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Remember the Elderly During Winter Months

2011-01-02T02:54:00Z

Taking Time to Lend a Hand: Remembering the Elderly during Winter Months

My firsthand experience working as an RN in public health has exposed me to issues faced by the elderly here in the United States. This population tends to be a silent group; their needs often going unheard by the Health Professionals who care for them.

I recall getting a referral to do a home visit for an elderly woman. The visit was a result of her recent visit to our local free health clinic. She had presented with third degree burns to both of her shin area. The health clinic sent me the referral order to evaluate her burns and ensure she could adequately care for them. I found her living in an old 2 story home that her family had owned since she was a child. Upon my immediate arrival, the house was clearly in horrific condition. It had no heat; the kitchen floor had sunken down to exposed ground. I could not walk into the kitchen. She had no working water or bathroom and she slept sitting up in an old dirty chair in the living room. She urinated in cups, strewn throughout the living room causing a strong urine stench. The smell no longer offending her, but to new visitors, became almost intolerable to stand.

I determined the severe burns she had developed were a result of living in an unheated home; relying only on an old unsafe portable heater. It's exposed metal wires turned a fire red when turned on. I could see my breath in her living room. It was mid-December and down in the low 30's. In her attempt to get warm, she had not felt her legs touching the exposed heater wires due to numbness. I could barely feel my frozen fingers as I tried to re-dress her wounds in this place she warmly calls home.

During my visit, I determined she had no food or the ability to even cook a meal, if she had enough food. She fondly told me of the local church who stopped in maybe 1-2 times a week and brought her a meal. She did not tell me how she coped between their visits and I assumed she went without. She was a thin, obviously undernourished, frail woman. The years of hard work showing on her face; yet still holding tight to her dignity and pride. She never uttered one word of complaint of her circumstances. During my initial visit working in public health, I try to gather a lifetime's worth of information in a short couple hours. I rely heavily on non-verbal communication versus what I am verbally told. I have determined this is one of the biggest problems with our current healthcare system. I see a lot of these issues are not easy for individuals to pour out onto a stranger they just met. I feel like a detective, pulling bits of information to come to a conclusion of the person I am working with. I am a RN, but most of my work is related to social needs that ultimately impact one’s health. I am very driven to always view the entire picture; as I know well, I can't get her burns healed without helping the other issues at hand.

Upon reviewing her finances, she gets a monthly social security check, but lacks transportation or the ability to go to the bank to cash it. A local neighborhood man extends his generosity and aids her monthly but charges her almost half of her check! I often find this with the elderly; their lack of independence makes them a huge vulnerability target to those who look to take advantage of them. I estimate if I can somehow fix it so she doesn't have to rely on him, she could afford heat and food. She outright refused accepting my offers to bring her back a hot meal that night. After I left her home, I went to the grocery store and picked up a loaf of bread, a jar of peanut butter, a case of bottled water and a bottle of hand sanitizer. I came back to her home and set the bag down telling her I needed to leave this in case she needed it until my next visit. My instincts tell me, she will eat after I leave, as long as I do not make this a big deal.

During my visits with her, I explained different resources I could refer her to. Every time, she would adamantly refuse to discuss alternatives. At times, we are visionaries that help lead others in need to a path they otherwise would not have found. Her location, had the perfect housing community, newly built for the lower-income elderly population. I knew that she loved that home and it was where her family lived, where she grew up and I could see the strong emotional ties to this home. I respected that in developing my plan on how to assist her. I felt sad knowing I had to report her living conditions to the city. The city would surely condemn the home she loved so. Clearly, she was living in an unsafe environment, with little resources to aid me in fixing them. My only recourse was to work on setting up the resources she needed and relocating her to a safe environment, as close as I could to the home she did not want to leave.

Upon reviewing her records, she had been seen by our local ER several times and actually hospitalized a couple of times. This angered me, at how our current health system lets a case like this fall thru the cracks. If the local health clinic hadn't given me that referral to check her burns, I feel she would have died in that home way before her time.

