We are at Balboa Park at the Chinese New Year Senior Dance. Stop on by and cut a rug with us!
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!
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
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.
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
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
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.
Did you know that veterans and surviving spouses of veterans may be eligible to receive a special benefit from the VA for Home Care and Assisted Living?
This benefit is called the Aid and Attendance benefit and it can provide up to $1,704 per month for a veteran, $1,094 per month to a surviving spouse, or $2,020 per month to a couple. This is a little known program and we really need to spread the word. At Western Health we believe that all veterans deserve to age in comfort.
If you would like more information about this program please visit the following links:
www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/pension/vetpen.htm
Before I began researching about Thyroid Awareness month, I gave myself 3 guesses as to which part of the body this tiny little gland is located in. I wrote my answers down on a piece of paper: 1)brain, 2)throat, 3)heart. Now, if this were a gameshow question worth $1million, I would have sadly gone home empty handed!
The thyroid is a small bow-tie shaped gland located in front of your wind pipe in the lower part of your neck. It’s main function is to release hormones called Triiodothyronine (T3) and Thyroxine (T4). These hormones deliver energy to cells in your body which help control your metabolism. The thyroid thrives on iodine, which is most commonly ingested into your body through diet, in order to produce then proper amounts of T3 and T4. Cases when thyroids receive a lack of iodine could possibly lead to Iodine Deficiency, which could in turn contribute to other health issues that affect the thyroid gland.
Although Thyroid Disease affects men, Unfortunately, women over the age of 50 are at the highest risk for Thyroid Disease. There are many risk factors involved with Thyroid Disease. SOME risk factors include: autoimmune disease, a family history of Thyroid Disease, smoking, overconsumption of raw and soy foods, recent neck trauma or surgery, radiation exposure and stress.
There are also many obvious sides and symptoms that can help detect Thyroid Disease: low body temperatures, unusually low or high pulse rates, high blood pressure, enlarged or sensitive lump in neck, extreme hunger or thirst, noticeable weight change while keeping a consistent diet, swollen hands and feet, hair loss, and lesions on lower legs or feet.
In honor of Thyroid Awareness month, Western Health Home Care will be visiting doctors offices all over San Diego during the month of January to partner and discuss more tips on how to prevent Thyroid Disease. Keep checking our blog site for new posts!
If you or a loved one are experiencing any of the above symptoms, schedule an appointment with your doctor for a thorough medical evaluation for Thyroid Disease. You can also read more about Thyroid Disease risk factors, symptoms and testing at the Thyroid Awareness Month website
So the holidays are almost over. If you are anything like me you probably have felt like you have been floating through a sea of chocolates, peanut brittle and candy canes for the last month and a half. Oh my gosh I am ready to start hitting the gym and getting back to my fruits and veggies for the new year.
As a result of all my indulgences I have put on quite a few extra pounds. If you find that you are overweight and have struggled with maintaining a healthy weight most of your life, you may be at risk for diabetes. Diabetes is a condition where your body cannot produce enough insulin to process all of the sugars that come from the food we eat. If we cannot process the sugars, then our cells will not be provided with the energy they need to operate. I find that the end of the year is a good time to evaluate my health and check for signs of health issues like diabetes.
Here are some symptoms that could tell you if you have diabetes:
Frequent Urination
Unusual Thirst
Extreme Hunger
Unusual Weight Loss
Extreme Fatigue and Irritability
Frequent Infections
Blurred Vision
Cuts/Bruises that are slow to heal
Tingling/Numbness in Hands and Feet
Recurring Skin/Gum or Bladder Infections
If you feel that your body is developing any of these symptoms go see your doctor as soon as possible. If untreated diabetes can be very dangerous. The American Diabetes Association has an online risk test. Click here to view it.
If you do find that you are diagnosed with diabetes you may be able to qualify for one of Western Health’s Telehealth Services. If approved by your doctor and insurance, we can provide Diabetes education and management. We can also provide a special machine in your home that sends us your blood sugar, blood pressure, and weight levels that can be monitored by a nursing diabetes specialist 24/7. If you or your doctor feel you can qualify please contact us at (619) 397-7800.