NURSING ANALYSIS & REVIEW Presents an Innovative Elder Care Community Education Series for Consumers in Minnesota

Press Release

Rochester, Minnesota, April 2009: Nursing Analysis & Review’s Owner Kimberly Such-Smith is now offering an exclusive innovative elder care community education series at no charge for any group, employer, or organization.

“We are so proud to offer this exclusive program. Consumers in our area now have access to six important presentations that will assist them with almost any elder care situation. We get so many questions from our clients, we knew that providing this series was not just important, but critical for adult children of aging parents, caregivers, and seniors,” said Kimberly Such-Smith, Owner of Nursing Analysis & Review.

Nursing Analysis & Review’s Elder Care Community Education Series includes six presentations, each lasting about 30 minutes or less. Kimberly Such-Smith is available upon request to schedule any or all presentations for any organization in or around the Olmsted, Dodge & Rice County Areas.

Topics include:

1. Having “The Talk” with Our Aging Loved Ones About Long-Term Care Options.

2. Taking Away the Car Keys: When Seniors Should No Longer Be Driving.

3. Understanding the Cost of Elder Care and How to Pay for Care.

4. A Little Fall is a Big Worry for Seniors: Fall Prevention Program for the Home.

5. Understanding the Types of Elder Care Available.

6. Safety In and Around the House- Keeping Seniors Safe.

For more information contact Kimberly Such-Smith at nursereview@charter.net or 507-358-4670.

About Nursing Analysis & Review: www.nursingelders.com

Elder care entrepreneurs and senior service providers from all corners of the market come to Kimberly for guidance including home care providers, elder law attorneys, financial advisors, senior living specialists, senior movers, long-term care insurance specialists, assisted living providers, durable medical equipment providers, geriatric care managers, authors, reverse mortgage specialists and more.

Treating an Illness Is One Thing. What About a Patient With Many?

The New York Times recently posted an article that relates to many seniors and aging loved ones. I thought this might be of interest to you as well! If you have any questions or need help please visit www.nursinganalysis-review.com.

“Yet people with multiple health problems — a condition known as multimorbidity — are largely overlooked both in medical research and in the nation’s clinics and hospitals. The default position is to treat complicated patients as collections of malfunctioning body parts rather than as whole human beings. “Very often, there is nobody looking at the big picture or recognizing that what is best for the disease may not be best for the patient,” said Dr. Mary E. Tinetti, a geriatrician at the Yale School of Medicine.

Here’s the link to the whole article: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/31/health/31sick.html?_r=2&th&emc=th

Next Steps: Who's responsible for care after stroke?

I found this post online, and thought it was important to share...very informative!

The original article is at: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09090/959412-51.stm. If you have any questions or need help with an aging loved one in Southeast MN, visit me at www.nursinganalysis-review.com.

By Jan Warner and Jan Collins

Q: My father was hospitalized in mid-February after a stroke that left him paralyzed on the left side and unable to talk. His doctors began the therapy process almost immediately and, after 10 days, began discussing discharge for continued therapy. My mother does not understand what happens next or who pays for what.

My father is 71, has Medicare Parts A and B, and a supplement policy from his former employer. My parents have minimal assets and live on a fixed income. I am sending this by e-mail so that, hopefully, you can reply to us as quickly as possible as I work full time, my husband was just laid off, and we need a "down and dirty answer."

A: When a person loses bodily function, even the simplest activities become difficult. The rehabilitation process is time-consuming and can be frustrating for both the patient and family. Based on the description you give, your father will probably need physical, speech and occupational therapies -- called "PT," "ST" and "OT" -- which are delivered by trained professionals in various settings.

Assuming the best result from these therapies, your father may be able to return home; however, your family must be prepared for the potential that he may need to continue to be institutionalized. At a minimum, these therapies are needed to prevent your father from further deterioration and to preserve the functioning he has retained.

Who pays for these therapies can be a complicated issue. With certain limitations and so long as the therapy meets the "reasonable and necessary" test, Medicare will generally pay for PT, OT and ST in the hospital, in a skilled nursing facility for up to 100 days, in the home setting under specific circumstances, and at special therapy facilities. There must be either a reasonable expectation that your father will improve or that these services are needed to maintain him and not allow him to deteriorate.