Her case took a lot of work and ended on a positive note. The city did condemn her home and we did relocate her right across the street in a new apartment, so she could look out her window and see the area she grew up in. Her finances were organized to allow her social security to directly deposit into a bank account and auto-pay her utilities. She did not have any family or caregivers, which led to her being scammed by the helpful neighbor who charged her almost $300 a month to cash her check. Although, he was very upset of the end of his scam and his threats to me fell onto silenced ears. I set-up a local hot meal delivery based on a sliding income to bring her a hot meal 5 days a week.

Six months later, I dropped by for my final case visit. I found her sitting at her kitchen table looking fondly out the window to the neighborhood she grew up in. She took my hand and with tears welling up in her eyes, she thanked me for taking the time to help her. That she now understood how dire her living environment had gotten and she was so happy in her new apartment. That the relocation could have been elsewhere, but that I had worked hard to keep her in the area she loved so much. I built a network of support for her to reach out to for the future, her social security caseworker, the local bank branch manager, the meal delivery staff and her apartment Manager. This is the key for continued support for the elderly or those who lack the ability to care for themselves entirely. I knew if I did not build this for her and ensure everyone was committed to this, her outcome would be poorer despite living in an improved environment.

This story is not a rare case. I have personally experienced hundreds of other stories related to the elderly, where their impairments make them vulnerable. It is hard for us to understand the obstacles they face. Imagine having a fear of falling with every step you take and how this alone would impact your ability to manage your life. Remove all of the people who support you or help you in times of need. Who could you trust to not take advantage of your limitations?

It starts first by educating others about this. Think about your neighborhood.... Do you have an elderly individual living alone in it? If you do, make a commitment for this new year to make a difference in someone else’s life. Stop by their home & let them know you are visiting the grocery, would they like anything picked up? Examine the non-verbal communication and the environment they are in. Spending the short 15 minutes just talking to them and showing them that they are important will make a difference. Imagine spending day-in and day-out alone with no one to talk to and nowhere to go. The impact of feeling important in another person’s life can dramatically improve their mental outlook.

Pledge this year to impact another life in some way - Together we can make a difference.

If you need help locating local resources that provide assistance to those in need, visit our website at: www.AskaNurseNow.info A RN will provide you information, to support those in need.

Angi McElfresh, RN, BHSA
www.AskaNurseNow.info
"Your Pathway to Wellness"

Ask a Nurse Now offers medical, health & wellness resources. Post questions on our website that are answered by experienced RN's who care for FREE.

The Ask a Nurse Now Blog is a Copyright of AskaNurseNow.info, 2009

Following Indiana's Amber Alert

2010-07-25T06:23:00Z

Follow and actively track the Amber Alert Plain, which is a statewide notification program to help locate adbucted and endangered children, especially within the 1st 24 hours which are the most critical during an abduction.

This link is provided thru the State of Indiana. According to the U.S. Dept of Justice, up to 4600 children are abducted by strangers every year! This averages to 12 children nationwide every single day!

This logo will actively report if there is any Amber Alert being reported:

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Active Amber Alerts will result in the above Logo turning RED and flashing AMBER ALERT
See the example by clicking on this link: View an Example NOW

Protect our innocent children and forward our Ask a Nurse Now Blog link to this entry to everyone you know

The Ask a Nurse Now Blog is a Copyright of AskaNurseNow.info, 2009

NEW - Join Ask a Nurse Now on FaceBook

2010-06-14T02:27:39Z

Join Ask a Nurse FaceBook Page by clicking here:Ask a Nurse Now

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5 Quick and Easy Safety Tips to Protect Your Children this Summer

2010-06-14T01:19:00Z

By: Angi McElfresh, RN, BHSA – Owner of www.AskaNurseNow.info

Summertime brings the sunshine, warm weather and lots of fun family outside activities. With this, the risks of injury can also increase. Injury prevention can be easily done, with some careful pre-planning and communication to your family, especially your children.

