On December 31, 2009 New Year’s Eve At The White House David Bender will be disputing President Obama’s Greatest Success and Failures in his First Year. We want to hear from the people that voted for President Obama! Is the Health Care Reform a Great Promise in the Making or a Disaster Waiting to Happen? What is President Obama’s greatest achievement and worst disaster?
December, 2009
30
Dec 09
Vote: Is the Health Care Reform a Great Promise in the Making or a Disaster Waiting to Happen?
27
Dec 09
Identifying Elderly Abuse, Neglect, And Exploitation
Amatulla’s Home Care Service’s follows this Consortium for all Elderly, Disabled and Sick people.
WHAT YOU SHOULD LOOK FOR:
Physical Observation: Lacerations, burns, mouth sores, poor wound healing; infected or untreated wounds, dirty skin; nails; uncombed dirty hair; unshaved face, scratches/bites, scars.
Bruises/Hematomas: bilaterally on upper arms form holding and shaking, clustered on truck as from repeated striking. Shaped like an object, old and new bruises at same time from repeated injury, wrists/ankles from use if restraints.
Poor hygiene; body odor, Incontinence; odor of urine/feces, Weakness
Vital Statistics: Underweight, weight loss
Nutritional Observation: Hair: Lack of natural shine; dull and dry; can be easily plucked
Face: Pale color; skin dark over cheeks and under eyes; swollen face; enlarged parotid glands.
Eyes: Eye membranes are pale or red; redness and fissuring of eyelid corners; dryness of eye membranes.
Lips: Redness and swelling of mouth or lips, especially at corners of mouth; cracked lips, especially at corners.
Gums: “Spongy” and bleed easily; recession of gums
Skin: Dryness; sandpaper feeling of skin; flakiness; sagging skin, swollen and dark; excessive lightness or darkness of skin, black and blue marks due to skin bleeding; lack of fat under the skin
Tongue: Swelling; scarlet and raw; purplish color; smooth; swollen sores.
Teeth: gross dental caries; broken or missing.
Muscular and Skeletal System: muscles have “wasted” appearance; knock-knees or bow-legs; difficulty ambulating; fractured bones
Cardiovascular System: Rapid heart rate (above 100 tachycardia); abnormal rhythm
Gastrointestinal: Abdominal distention
Nervous System: Mental irritability and confusion; burning and tingling of hands and feet; loss of position and vibratory sense; weakness and tenderness of muscles (may result in inability to walk); difficulty swallowing or speaking.
Genital-Urinary: Vaginal discharge or infection; urinary incontinence or infection
Medical History Observation: Inappropriate use of alcohol, drugs, “Doctor Shopping,” going to many different emergency rooms, indications of improperly giving medication; possible withheld or given to manage the patient’s behavior, Many different prescription tranquilizers.
Behavior Observation: Extremely agitated, tearful, overly quiet or passive, begging for help, fearful of caregiver or others, frustration, anger at caregiver, demanding, critical, accusing, embarrassment, unresponsive, depressed, withdrawn, wants to die, looks to caregiver to provide “right answer”, makes statements about being abused, neglected, exploited, unrealistic statements about what he/she can do, what caregiver does or did, and unrealistic expectations or caregiver’s ability to meet needs.
26
Dec 09
Resident Rights for Adult Family Homes
At Amatulla’s Home Care Services we comply with all of the following standards:
The Right To A Safe, Healthy, Clean And Decent Living Environment. The resident should expect that the operator of the Adult Family Home (AFH) will provide him/her with a home that meets all the requirements in the law regarding the physical appearance and safety in the AFH. The home should be a place where the resident is proud to live and family and friends are proud to visit.
The Right To Be Treated At All Times With Courtesy And Respect, And With Full Recognition Of Personal Dignity And Individuality. All residents should be treated with dignity and respect at all times.
The Right To Practice A Religion of His Choice Or To Abstain From The Practice Of Religion. All residents should have the freedom to practice the religion of their choice. The AFH should provide an area in the home where residents may have religious services. If the residents desires, they should also be able to attend services in the community. The resident should never feel intimidated to follow the beliefs of those who provide care and they should not be forced to attend religious services if they choose not to.
The Right To Maintain Personal Financial Affairs. Residents should be encouraged to handle their financial affairs if possible.
