Jim

About Jim

CFO - Senior Care Central, LLC

End of Life: Palliative Care and Hospice

 

The human survival instinct is strong and our spirits are made to embrace life. But what happens when your loved one is diagnosed with a terminal illness that has no cure? How do you reconcile the certain death of your spouse, parent, or child? Where can you turn when death is close or imminent?

We are fortunate to live in a society that supports excellent care for those who are coming towards the end of their life. As difficult as this journey is for persons and their family members, the appropriate level of service can provide the needed care and comfort to make the end of life a time of peace and reflection rather than pain and suffering.

Two major services are readily available to bring comfort and promote quality of life even until the end of life. These are palliative care and hospice.

Palliative care is a consultative service for those with life-limiting illnesses who may not yet meet the criteria for hospice or who do not wish to enter hospice yet. The focus of palliative care is comfort and symptom management, but patients may still continue treatments such as radiation, chemotherapy, dialysis, home health, or other therapy.  Palliative services can be provided in the acute hospital setting, in the home, or in a long-term care facility. A new program called PRIME (Progressive Illness Management Expertise) by AseraCare, focuses on symptom management, goals of care planning, medication management, and transition management. PRIME provides palliative care through nurse practitioners and social workers who coordinate care with your regular medical providers. For persons with serious chronic illnesses who experience recurring rehospitalizations, palliative care management can provide care coordination and smooth transitions to other settings, including hospice, at the appropriate time.

Hospice is a supportive and comprehensive service for those who are dying. The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization states that the foundation of hospice and palliative care is the belief that “each of us has the right to die pain-free and with dignity, and that our families will receive the necessary support to allow us to do so”. Generally, to qualify for hospice a patient is expected to live 6 months or less. Hospice uses an interdisciplinary team of physicians, nurses, social workers, home health aides, chaplains, bereavement counselors, trained volunteers and others to provide comfort and support to the dying patient and family. These services are covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and most private and commercial insurances. Hospice care can be provided wherever a patient lives, with 24-hour on-call availability.

End of life decisions are often difficult for families to discuss, but palliative care and hospice programs provide the help that is needed to have these conversations. Their aim is to help provide quality of life until death, helping people “live until they die”. If your loved one may qualify for assistance, don’t delay in seeking this support. It may be the best way you can help your family member have a peaceful end of life.

 

 

 

 

 

By |2024-02-01T14:34:40-05:00March 24th, 2024|Dr. Mauk's Boomer Blog, News Posts|Comments Off on End of Life: Palliative Care and Hospice
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Guest Blog: Adjusting to Life After a Stroke

In America, stroke is the third leading cause of death. The brain and heart rely on each other to sustain basic functionality of the human body. The brain controls a large portion of the body’s range of capabilities and nerve signaling. Your brain has multiple purposes, but a single stroke can put those critical functions at risk. Communication, memory, emotional activity, and physical capabilities can all be affected when the brain is not operating at its utmost potential.

Difference Between a Stroke and a Heart Attack

A stroke and a heart attack may seem similar but are very different. Both ailments occur due to a shortage of oxygenated blood and blood flow, except strokes primarily affect the brain while heart attacks mainly target the heart. When the body’s blood flow to the heart is blocked, sometimes due to a blood clot, it can cause a heart attack. A stroke, on the other hand, can cause possible brain tissue to decay and long-term disability or death.

Stroke Causes

The leading cause of strokes is anything that leads to blocked blood supply or a burst blood vessel, cutting off the oxygen flow to the brain. A number of risk factors for a stroke, such as high cholesterol and obesity, can be medically managed or treated. Nevertheless, as with certain terminal conditions, particular risk factors are more challenging to address.

An individual’s lifestyle has a considerable effect on their health. Harmful choices can lead to chronic illnesses with detrimental long-term consequences. Nearly everything that goes into the body has the potential to affect your physical and emotional well-being. For example, eating highly processed fast food can possibly make the person feel groggy and lethargic, while a plant-based diet can help support a healthy immune system.

