Deborah Leader, RN, BSN, PH - August 4, 2009
As a nurse, I see many patients admitted to the hospital as a result of not taking their medications correctly. Whether a patient discontinues it because he or she feels better, they skip a dose, run out of their prescription, or simply forget to take it; the consequences related to medication non-compliance are serious and sometimes even fatal.
The FDA estimates that over 50% of patients with chronic illnesses, who take medications, don’t use them correctly. This is extremely dangerous, especially for those with illnesses kept under control through their medication. Medication misuse is also expensive, costing Americans an estimated $76 billion a year in out-of-pocket expenses!
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Deborah Leader, RN, BSN, PH - August 3, 2009
As a nurse who has performed hundreds of hours of diabetic teaching, I would never dream of telling a patient to reuse their insulin syringe. Why? Because the risk of infection outweighs the benefit of cutting costs and reducing waste. (more…)
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Deborah Leader, RN, BSN, PH - August 1, 2009
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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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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Deborah Leader, RN, BSN, PH - July 30, 2009
Heart attack and cardiac arrest - we’ve all heard the terms. But, are they synonymous, or are there important differences? Actually, while they occur under different pathological circumstances, they can often, but not always, co-exist.
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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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Deborah Leader, RN, BSN, PH - July 27, 2009
I was born at the tail-end of an era marked by dramatic social change. It was not until much later in life that I realized they had a name for people like me. The term “baby boomer” was coined to describe the 76 million babies born in the United States between 1943 and 1960, during the post World War II birthing boom.
As this free-spirited generation ages and baby boomers face retirement, we are also faced with many contemporary challenges, particularly with America’s health care system. The question that weighs most heavily upon our minds is - can our health care system be prepared to meet our challenges?
According to the Commonwealth Fund Survey of Older Adults, the combination of rising out-of-pocket health care expenses and sluggish wage growth threatens many baby boomers’ ability to save for retirement. This dilemma increasingly raises concern because of its dramatic impact on our ability to afford health care. (more…)
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Alex Bettencourt - July 16, 2009
How many of us keep a tiny list of our medical information in our wallet? We carry around our health insurance, credit and reward cards. Why don’t we carry a small slip of paper that could save our life?
A wallet list containing your medical information is essential because it could prevent a disaster in the emergency room. If you have to be treated for something immediately it’s important for doctors to know your current medications, blood type, allergies, emergency contacts and more.
If you want to print out a sample of a medical emergency card, see ours below! (more…)
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Deborah Leader, RN, BSN, PH - July 15, 2009
A couple of months ago after undergoing routine lab work, my doctor informed me that I had prediabetes, a condition which causes your blood sugar to be abnormally high, but not high enough to be considered full-blown diabetes. (more…)
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Deborah Leader, RN, BSN, PH - July 15, 2009
You have just used an insulin syringe and now you need to safely dispose of it. Is it safe to throw in your trash can? Absolutely not. Throwing a needle away in regular trash imposes many risks, including injury to anyone who may not know it’s there.
The American Diabetes Association recommends that you discard needles in a safe container when they are bent, dull, or otherwise contaminated (touched something other than clean skin). The best way to dispose of a syringe is to first remove the needle. To do this, purchase a device that was made expressly for the purpose of clipping, catching and containing the needle. (more…)
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