A little over a week ago after being out, I experienced chest pains. Usually when I feel such discomfort, it is just indigestion. However, these chest pains were more pronounced.
I knew I was tired and I had been sitting in the same position in bed watching TV for six hours. I told the nurse how I felt and suggested a change in positions would help. Along with my regular evening meds I took a nausea pill and a gas chewable which I hoped would help.
I was one of the estimated 50 million people who watched the “12-12-12” concert for Hurricane Sandy relief and I had two reactions. The first was that event was especially poignant because, as the New York Times reported, more than 40% of the fatalities of this storm were people over age 65. Many drowned in their homes or died when help couldn’t reach them in time to get medical care. (I think this is really a comment about aging in community vs. aging in place.) But, this is an issue beyond my ken to solve.
I have wanted to do something special for the residents for Christmas. But it is difficult to do something that everyone can enjoy. Yesterday, while I was out getting lights for my wreath and doing some Christmas shopping, I decided I wanted to add some decorations to the facility Christmas trees. One tree was put up a few days after Thanksgiving. Since then, a female resident with dementia has removed a few ornaments.
The absolute horror of the mass shooting at the Sandy Hook School in Newtown, Conn., on December 14, 2012 is a day that no American will soon forget. It is a stark reminder that some of our most vulnerable and innocent populations are not immune from insane acts of violence. As investigators try to sort through the aftermath of this senseless tragedy, long-term care providers should remember that these types of situations are not limited to elementary schools, shopping malls, movie theaters and college campuses.
The facility that I live in does not have a beauty salon. However, we do have an Activities aide who is a cosmetologist. She can cut the residents’ hair, but there is no area or equipment for doing perm and hair color services.
So I have been to several local salons in search of a stylist who can do my hair the way I want. Unfortunately, I have had a few less than wonderful experiences. I wear my hair in a short curly perm. They do not stock the type of permanent solution I use. Therefore, it has been challenging to find a stylist able to do my style.
When long-term care (LTC) first started to move from paper to electronic information systems, we took our workflow check-off sheets and digitized them without thinking much about the new workflows that would be required to take advantage of the new application. This usually happened because we were in a hurry to get the new application online.
As a field, we are so focused on thinking and memory—and the functional care challenges changes in these abilities bring—that we ignore personality. After all, personality is another factor that contributes to what psychologists refer to as cognition, which is how a person knows the world.
It looks like flu season has started this year. It always seems to coincide with the holidays. Because of the illness, we were short an aide this weekend, which slowed things down. I know the other aides are hoping not to get it.
For several days, aides and nurses have been coughing. Last week, two aides were sent home early. But the flu is not confined to staff and residents. Visitors are at risk or, if they are not feeling well, may add to the outbreak in a facility.
A few days ago, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) announced, as a part of its Semiannual Report to Congress, that it expects recoveries to amount to $6.9 billion this year. (Yes, that’s “billion” with a “b”!) This impressive haul is a result of fraud investigation and audits.
I got to know Janeen (pseudonym) when she was my roommate more than a year ago. She has a clear, deep caramel complexion and piercing eyes. Her 5'9" height and frame are also commanding. Although I do not know her diagnosis, at times she is childlike, then at other times she shows the wisdom of the ages.
I have read a great deal about ways to promote “brain fitness.” Implicit in all these approaches–games, exercises or diet, is the implied benefit of reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. None of these methods, to the best of my knowledge, has shown such a benefit through the use of a double-blind clinical trial—the gold standard approach. While these methods might have demonstrable benefits, preventing Alzheimer’s or any other dementia has not been shown. I wish they could testify to that, but we are not there yet.
The holiday season of 2012 is here faster than I believe any of us ever expected. It is certainly a time to reflect and show appreciation for people who are important to us. That’s why I believe it’s a great time of year to acknowledge your community’s emergency responders and let them know how important they are to your long-term care facility.