The Right To Retain And Use Personal Clothing.
The Right To Ownership And Reasonable Use Of Personal Property To Maintain Dignity And Individuality. The resident should be able to keep as many articles of clothing and personal possessions as space will permit in their room, as long as they recognize the rights of other residents who must share that space.
The Right To Participate In Activities Within The AFH And To Use The Common Areas Of The Home.
The Right To Engage In Or Refrain From Engaging In Activities Of His Own Choosing Within Reason.
The Right To Private And Unrestricted Communications Including; The Right To Receive, Send, And Mail Sealed Unopened Correspondence; The Right To Reasonable Access To A Telephone For Private Communications; The Right To Private Visits At Any Reasonable Hour.
The Right To Initiate And Maintain Contact With The Community, Including The Right To Participate In The Activities Of Community Groups At His Initiative Or At The Initiative Of Community Groups. Residents have the rights to participate in community activities of their choosing, and they may leave the AFH at a reasonable hour to take part in these activities.
The Right To State Grievances To The Owner Or Manager Of The AFH, To Any Governmental Agency, Or To Any Other Person Without Reprisal. The important thing to remember about this right is that the resident should feel comfortable about coming to the operator with a problem that has developed. The resident should not feel that because of the complaint the operator will punish him/her in some way, or ask the resident to leave the AFH.
Prior To Becoming A Resident, The Right To Visit The AFH Alone Or With His Sponsor. The visit will give the resident and his or her family a chance to see if the AFH will be a good match for the resident.
The Right To Retain The Services Of Any Health Or Social Services Practitioner At His Own Expense. All Adult Family Homes residents must have a physician who is willing to care for them. It may be the same physician who has provided care for a number of years, or it may be a new doctor they have chosen when they moved to the home. The home operator should provide the resident with a written contract and Adult Family Home rules that outlines the services provided by the AFH and the cost associated with the services.
The Right To Refuse Medical Treatment Or Services. If Resident Is Incompetent And Has Not Been Restored To Legal Capacity, The Right To Have His Legal Guardian Make Decisions About Medical Treatment And Services For Him.
The Right To Be Free From Abuse, Neglect, Or Exploitation. Residents in Adult Family Homes should never be subjected to physical or mental abuse.
The Right To Be Free From Physical Restraints. Physical restraints of any kind may not be used on a resident in an Adult Family Home.
The Right Not To Be Deprived Of Any Legal Rights Solely By Reason Or Residence In An Adult Family Home. Residents retain the same legal and civil rights that they exercised when they lived in their own homes. The resident may vote and enter into legal contracts if he/she chooses to do so.
The Right To Examine Records Maintained By The Adult Care Home Concerning Him, Upon Request.
The Right To Confidential Treatment Of His Personal Records, And The Right To Approve Or Refuse The Release Of These Records To Any Individual Outside The Home, Except Upon Transfer To Another Adult Family Home, Or Other Health Care Facility Or Provider, And Except As Required By Law Or Rule Or As Required By A Third Party Payment Contract. The residents decides who may look at his/her records.
The Right To Be Informed In Writing Of The Rates Charged By The AFH As Well As Any Additional Charges, And To Receive Thirty Days Notice In Writing Of Any Change In The Rates And Charges. The home operator should provide the resident with a written contract that outlines the services provided by the AFH and the cost associated with the services.
The Right To Have Any Significant Change In His Health Reported To His Sponsor. When a resident enters an AFH, the operator should ask the resident and/or the family or sponsor, who is to be notified in the event the health of the resident changes.
The Right To Share A Room With A Spouse If Both Are Residents Of The AFH. Married couples should be able to share a room if both reside in the AFH. If they decide not to share a room, their wishes should be followed.
The Right Not To Be Locked Out Of The AFH. If The AFH Is Locked During Any Portion Of The Day, Each Resident Shall Be Provided With A Key Or A Staff Member Shall Be Immediately Available On The Premises To Open The Door.
The Right Not To Be Locked In The AFH At Any Time For Any Reason. All Lockable Doors Shall Be Capable Of Being Opened From The Inside Without Using A Key.
The Right Not To Be Isolated Or To Have Food Or Other Services Withheld For Punishment, Incentive, Or Convenience.