In 1997, because of billing abuses by nursing homes and rehabilitation centers that charged Medicare $600 per hour for therapy services they contracted for $25 per hour, Medicare placed limits on the amount that would be paid for therapy outside the hospital; however, in 1999, these limits were removed for the years 2000 and 2001. If you really want to get confused and see your government at work, check out cms.hhs.gov/TherapyServices.

Because of the importance of the discharge planning process and because of the complexities of the payment issues, we urge anyone whose family member is being discharged from the hospital for therapy or rehabilitation to take an active part in the discharge-planning process. Because most families will not understand all ramifications until it is too late, we believe that it is wise to include a private geriatric-care manager or case manager in the planning process.

Taking the NextSteps: We suggest you read all you can, and then get professional advice. Generally, Medicare Part A will pay for these therapies for up to 100 outpatient centers.

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Learn more information about elder care law and write to the authors at nextsteps.net.

Jan Warner is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and has been practicing law for more than 30 years. Jan Collins is editor of the Business and Economic Review published by the University of South Carolina and a special correspondent for The Economist. You can learn more information about elder care law and write to the authors on nextsteps.net.

First published on March 31, 2009 at 12:00 am

30 Reasons Your Loved One May Need a Caregiver in Southeast MN

I found this article, and decided to pass it on to you. It provides extremely helpful information that may help you with your decision to choose geriatric care for an aging loved one in your family. The original article can be found at http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rebecca_Sharp_Colmer. As always if you have questions or need help, please visit my website www.nursinganalysis-review.com.

30 Reasons Your Loved One May Need a Caregiver

by Rebecca Colmer

There are approximately 37 million people over the age of 65 and 5.3 million people over the age of 85. Each year millions of older people start requiring some sort of assistance to carry out their routine daily activities. Family members (family caregivers) provide most of the help.

It is not always easy to know when to intervene. It may seem like your loved one is in a gray area somewhere between competency and incompetence.

Your loved one can have a behavior that is not life threatening but still very serious. Making an assessment is the very step.

Here are some clues that your loved one may need some extra help:

1. Disheveled clothes

2. Stained or dirty clothes The same outfit worn everyday

3. Unkempt hair

4. Poor hygiene

5. Bad breath

6. Body odor

7. Having trouble walking

8. Having trouble sleeping

9. Dangerous driving

10. Extreme clutter in the home

11. Can't do light housekeeping

12. Items not returned to drawers or cupboards

13. Clothes strewn about or left on floor

14. Medication bottles left open

15. Medications taken out of original containers and mixed up

16. Not much food in house

17. Spoiled or rotten food

18. Unpaid bills

19. Penalties for overdue bills

20. Unopened mail

21. Put on or lost a lot of weight that is unexplained

22. Signs of confusion

23. Signs of forgetfulness

24. Signs of isolation

25. Signs of depression

26. Drastic mood swings

27. Extreme sadness or loneliness

28. Loss of interest in favorite hobby

29. Stopped doing things they used to enjoy like gardening, reading, going to church, seeing friends

30. Can't cope with everyday stress

If you do not live near your aging parents, ask a neighbor or friend to keep an eye on your parents and notify you if they notice any changes in their behavior.

Even if you determine that your loved one needs some assistance, keep in mind that they may be resistant to your help. Be gentle and compassionate when asking them to accept help.

It may take several tries before they start to accept your help. There is a big difference in offering help and completely taking away all of their independence.

However, if your parent's life is in danger and you can't find a way to intervene, call Adult Protective Services, which is a part of the Department of Social Services. They will send a nurse or social worker to your parent's home to determine the risks and find ways to protect your parent.

The caregiver role is complex and differs for everyone depending on the needs of the care-receiver. Many times, in the beginning, there may only be a few needs, such as providing transportation or helping with shopping or cooking. Over time, needs increase, requiring additional services, until the care-receiver is fully dependent on the caregiver.

Rebecca Colmer is an Eldercare Advocate, Author, Speaker, Publisher, and Caregiver Expert. You can find more caregiving tools and resources at her website: Caregiving Tools

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rebecca_Sharp_Colmer