What are the risks?

Summer can bring on a variety of higher risks for injury. This is because your family is outdoors more and exposure to potential injury grows. This article highlights some general safety risks as follows:

Sunburn: being outside in the sunshine puts your family at risk for getting a sunburn. Even during overcast and cloudy days, parents can be misleaded in thinking the risk of sunburn is lower! Remember to apply at a minimum spf 15 at least 30 minutes before your children go outside and re-apply every 2-3 hours. Replace your stock of sunblock yearly! The younger the child, the more fragile the skin, so up your spf!
Bugs: being outside can increase the risk of stings and bites. When you can, cover your children with lightweight clothing with sleeves and legs at temperature permits. Always make sure shoes are worn outside! Be hesitant when applying bug spray - some children can be sensitive to this. Keep your yard free of water accumulation, as this is a breeding ground for mosquitos. Light-colored clothing can deter bites more than other colors
Strangers: attending activities where crowds are present can put your children at higher risk of easily getting away from you! If you child is old enough to understand the concept of strangers - talk to them about this! Instruct them to yell, "You're a stranger, I do not know you!" and to continue yelling this to bring attention to them in an abduction attempt. Tell them that grabbing onto both of a strangers legs and sitting on their feet, can make it difficult for a stranger to move or carry them and draw attention. The goal is to prevent a stranger from moving your child to a different location. Always watch your children in crowds and if you have a pre-teen or teen, stay involved in their life. Know who they are talking to and hanging out with!
Bike Accidents: my previous experience as an Emergency Room RN has shown that parents who require their children to wear a helmet, save lives! You can prevent a severe head injury by always requiring your child to wear a helmet and talking about it to them, so they understand the reasons. Be sure that the helmet is snug fitting and you upgrade to a larger size as your child grows. Also, replace helmets when they have been involved in an accident or have been damaged! They are not as effective.
Road Safety: children are very impulsive and alot of children get hit by cars by running out onto the road chasing or to retrieve something. Talk to your child about car safety and the hazards of running into the road. I have seen children in the Emergency Room after getting hit by a car because they ran to chase papers that flew out of their hands during a windy day! Tell them it is okay if a ball or object they have goes out into the road, to come tell an adult who can watch or go with them to get it. Tell them how you can replace objects but not them! Also, discuss road safety with older children and about how to safely walk down the road and always to assume if a car is coming that it will not slow down or it may swerve over and to back up safely to give enough room. Older adults or vision impairments can cause someone to easily mid-judge distance!

If you follow these 5 quick and easy suggestions, you can ensure you and your family have a safer summer! If you have a safety question, be sure to visit us on our website and post it at www.askanursenow.info All questions are answered for free and by experienced registered nurses who care!

AskaNurseNow wishes you and your family a memorable 2010 summer!

The Ask a Nurse Now Blog is a Copyright of AskaNurseNow.info, 2009

Health Insurance - A Diamond in the Rough

2010-06-13T06:21:00Z

Health Insurance – A diamond in the rough

For those that have health insurance, consider yourself lucky. In 2008, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control & Prevention) reported 43.6 million Americans under the age of 65 did not have any type of health coverage. That number is considerably higher with the downward spiral of our economy. As businesses fight to stay afloat, cutting health insurance coverage is an easy no-brainer way of saving money.

You tell yourself, that is okay, now. I am healthy and never really used that insurance before now. Health insurance is one of those benefits you really do not value until you lose it and are facing a health problem. For those who do not have health coverage, the out-of-pocket costs can add up quickly and send you to the bankrupt line real quick.

An average cost just to see a doctor in his office to get an evaluation can cost $150. If the doctor prescribes you a medication, it can cost you $50-$100 to get filled for one month at a minimum. This is for a one only time and does not include an ongoing health problem that requires more testing, seeing a specialists or taking a medication long-term.