25
Dec 09
Fire Safety for Adult Family Homes
At Amatulla’s Home Care Services we comply with the following fire protection standards:
Each home shall develop a written evacuation procedure which shall be explained to each resident and posted on each floor of the home. All of the employees working in the home shall be trained in fire control and evacuation procedures.
Each home shall conduct fire drills at least four times a year, with each staff member participating in at least one drill annually.
The written procedure shall include a floor plan indicating the location of the smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, evacuating routes and exits. The procedure shall include a plan for evacuating residents with impaired mobility.
Each home shall maintain at least one battery-operated smoke detector, with battery back-up, on each floor of the home, including the basement and attic. At least one smoke detector shall be in each hallway where residents bedroom are located and kitchen area.
The Adult Family Home Operator shall check each smoke detector monthly to make sure that battery is charged and working correctly and shall maintain records documenting these monthly checks.
Each home shall provide and maintain at least one dry chemical fire extinguisher with a minimum rating of “40BC” in the kitchen area; and one dry chemical fire extinguisher with a minimum rating of “2A-10 BC” on each floor of the home. Each fire extinguisher shall be inspected annually and refilled as necessary by an individual certified by the state fire marshal. The label on the extinguisher shall show the date of its annual inspection and refilling.
Each Adult Family Home shall prohibit the use of electrical cooking appliances in resident’s rooms.
Each Adult Family Home shall locate non-ambulatory individual’s bedrooms on a floor that exits to ground level. Which is an individual that is unable to get in and out of bed independently; the individual is unable to walk without physical assistance from another individual; or the individual requires a wheelchair.
Each home shall prohibit use of heating devices other than the main heating systems. Each home shall maintain all interior and exterior doors in safe operating condition and shall ensure that they are capable of latching securely when closed.
24
Dec 09
Diabetic foot care in the Elderly
Early detection is the key to preventing serious complications of the elderly foot problems in diabetic patients. You should see a podiatrist if you have any type of pain or trauma in your feet, such as pain while walking, swelling or redness, warmth to touch, swelling around the toenails or any numbness in your feet or legs.
Symptoms of foot problems in the elderly diabetic patients may vary and include: persistent pain, drainage of pus, painful gait, fever or chills that is associated with sores or wounds in the feet, and other symptoms.
Please report any changes that you may notice in your feet or legs to your doctor, and daily care to your feet is very important. You should use a water-base moisturizer everyday or lotion and apply it to your feet and legs. Wearing ted hose, wool or cotton socks will help and improve circulation to your feet and legs.
Smoking cigarettes or tobacco can slow down or completed stop the blood circulation in the bodies of elderly diabetic patients, and that will result to infections or even amputations. It is best to completely stop smoking if you are a diabetic.
Type 1, diabetics often comes on suddenly in result of illness or injury. Type 2, diabetics may go undetected for many years in result of obesity. Elderly patients with Type 2, diabetics may experience symptoms such constantly tired, unexplained weight loss, excessive thirst, excessive urination, excessive eating, poor and slow wound healing, infections, altered mental status, blurred vision, and many other systems.
There are no cure for diabetes, with proper treatment and early detection, diet, and exercise serious complication of this illness could be avoided.
23
Dec 09
THE THIRD STAGE OF DEMENTIA
Some medical professionals have divided Dementia into ten or more stages. Personally, I find that Dementia is a three-stage process to be clearly understood for caregivers. Each stage has a sign of illness or problem and some difficulties that overlap to some degree,
I have classified Dementia into three stages.
Stage one is extremely difficult for the patient himself to comprehend. Stage two is extremely difficult for the caregiver to comprehend. Stage three is extremely difficult for the primary decision maker to comprehend.
STAGE THREE: Duration is one to three years. Total Dependence.He will be completely disoriented as to time and place. He may not recognize his relatives and friends, or even himself in the mirror. He will need twenty-four-hour complete care. He may have trouble swallowing or can’t swallow at all.
He will need someone to feed him or completely stop eating. He will become incontinent of urine and stool. He will not be able to walk unassisted. He will become unable to speak. At the end of stage Three, he will be bedridden and sleep all the time. He will be malnourished, get an infection, or even pneumonia.