Controllable risk factors for a stroke are:

  • Diabetes
  • Lack of exercise
  • High blood pressure
  • High cholesterol
  • Excessive alcohol or drug use
  • Smoking

Uncontrollable risk factors include:

  • Age: The risk of having a stroke doubles every ten years after the age of fifty-five.
  • Race: Black and nonwhite Hispanic Americans are affected more than white Americans.
  • Gender: Although strokes occur more regularly in men, women are more prone to suffer one later in life, placing them at higher danger of nonrecovery.
  • Family history: Strokes are more likely to occur within families that carry genetic disorders.

Even if someone is taking good care of their body and do not carry any genetic risk factors, they can still be at risk due to:

  • Geography: Strokes happen more in southeastern America than in the rest of the country, perhaps due to elements of the regional culture such as diet.
  • Climate: Extreme temperatures increase the risk of a stroke.
  • Economic and social circumstances: Particular evidence suggests that stroke cases are more prevalent in low-income communities.

Stroke Treatment

To properly treat a stroke, doctors must first determine the causes of the symptoms through a CT scan or other stroke tests. Stroke tests vary from simple physical analysis and blood analysis to more involved procedures such as echocardiograms, cerebral angiograms, MRI scans, or carotid ultrasounds. About a quarter of stroke survivors will suffer a second stroke, making immediate treatment vital.

Some steps to help stroke patients recover include seeking support and therapy, monitoring medications, being on the lookout for dizziness or imbalance, ensuring a healthy diet, and keeping the brain active. It is crucial to remember that recovering from a traumatic brain injury such as a stroke takes time and patience.

Recovery can be a long-term process. Hence, it is imperative to understand how the body and brain are affected. Refer to the following infographic made by Family Home Health Services for further information on brain recovery as well as stroke-prevention practices to incorporate into everyday life.

By |2024-02-01T14:34:12-05:00March 20th, 2024|Dr. Mauk's Boomer Blog, News Posts|Comments Off on Guest Blog: Adjusting to Life After a Stroke
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Guest Blog: Important Bathing Tips for Seniors

Important Bathing Tips for Seniors Searching for quick tips and ideas to make bathing safer for you or a loved one? Don’t miss this essential guide!

Fall-Proof the Bath/Shower
With seniors much more at risk for falling than non-seniors, it is critical to fall-proof one of the most hazardous rooms in the house – the bathroom. Install grab bars on the inside and outside walls of showers and tubs with wide grip surfaces to make holding and supporting yourself easier. Put down a non-skid mat outside of the tub or shower, as well as non-slip adhesive strips or mats that stick to the bottom of the bathing area.

Hang Toiletries
Simplify the entire process of shampooing and conditioning hair and lathering up with soap by hanging a toiletry dispenser over the shower head. Toiletry dispensers let you fill canisters with the liquids you use for bathing and access them hands-free in the shower (or often with the touch of a button). No more handling slippery bottles or bars of soap; toiletry dispensers are functional and safe and can be found online or in big box stores.

Wash Smarter
Good hygiene is paramount to your overall health and self-confidence and is just as important when you are a senior. If your old washcloth just isn’t cutting it anymore, invest in a low-cost bath scrubber that makes showering easier and more thorough. Hitting hard to reach places when you shower like your back and feet may be easier with a long-handled bath scrubber or loofah, preventing you from having to twist or bend over in a confined space like the shower.

Use a Removable Shower Head
As seniors age, agility and coordination may be compromised by weaker muscles and stiff joints. Instead of doing a dance in the shower to make sure you are fully rinsed off, get an easy-to-install removable shower head that allows you to better control the water flow and spray intensity. Handheld shower heads are also a smart addition to your bath or shower if you sit on a shower chair to bathe.

Being able to shower or bathe oneself plays an important role in maintaining independence and even being able to live on one’s own without assistance. For aging adults, taking precautions early with safety equipment and smart yet simple upgrades like toiletry dispensers may help prevent falls or injuries down the line.

