NEWSLETTER VOLUME 2
HOME HEALTH CARE, INC.
LOCALLY OWNED STATE LICENSED PRIVATE HOME HEALTH AGENCY
NON MEDICARE/NON MEDI-CAL
November News Letter - 2009
Home Health Care, Inc. is a different kind of home health company.
We have been State Licensed since 1987. We are licensed to do skilled nursing, restorative care and general custodial care. We at Home Health Care have been investigating the many facets of home care so that we can assist our clients in a more concise manner. Medicine and home care are always changing and it is important to keep the information flowing. The expense of home care can not be denied, the important information is how to pay for the services always comes into play. For the long term the cost of home care is money out of pocket. Some of the expense can be deferred if a client has long term health insurance. The cost of long term health insurance is very expensive and a person pays out for years. The insurance company only reimburses a portion of the cost of care. Still leaving the client having to pay for the gap in reimbursement. Aging is a place at home is where most people want to stay.
Assisted living facilities offer a less expensive solution. This allows the client to live in a facility that offers meals, rooms, activities and allows for comrade so that no one has to feel the loneliness of being without company. The facilities also offer some assistance with ADL’s, Activities of Daily Living. Of course, moving away from home is a major change for an older person. All avenues of care at home should be researched thoroughly so that people can age happily and with dignity.
Paying for care is an out of packet expense, funded by savings, reverse mortgages, cashing in life insurance or with the help of long term care insurance. All of these ways of paying for care have draw backs and all have risks as far as outliving the benefits.
We have all been attending seminars to keep up with our community and what it has to offer its citizens.
9-16-2009 There was a seminar hosted by Memorial Hospital on Hip and Knee pain, lectures were Dr. Star, Dr. Howe and Dr. McDermott all orthopedic MD’s. There was a very large turn out for this seminar, people from all ages attended with half the audience older than 50 years of age. The information given by the three physicians was very informative. They covered the topics of the cause of pain to the restoration of the join involved. The key points were that osteoarthritis is the #1 cause of all joint replacements. We also learned that OA is not a genetic disease. Many of the other arthritis are, but this one you get on your own, and cannot blame your parents! Over 70 million people are affected each year and 50% of are 65 yrs old or older. It is estimated that the number of adults in the year 2030 will double and they will be requiring one or more joint replacements. At present 500,000 joint replacements are done annually with a 90% success rate. The Doctors talked about a conservative treatment, such as pain relief, nutrition, weight control, NSAID’s, Tylenol, icing the joint, Physical Therapy, activity modification and glucosamine. They recommended that common use items in the kitchen or other areas of the home are put at an easier to reach area so you are not having to bend or squat. It was also mentioned that if you unable to sleep all night due to joint pain, have swelling or stiffness on a daily basis, or if you are unable to walk more than 5 minute intervals without pain and if your daily activities are impaired, it is time to see a Doctor. The longer a person waits stacks the odds against you. All the physicians mentioned that joint replacement is specific to each person’s individual situation.
9-17-2009 Lecture by the Synergy group on Spinal Stenosis. This group started nine years ago. The group combines medicine, Physical Therapy and chiropractic care. They mange muskoskeleton conditions of the body and have an 80% improvement rate with treatment. According to Dr. Liu’s lecture Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spine that can be caused by acute trauma such as a fall, auto accident, accumulative trauma from repetitive movement over a period of time, idiosyncrasies, structural characteristic peculiar to the individual and osteoporosis, thinning of the bone. The easiest way to diagnosis spinal stenosis is with a MRI. After a diagnosis is made then the next step is to have a 1:1 consultation with a Physician to create the best plan of treatment.
9-22-09 Adult Protective Services (APS) Adult Protective Services is a short term intervention for the purpose of identifying elder and dependant adults suffering from abuse and neglect, including self neglect.
People that make out the report are Anyone with knowledge of suspected elder or dependent adult abuse…Mandated reporters are anyone involved in the care of elder or dependents adults…All health practitioners, employees if County Protective agencies…Employees of law enforcement…Employees of financial institutions.
By law mandated reports must be submitted in a written report to APS within 2 business days of suspicion of elderly or dependent adult abuse. All APS reports are strictly confidential. You are not the investigator, you simply need to report suspicions. You may be the first to notice “red flags” and the only one who knows how to help by reporting.
What Types of Abuse are Reportable
v Physical (including sexual abuse)
v Abandonment
v Abduction
v Isolation
v Financial
v Psychological / Mental
v Neglect
Interesting Facts:
-Most elder abuse is caused by caregiver stress, 47% of abusers in the National Incidence Study on Elder Abuse were adult children.
-If you suspect elder abuse the first thing you need to do is keep yourself safe.
-One of the “red flags” that could indicate neglect is when an elder is wearing the same clothing every time you see them, no matter what time of day or season.
- One of the “red flags” that could indicate physical abuse is when an elder has bruises of different colors an indication they were received overtime.
-It is important that you report the facts clearly. You should report: what you have seen and what you have heard and what others have told you.
You can phone, fax or mail in your report ( we have report forms in our office) Reports are taken 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
APS – Sonoma County Human Services Dept.
3725 West Wind Blvd. Ste 101
Santa Rosa, Ca, 95403
(707)-565-5940 or (800)-677-0404 fax # (707)-565-5969
We at Home Health Care hope that you found our news letter interesting. We are going to try and produce a newsletter every six to eight weeks. Anyone who would like to contribute are most welcome. If your facility or agency would like to notify upcoming events please get your information and dates into us as soon as possible. We are not an advertising base, we are just trying keep the public informed about medical conditions and information of interest.
Don’t forget to get your flu shot!!!!
4983 Sonoma Hwy., Suite “E”, Santa Rosa, CA 95409
(707) 538-0679 FAX (707) 537-6752
E-mail: hhc_incorp@sbcglobal.net
Website: www.homehealthcareinc.net
