Woes of Spousal Caregivers: Older, Poorer, Less Help from Family and Friends
Caregiving always is a demanding task. When adult children take the task, they are called members of the sandwich generation, because they often care for their own children, as well as aging parents. But the responsibility may be the most difficult for the spouse who becomes a caregiver. These spouses often are themselves burdened with…
READ MORE » »Rehab Facility Can be a Menace to Your Health
Skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) are the places you go to get physical therapy and other treatments to make a full recovery from a hospital stay, perhaps where you got a new hip or knee, or had complex surgery on your weak heart, or you recovered from a stroke or from pneumonia. The SNFs should be…
READ MORE » »New App delivers health care wishes in a crisis
Mom, 93 with congestive heart failure and crippling arthritis, living a thousand miles away, falls down, breaks a hip and is rushed to the ER. The doctors get her stabilized, and see she has your name in the wallet as the emergency contact. An ER nurse calls you to discuss her treatment. On your phone…
READ MORE » »How to Fight a Nursing Home Eviction
When you or someone you love enters a nursing home, you don’t surrender rights at the door. You can be evicted only under very specific circumstances. It’s not enough for a social worker, or a nurse, or a doctor, or the manager to say, “Your Dad is a difficult patient and he would be better…
READ MORE » »Hospitals Full of Deadly Germs: How to Stay Safe
The hospital can be a dangerous place. You go there to get healed but there is a significant risk you can get sick from a germ you pick up there. “Although there has been some progress, today and every day, more than 200 Americans with healthcare-associated infections will die during their hospital stay,” said Centers…
READ MORE » »Should you get a new hip? A Patient and Her Doctor Talk
Hear from a patient and her doctor about making the decision to undergo major surgery. This is from the National Institutes of Health, an agency of the US government. And, a second opinion, from the Mayo Clinic Dr. Rafael J. Sierra of the Orthopedics Department answers a query: “I am an 84-year-old woman with a…
READ MORE » »Free Medical Tests from the ACA Can Save Your Life
The goal of the tests is preventive, to discover medical problems and begin treating them before they develop into full-fledged diseases and chronic conditions that will become painful and even life-threatening for the patient, and costly for the taxpayers who are supporting Medicare’s extensive spending. The tests were selected based on the work of the…
READ MORE » »Hospitals are Dangerous Places: Tips to Stay Safe
Hospitals are dangerous places, filled with sick people and germs and the potential for something to go wrong at any times. An estimated 100,000 people a year die in hospitals, from errors, from infections, from accidents. Here is some advice to keep you safe during your hospital stay . If you are going to have…
READ MORE » »12 Anti-Anxiety Drugs That Become Dangerous When You Get Older
Anti-Anxiety Drugs: Very Dangerous When You Get Older Tags, Dangerous Drugs, Drug Dangers for Older People, Benzo Dangers, Benzodiazepines, Anxiety drugs, Anti-Anxiety drugs A drug that helped you cope with depression in your 30s, 40s, and 50s, can become a menace to your health when you enter your 60s and beyond. Too many patients …
READ MORE » »Help for Patients and Families Coping With Cancer
From the National Cancer Institute Information to help caregivers cope while caring for a loved one with cancer, as well as help someone with cancer talk about and cope with the illness. View more than 100 organizations nationwide that provide emotional, practical, and financial support services for people with cancer and their families. In English…
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