23
Dec 09
Vemma Vitamins and Nutrition for a Healthier Lifestyle
With a busy lifestyles and the many pressures that go with our day to day lives we need vitamins and a proper nutritional diet. Vemma has vitamin supplements that pack a powerful punch. I believe most people want to become healthier and live a productive lifestyle and the best way to do that is through diet and exercise and additional help from nutritional supplements.
Vitamins come in all different shapes, sizes and styles but with the Vemma nutritional supplements, all you have to do is drink it! It’s much easier than taking vitamins the old fashioned way by swallowing the sometimes large-sized pills!
I believe the benefits from great nutritional products like vitamin supplements can be long lasting and can lead you to living a stronger, healthier and happier life!
21
Dec 09
THE SECOND STAGE OF DEMENTIA
Some medical professionals have divided Dementia into ten or more stages. Personally, I find that Dementia is a three-stage process to be clearly understood for caregivers. Each stage has a sign of illness or problem and some difficulties that overlap to some degree, I have classified Dementia into three stages.
Stage one is extremely difficult for the patient himself to comprehend.
Stage two is extremely difficult for the caregiver to comprehend.
Stage three is extremely difficult for the primary decision maker to comprehend.
STAGE TWO: Duration is two to ten years from the first sign of systems, this is the longest stage.
He will experience memory loss and short attention span. He will often repeat stories and questions more frequently. He may progress to more serious automobile accidents. His appearance may obviously be unkempt. He may get loss more often. He will have difficulty following directions. His gate is off balance which may cause a risk of falls more often.
He may have a poor appetite. He will require assistance with some ADL’s grooming, bathing, and possible eating. He may be paranoid often; he may accuse his spouse of cheating. He may start wondering. He may loose items and claim that someone robbed him. He may start to hear voices, and see things that are not there.
He may become irritated easily or have a bad temper. He may sleep throughout the day and wander at night. He may not recognize his friends or family that he does not see on the daily basis. He may become incontinent of his urine and spend more time in bed. He may become restless later in the day. As Dementia progress his long term memory will continue to fail.
20
Dec 09
THE FIRST STAGE OF DEMENTIA
Some medical professionals have divided Dementia into ten or more stages. Personally, I find that Dementia is a three-stage process to be clearly understood for caregivers. Each stage has a sign of illness or problem and some difficulties that overlap to some degree, I have classified Dementia into three stages.
Stage one is extremely difficult for the patient himself to comprehend.
Stage two is extremely difficult for the caregiver to comprehend.
Stage three is extremely difficult for the primary decision maker to comprehend.
STAGE ONE: Duration is two to four years from the first sign of systems.
The trademark of Dementia is short term memory loss. He may be able to disguise his mistakes in his memory. He may still be alert times 3 meaning person, place, or thing although he may know something is wrong.
He may have lack of comprehension and poor attention span. He may forget names and appointments. He may forget where he put his belongings and leave the stove on. He may forget to pay bills or even pay them twice and is easily persuaded.
He may be no longer interested in his favorite activities. He may get lost while driving. He may begin to repeat stories and questions. He may forget the names of familiar objects. He may have misdirected angry. He may have poor hygiene. He may not allow help with his chores in the house.
He may have trouble with his numbers and pronouncing words. He may not take his medication any longer. He may be anxious all of a sudden, for no reason at all. He may be depressed because of the changes taken place.
He may be angry if someone confront him with any of the above problems.
19
Dec 09
Elderly Commitment
Maybe I can try to keep mom at home, mom lived there for forty years. Or, maybe she can live with my husband, six children and I. Mom raised my brother and I; now I can’t take care of her? I promised my mother I would never put her in a home. What would Dad say about this if he was living?
Astonishingly, it was my long history of medical and nursing experience that taught me when and how to make the responsible choices for my loved ones.
At Amatulla’s Home Care Services we are building a loving and compassionate Adult Family Home within a home. We have professional, humanitarian, and benevolent, hands-on caregivers to give one-on-one care.
As an State Tested Nursing Assistant specializing in geriatrics and long-term care, while I was caring for as well as communicating with dying loved ones and family members. I was taught through my experience that comforts measures, and unconditional love is always the best choice to make and give for your love ones.
Any uneducated promises that you have made to your love ones out of guilt will defiantly go away. Your love ones will receive better supervision and comfort in the hands of a professional licensed nursing assistant that has the experience and know how to provide the appropriate care that your love ones need.
