Hair could predict heart attacks and other conditions
Your hair could be hiding a clue to an impending heart attack according to an article from AARP Magazine. The article outlines an Israeli-Canadian study that took place in 2010 and found high levels of a stress hormone in hair follicles could be a significant predictor of heart attack. In a sense, the study found corresponding evidence between chronic stress and heart disease. 
Before the study was conducted in 2010, doctors could only rely on subjective questionnaires to assess a patient’s stress level and its link to heart disease. This study presented a measurable sign of chronic stress by tracing cortisol, which shows up in the hair shaft.
Gideon Koren, a toxicologist at the University of Western Ontario, was one of the study’s authors. He said that measuring cortisol levels in the hair can show how long a person has been stressed. Measuring cortisol through urine and saliva is also possible, but it only shows stress at the moment instead of over long periods time.
Koren told AARP Magazine, “Hair grows about one centimeter [a fraction of an inch] a month, so if we take a hair sample six centimeters [2.6 inches] long, we can measure the cortisol level and determine stress levels for the past six months.” He added that this was a critical realization, because it’s chronic stress that kills.
An article from Science Daily in 2011 mentions an updated version of measuring cortisol in hair that could be used to study its affects on a variety of diseases such as depression, diabetes and heart disease.
This article defines cortisol as a hormone produced by the adrenal glands. Its primary function is to help maintain body metabolism. When the body is put under stress, either psychological or physical, cortisol levels increase to allow the body to respond to the situation.
In this study, researchers found hair cortisol levels correlated positively with waist-to-hip ratio and waist circumference. In other words, people with higher cortisol levels showed higher abdominal obesity.
The reason examining hair could be used as a noninvasive benchmark of cortisol levels in the body is because there was no significant difference in cortisol due to gender, hair color, frequency of shampooing or by hair products. There was, however, a decrease in cortisol levels in hair that was dyed or bleached that was borderline significant, according to the study.
In the end, studying cortisol in the hair could become a screening tool to identify individuals at high risk of common conditions.
Physicians Choice Private Duty currently serving Omaha, Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa” provides seniors and their families a complete understanding of the available care options and helps families maneuver through the challenges of the system. All Physicians Choice Private Duty services are directed by registered nurses or social workers with no long-term contracts. Contact us today for help with your senior care needs.
“Physicians Choice Private Duty solves the challenges families face in caring for aging parents, with a focus on strategies that keep them in their homes. To learn more about our solutions, visit https://private-duty.pchhc.com/services/“
Real Stories: Exploring all the options
Real Stories: Exploring all the options
Patty
Patty, a young woman recovering from a recent surgery, needed in-home care while her family had to go out of town for an extended period of time. The family contacted Physicians Choice Private Duty to construct a schedule using professional caregivers, along with family and friends, to take care of her until her family returned home.
Bill
Bill required substantial assistance while he lived in an assisted living facility. Still, he often left the facility on trips with his family. By employing Physicians Choice Private Duty, Bill was provided a caregiver to come along on each trip he took, making sure he’s safe. By providing a safety assessment/modification of his home and additional caregivers, Bill eventually was able to return to his home, where he remains today.
Carl
Carl, a 90-year-old man not interested in taking the traditional route of a skilled stay at a rehabilitation center, asked Physicians Choice Private Duty to create a safe plan for him to rehab at home. Physicians Choice Private Duty made his home safe, brought in Medicare certified skilled care — physical and occupational therapy — and provided him with 24-hour care. Within a month, Carl was walking with a cane and was soon back to living independently — all without having to set foot in a communal rehab facility.
Physicians Choice Private Duty currently serving Omaha, Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa provides seniors and their families a complete understanding of the available care options and helps families maneuver through the challenges of the system. All Physicians Choice Private Duty services are directed by registered nurses or social workers with no long-term contracts. Contact us today for help with your senior care needs.
