Two Parents With Dementia: How Do Caregivers Cope?
Carol Bradley Bursack

My mom and dad both have dementia. I am all alone taking care of them since my sister passed away I have no one to help me. I get sad and frustrated with them both. How do I deal with my feelings?

These are powerful words from one Agingcare.com forum participant. It’s a “cry from the wild” which will touch the heart of most caregivers. Many of us feel alone when we are trying to care for our aging parents and there are no siblings to help, or if there are siblings, they can’t or won’t help. When we have one parent who has dementia, it is hard. When we have two, it is often nearly unbearable.

My dad had dementia from surgery. Mom developed a more subtle type of dementia, the type they used to call “senile dementia.” Now it’s called “organic brain disease.” Whatever the type – Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, Pick’s disease, dementia due to Parkinson’s or just plain “organic brain disease,” which sort of applies to them all – it’s painful for the caregiver. Sometimes the pain is so raw and isolating that the caregivers become more ill than those they are caring for.

Statistics vary, but upward of thirty percent of caregivers die before those they are caring for. Some of those are adult children, lonely and depressed, isolated and frustrated, often torn by guilt. These caregivers can develop cancer, commit suicide, or have heart problems and other ill health that can likely be traced to the stress of caring for their loved ones.

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If you need help with the care of your loved one in the Port Charlotte area, visit www.floridahomecare.net.

Seven months in and we still have questions and concerns over the new health care laws. Thanks to the Kaiser News Staff we are getting some answers to important questions, especially, when it comes to our senior loved ones. If you need care and assistance for a loved one in the North Port FL area, visit www.floridahomecare.net.

True or False: Seven Concerns About the New Health Law Checked Out by Kaiser News Staff

Does it ration care for elderly? Will it disrupt Medicare Advantage plans? Is it the end of TRICARE?

The sweeping health care overhaul signed into law by President Barack Obama is more than 2,000 pages long and has been dissected by analysts, politicians and pundits. It’s no wonder that some consumers are confused – and perhaps frightened – about how the law might affect them. Some concerns were raised during the congressional debate or have been swirling around the Internet.

KHN staff writers checked out some of the claims:

Comparative effectiveness research will lead to the rationing of care for the elderly.

Not true.

The law creates a nonprofit Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute charged with examining the "relative health outcomes, clinical effectiveness, and appropriateness" of different medical treatments by evaluating existing studies and conducting its own. The institute would be governed by a 19-member board that includes patients, doctors, hospitals, drug makers, device manufacturers, insurers, payers, government officials and health experts.

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Ninety Percent of Stroke Risk Due to 10 Factors

A large international study has found that 10 risk factors account for 90 percent of all the risk of stroke, with high blood pressure playing the most potent role.

Of that list, five risk factors usually related to lifestyle — high blood pressure, smoking, abdominal obesity, diet and physical activity — are responsible for a full 80 percent of all stroke risk, according to the researchers.

Read more from Health Day…

For information about how Visiting Angels can help you and your family in the Venice FL area, visit www.floridahomecare.net.

Are you and your doctor on the same page? Maybe not, new survey shows

Helping Americans recognize healthy habits and making them a top priority in daily life

(ARA) – Are you and your health care provider on the same page when it comes to discussing your health? Does he or she think you’re doing as well at maintaining your health as you think you are?

Probably not, according to a new survey conducted by StrategyOne on behalf of GE, the Cleveland Clinic and Ochsner Health System.

While about a third of patients surveyed gave themselves grades of "A" on managing their personal health, eating well, exercising regularly, managing stress and getting preventative screenings, the majority of health care providers gave Americans a grade of "C" or lower on all points, according to the survey of more than 2,000 Americans age 18 and older, and more than 1,200 doctors, nurses, pharmacists and dieticians.

What’s more, 70 percent of those surveyed admitted to avoiding their doctors at some point, even though 95 percent recognize the importance of regular doctor visits. And while 70 percent of providers say their patients only come to see them when they’re sick, only 38 percent of Americans say this is true.

"Healthy living is not easy and can be overwhelming at times," says Olympic figure skating champion Michelle Kwan, who has teamed up with fellow Olympic champion Scott Hamilton, GE, Ochsner Health and the Cleveland Clinic to educate Americans on how to take simple daily steps to improve their health, and their communication with their doctors. "We learned there are times when Americans would rather lean their house than take care of their health, and with my hectic schedule, I can totally relate. You have to work to improve your health – it’s not something that gets better overnight."

"It’s crucial for people to take ownership of their health if they want to maintain it," says Dr. Joseph Bisordi, chief medical officer of Ochsner in New Orleans. "This is not just a question of motivation; we’re seeing a significant doctor-patient communication gap. Health care professionals are eager to help people achieve better health."

So how can Americans improve their health and their communications with their physician? GE’s "healthymagination: Year of Better Health for More People" initiative aims to help. On the Web site www.healthymagination.com, Americans can get advice on:

* What questions to ask your doctor about your overall health and specific medical conditions that might concern you. Developed with WebMD, the Better Health Conversation asks you a series of questions about your health status and generates suggested discussion points to cover with your doctor.

* A free mobile application for iPhones or Androids that suggests easy-to-do activities to improve your health in surprising, imaginative ways.

* An interactive tool that allows you to share health news, features and blogs with others on a variety of sites.

* Interactive data, graphically presented allows you to apply the data and learn about health issues like the major health issues facing Americans and conditions frequently experienced by people with health profiles similar to yours.

"Unfortunately the survey showed most Americans are avoiding the one person who could help them live healthier," says Bisordi. "It’s time for Americans to have a more collaborative relationship with their health care providers, and we believe that improving your knowledge of good health is the best way to start."

Courtesy of ARAcontent

For information about the services provided by Visiting Angels in the Punta Gorda FL area, visit www.floridahomecare.net.

Aftercare Tips for Patients Checking Out of the Hospital

According to a study published last year in The New England Journal of Medicine, one in five Medicare patients returns to the hospital within 30 days of being discharged. The problem is an expensive one: in 2004, these re-admissions cost Medicare $17.4 billion dollars, the researchers also found.

In mid-March my 85-year-old father checked into a prominent New York City hospital for a scheduled operation. The procedure, to remove a cancerous tumor from his thigh, went well, and soon he was sent home.

But three days later, unable to cope with a complicated wound care regimen, he landed back in the hospital.

My father had become part of a notorious trend. Discharge from the hospital is a critical point in a patient’s recovery, particularly for older people with chronic conditions. The process is supposed to be carefully planned, but instead it often is rushed and poorly coordinated, resulting in complications that send patients back to the emergency room.

According to a study published last year in The New England Journal of Medicine, one in five Medicare patients returns to the hospital within 30 days of being discharged. The problem is an expensive one: in 2004, these re-admissions cost Medicare $17.4 billion dollars, the researchers also found.

Hospital stays certainly are shorter now: the average stay was 4.6 days in 2007, down from about 5.7 days in 1993. But the re-admissions problem is not simply the result of compressed care, experts say.

Read more from the New York Times…

Visit www.floridahomecare.net for information on how we can help with care and assistance for you senior loved one.