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing (JOPAN). The article recently won first place in JOPAN’s best practice category.

The DNP capstone project requires students to tackle evidence-based practice (EBP) change. Critical to improving healthcare outcomes, evidence-based practice relies on the integration of an individual’s clinical expertise with the best available external clinical evidence, resulting from systematic research.

“The program has helped me to gain an in-depth understanding of the EBP process, which is so vital to nursing quality and outcomes,” says Linda. “Nurses truly need to live and breathe their practice through evidence-based practice approach.”

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A Perfect Fit: Surgical Team’s Intricate Dance Results in New Life for An Old Knee

Posted by on May 4, 2012 in Patient Advocacy, Wellness | 0 comments

Last spring, I entered a local hospital operating room for the very first time (as an observer), that is. Four times previous, I was wheeled in (as a patient) for successive shoulder operations. It was a remarkable and personally meaningful experience getting to actually watch the intricacies of this surgical procedure that repaired both of my shoulders and helped me regain muscle strength and optimal mobility. The truth is, I was hooked. Having had the rare opportunity to actually see how a surgical operation plays out (especially after having undergone it myself) piqued my interest in a big way.

Since then, I started looking ahead and wondering what it would mean if I ever needed a hip or knee (or God forbid…shoulder replacement surgery). How similar would the recovery process be to my other surgical experiences? Would it take a longer or a shorter amount of time in terms of function and mobility? Are there special considerations I’d need to take into account that are unique to “replacement” surgeries versus the type of shoulder repair I’d already had? And finally, I just plain wondered, “How do they do it exactly?”

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Issue 4 of Hospital News Now Online

Posted by on May 3, 2012 in The Daily Beat | 0 comments

Our latest issue is now online! Be sure to check it out and forward it onto your friends and colleagues. Download it now.

If you have any bylined articles or news to share with our readers in the next issue, please email me at hdkart@aol.com.

These are the focus areas for May: Nursing, Social Media, Improving Quality Performance, ACOs, Emergency Medicine, Leading Care in an Age of Complexity, Plastic Surgery, Legal, Practice Management, Human Resources, Outsourcing

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UPMC Senior Community Cumberland Woods Village to Host Health Fair for Seniors

Posted by on May 3, 2012 in The Daily Beat | 0 comments

WHAT: Day-long health fair for area seniors who will receive free evaluations including blood pressure, bone health, medication review and vision questions to assess balance and fall risks. There will be a demonstration and discussion regarding driving safety tips and recommendations for seniors. In addition, the UPMC Health Plan SMART unit will be on site. Gardening and cooking demonstrations, as well as Oasis successful aging programs, will be available. Tours of Cumberland Woods Village will be offered throughout the day.

WHO: Local area seniors; representatives from the UPMC Health Plan, University of Pittsburgh Aging Institute, and the Center for Rehabilitation Services; nursing and pharmacy students; as well as other local and UPMC envoys

Neil Resnick, M.D., Chief, Division of Geriatrics, UPMC, will speak on, “Dispelling the Myths on Aging” at 9 a.m.

Leslie Bonci, Director of Sports Nutrition, UPMC, will discuss, “Eating Well, Aging Better,” at 11 a.m.

WHEN: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Tuesday, May 15

WHERE: Cumberland Woods Village, 700 Cumberland Woods Dr., Allison Park (located on the UPMC Passavant campus)

WHY:  Falls and mobility problems often are common in older adults, but are not just the result of getting older. Many falls can be prevented. A number of factors contribute to a person’s likelihood to fall, such as medications, muscle weakness, poor vision and the environment. In many cases, falls result in serious problems for older adults that include the loss of confidence, self-esteem and reduced independence.

In addition to this UPMC Health Plan fall-prevention assessment, seniors will receive information on other health-related issues including nutrition, cardiac health, stroke and injury prevention, and incontinence. Community College of Allegheny County will provide details about free classes available for seniors

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