Monthly Archives: January 2012
By admin on January 30, 2012
Many of our patients are 65 and older and qualify for Medicare health insurance. Did you know Medicare Preventative Benefits provide certain annual doctor appointments with no out of pocket costs? There are two types of visits…
Welcome to Medicare preventative visit - this visit is for those who have signed up for Medicare Part B and can be used within 12 months of signing up. It includes:
• A comprehensive review
of your medical and family health
history.
• Check your height, weight and
blood pressure.
• Calculate your body mass index.
• Do a simple vision test.
• Give you advice to help you
prevent disease, improve your
health and stay well.
• Make appropriate referrals when
necessary
When making this appointment you must ask if your physician will do any procedures that may result in a co-pay. You should also bring a list of all the doctors you see, personal medical records, and all of the medications you take.
Yearly Wellness visit -
• Complete a comprehensive review
of your medical and family health
history.
• Check your height, weight and blood
pressure.
• Review your current medicines.
• Schedule recommended shots and
screenings.
• Advise you on personal medical
issues and treatment options.
Your physician may also recommend that you receive a flu shot and other screenings. These screenings include Cardiovascular checks (no co-pay if MD accepts Medicare), Diabetes Checks (no co-copay if MD accepts Medicare), and Colorectal tests (you may have a co-pay if your physician finds a growth and removes it).
If you would like more information on this subject you can visit the American Medical Associations website and they have provided a handy brochure with more tips. Click here.
If you need help leaving your home to go to your doctor’s appointment, give us a call at (619) 656-4380 and we’ll set you up with one of our fantastic care attendants.
Posted in Awareness, Health Tips Tagged Medicare, Medicare Preventative Benefits, Western Health HomeCare
By admin on January 27, 2012
Yesterday Sue had a call-in interview with Mark Larson on KCBQ and later replayed on KPRZ. Listen to it here Western Health Home Care - 1.26.12.
Posted in Audio, Home Health Tagged KCBQ, KPRZ, Mark Larson, Western health home care
By admin on January 26, 2012
We are at Balboa Park at the Chinese New Year Senior Dance. Stop on by and cut a rug with us!
Posted in Events Tagged Senior Dance Western Health
By admin on January 26, 2012
As Thyroid Awareness Month winds down, Western Health Home Care thought it would be helpful to recap the previous blogs relating to this health issue with a Thyroid Top Ten (courtesy of www.empoweryourhealth.org)
1. As many as 30 MILLION Americans may be affected by thyroid disorders, although more than half remain undiagnosed.
2. Thyroid disorders are more common amongst women.
3. Thyroid disorders tend to run in families.
4. Fatigue is a common complaint for under and overactive thyroid conditions.
5. TSH testing is the most useful test for thyroid screening.
6. Regular check-ups are the key to successfully managing a malfunctioning thyroid gland.
7. Changing formulations and dosage that affect thyroid hormone levels should be followed by retesting.
8. Do not change your dose of thyroid medication without guidance from your physician.
9. Thyroid conditions in pregnancy warrant close attention.
10. Thyroid cancer is on of the fastest growing cancers in America and of of the most CURABLE!
***Western Health has decided to make 2012 the year to take hold of our health! We are going to be posting health awareness blogs all year long by focusing on a particular issue each month. Be sure to check out February’s blogs as we feature American Heart Month!
Posted in Awareness, Health Tips, Home Health Tagged conditions, disorder, dosage, fatigue, health issue, thyroid awareness, thyroid cancer, Western health home care
By admin on January 23, 2012
I found this great article on the Business Insider website this morning. The journalist interviews Jeffery P. Rosenfeld, gerontologist and co-author of the book Unassisted Living: Ageless Homes for Later Life.
Mr. Rosenfeld explains that as Baby Boomers age they are planning for their golden years in a different fashion from previous generations. Boomers are realizing that they need to live in spaces that can accommodate their bodies as they age, but can also provide an area for returning children who are on the job hunt after college. His research finds that more people are veering away from long-term care and nursing facilities. They are planning for areas within their own household where a future caregiver can live or have a space for breaks. He also mentions that many boomers are giving up the house in the “burbs” and moving toward more metropolitan areas closer to museums, restaurants and entertainment centers.
It is definitely an interesting read. http://www.businessinsider.com/see-how-the-boomers-will-live-their-lives-without-ever-using-assisted-living-2011-12.
If you are a boomer who is in the process of planning for care, feel free and give us a call. At Western Health we are more than happy to answer any questions you may have about care in the future or present. (619) 656-4380
Posted in Health Tips, Private Home Care Tagged Baby Boomer, Baby Boomers, Home Care, Western Health, Western Health HomeCare
By admin on January 21, 2012
Many adults these days suffer from chronic pain. Sometimes chronic pain is caused by harsh working conditions outdoors, like a police officer constantly riding around on a motorcycle in a hunched position. Sometimes pain is caused by years of sitting at a desk in front of the computer screen typing away causing wear and tear on the joints in your hand. Whatever the cause is, chronic pain can really be a pain in the neck…literally (ok no more bad puns. I promise).
When someone experiences musculoskeletal pain over a prolonged period of time, physiologic changes may occur in the body. Our threshold for nerve firing is lowered and our normal neural mechanisms to block pain no longer works well. Think of this as a pain memory. When this occurs, the most minute movements can cause painful sensations. This can also lead to physical and emotional stress which could lead to other issues like high blood pressure and depression.
There are treatments for pain management. Orthopedic manual therapy works to exercise specific joints in a proper way to develop efficient muscle movements. This therapy tends to change our bad movement habits and help us to move our joints in the way they are intended to move. Think of it like a nut on a screw. If someone tries to spin the nut to the right - the nut will become tighter and tighter on the screw. The person needs to learn that in order to loosen up the nut they must move in a different fashion and spin the nut to the left.