Amatulla’s Home Care Services will give the family and friends the opportunity to provide their love ones with compassionate, unconditional love that your love ones will need in their last years of life. This will give you the quality time to spend with your mom, dad, family member or even long time friend.
You can read books, walk with them through the park, do crafts, watch movies, reminisce about old times, hold their hand in a time of need and comfort them. Just being their and letting your love ones know that you care and love them with all your heart, that will be a very good decision to make.
18
Dec 09
Warning Signs to Watch for in the Elderly
There are 10 warning signs to watch for in the elderly. If any of these warning signs are present in your love ones life you should start preparing a plan of care to assist your love one with, Activities of Daily Living. Known as ADL’S which means assistance with Bathing, Grooming, Sleeping, Eating, and Mobility.Warning sign 1. Personal Hygiene: Body odor, uncombed hair, soiled clothing, trouble getting out of the shower, and randomly bathing.
Warning sign 2. Housekeeping: Excessive garbage and spoiled food, carpet stains, loads of dirty laundry, dirty dishes, sticky counters and tables, and does not want to except help.
Warning sign 3. Meals and Appetite: Problem with preparing food, little appetite, weight loss, or gain, spoiled food, and empty refrigerator.
Warning sign 4. Memory: Not remembering doctors appointments, names, repeating stories in conversation, losing belongings, loss of memory, and forgetting how to use the telephone.
Warning sign 5. Communication: Trouble with communicating, illegible handwriting, difficulty comprehending information.
Warning sign 6. Mobility: Walking slowly, extremely hard to walk up stairs, unsteady gait, falls often, and unsteady balance.
Warning sign 7. Depression: Angry and irritable often, not interested in family or friends, and avoid activities.
Warning sign 8. Medication: Do not remember if medication was taken, overuse of medication, and did not record what time medication was taken.
Warning sign 9. Finances: Unopened mail, unpaid bills, bills paid twice, unbalanced checkbooks, unexplainable savings or checking accounts, and threatening letters from bill collectors.
Warning sign 10. Driving: Driving unsafely fast or too slow, difficulty turning, no turn signals, unexplained dents in car, and trouble with parking the car.
Pay close attention to all the warning signs and create a plan of care for your love ones. If your love ones are able to be involved in the planning of their care allow them to. This will give your loved ones the opportunity to be the decision maker for the remainder of their life as you carry out their medical, personal care, and end-of-life wishes.
18
Dec 09
Senior Family Home Care
There are many different options out there for senior family home care, and a lot of people turn to nursing homes for the care they need or other inexpensive choices. However, nursing homes are not always the best option. One option that people are really starting to appreciate more is Senior Family Home Care. With quality Senior Family Home Care many people are saving a lot of money and very satisfied with the quality care and companionship their loved ones are receiving.
As an Independent Home Care Provider at Amatulla’s Home Care Services, we contribute a range of services that include: companionship, meal preparation, housekeeping, personal hygiene, grooming assistants, laundry, medication reminders, mail sorting, bill paying, scheduling medical appointments, transportation assistants, and shopping.
At Amatulla’s Home Care Services we encourage family members and friends to stay involved in the lives of their loved ones. Frequent visits and phone calls help keep your loved ones spirits lifted, and that is important to our Senior Family Home. The idea is to help the family stay connected and keeps your loved ones feeling supported and cared for.
16
Dec 09
Who’s Providing Care for Your Elderly Parents?
My grandmother was always an independent woman who took care of herself and her family. Grandma would start cooking dinner as early as 5:00am in the morning she would prepare baked chicken, collard greens, macaroni and cheese, black eye peas, corn bread, and for dessert she’ll make peach cobbler with home made vanilla ice cream. Dinner would be made as early as 9:00am. Then, grandma would wash the family’s clothes and hang them up on the clothes line to dry. When all the clothes dried completely she would iron, fold and put away everybody’s clothes. Finally, Grandma would clean up the entire house wash and put away the dishes, dust, and sweep &, mop all the floors.Grandma would not rest until she was completely satisfied with the care that she gave to herself and her loved ones.
Unfortunately, that day did come when Grandma could not do all of the work that she once did before for herself and everyone that lived with her. Grandma needed the help of a compassionate, dependable nursing assistant that is a professional and know how to take care of the elderly. So I took that opportunity to provide the care that my grandmother once gave to me and that she deserved to have.
