The www.AskaNurseNow.info Blog

Even Nurses Get Mis-Diagnosed

angi@askanursenow.info (Ask a Nurse Now Blog) — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 06:18:25 GMT

Sometimes life can be ironic. I designed www.AskaNurseNow.info after seeing firsthand the fragmentation we have in our healthcare system in the U.S. The blame can't be put on any one area. Unfortunately, how individuals fall into the cracks when it comes to their health and wellness occurs from many different areas.
I built this site after having the intense urge to provide assistance to those who do not know where to turn. I have 2 decades of working in public health, working with wealthy individuals to homeless individuals. I have seen firsthand a family living barely paycheck to paycheck, then to find the primary breadwinner gets diagnosed with Cancer. He gets too sick to work, loses his health coverage, can't bring in his regular paycheck and now the stress of not only losing the roof over the head of his family, but even putting food on the table for dinner can't be met. For these individuals, there really is not a quick support system out there to make sure his family doesn't lose their home and they have food to eat. If he applies for disability, we all know the turnaround time for this and well... by the time disability maybe agreed to approve him, the family would already be living in the local homeless shelter.
My heart has cried out for individuals and families experiencing this. Can you imagine how terrible it would be to hear that you have Cancer and then add to it, how are you going to pay bills, pay for all the medical care, the prescriptions, treatments, etc. and still take care of your families daily needs?
This is just one of the million of stories, I've experienced during my career as a RN. I wanted to summarize this to help you understand my drive and commitment to building this website.
Little did I know that I would experience firsthand the medical profession failing me as an actual patient. My personal story that I am getting ready to tell you, not only adds more fuel to my dedication, but now it has added a new direction for this site and the help we want to give you and the other millions of people in the U.S.
Back in 2008, I started noticing that I got sick easier than normal. In addition, I was plain washed out tired. I kept chucking it up to working tons of hours, being super-mom, taking care of my family, etc. Unfortunately, Nurses do a wonderful job of taking care of everyone but themselves. Two years later, I made an appointment with an Infectious disease specialists. This was after my family doctor, continued to prescribe me antibiotics every month or two for varied infections. I'd get a urine infection, then a couple months later, a tooth or gum infection, then an ear infection, then respiratory, etc, etc. Clinically, as a Nurse, I know something is wrong, I mention it to my family doctor, who ordered some general lab work. His office calls me to tell me my Vitamin D level is very very low and I have to start on D meds to build it up. So I see the infectious disease doctor who runs tons of testing and tells me I have a low IGG level, which means, my ability to fight infection is superlow and they start me on an infusion once a week of blood products that should kick my body into building stronger fighting ability so I won't get sick.
I do this treatment for 3 months or so, then I start developing these large red circular areas over my legs, arms, torso and scalp. In addition, my scalp developed this super-thick scale like cap. This pulled my skin and it was very uncomfortable, I had never experienced any symptoms like this before and even as a nurse, I was scared. Huge chunks of hair was falling out daily and my hair became very thin.
I then developed this red rash on each side of my nose that looked like Lupus. I then called and made an appointment with a Rheumatologist to check if I had some type of auto-immune disease.
This time was one of the worst times of my entire life. I do not believe I can even list all of the symptoms I had....
Since my D level was so low, the Doctors told me to get in the sunlight. I had to travel on business to Miami last March (2011) so I got into the sun as much as possible. Unfortunately, this made the skin ulcers 100x worse and then developed difficulty concentrating and thinking. I call it brain fogs, I was very weak despite sleeping for 12 hours straight and then developed severe joint pain.
The joint pain was in my hips, but varied at times affecting different joints. I could not sleep, but was so tired, I couldn't function. It then became obvious that I couldn't continue working and traveling. I was over the Medicare Program for New York and Connecticut and this was a very demanding job.
The Rheumotologists told me some of my labs showed I had Lupus but he didn't think so. I kept getting referred to so many different specialists, I couldn't even keep up with what they were telling me. All I did know, was that the meds they were giving me was not helping, I was getting worse. Sometimes I would not leave my bed for 3-4 days straight.
I got tens of thousands of dollars of testings and appointments during all of this. They just kept making follow-up appointments which were always 2-3 months away, leaving me to suffer without a diagnosis or treatment to even alleviate the symptoms I was experiencing at the time.
