Senior Sunrise

Hospice is a special concept of care designed to provide comfort and support to patients and their families. Patients are referred to hospice when life expectancy is approximately six months or less. Hospice care can continue longer than six months if needed but requires physician certification. Here are some facts about hospice care:

• Hospice is not a place. Most hospice care takes place within the dying person’s home, whether it is his or her own home, the home of a family member or friend, a nursing or assisted living facility. Other options, if available from the provider, include a residential hospice facility or a hospice unit within a hospital.
• Hospice care neither prolongs life nor hastens death. Hospice staff and volunteers offer a specialized knowledge of medical care, including pain management.
• The goal of hospice care is to improve the quality of a patient’s last weeks, days and hours by offering comfort and dignity.
• Hospice care is provided by a team-oriented group of specially trained professionals (including as physicians, nurses, social workers, clergy), as well as volunteers and family members.
• Hospice addresses all symptoms of a disease, with a special emphasis on controlling a patient’s pain and discomfort.
• Hospice deals with the emotional, social and spiritual impact of the disease on the patient and the patient’s family and friends.
• Hospice offers a variety of bereavement and counseling services to families before and after a patient’s death.
• Hospice professionals make routine visits to the home, but family and/or friends are nearly always involved in care. Some families choose to hire additional services from private nursing agencies, which are typically not covered by Medicare, Medicaid or private insurance.
• Hospices use trained volunteers to help with household chores and to give family caregivers respite time. For example, a volunteer can give the family caregiver a chance to run errands or simply take a walk or nap.
• If a patient’s condition improves during hospice care or if the patient desires, the patient can discontinue hospice care.

Types of Dementia

When dementia is suspected the first step is to get a more accurate diagnosis of the type of dementia, so that appropriate treatments can be offered to the patient.

• Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia

• Other disorders that can lead to dementia include: Pick’s, Vascular, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), Lewy Body, Frontotemporal dementia and Parkinson’s related dementia

• Infectious diseases such as HIV and AIDS, meningitis, advanced neurosyphilis can also lead to dementia.

• Dementia is also sometimes associated with drug abuse or toxins such as mercury, carbon monoxide and lead.

 A skilled physician will be able to diagnose the cause of Alzheimer’s-like symptoms with over 90% accuracy.

Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease

A diagnostic workup will include the following:

• A medical history. Medications history. This includes current medications and dosage, medications taken for passed medical conditions, any incidence of drug allergies or drug misuse.

• Neurological examination. An examination of the motor system (movement),  an evaluation of reflexes, coordination, and sensory functioning;  to detect problems with the nervous system that may be causing problems with thinking and behavior.

• Premorbid history. How someone functioned before the occurrence of disease.

• Complete physical examination to assess hearing, vision, blood pressure, pulse, and other basic indicators of health and disease.

• Preliminary evaluation of current mood.

Tests for Alzheimer’s Disease

There are numerous and different tests.

• Mental status examination. The (MSE) Mental Status Examination test in onne of the key diagnostic tests for dementias such as Alzheimer’s The doctor/clinician makes judgments on the way the patient is functioning in a number of key areas. Each aspect will contribute to a diagnosis. The MSE will  assess memory, concentration, and other cognitive skills. Based on a series of questions and tests, points are achieved when they are answered correctly.

• The Clock Test. This is a simple test can be used as a part of a neurological test or as a screening tool for Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia.

• Laboratory tests usually include urine and blood tests to establish whether such things as diabetes, infections, heart disease are present.

• Imaging procedures such as a computed tomography (CT) scan, a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or a positron emission tomography (PET) scan can identify changes in brain structure or size indicative of Alzheimer’s. These tests give a detailed picture of the brain and can see if someone has blood clots, tumors, has had a stroke or other abnormalities that might account for Alzheimer’s type symptoms.

Who Can Diagnose Alzheimer’s Disease?

• The first person from who we seek help is a primary care physician (your family doctor), and they will be able to refer someone for further tests and consultations for an accurate diagnosis.

• There are many different health professionals who can diagnose or can contribute to a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.  The choice of specialist depends on a number of factors that the individual is demonstrating. The recommendation from the primary care physician may be to recommend one or more of the following:

• A Gerontologist who specialize in the study and diseases of aging.

• A psychiatrist who specializes in mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders.

• A Neurologist- who specializes in diseases of the nervous system such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s or strokes.

• A Neuropsychologist who specializes in brain-behavior relationships. They undertake neuropsychological testing to determine the type and level of impairment.

 

Whether you have an elderly relative who lives alone, or you’re preparing your own home to accommodate an elderly person, it’s important to make preparations for safety.  The most common area accidents occur is in the bathroom.  You should take measures to prevent accidents by installing a shower rail and bath mat.  You will want to ensure there are railings on the porch and any area of the home where there are stairs.  In case of an emergency, a cell phone or emergency medical device that the elder keeps on their person will help to avoid a dangerous situation.

Senior care is not just limited to preventing falls and spills; elders often require a special diet, and might require help with vision and hygiene.

With the economy in a difficult state at the moment, several people have been looking for careers that are more in demand.  Technical and online colleges are booming at the moment with people of all ages going back to school.  Here are a few of the current jobs highest in demand:

Elderly Care Assistant – the demand for professionals experienced and knowledgeable about senior health care has never been higher. 

Computer Programmer – this is a job that never loses its luster; a trained and experienced programmer will always have a job with internet technologies and software development as a couple of the industries least affected by the recession.

Environmental Engineer – President-elect Obama plans to spend billions to create green jobs and advance green technology; a degree and experience in this area will help when the spike of demand comes in the near future.