As I began my personal journey of providing the care for my very own grandmother as a Licensed State Tested Nursing Assistant that was when I completely understood the anxiety and pain that some family members and loved ones go through. Moving their parents out of their home that they lived in for more than thirty years into the home of another person or nursing facility not really knowing for sure is that the correct decision to make for their loved ones.
I know I made the right decision and I know that I’m in the right field of work. I am very happy and grateful that I’m a professional licensed State Tested Nursing Assistant also known as Independent Provider at Amatulla’s Home Care Services for the elderly, disabled, and sick it is a wonderful career that I love doing and that I’m great at doing. My vision of taking care of the elderly in their late life is a stern and impassioned call to help families take care of their aging and frail elders and to preserve the quality of life even in the face of difficult times and accumulating diseases.
Having a plan gives you the understanding to have more choices and knowledge. A plan also gives you the control over the decisions that you make and it stabilizes a crisis situation and there is no confusion at all. As your parents are aging and their health is declining they will need guidance and support from you to make a timely and appropriate decision for them in a confident manor. Although, you may feel that you can do everything for them and maintain your good health and home at the same time this may be an unrealistic expectation.
You may receive a letter sent to you from a friend that really cares for you and your family titled Heartbreak Letter you are in denial, going crazy, angry all the time and you feel guilty.
With an appropriate plan in place these feelings will have no power over you. A realistic assessment of you parent’s situation will lead you to the appropriate decisions and a peace of mind.
I have the experience to provide the appropriate care for your parents and loved ones that they need and deserve to have. At Amatulla’s Home Care Services we have beds available now and I know there are elderly, disabled, or sick people on the Medicaid Waiver, or Transitional Waiver programs that require homecare services and need a place to be live, with very low rent or no rent at all depending upon the hours of home care they currently have. Please call Amatulla’s Home Care Services to receive the services that you need and deserve to have . Call 216-410-4850, or email me at Amatulla@vzw.blackberry.net or AmatullaHCS@yahoo.com
Thank you, Amatulla
15
Dec 09
Elderly Abuse in Nursing Homes
Working as a State Tested Nursing Assistant with different agencies for ten years definitely has enlightened me about what goes on behind closed doors of nursing homes. I have worked in many nursing homes for permanent positions and PRN cases, which means as needed. The agency would call me about two hours before the shift start to fill in for a nursing assistant who called off.
I would go in as the new aide on the block, most of the time the agency workers like myself, will receive the hardest cases, such as the hoyer lift clients that actually needs two nursing assistants to provide care for them.
I would have to hoyer lift the resident to bed for an afternoon nap or to use the bathroom every two hours. As I was going to get another nursing assistant to assist me with the resident that I was assigned to care for, I lightly knocked on the door and walked into a resident’s room.
I could not believe my eyes! The male nursing assistant said to me he was trying to get his residents clothes on him for the day. But instead, I witnessed a male nursing assistant pushing and shoving a seventy year old man around forcefully without no compassion or empathy. I reported the whole incident to charge nurse.
I was assigned to go to a different nursing home the next week as a State Tested Nursing Assistant. As I was looking for assistants with my hoyer lift resident, while walking down the hallway of the nursing home. I did not see any nursing assistants in sight to assist me with my hoyer lift. But I heard an elderly women’s voice screaming help me, help me, its cold! Then I opened the door of the shower room in a rush and could not believe my eyes. The elderly women said to me, help me please, I’m cold!
I said to the nursing assistant that was giving the elderly women a shower. What in the world are you doing? The nursing assistant told me to shut up, and then she pointed the handheld shower at me and sprayed me with ice cold water too. I was soak and wet, but I continued to work my entire shift.
I immediately reported that incident to the charge nurse. The staff nursing assistant was sent home for the day.
The following week I was assigned to go to a beautiful nursing home that was a delight to me eyes and always a pleasure for me to work at, because of the wonderful team work from the entire staff.
This one particular day I went to the nursing home and a nursing assistant appeared to be having a very bad day. So I asked her is there something wrong? And she said yes it is! “I can’t understand why we have to take all the residents to the basement of this dump by elevator, only three residents at a time at the most can fit in the elevator.