“Physicians Choice Private Duty solves the problems families face in finding home health care providers they can trust. Providers who will focus on strategies that keep parents in their homes. To learn more about our health care services, visit https://private-duty.pchhc.com/services/“
Elderly and their caregivers should prepare for flu season early
Elderly and their caregivers should prepare for flu season early
According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, January and February are peak months for the flu season and those at highest risk include those 65 or older and those with health conditions that affect the heart, lung, kidney’s or weaken the immune system.
Dr. Mark Lachs, director of geriatrics at New York-Presbyterian Hospital told Science Daily, “Even when older adults contract the flu after immunization, which can happen, those cases tend to be less severe and of shorter duration.”
Experts suggest getting vaccinated early, but even once the flu season has begun, it’s not too late to get the vaccination. On the CDC’s list of people who should get immunized against the flu are those living in nursing homes and long-term care facilities. It’s also important to make sure that if you’re providing care to an elderly person who is high-risk for flu that you get immunized as well.
U.S. Medicine reported that 90 percent of deaths to flu are in the elderly. Marvin Bittner, an associate professor of medicine and medical microbiology at the Creighton University School of Medicine in Omaha, told U.S. Medicine, “Last summer, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a report showing that over 20,000 people a year die in the U.S. as a result of influenza.”
Bittner also pointed out the significance of the 90 percent statistic involving the elderly and flu given that those over 65 make up only 15 percent of the population.
Physicians Choice Private Duty currently serving Omaha, Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa provides seniors and their families a complete understanding of the available care options and helps families maneuver through the challenges of the system. All Physicians Choice Private Duty services are directed by registered nurses or social workers with no long-term contracts. Contact us today for help with your senior care needs.
“Physicians Choice Private Duty solves the problems families face in finding home health care providers they can trust. Providers who will focus on strategies that keep parents in their homes. To learn more about our health care services, visit https://private-duty.pchhc.com/services/“
Signs of caregiver stress
If this sounds like you, remember help is always available from the knowledgable and experienced staff of senior care providers, such as Physicians Choice Private Duty in the Omaha area.
Below is a list of common signs of caregiver stress, followed by some strategies you can follow to deal with them (via the Mayo Clinic).
Signs of caregiver stress
As a caregiver, the Mayo Clinic warns you not to “be so focused on your loved one that you don’t realize that your own health and well-being are suffering.” Common signs that this is the case include:
Strategies for dealing with caregiver stress
Stress in general, especially over a long period of time, is harmful to your health. That’s why as someone giving care it’s important to take care of yourself. Simple things like eating a balanced diet and getting regular physical activity can go a long way in keeping you grounded during your caregiving experience. Also, don’t ever hesitate to seek additional help and support. On that note, the Mayo Clinic offers these strategies that have proven useful to caregivers:
Physicians Choice Private Duty currently serving Omaha, Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa provides seniors and their families a complete understanding of the available care options and helps families maneuver through the challenges of the system. All Physicians Choice Private Duty services are directed by registered nurses or social workers with no long-term contracts. Contact us today for help with your senior care needs.
“Physicians Choice Private Duty solves the problems families face in finding home health care providers they can trust. Providers who will focus on strategies that keep parents in their homes. To learn more about our health care services, visit https://private-duty.pchhc.com/services/
New device could prevent strokes in those with irregular heartbeat
New device could prevent strokes in those with irregular heartbeat
Grant Simons, MD, Chief of Cardiac Electrophysiology at Englewood Hospital, implanted the first Watchman device in New Jersey as part of a national clinical trial involving this alternative treatment method.
In a press release‚ from Englewood Hospital, Simons said, “This is an exciting innovation in the treatment of arrhythmia and stroke. The adoption of this procedure and technology greatly reduce the need for blood thinning medications and decrease the number of strokes in this at-risk patient population.”
The device works to catch blood clots that form in the heart and enter the blood stream. There is an increased risk of this occurring with patients with the arrhythmia disorder Atrial Fibrillation‚ — a disorder that affects five million people in the U.S. Atrial Fibrillation causes the pooling of blood in the upper chambers of the heart, which can lead to blood clots that in turn can break loose and travel to the brain. The end result can be a stroke.
