Assisted Living | RememberItNow! Blog

Six Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Home Healthcare Worker.

Alex Bettencourt - August 31, 2009

Are you wondering what to ask or look for before you hire someone for home healthcare? We have prepared a thorough list to help you feel more at ease with your research.

1. Is the agency licensed and accredited?

They should be licensed by the state. Check with your state Department of Health and with organizations like Joint Commission. It is an independent nonprofit that accredits and certifies nearly 15,000 health-care organizations and programs in the US.

2. How established is the agency?

Research them on Medicare’s Home Health Care Compare . Here you can compare different home-care agencies on a variety of things like, the number of patients they have, success ratings with treatment, and more.

3. What kind of background checks does the agency do?

Ask specifically what their background checks cover. Ask about any criminal activity besides elder and child abuse, and if they check aides temporarily working for their home health care.

4. What are the specifics of this agency’s service?

Learn about the procedures a provider goes through to handle emergencies. Ask about the availability of caregivers. Do they send the same person each day to take care of the same patient? Consistency is essential to good care, and a lot of agencies don’t always send the same aide to the same patient.

5. Who are their references and how can I check them out?

Call their refrences. Find out if they demonstrated good judgment and had a gentle approach. Ask whether they really were conscientious about carrying out all of their responsibilities. Check with the agency’s other clients to find out about their customer satisfaction.

6. What do you think of your provider?

It is crucial to know if you will like your home health-care aide. Is it someone who you feel you trust and respect? Could you have a good working relationship with them? (more…)

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Cool Summer Places For You and Your Patient

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Deborah Leader, RN, BSN, PH - August 1, 2009

santamonicapier 300x199 Cool Summer Places For You and Your Patient

June 21st of every year marks the beginning of summer, and we still have more than a month till the first day of fall on September 22nd. Although those who live on the West Coast may feel the heat long before. For elderly patients and their caregivers, staying indoors all summer because of excessive heat can get really tiring. (more…)

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Tips for Traveling With Oxygen

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Deborah Leader, RN, BSN, PH - July 30, 2009

Thanks to the Department of Transportation (DOT), traveling with oxygen has never been easier. On May 13, 2009, a new ruling went into effect allowing oxygen-dependent passengers to carry their own portable oxygen concentrators on-board all U.S. flights and international flights beginning and ending in the United States. The only catch, the concentrators must be approved by the DOT.

In light of the new ruling, passengers must still meet certain pre-boarding conditions including advance check-ins, having a fully charged battery for 150% of flight time, a doctor’s statement of medical necessity and properly packaged extra batteries. (more…)

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Providing Long Distance Care with RememberItNow!

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Alex Bettencourt - July 30, 2009

Many people, particularly senior citizens, rely on home healthcare workers or private nursing services to assist with both their medical and personal needs. These caregivers are often hired by family members or friends that live too far away to care for the patient themselves.

According to a study done by the AARP Knowledge Management Study, 29% of caregivers fortunately live in the same household, 38% of live within 20 minutes nearby, 18% live farther away, 5% live more than an hour away, and 9% live more than two hours away. Since most caregivers live far away from their patients, an efficient and effective way to monitor a patient’s health is lacking when they aren’t in the patient’s home. According to the same study only 45% of caregivers can provide one to eight hours a week. (more…)

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Aging in Place

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Alex Bettencourt - July 6, 2009

What does aging in place mean? It means that thanks to advances in both medicine and technology, it is now possible for elderly to remain in their own homes while securing the necessary health care services. fIn fact, according to SeniorResource.com, more than 70 percent of seniors currently grow old in the same residence where they celebrated their 65th birthday.

Aging in place is very important for a variety of reasons. First, moving is a stressful event, one that can be even more harrowing for someone with health issues. Second, many independent living and assisted care facilities are quite expensive, and Medicare and Medicaid often cover only a portion of the bill. And third, many communities for seniors are located far from friends and family members, making the move a lonely and upsetting endeavor. (more…)

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4 Quick Tips for Buying Medications Online

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Alex Bettencourt - July 3, 2009

Have you ever thought about buying your prescription online, and then became quickly overwhelmed? You may not be surprised to know there are over 25,600,000 sites online pharmacies. Many of these sites are legitimate pharmacies, but it only takes one fraudulent or disreputable site to make a mistake that will produce serious consequences. How do you tell the difference?

The Food and Drug Administration recommends the following safety tips for consumers making online purchases of medication:

1. Make sure the site requires a prescription.

Have you ever walked into your local pharmacy to purchase a medication without a prescription? Legitimate pharmacies would laugh you right out of the store. Buying online is no different. If the site you are buying from says you don’t need a prescription, run in the other direction and find one that does.

2. Make sure a pharmacist is available.

Every time I go into the pharmacy, I have to sign a waiver stating that I wish to decline the medication consultation with the pharmacist. A legitimate, online pharmacy should have a licensed pharmacist on staff to assist you with any questions you may have.

3. Only purchase from licensed, U.S. pharmacies.

Because regulations vary from country to country, buy only from licensed pharmacies within the United States. Contact the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy for more information about licensing and its unique certification program for online pharmacies.