Then we have to lift the residents out of the wheelchair and sit them in a regular chair at the table so they can eat. We have to do this three times a day, for breakfast, lunch, and dinner that is just a whole lot of extra work that takes more than a hour to accomplish, it’s very stupid and overwhelming too!”
I responded to the nursing assistant and said, “Well at least this nursing home have team work, everyone is helping us sit the residents at the table so they can enjoy their food and eat like a family, and it also makes the time go by faster so try not to worry about it. After the residents eat dinner and we do our night time personal care it will be time to go home, so cheer up and by thankful that you have a permanent job! I’m just an agency nursing assistant that only works when someone call off, so try to enjoy the rest of your shift.”
While some of the staff members of the nursing home was taking the residents down to the lower level of the building to eat dinner. I was watching the nursing assistant that was having a bad day out of the corner of my eyes; it was not a pleasant sight.
The young female nursing assistant bulldozed a resident’s wheelchair to the table, then she put her arms and hands around his waist and attempted to lift the old man up, but he could not stand or walk. Then I yelled across the room and said can I help you? She said no in a very rude voice.
The nursing assistant tried again and this time she muscled the old man up and completely turned him around in a 360 degree circle, the old man then hit his head on the corner of the table and fell to the floor, blood was gushing everywhere. Two hours later the old man died.
According to the wonderful staff that always worked together as a team, no one saw what happened but me and the nursing assistant who threw the old man to the floor. I told the charge nurse about our conversation the female nursing assistant and I had prier to the resident’s death and that I offered to help her put the resident in the chair, but she refused my help. I also told the charge nurse that it did not appear to be an accident to my eyes; it looked like the female nursing assistant threw the old man to the floor. Before the old man died his very words were, “she slung me around like she was on Yankee’s Baseball Stadium!” There was no punishment to the nursing assistant and the family was notified by the doctor that their loved one fell and unfortunately died.
Many senior are not capable to report abuse that occurs, due to physical or mental inability of fear or revenge. In conclusion, it is extremely important for loved ones, friends or anyone for that matter to keep there eyes and ears open for all signs of abuse in the elderly population, especially if your loved ones are in nursing a home. Placing a loved one in a nursing facility is difficult enough without worrying about the quality of care received.
At Amatulla’s Home Care Services we are a small Adult Family Home that provides care with dignity and compassion and encourages family and friends to call and visit their loved ones on the daily basis.
12
Dec 09
Caring for an ill family member
We do not want to think about it but caring for an ill family member can be a lot of hard work. Making medical decisions about your loved ones can be very stressful. But the time may come that our loved ones may need home care or some type of health care services so they can continue to live a productive quality life. Even though, it’s a tough decision to make it is better to be prepared than not prepared at all. Amatulla’s Home Care Services is an excellent Adult Family Home for your loved ones to live a good quality life.
Our Adult Family Home is a beautiful, comfortable, compassionate home in Shaker Heights; it is a cozy happy home to reside at. We have activities of daily living, or ADL’s as health care providers may refer to them, including bathing, grooming, sleeping, eating, and mobility. These are self-caring tasks that people perform on the daily basics. With aging these ADL’s may become more difficult to perform on the day-to-day basics. As your loved ones loose their ability to perform these ADL’s, the higher level of care your love ones may require. It is extremely important to keep your loves ones safe at all times
11
Dec 09
How I feel about the elderly
The elderly are very important people and they need to be taken care of with very high standards. It is important that elderly people have good hygiene and skin care. Elderly people should be able to have the choice to take a bath or a shower everyday without a problem and be able to receive good skin care, washing the feet especially in between the toes, inside of the ears, and hard to reach places for that particular individual elderly who may have problems with reaching places that he or she can not reach. Always after thoroughly washing the complete body with soap and water make sure that you lotion the back, arms, hands, legs, and especially the feet.
Washing and combing the hair everyday is also important because live bugs and diseases can live in their hair and scalp, as a result the hair could fall out. If the elderly person wears depends doing the day time make sure that the buttock is properly cleaned and dried totally then apply the protection cream or ointment to the buttock, and finally put on the depends. Make sure that the elderly person is taking to the bathroom every two hours and his buttock is washed, dried and the cream or ointment is applied, then put a clean depends on. Good oral hygiene is always a plus; you would want to brush your teeth three times a day in the morning and after every meal. If the elderly have dentures make sure that the dentures are removed from the mouth and washed the proper way after every meal. And the gums are brushed and the mouth is rinsed with mouthwash.