By |2024-02-01T14:33:37-05:00March 16th, 2024|Dr. Mauk's Boomer Blog|Comments Off on Guest Blog: Important Bathing Tips for Seniors
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Guest Blog: What You Need to Know About a Hemilaminectomy Procedure

This procedure is one of the safest, most minimally invasive treatments for a herniated disc. A Hemilaminectomy procedure is performed on patients with lumbar spinal stenosis. This diagnosis can come from several issues, such as Arthritis in the spine, which all result in pinched nerves. This procedure is perfect for someone suffering from a condition that occurs when the nerves are being pinched, resulting in severe pain running down the legs and into the feet. So here is what you need to know about the Hemilaminectomy procedure.

What is a Hemilaminectomy Procedure?

A hemilaminectomy is a surgical procedure performed on patients afflicted with lumbar spinal stenosis. This type of spine disorder occurs when the spinal column disc has been compressed over time and onward, which causes ongoing severe pain and discomfort for the patient.

The lumbar spinal discs are cushions of cartilage that sit between vertebrae. This condition occurs because of the pressure that builds up on these discs over time, which causes the pain to be extreme.

How is the Hemilaminectomy Procedure Performed?

This surgery is performed through a small incision on the back. Then special retractors are used to push apart the muscles in the mid-section of the back. This is a much more delicate surgery that must be performed through a small incision.

Because of this, it is usually performed on anyone under general or spinal anesthesia. As long as there are no problems with the patient, they should be able to wake up from the surgery in a few hours and go home after a day or two. This procedure is the least invasive option for patients who have chronic problems with their back.

When You Should Consider a Hemilaminectomy Procedure

This operation should be performed when symptoms of chronic pain are present. Some of these issues can occur from a pinched nerve that travels from the back down to the legs. It is also a procedure that is an option when there is a pressing issue with any of the pinched nerve issues.

Sometimes, this spinal disc can become herniated, which means that the pressure has become too much for it to handle and causes pressure on nearby nerves or bones. This is one of the most common conditions seen in lumbar spinal stenosis.

Sometimes, you can freeze off this spinal disc with a surgical fix by freezing it with an instrument, but Hemilaminectomy is the ultimate fix for this condition.

How Long Does Recovering Take After the Procedure?

Patients who undergo the Hemilaminectomy procedure will benefit immediately from this operation. After the surgery, most people have a day of recovery time before they are allowed to go home.

In most cases, patients return and participate in their normal activities within a few weeks of their Hemilaminectomy surgery. This general timeline is important because it provides comfort to the patient, knowing what they should expect when they decide to undergo this type of surgery.

The Risks of a Hemilaminectomy Procedure

As with any surgery, some risks come with it. Risks can include internal and external problems that may arise during the procedure. Some of these risks can include:

  • Blood clots in the legs
  • Bleeding
  • Nerve damage
  • Infection
  • Spinal Fluid Leakage
  • Allergic reaction to the anesthesia

In addition to this list, some risks are more common after a Hemilaminectomy procedure. This is because it is a less invasive surgery involving limited incisions in the patient’s back. After several months into the recovery process, it is possible at some point for the herniated disc to be recurring to a small degree.

This is something that most patients don’t have to worry about after a few months of recovery, but some patients do deal with a recurrent disc for the rest of their life. In such cases, it is important to get checked regularly.

Conclusion

The Hemilaminectomy procedure has become the preferred choice for most doctors regarding a full spine fix. This is because this procedure involves less invasive incisions, resulting in quicker recovery and improved patient comfort. This type of surgery is an option that is best for patients with debilitating conditions that affect their daily lives.

 

By |2024-02-01T14:32:51-05:00March 8th, 2024|Dr. Mauk's Boomer Blog, News Posts|Comments Off on Guest Blog: What You Need to Know About a Hemilaminectomy Procedure
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Senior Care Central, LLC
Ridgway CO. 81432
Phone: 970-626-4225

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