At this point, the depression starts creeping in. I feel what is wrong with me? It was a very tough time and I thank God for my husband and family. I don't know what I'd done without them.
Finally, my girlfriend recommended me to see a local holistic practioneer. She had seen her and she had helped her. I took her info but didn't make an appointment, all the time, I kept getting sicker. Now I was having some seizure activity, vomiting 2 x a day, severe constipation, worsening joint paint, severe brain fogs.
Another friend of mine, told me to see a holistic person in town who had helped her with her Thyroid. She had seen 4 specialists, they didn't help her and she saw this holistic person who helped her tremendously.
I am wise enough to recognize signs and here I had 2 different people that didn't know each other, telling me to see the same holistic person. So I made an appointment, thinking, "What can it hurt?"
Most of the medical professionals do not support holistic therapy as a means of diagnosing, so as a RN, I had been bred to not put alot of stock into this.
I came in for my 30 min appointment, she didn't want to know my history. After 30 minutes she told me I had contracted a parasite over 4 years ago, that has taken over almost my entire body!
Words can not relay the feelings I felt when I finally heard someone tell me, "You have this wrong with you." I had thought I was crazy before seeing her. This parasite was in my large bowel and taken all my nutrients, that is why my IGG was low, why I got severely sick when someone had only the sniffles, why my vitamin D level was low, why my joints hurt, why I had memory fogs, etc.
Clinically as a RN, I thought through all of this and it made total sense! My symptoms exactly matched what this parasite did to my body over these last 4 years. She recommended holistic medications, a parasite killer, a bowel regimen, wellness formula to rebuild my immune system and a good womans vitamin. She told me I was almost in complete menopause and it had control of 85% of my body.
I felt happy to finally have a diagnosis, but still held some reserve, yet I definitely started treatment she recommended.
I am thankfully happy to report that in only 2 weeks, I started feeling tremendously better! I am now at 8 weeks treatment and almost my old self.
What angers me, is I could have had a diagnosis way back over 3 years ago with a simple stool culture test that costs around $12 and is easy to treat once diagnosed. Why none of the 30 doctors I saw didn't check this out, I do not know.
This experience has taught me that I am now going to study Holistic Therapy and add this to our website along with a line of holistic meds.
Holistic treatment does not replace doctors or regular medicene. But I wholeheartedly believe that they need to work together. Especially when it costs tons less and it alot less invasive.
I will continue this story to give you more details and look out for these new additions to our site. I do believe everything happens for a reason and I believe I am not the only individual experiencing this.
I wanted to share this story because this happened to me and I am a Registered Nurse, so I worry about you and individuals who do not have a medical background, who can they turn to, who can they trust to ensure they are diagnosed correctly?

To answer this, AskaNurseNow is going to be here, we are going to be able to offer you resources, education and other choices. None of the medical doctors I saw offered me to see this holistic specialist. We want to just provide you all of the available options and allow you to make the best choice that fits you.

If you are experiencing odd symptoms and not getting diagnosed, contact us. If we share our stories, others who may have experienced similar symptoms may be able to help you. Together we can make a difference

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

Remember the Elderly During Winter Months

angi@askanursenow.info (Ask a Nurse Now Blog) — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 02:54:00 GMT

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

angi@askanursenow.info (Ask a Nurse Now Blog) — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 06:23:00 GMT

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

angi@askanursenow.info (Ask a Nurse Now Blog) — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 02:27:39 GMT

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

Promote Your Page Too

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

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

angi@askanursenow.info (Ask a Nurse Now Blog) — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 01:19:00 GMT

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

angi@askanursenow.info (Ask a Nurse Now Blog) — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 06:21:00 GMT

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.

angi@askanursenow.info (Ask a Nurse Now Blog) — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 06:15:00 GMT

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.

angi@askanursenow.info (Ask a Nurse Now Blog) — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 05:14:00 GMT

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

angi@askanursenow.info (Ask a Nurse Now Blog) — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 20:00:59 GMT

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