The Watchman is currently in a clinical trial at Englewood and several other hospitals. One benefit of the device is that implanting it is a minimally invasive procedure. A small incision is made near the groin, then the device is guided through a catheter up to the patient’s heart.
Physicians Choice Private Duty currently serving Omaha, Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa provides seniors and their families a complete understanding of the available care options and helps families maneuver through the challenges of the system. All Physicians Choice Private Duty services are directed by registered nurses or social workers with no long-term contracts. Contact us today for help with your senior care needs.
“Physicians Choice Private Duty solves the problems families face in finding home health care providers they can trust. Providers who will focus on strategies that keep parents in their homes. To learn more about our health care services, visit https://private-duty.pchhc.com/services/.”
Lean manufacturing principles applied to stroke treatment
Many have heard the slogan “Time lost is brain lost” in regards to stroke. The quicker that treatment can begin the more chance there is to prevent brain damage that can cause paralysis and loss of speech following a stroke. Researchers from Barnes-Jewish Hospital said that their drop in treatment time resulted from applying a a principle of lean manufacturing to the care of their patients. This key component was to get input from all members of the team to identify inefficient steps.
Jin-Moo Lee, MD, PhD, is an associate professor of neurology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and also director of cerebrovascular disease in the Department of Neurology. He was a senior author on the paper and told Science Daily, “We sought suggestions from everyone involved, from the paramedics who bring in patients, to admitting clerks, radiology technologists, nurses and physicians. Once the inefficient steps were identified, we developed a completely new protocol that eliminated them. This new treatment protocol helped us achieve one of the fastest door-to-needle times in the country.”
One step that was identified as wasteful was moving patients. The staff found that it would increase efficiency for paramedics to bring patients suspected of stroke directly to the emergency department’s CT scanner for evaluation rather than to a patient exam room.
The main loss of time was getting tests back from the lab. The doctors found that these same tests could be performed at bedside in minutes instead of sending blood to a lab and waiting 30 minutes for results. Following stroke the first 60 minutes are crucial to receive proper treatment. It’s during this window of time that a clot-busting drug called tPA can safely be administered. The drug can cause dangerous bleeding in the brain and so cannot be administered after too much time elapses.
The new treatment procedures have been in affect for less than a year, but have lowered average door-to-needle times by nearly 40 percent and have also increased the percent of patients treated within the first hour from 52 to 78 percent.
Physicians Choice Private Duty currently serving Omaha, Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa provides seniors and their families a complete understanding of the available care options and helps families maneuver through the challenges of the system. All Physicians Choice Private Duty services are directed by registered nurses or social workers with no long-term contracts. Contact us today for help with your senior care needs.
“Physicians Choice Private Duty solves the problems families face in finding home health care providers they can trust. Providers who will focus on strategies that keep parents in their homes. To learn more about our health care services, visit https://private-duty.pchhc.com/services/“
Real Stories: Making independent living a priority
Real Stories: Making independent living a priority
Jim and Sherri
Donna
The family of Donna, a 96-year-old still living independently in an apartment, was concerned because she has macular degeneration and couldn’t see her the labels on her medications. After contacting Physicians Choice Private Duty, we helped to develop a plan that included medication management, transportation services and some socialization. Today, Donna still remains in her home, living independently and safely.
Felix
Felix was living in independent senior housing when he a serious health issue arose, one which required an emergency colostomy. In order to be allowed back to his independent apartment, Felix needed assistance in caring for his colostomy. Physicians Choice Private Duty was able to arrange for a nurse to come to his home twice a week to complete his required colostomy cares. He was able to remain in his apartment, continuing to live and independent and happy life.
Physicians Choice Private Duty currently serving Omaha, Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa ” provides seniors and their families a complete understanding of the available care options and helps families maneuver through the challenges of the system. All Physicians Choice Private Duty services are directed by registered nurses or social workers with no long-term contracts. Contact us today for help with your senior care needs.