Other treatments include cognitive sessions with a counselor. The more one thinks about the pain, the more pain that person will experience. Professionals in the pain management field can teach you different techniques to battle painful thoughts.
Last but not least pain medications can be effective, but one must follow doctor’s orders to the T because risk of addiction can be very high.
If you are experiencing chronic pain, please discuss this issue with your physician and develop a treatment plan so that you don’t have to suffer any more. Pain can be managed and new techniques to battle are being developed day.
Posted in Health Tips Tagged chronic pain, orthopedic, pain, Western health home care
By admin on January 11, 2012
Sometimes, in life, it takes a shocking dose of reality for individuals to realize how serious certain health conditions can be. Surely we all have that one stubborn family member (and if you can’t think of a family member, maybe it’s you) that hasn’t seen their doctor in X-amount of years for a check-up simply because they always say they feel “fine”. Well, here is a scary statistic: 30 Million Americans may be affected by thyroid disorders! That’s nearly 10% of our Nation’s population… Oh, and here’s that SHOCKING DOSE OF REALITY mentioned in line one: More than 15 Million Americans are walking around with some sort of Thyroid condition and they don’t even know it!
The good news is that most thyroid conditions are very common and treatable. That is why it is time to put that age-old quote, “knowledge is power” to good use. Two of the most common thyroid conditions are Hypothyroidism and Hyperthyroidism. Two very big, very similar words with huge differences.
HypOthyroidism (the more common of the two) is when the thyroid gland is not active enough and does not produce the proper amount of thyroid hormones necessary for your body. Hypothyroidism can cause you to gain weight, feel fatigued and have difficulty dealing with cold temperatures. HypERthyroidism is when the thyroid gland is over active and produces more thyroid hormones than necessary. These extra thyroid hormones can cause you to lose weight, speed up your heart rate and make you very sensitive to heat.
If you or someone you know is experiencing any of the above symptoms, a simple blood test from your doctor to check thyroid hormone levels can diagnose either condition. It’s the new year…why not schedule that doctor’s appointment today?
For more information about Hypothyroidism, Hyperthyroidism or any other Thyroid Awareness tid-bits, visit www.empoweryourhealth.org or www.healia.com
Posted in Awareness, Health Tips Tagged awareness, condition, disorders, doctor, fatigue, health, hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, symptoms, Thyroid, weight gain
By admin on January 10, 2012
Home Health and Hospice agencies deliver very similar services. They are both funded by Medicare, provide help inside the home, and are state licensed. Many of you may be wondering….what’s the difference?
According to the National Association for Home Care and Hospice the differences are:
“Most Americans older than 65 are eligible for the federal Medicare program. If an individual is homebound, under a physician’s care, and requires medically necessary skilled nursing or therapy services, he or she may be eligible for services provided by a Medicare-certified home health agency. Depending on the patient’s condition, Medicare may pay for intermittent skilled nursing; physical, occupational, and speech therapies; medical social work; HCA services; and medical equipment and supplies. The referring physician must authorize and periodically review the patient’s plan of care. With the exception of hospice care, the services the patient receives must be intermittent or part time and provided through a Medicare-certified home health agency for reimbursement.
Hospice services are available to individuals who are terminally ill and have a life expectancy of six months or less; there is no requirement for the patient to be homebound or in need of skilled nursing care. A physician’s certification is required to qualify an individual for the Medicare Hospice Benefit. The physician also must re-certify the individual at the beginning of each six-month benefit period. In turn, the patient is required to sign a statement indicating that he or she understands the nature of the illness and of hospice care. By signing this statement, the patient surrenders his or her rights to other Medicare benefits related to terminal illness.”
If you would like to learn more or feel that you are eligible for home health care don’t hesitate to give Western Health a call. (619) 379-7800
Posted in Home Health Tagged home health, home health vs. hospice, hospice, Western Health, Western Health HomeCare
By admin on January 6, 2012
Many of our patients young and old suffer from various forms of leukemia and anemia. These diseases affect the cells in our bodies that produces our red blood. Our red blood cells flow through our arteries and veins to feed the rest of our body’s cells with oxygen and nutrients. Under normal circumstances our bone marrow is the stuff that produces our red blood cells so that we can live healthy lives.
Unfortunately leukemia and other like diseases disturb our marrow’s ability to produce red blood cells. Medical science has found that if a person is matched with another person’s marrow who has a similar HLA tissue type, they can perform a successful marrow transplant which can help produce the much needed red blood cells the sick person needs. The only problem is that it can be very difficult to match a sick person with a healthy person who has a similar HLA type.
Luckily the National Marrow Donor Program can help match folks who need donations with other folks that can provide tissue that won’t be rejected in the body. Donating marrow is a little more involved than donating blood. It requires a small surgical procedure and this may turn a lot of people off. However, unlike giving blood, not every one who registers may donate marrow. I registered 4 years ago and have not been called yet. But if I am called to donate, I’d be more than happy to do so. Just think - you are giving away something in your own body that can help save another life. The best part is that your body will regenerate the marrow that you gave!
The process is very simple:
Step 1. Go to marrow.org and click on the Join Now tab
Step 2. Wait for your free match-kit in the mail
Step 3. Once you receive the match-kit, take the sterilized cotton swabs that are provided and swab the saliva in your mouth.
Step 4. Place the swab in the sterilized enveloped provided
Step 5. Drop the envelope in the mail.
Step 6. Save a life!!!!
It’s that easy. I encourage everyone to sign up for this program. It is completely anonymous and it can save many lives.
marrow.org
Posted in Awareness Tagged anemia, Bone marrow, leukemia, marrow.org