10
Dec 09
The Most Underreported Health Reform Story
Friday night the Senate gave grudging support to a provision in its health reform bill—the so-called CLASS Act, short for Community Living Assistance Services and Support. People concerned about their long-term care needs could voluntarily join a government plan which would allow them to pay premiums during their working careers. If they become disabled, they’d be entitled to a daily cash benefit, say $50, that would allow them to buy services such as a personal care attendant, home improvements that would let them stay at home, or even help pay nursing home costs. That provision, also found in the House bill, would begin to create a national long-term care insurance plan like those found in some other countries.
The vote, fifty-one to forty-seven, kept the CLASS Act in the bill—at least for now. Because they’re expensive—and because sick people, who may be candidates for a nursing home, are often turned away—long-term care policies remain a niche product. That’s whysome see the CLASS Act as a baby step toward a public plan to finance long-term care, and insurers aren’t happy about the competition for the business that does exist. This is the other public plan—the one that has received almost no attention from the press or from politicians.
Which brings me to Nebraska Sen. Ben Nelson, who increasingly is becoming the man to watch as the Senate scrambles to pass something—just something—before Christmas. When Nelson appeared a few weeks ago on This Week with George Stephanopoulos, the CLASS Act made a rare appearance, so to speak.
When Stephanopoulos asked the senator about his bottom lines, he replied that he might not vote to get the bill off the floor if the Senate allowed more public funding of abortions than the House bill. He added, though, he might not vote to get it off the floor “because of other considerations as well. Even if that was perfected, where I could support that particular provision, if the public option is wrong, if the CLASS act is still in it, if — if there are a whole host of other items that are the same as they are right now, I wouldn’t vote to get it off the floor.”
10
Dec 09
The Public Option
It may be easy for the health care lobby to influence Senators, but they will have a harder time convincing the members of the House to short change thirty million Americans. Representatives of the House, you see, have their antennas well-attuned to what the nation demands. Senators perhaps spend too much time in DC, and forget who they represent and what they stand for, what this nation stands for if it really is “One Nation Under God.”
Fear not, as the Senate is exploring other options that might still provide health care to those who cannot otherwise afford it. It may just be that these “other” ideas would be less costly than the “Public Option,” while also making it more difficult for many Americans to qualify. The deal is that the government would negotiate with insurers for the sake of the uninsured, sort of like how they do now for federal government employees. The public option would not be available to all Americans it seems. I see qualifiers sneaking into this type of legislation, and it would inevitably leave some of us out in the cold and uninsured just as we are now. But guess what, this cheaper deal does not even satisfy my old Party.
10
Dec 09
Coping with Stress of Senior Home Care
senior home care is making the decision to care for your aging parents or loved ones in their home or in your home allowing them their independence but taking on the responsibility of their being the caregiver.
Caring for aging parents or loved ones carries a lot of responsibility and a range of emotions. No matter how much love in your heart, carrying the load of caring for your loved one will leave you drained physically, emotionally and possibly financially. Coping with the stress of senior home care has to be managed or you will not be able to be an effective caregiver.
Managing the stress of senior home care is all about taking charge. Take charge of your thoughts, your emotions, your schedule, your environment and the way you deal with problems and unexpected situations. The ultimate goal of coping with the stress of senior home care is to achieve a balanced life.
10
Dec 09
What is a Baby Boomer
What is a Baby Boomer? Baby Boomer is a term used to describe a person who was born between 1946 and 1964. As of 2008, the term Baby Boomer is generally applied to anyone between the ages of 44 and 63. Today, Baby Boomers comprise nearly 28% of the adult US population.
People in the 65 and over age group are often called senior citizens.
Older people have limited regenerative abilities and are more prone to disease, syndromes, and sickness. At some point in the not too distant future, Baby Boomers will have a large impact on the health care industry in general. As the population ages seniors, or the elderly, are much more likely to suffer mobility health and disability problems thus placing a strain on government finances and health care facilities.
The series of articles below focus on health and mobility problems concerning seniors and caregivers today and in the future.