“Physicians Choice Private Duty solves the challenges families face in caring for aging parents, with a focus on strategies that keep them in their homes. To learn more about our solutions, visit https://private-duty.pchhc.com/services/“
Clutter-free environment may help those with Alzheimer’s
Clutter-free environment may help those with Alzheimer’s
The study supports growing research that suggests that the medial temporal lobe — believed at one time to support memory only — may also play a role in object perception.
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is considered a precursor to Alzheimer’s disease. So, for the study, researchers asked MCI patients to look at two pictures side-by-side that were rotated. The MCI patients were then asked to identify if they were identical or not.
In one instance the photos varied only slightly but were not a perfect match either in shape, color or pattern. With these photos MCI patients struggled greatly to pinpoint identical objects.
In another episode, the blob-like objects appeared with photos in which non-matches were more extreme and varied widely. For example, a picture of a butterfly was shown next to a photo of a microwave. Mixing the very similar blob-like objects with photos of dissimilar objects greatly reduced the amount of interference.
There are practical considerations that can be taken away from the study. For instance, Psych Central brings up the idea that a telephone’s buttons are all identical in size. The only variation are the numbers on the buttons. This everyday occurrence can be very difficult for those who suffer from object perception problems. In this instance, a phone with buttons of varying size and color may help.
The study also found that those individuals at-risk for MCI, who showed no previous signs of cognitive impairment, performed similarly to those with MCI. This suggests that this test could be used an early indicator of cognitive decline.
Physicians Choice Private Duty currently serving Omaha, Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa provides seniors and their families a complete understanding of the available care options and helps families maneuver through the challenges of the system. All Physicians Choice Private Duty services are directed by registered nurses or social workers with no long-term contracts. Contact us today for help with your senior care needs.
“Physicians Choice Private Duty solves the problems families face in finding home health care providers they can trust. Providers who will focus on strategies that keep parents in their homes. To learn more about our health care services, visit https://private-duty.pchhc.com/services/“
Study: Vitamin C promotes bone health
As reported by the Huffington Post, the study was conducted on two sets of mice, one set with their ovaries removed (a procedure that decreases bone density). When given large doses of vitamin C over an eight week period, the study found that the mice with the removed ovaries had a higher bone density than the mice with removed ovaries who had not received vitamin C. The mice with the removed ovaries that received the vitamin C also had similar bone mineral density levels to the mice in the set that didn’t have their ovaries removed.
In the end, however, the researchers claim more studies are necessary to see if the findings can be applied to humans.
The importance of vitamin C
Vitamin C (or ascorbic acid) is essential to normal body function. As an important structural component of tendons, muscles, blood vessels, bones and teeth, it’s easy to jump to conclusions that the initial results of the study may indeed be true. It’s encouraging news that may one day change how people prevent bone conditions like osteoporosis, a disease which decreases bone density, leaving a person with bones that are easily broken — a possibly deadly scenario for an elderly person.
That’s why being aware of possible vitamin and mineral deficiencies in the diet of an elderly loved one is important to the well being of their overall health. As a person ages, they naturally tend to eat less, taking in lesser amounts of vitamins and other nutrients as they did when younger. In addition to that, other factors can lead to the inadequate intake of vitamins and nutrients, including medications, medical conditions, disabilities, digestive system changes and even an aging persons skin.
If you’re concerned that your elderly parent may be at risk for broken bones due to osteoporosis or other illnesses, a senior care provider, such as Physicians Choice Private Duty in Omaha, can help you understand all the options available, ensuring your loved one is safe, happy and properly cared for. All Physicians Choice Private Duty services are directed by registered nurses or social workers with no long-term contracts. Contact us today with your senior care needs.
“Physicians Choice Private Duty solves the problems families face in finding home health care providers they can trust. Providers who will focus on strategies that keep parents in their homes. To learn more about our health care services, visit https://private-duty.pchhc.com/services/.”
