seniors

Elderly Care in Summer

Jennifer

Senior_summer_travelThe hot summer weather can be hard for everyone. But one of the extra potential problems the elderly have is that they often have a harder time identifying when they are thirsty. It is thus very important for those caring for the elderly to keep tabs on how much they are drinking. Of course, this is even more the case with those who have dementia.

It is not so good for people to just drink a whole lot in one sitting. Sipping little bits throughout the day is best. But according to Dr. Jim Thomason of Maple Lawn retirement community, while it is beneficial to get older in that one doesn’t feel the heat as much, what’s worrying is that the elderly are thus at a greater risk for dehydration.

Another tip for elderly care during the summer month is to contact one’s local Area Agency on Aging to see if they can help those with limited resources get air-conditioners. Also be careful about vision in the elderly as too much sunlight can be problematic, especially with aging eyes. Use UV rays to protect eyes.

There are many things that can be done in the summer to protect our elders. Just keep on top of things and follow these simple ideas above.

Are Healthcare Apps Good for Seniors?

Jennifer

 

Technology is supposed to be helping people improve their health and enhance their quality of life.  But are they?  An argument can be made that the more that can be done virtually, the better off many otherwise housebound seniors should be.

Today, it seems like the healthcare app market for the senior community is growing.  Indeed, the availability of mobile devices has escalated to a value of $150m in 2011, according to Kalorama Information. As well, the medical community is using Smartphones and their apps for basics, and indicating that Smartphones are doing some of the work that used to be undertaken through the computer.  This has led the Food and Drug Administration to provide more supervision.

According to the report’s author, Melissa Elder, the medical app market is growing faster than the entire app market and is being used by professionals in the healthcare industry as a positive, productive tool.

So how can these apps help?  Well, one of them – the Viary app – was created to battle depression, which is more common as people age and become increasingly housebound. How can this work in practice though?  Well, according to a study published by BioMedCentral.com, close to three-quarters of participants who used the application were considered “no longer depressed” once they had completed the study protocol.  The app was set up to do this through behavior activation, through which the patient – with the therapist – is able to identify activities he or she finds positive and thereafter set up a matrix within which he or she will be motivated to engage in them more often.

So ultimately yes, it seems that apps can be helpful to everyone who wishes to improve the health. But it should not negate the fact that it is still equally crucial to make regular contact with one’s health care physician, one-on-one.

Geriatric Issues in India

Jennifer

There are many health issues impacting the elderly everywhere in the world.  A new study however, found that a staggering 25 percent of the seniors in India are suffering from depression; a third has arthritis and a fifth is unable to hear. In addition, it seems this problem is only going to get worse since it is estimated that by next year, there will be 100 million people in the 60+ age group and by 2030, that figure will almost double to 198 million.

So how is India planning on dealing with this phenomenon?  There has been a revision of the National Programme for the Healthcare of the Elderly (NPHCE) which is now planning on establishing 20 institutions that can turn out 40 post-graduates in MD in geriatric medicine annually.  As well, it will have another 6,400 beds in district hospitals and 1,000 beds in medical colleges for the elderly by 2017.

This is definitely a good start but there is still a long way to go until the issue of the elderly is solved in India.

American Seniors Requiring More Healthcare

Jennifer

Every year in America, the needs of the elderly population become greater as increasing amounts of baby boomers enter the third stage of their lives.  This thus needs to be addressed.  And so, the Division of Geriatric Medicine at Winthrop-University Hospital is now offering administered care via a whole slew of different multilevel expert health providers.

In general, the division of this hospital has been providing expert care for the elderly in Long Island for many years so knows the ropes.  It offers both primary and specialized care to geriatrics.  Included in this is preventive measures; immunizations; family support; patient education; screenings; chronic and acute healthcare issues; geriatric psychiatry and neuropsychological evaluation; medication reviews; counseling and more.

Assistance for San Antonio Seniors

Jennifer

San Antonio Seniors receive a lot of assistance from the Acute Care for the Elderly (ACE) Unit, located at CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Hospital.  Since it opened in June 2010, seniors have been given the opportunity to receive emotional, spiritual, medical and social care.  To date, close to 800 patients have been treated.  
The center has 10 rooms, all designed with seniors in mind.  For example, every room is fitted with a restraint-free pressure bed which can be lowered right down to the floor.  This helps reduce the incidence of falls and bedsores, common in the elderly.  As well, the rooms have convertible love seats for those visiting.

ACE Unit Advantage

One of the advantages of the ACE Unit is that if seniors have to be helped medically, they often will not have to go to the ER, and instead can be immediately treated at the center.  They will be evaluated straight away by a nurse practitioner or attending geriatrician and admitted right there rather than having to move to an office for the administrative process.  As well there are clinicians who are in direct talks with the patient’s primary care physician so that they can comprehensively work out the best way forward.