Archives for Freedom Home Care

Managing unexpected health-care costs in retirement

Managing unexpected health-care costs in retirement

February 6, 2013 | Comments Off on Managing unexpected health-care costs in retirement

Preparing for retirement can be a career-long endeavor, but no matter the level of preparedness, retirees can sometimes be faced with issues that they never could have planned for. Often, those unexpected items fall under the umbrella of health-care costs and needs. For many retirees over the age of 65, Medicare is the primary source of coverage. When supplemental coverage is needed, it can often come in the form of employer plans and individual Medigap policies or HMOs. The recommendations from the Society of Actuaries, however, include other outlets that retirees can look to when faced with unexpected costs. Therefore,
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Reducing time spent in hospitals or rehabilitation facilities

Reducing time spent in hospitals or rehabilitation facilities

February 5, 2013 | Comments Off on Reducing time spent in hospitals or rehabilitation facilities

As apparent in its name, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement is focused on improving worldwide health and health care. With much to tackle, the group is concerned about the frequency of readmissions for recently discharged hospital patients. The effort to improve this rate is among the group’s core initiatives. “Hospitalizations account for nearly one-third of the total $2 trillion spent on health care in the United States,” the IHI explains. “In the majority of cases, hospitalization is necessary and appropriate. However, a substantial fraction of all hospitalizations are patients returning to the hospital soon after their previous stay. These rehospitalizations
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The importance of hospice, in numbers

The importance of hospice, in numbers

February 4, 2013 | Comments Off on The importance of hospice, in numbers

According to the Hospice Foundation of America, the word “hospice” finds its roots in the Latin word “hospitium,” which means guesthouse. In its original form, it was a place of shelter for weary and sick travelers returning from religious pilgrimages. Today, it still holds on to those roots, but does so in a different way. “During the 1960's, Dr. Cicely Saunders, a British physician began the modern hospice movement by establishing St. Christopher's Hospice near London,” the Hospice Foundation of America explains. “St. Christopher's organized a team approach to professional caregiving, and was the first program to use modern pain
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Learning about the potential for post-operative cognitive decline

Learning about the potential for post-operative cognitive decline

February 1, 2013 | Comments Off on Learning about the potential for post-operative cognitive decline

According to Sunnybrook Hospital’s Dr. Beverley Orser, one in three patients will experience post-surgery memory loss. And unfortunate for some, cognitive difficulties can last as long as three months after a procedure has been performed. In the following video, Dr. Orser explains that memory loss is caused by inflammation in the brain and that it may be treatable and reversible, as shown in a recent study. Freedom Home Care, however, understands that later in life, these types of cognitive decline may make the transition back to home even more difficult. And order generic viagra online that’s why we implemented our
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Being aware to take care – identifying the risk factors behind dementia

Being aware to take care – identifying the risk factors behind dementia

January 31, 2013 | No Comments

  As we’ve mentioned in past blog posts, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease vary in the sense that one is an effect of the other. Although Alzheimer’s is a disease that to date has no cure, there are many factors that lead to dementia that can be controlled. Some, of those factors, such as being genetically predisposed to Alzheimer’s, can’t be changed. However, there are ways to reduce the chances of experiencing dementia. The Mayo Clinic has multiple suggestions as to how to do so and offered up the following guidelines: Alcohol use. Consuming large amounts of alcohol appears to increase the risk of
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Research reveals that Alzheimer’s treatments should come much earlier

Research reveals that Alzheimer’s treatments should come much earlier

January 29, 2013 | Comments Off on Research reveals that Alzheimer’s treatments should come much earlier

Earlier this month, we here at Freedom Home Care posted a blog about what to expect from a cognition assessment performed by a physician. We mentioned that failing memory can be a typical part of the aging process, but we also made note that it can be a precursor to Alzheimer’s disease. Assessing that risk early on is now more important than ever, according to the National Public Radio. In a recent article, the editors at NPR said that treatments have actually shown positive results when administered long before the signs of Alzheimer’s emerge. “Once you start to lose a
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Giving care and dignity through hospice services

Giving care and dignity through hospice services

January 28, 2013 | Comments Off on Giving care and dignity through hospice services

Dignity, respect, and emotional and physical comfort are basic human requests. Although a stranger can fulfill some of these needs – by opening a door or giving a smile – it is most often our friends and loved ones who can help to provide them. A time may come in a loved one’s life, however, when a special level of care and comfort are needed. During these times when a life-limiting illness no longer responds to cure-oriented treatments, hospice caregivers, like those at Freedom Home Care, can step in. According to the Hospice Foundation of America, hospice is not a
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Let Freedom Home Care help during your next out-patient procedure

Let Freedom Home Care help during your next out-patient procedure

January 25, 2013 | No Comments

No matter a person’s age, surgery can truly take a toll. But for older individuals, recovery can be even more difficult, which is why many out-patient procedures are a good choice for seniors. Because they do not require an overnight stay in a hospital and because they are often more affordable, many seniors are relieved when an out-patient procedure is an option. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that the process is simple. Often times, there are pre-procedure plans that must be implemented properly – and independently – by a patient. Travel to and from the appointment can sometimes be a
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Identifying non-traditional risk factors for dementia

Identifying non-traditional risk factors for dementia

January 23, 2013 | Comments Off on Identifying non-traditional risk factors for dementia

Non-traditional risk factors that combine to predict Alzheimer’s disease serve as a bulk of the findings revealed in a recent study that was produced by the Geriatric Medicine Research Unit at the Dalhousie University. In the following video, Dr. Kenneth Rockwood discusses those findings and talks about those most affected by dementia. With an ever-growing list of risk factors, such as high blood pressure and a genetic disposition, aging individuals have a lot to be aware of in regard to dementia and its side effects. We here at Freedom Home Care und generic tadalafil erstand the challenges faced by those
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How new parents can care for infants affected by jaundice

How new parents can care for infants affected by jaundice

January 22, 2013 | Comments Off on How new parents can care for infants affected by jaundice

Although jaundice is a common condition found in babies born before 38 weeks of gestation and in babies who are breast-fed, new parents must be aware that severe cases can come with long-term complications, such as brain damage, if not tended to properly. Infant jaundice, which is a yellow discoloration in a newborn baby's skin and eyes, happens when a baby's blood contains an excess amount of bilirubin, a yellow-colored pigment of red blood cells. According to the staff at the Mayo Clinic, it occurs because a baby's liver isn't mature enough to get rid of bilirubin in the bloodstream.
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