Hair could predict heart attacks and other conditions
Hair could predict heart attacks and other conditions
Before the study was conducted in 2010, doctors could only rely on subjective questionnaires to assess a patient’s stress level and its link to heart disease. This study presented a measurable sign of chronic stress by tracing cortisol, which shows up in the hair shaft.
Gideon Koren, a toxicologist at the University of Western Ontario, was one of the study’s authors. He said that measuring cortisol levels in the hair can show how long a person has been stressed. Measuring cortisol through urine and saliva is also possible, but it only shows stress at the moment instead of over long periods time.
Koren told AARP Magazine, “Hair grows about one centimeter [a fraction of an inch] a month, so if we take a hair sample six centimeters [2.6 inches] long, we can measure the cortisol level and determine stress levels for the past six months.” He added that this was a critical realization, because it’s chronic stress that kills.
An article from Science Daily in 2011 mentions an updated version of measuring cortisol in hair that could be used to study its affects on a variety of diseases such as depression, diabetes and heart disease.
This article defines cortisol as a hormone produced by the adrenal glands. Its primary function is to help maintain body metabolism. When the body is put under stress, either psychological or physical, cortisol levels increase to allow the body to respond to the situation.
In this study, researchers found hair cortisol levels correlated positively with waist-to-hip ratio and waist circumference. In other words, people with higher cortisol levels showed higher abdominal obesity.
The reason examining hair could be used as a noninvasive benchmark of cortisol levels in the body is because there was no significant difference in cortisol due to gender, hair color, frequency of shampooing or by hair products. There was, however, a decrease in cortisol levels in hair that was dyed or bleached that was borderline significant, according to the study.
In the end, studying cortisol in the hair could become a screening tool to identify individuals at high risk of common conditions.
Physicians Choice Private Duty currently serving Omaha, Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa” provides seniors and their families a complete understanding of the available care options and helps families maneuver through the challenges of the system. All Physicians Choice Private Duty services are directed by registered nurses or social workers with no long-term contracts. Contact us today for help with your senior care needs.
“Physicians Choice Private Duty solves the challenges families face in caring for aging parents, with a focus on strategies that keep them in their homes. To learn more about our solutions, visit https://private-duty.pchhc.com/services/“
Helping your parent deal with multiple health issues
Helping your parent deal with multiple health issues
And the problem is that sometimes treating one disease can worsen another. There’s the unpredictability of drug interactions, and sometimes side effects can make a patient feel worse, even as they’re improving their lab results.
Dr. Matthew McNabney is the American Geriatrics Society’s chairman of clinical practice. He led a panel of 11 geriatric experts in a variety of fields who began meeting over a year ago to come up with a better way to treat older adults suffering from several chronic diseases. McNabney told The‚ New York Times, “There’s not a good understanding of how to manage all these problems simultaneously. Not only is it difficult and complicated, but it’s often harmful.”
In early October, McNabney and the experts on his panel released a 25-page document focused on reorienting doctors away from focusing on a single disease rather than the conjunction of several that often afflict.
The document called, “Guiding Principles for the Care of Older Adults With Multimorbidity” is available online at the American Geriatrics Society website.
The panel discovered the importance of bringing the patient into the treatment process, and also developed a tip sheet for older patients. The tip sheet focuses on the patient and brings up a point that may not realize. There’s a void of research on how older people respond to certain treatments partly because the elderly are often excluded from clinical trials.
And that void can be scary, not only for the patient, but also their family and their caregivers. If your parent is overwhelmed with taking multiple medications for different chronic conditions, help is available through senior care providers such as Physicians Choice Private Duty. If you’re in the Omaha area, contact us contact us today for a consultation.
“Physicians Choice Private Duty solves the problems families face in finding home health care providers they can trust. Providers who will focus on strategies that keep parents in their homes. To learn more about our health care services, visit https://private-duty.pchhc.com/services/“