A standard test called a MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) is a common test that shows a digital image inside the body. This test can range from $400-$3500 just for a one time test. Add to this cost, the charges for the radiologists to read the MRI, send the results back to your family physician and then make a follow-up visit with your family physician to talk about the MRI. You are looking at a total costs ranging up to $5000.

Right now our President is looking to overhaul our health insurance. None of us really know what the answer is, but we all stand together knowing that our present situation is not all that great. Those of us working in the health field can preach preventive care, eating healthy, exercising and such. But as the past has shown us, many Americans do not think this way and tend to not deal with it until a health crisis hits them in the face. We are reactive when it comes to our health. A lot of people are getting rich from health problems here in the U.S. and when we look at who they are, it is startling. In 2008, the top 6 executives at Eli Lilly earned a whopping $48 million dollars between them. It appears that some benefit off of the health problems of others.

What to do if you find yourself losing your health insurance coverage? Do not be reactive when it comes to your health. Think smart and always make a plan. Unfortunately, health problems do ? One option is Cobra. This stands for Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act and allows you to continue your employers health coverage after you change or lost your job. This can also apply to children who are no longer full-time students or if you are getting a divorce. Cobra is only available if the employer has 20 or more employees. Cobra is very expensive, due to you have to pay out-of-pocket what your employer previously paid, but is a lifesaver if when facing a health problem. There are other options, some states offer health plans for the uninsured. For example, Indiana offers health coverage called, Indiana HIP for the uninsured. It is good health coverage based on your family size and income.

If you are facing losing your health coverage and do not know where to turn. There are many resources you can look at for help. Do the research and know all your options. For more info, go to www.askanursenow.info

The Ask a Nurse Now Blog is a Copyright of AskaNurseNow.info, 2009

Good and Bad Health Habits in the U.S.

2010-06-13T06:15:00Z

Good and Bad Health Habits in U.S.
6 in 10 Americans Drink Regularly, but only 3 in 10 Get Regular Exercise

By Jennifer Warner
WebMD Medical News

Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD

March 16, 2010 — Regular drinkers outnumber regular exercisers, says a new report on health behaviors in the U.S. The CDC study shows that six in 10 American adults were regular drinkers in 2005-2007, but only about three in 10 regularly exercised. The report details a range of good and bad health habits among American adults, including alcohol use, cigarette smoking , exercise , body weight , and sleep . Overall, researchers say that since 1997, rates of cigarette smoking have declined by several percentage points, rates of obesity have climbed, and rates of alcohol use, exercise, and sleep have remained relatively unchanged. The results are based on survey data collected from 79,096 interviews with U.S. adults between 2005-2007 and highlight differences between various gender, ethnic, and social groups when it comes to health behaviors. Alcohol Use Men were more likely than women to be drinkers (68% vs. 55%), and women were more likely than men to abstain from alcohol (31% vs. 18%).White people were more likely than African-Americans, Asians, Native Americans, or Alaska Natives to be drinkers.

The more educated people were, the more likely they were to drink. Seventy-four percent of people interviewed who have a graduate degree were drinkers, compared with 44% of people with a high school diploma.

Cigarette Smoking

One in five adults were smokers, and more than half (58.5%) had never smoked cigarettes.

Four in 10 smokers tried to quit smoking in the last year.

People who hold a GED were more likely than non-high school graduates and high school graduates to be smokers.

Exercise

About six in 10 adults engaged in at least some leisure-time physical activity, and about three in 10 regularly engaged in some physical activity.

Adults with higher levels of education were less likely to be smokers, be physically inactive, and be obese and to sleep six hours or less per night.

Men were more likely than women to be physically active.

Body Weight Six in 10 adults were obese or overweight.

Four in 10 adults were a healthy weight.