4. Be mindful of personal information.

Use extreme caution when giving out personal information like credit card numbers over the Internet. Check with the pharmacy first, to make sure your information will be protected.

With medication-related deaths on the rise, every consumer should use great caution when purchasing their prescriptions over the Internet. Following a few, simple steps can make all the difference in the world when it comes to your health.

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Senior Driving Safety

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Deborah Leader, RN, BSN, PH - June 29, 2009

Many years ago, when my grandmother was driving my brother and sister home from school, she ran smack-dab into (and through) our local 7-Eleven. In attempt to back out of her parking space, she pushed down on the gas pedal. The only problem was that the car was not in reverse! Luckily, the only thing that sustained eternal damage was my grandmother’s pride. As the years rolled by, my grandpa died and my grandma maintained her independence through her driver’s license. At 89 years old, they took it away from her and she was never quite the same. (more…)

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Daily Activities are Critical to Personal Health Records

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Pamela Swingley - June 27, 2009

A recent report by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation reveals the importance of recording data on the daily lives of patients — such as sleep, diet, excercise, mood and medication compliance. This data, which the report calls Observations of Daily Living (ODL), gives both clinicians and patients a fuller picture of their health and help them to make everyday health decisions.

The value of recording a patient’s daily activities is not new. When my 97-year-old grandmother became ill her caregivers recorded her daily activities in a journal that was kept on the kitchen table. We could see how much Grandma slept, what she ate, if she had any exercise, when she had her medications, and if she was having a 1 or 5-star day.

My grandmother’s simple health journal was the model for the journal and wellness charts within RememberItNow! Notes can quickly be recorded throughout the day by either the patient or the caregiver.

add an entry Daily Activities are Critical to Personal Health Records

We’ve used Grandma’s star system too. Patients or caregivers record how they are feeling using the five-star system. When charted, this data reveals wellness trends.

stars Daily Activities are Critical to Personal Health Records
Grandma’s kitchen was the central coordination point for her care. We’d come for a visit, and have a look at the journal to see how she was feeling. For many families today, the Internet has replaced the family kitchen as a means to stay in touch. Through the private care community on RememberItNow! family and friends anywhere in the world, can stop in and see how the patient is doing.

Recording daily activities has always been important to understanding a patient’s health. Today’s technology simply formalizes the process.

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Fighting Cancer

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Harleena Singh - June 22, 2009

I can associate my mother with just two words- ‘fighting cancer’. Never have I seen such a brave and courageous lady as her. Even though she knew she had cancer, she never revealed a single frown. She simply lay there bearing her pain with utmost strength, never complaining and simply giving us strength.

After we discovered she was diagnosed with lung cancer, we did all we could, just as all loving families do. My father picked up Reiki (a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing), so he could comfort my mother’s pain. We all managed to throw in our efforts- prayed, went to religious places, tried herbal medicines etc, but like they say- it was destiny. However, the question that we all asked the Almighty was - why her? Why do bad things happen to good people? After a few days we realized, that perhaps our God fell short of good people and needed them up above. That being the reason he called my mother there. (more…)

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Coping With a Smoking Patient

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Deborah Leader, RN, BSN, PH - June 22, 2009

I’ve practiced many types of nursing in my career, including home health. One day, I arrived at a patients’ home who had COPD and was oxygen dependent. I sat down to ask my usual questions and right before my very eyes, she had the audacity to take out a pack of Lucky Strikes and light one up.

Now, I don’t particularly enjoy being around cigarettes due to the risks associated with secondhand smoke, but my concerns grow exponentially when a patient lights up in front of me while she is using oxygen!

My first instinct — exit stage left, before the entire house with me in it starts to blow! I asked her rather nicely to put out her cigarette and she replied “why should I, it’s my house, isn’t it?” How right she was, but I told her, if she did NOT put out her cigarette immediately, I was going to leave and not continue the visit. She finally complied and the rest is history, as she never lit up in front of me again. But, how do you cope as a caregiver, when your patient smokes and you are faced with a similar situation?

Before accepting a job as a caregiver, whether hired by a home health agency or privately, ask if the patient smokes. You may want to reconsider the job, particularly if you have allergies, asthma, or other respiratory conditions which may be exacerbated by secondhand smoke. If your patient does smoke, make a contract with him or her in advance so they do not smoke in the house, car, or anywhere near you.

Do not allow your patient to smoke in the presence of oxygen. Oxygen is highly flammable and serious consequence could arise if they do so. If your patient ignores your plea, contact a family member to see if they can speak to the patient on your behalf. If that doesn’t work, you may want to think about getting another job.

Suggest that your patient only smoke outdoors. Stand as far away as possible while he finishes his cigarette. Present your patient with educational materials regarding the dangers of tobacco and secondhand smoke. The American Lung Association provides this information for free to individuals who are in need.

Never allow children to be exposed to secondhand smoke. If there are children in the home, be sure to remove them from the area when your patient is smoking. Secondhand smoke causes many health problems, including placing you at risk for COPD, heart disease and lung cancer.

Encouraging your patient to either quit smoking or to adopt a smoke-free home policy will help you and family members with whom your patient lives to limit exposure. If you still need help encouraging them to quit smoking read BestSitePicks Stop Smoking page for more.

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