Men were more likely to be overweight (67.9% vs. 53%), but men and women were equally likely to be obese (25.7% vs. 25.0%).

Sleep Six in 10 adults usually slept 7 to 8 hours in a 24-hour period.

Three in 10 adults averaged 6 hours of sleep or fewer per night.

Men aged 25-44 were more likely than women to sleep 6 hours or fewer, but women aged 65 and older were more likely than men to sleep fewer than 6 hours.

SOURCES:Schoenborn, C. “Health Behaviors of Adults: United States, 2005-2007,” March 17, 2010.News release, CDC.

Social Isolation among Older Adults in the U.S.

2010-06-13T05:14:00Z

The Risks with Social Isolation among Older Adults in the U.S.

By: Angi McElfresh, RN, BHSA – Owner of www.AskaNurseNow.info

Every individual longs to have a social connection with another individual. This article examines the aging population in the U.S. and the social isolation they face. In 2009, it projected that the number of elderly, aged 65 and over is to be around 516 million here in the U.S. (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010). The Commonwealth Fund Commission, reports that one-third of the elderly live alone (Gusmano & Rodwin, 2006). Elderly individuals who live alone are invisible to their communities. They can be homebound and not seen out in their communities, therefore, the degree of barriers older individuals face are commonly unknown.

This population is at higher risk of social isolation due to a variety of reasons. Isolation can be from decreased mobility (inability to drive or tolerate walking for long periods), hearing impairments, health problems, death of a spouse or lack of connecting to resources that allows them to participate in socializing activities. Social isolation plays a large role in the decline of an elderly person’s health. Studies show, that social isolation negatively influences the elderly, by putting them at higher risk for developing depression and performing their activities of daily living (George PhD, Bosworth PhD, Steffens MD, Flint PhD, & Hays R.N, 2001). Activities of daily living is defined as: the ability to care for one’s own self, such as dressing, preparing food and caring for their home.

Doctor offices commonly treat and see the elderly population on a regular basis, but fail to recognize this problem & address it. This can be due to a lack of knowledge of resources that can address the isolation or that the elderly individual fails to report this to their physician. Social isolation can lead to feelings of purposelessness & a loss of identity in all ages, but especially in older adults (Smith, 2010). Connecting these individuals to others is vital, but the number of resources is small. It is important for older individuals to feel they make a contribution, either by participating in an event, relating stories and experiences or socially interacting with others. Programs and organizations that promote social interaction among seniors is an integral aspect of successful aging, which promotes life satisfaction and improved quality of life (Stevens-Ratchford, 2008). Many studies show that older adults who remain socially connected, report a greater life satisfaction and enjoy an overall higher quality of life then those who lack social connections (Stevens-Ratchford, 2008).

A website that promotes the formation of inter-generational relationships between the older populations to younger families, who lack this, is www.surrogategrandparenting.com. This free resource matches older adults to younger families who lack grandparent-like roles in their lives. Please visit www.surrogategrandparenting.com for more information.

In addition, another free resource is www.AskaNurseNow.info will connect an elderly individual to resources located in their community that will promote their health and address barriers they face, by experienced Registered Nurses.

Welcome to the Ask a Nurse Now Blog

2010-04-01T20:00:59Z

Welcome to our new Blog! Ask a Nurse Now is very excited to introduce our new Blog that has topics that all users can post under and comment on. Please subscribe to our blog and receive notices when we post new articles and blogs.

We will be inviting experts from all fields of health and wellness to write in our blogs about topics you are interested in. Some of the topics will include: eating disorders, children with special needs, cancer, the uninsured, holistic medicene, addictions, relationships, health insurance, medical and much more!!

If you are a health and wellness Specialists and are interested in being one of our expert writers in our blog, email us at: info@askanursenow.info and we will have you complete our writer application.

Wishing you much Love!
Angi at Ask a Nurse Now

The Ask a Nurse Now Blog is a Copyright of AskaNurseNow.info, 2009