FDA Panel Divided Over Diagnostic HbA1c Test

(MedPage Today) -- Called generally safe and accurate, but panel questions future of use

Alzheimer's May Hamper Ability to Perceive Pain

Title: Alzheimer's May Hamper Ability to Perceive Pain
Category: Health News
Created: 7/20/2016 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 7/20/2016 12:00:00 AM

FDA Panel Says Yes to Expanded CGM Use

(MedPage Today) -- 8-2 vote backs continuous glucose monitor to replace fingersticks

RNC: Hispanic Docs Look for Share of Spotlight

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RNC: Street Medics See Few Serious Injuries Among Protesters

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RNC: Former CBO Director on Trump-Pence

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RNC: And Now for a Different Take on Obamacare ACA

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Midlife Memory Lapses May Be Normal Part of Aging

Title: Midlife Memory Lapses May Be Normal Part of Aging
Category: Health News
Created: 7/16/2016 12:00:00 AM
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Pelzman's Picks: Are Politicos Blocking Cuts in Drug Prices?

(MedPage Today) -- Listening to patients, AMA ethics update, and more

CDC: Maintain Standard Precautions With Zika Cases

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Gary Reedy Readies ACS for Change

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D.C. Week: Possible MACRA Delay; Opioid Bill Passes

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State Health Agency Adopts Smoking Cessation App

(MedPage Today) -- Louisiana to offer SmartQuit to pregnant women and those around them

Alzheimer's Gene May Show Effects in Childhood

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Category: Health News
Created: 7/13/2016 12:00:00 AM
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Friday Feedback: All for One and Medicare for All?

(MedPage Today) -- Policy scholars critique Democrats' healthcare plans

Healthcare Spending Increases 'Unsustainable'

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Refining the Handoff

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Hospital to Pilot Ingestible Medication Sensors in Kids

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Infection Outbreak Tied to Nip/Tuck on Caribbean Isle

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Healthcare Providers Push for MACRA Delay

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FDA Says 'Yes' to Focused Ultrasound for Tremor

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Home Care for Diabetic Seniors

Home Care For Your Diabetic Senior

According to the American Diabetes Association, over 25 percent of seniors suffer with diabetes. Simply stated, diabetes is a disease in which the body's ability to produce or respond to insulin is impaired, resulting in abnormal metabolism of carbohydrates and elevated glucose (sugar) in the blood and urine.

Caring for a senior loved one with diabetes is a full-time job. Weight stability is one major issue. Being excessively overweight or underweight can be dangerous for a diabetic patient. Diet and exercise play a critical role in maintaining proper weight.

Diets for a diabetic patient needn't be complicated. It simply must be monitored.

Best food choices for diabetics include whole grains, fresh vegetables and fruits, low-fat proteins, and low-fat dairy. Boil, steam, and broil foods. Steer clear of added sugar, fried foods, excess fats (like bacon), and sweets. Eliminate soda, flavored coffee, sweet tea, and energy drinks.

Blood sugar monitoring is crucial. Depending on the 'stage' of diabetes, this must be done at least once, if not several times per day. Perhaps your patient has been prescribed oral antidiabetic medication or they may have to self-inject the medication. Whichever the case, elderly patients must be monitored in this process. Diabetic medications can cause side effects including headache, nausea, dizziness, and injection site reactions.

Forgetting to take their medication or not remembering if they did or didn't is another problem. Now, you are faced with chancing double dosing or not dosing. Being responsible for a diabetic senior isn't complicated, but it is time-consuming. If you are struggling with the care of your loved one, home care could be your answer. For more information about diabetic senior home care, contact us. 

To learn more about Long Term Care download our free Caregiver Toolkit.

Visit us online @  http://phoenix.caringseniorservice.com 

An EHR Tailored for Pediatricians Closes Some Gaps

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Experts Tackle Rx Drug Spending

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Beware Whole Body Cryotherapy Claims, FDA Warns

Title: Beware Whole Body Cryotherapy Claims, FDA Warns
Category: Health News
Created: 7/8/2016 12:00:00 AM
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FDA Chief Criticizes Industry for Inaction on Opioids

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Precision Medicine Initiative Gearing Up

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Gene Test Might One Day Gauge Alzheimer's Risk in Younger Adults

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Category: Health News
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Primary Care Docs Get Boost in 2017 Medicare Proposal

(MedPage Today) -- Family physicians, geriatricians could see 30% increases or more over time

Unraveling the Mystery of Medication Errors: Pharmacy Practice News

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HHS Eases Buprenorphine Prescribing

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CML Life Expectancy on Rise: Oncotherapy Network & Cancer Network

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Home Helpers Offers Revealing Statistics Illustrating the Growing Benefits of Home Care

These Revealing Statistics Illustrate the Growing Benefits of Home Care

As our population continues to rapidly age, home care will continue to benefit seniors, their families, the overall health system and the economy, according to a recent report.

This week, the Home Care Association of America (HCAOA) released
Caring for America's Seniors: The Value of Home Care. It's packed with data and statistics about our aging society, and how home care provides the tools families need to keep their loved ones safe and at home.

SOME KEY FINDINGS INCLUDE:

• 40% of adults age 65+ require daily assistance, and 70% will at some point
• 25% fewer doctor visits occur when home care is in place
• $25 billion a year in hospital costs is saved thanks to home care
• $13.4 billion a year in annual employer health care costs is saved by using home care services

DOWNLOAD THE FULL REPORT

The data reinforces what most of us see up close: In-home care is an important element in any outcome-focused plans for responding to an aging population.

From the national perspective, these data points are compelling. But at the family level, what does it mean for individuals who are struggling with the challenges of caring for an older loved one?
In-Home Care's Benefits to Families

When we're faced with a new or a growing need for care, the most important priority is to make sure your elderly family member is safe, healthy and loved.

That's easier to do in the place the individual feels most comfortable. For about nine in ten seniors, that's at home. And in-home care is an important tool for individuals who want to live safely in their home as long as possible.

The report confirms that more Americans are requiring care than ever before. As time goes on, most of us will face choices in providing care to aging parents and other relatives.

As caregiving professionals, we constantly renew our commitment to working with families to find the solution and the combination of services that meet their unique needs. Our offices offer resources for resolving conflicts that arise from the Caregiving Dilemma, so families can choose what's best for them.

One resource we offer at Home Helpers is a list of conversation techniques based on the principles of inclusion and choice that is meant to help you discuss care options with an older family member. With a little thought and preparation, any family can start an open and honest dialogue that can lead to a plan for the future that everybody agrees to and understands.

Click here to access your free “How to Start the Conversation” guide.

Be sure to follow Home Helpers on Facebook and Pinterest for more helpful tips. You can also find the HCAOA on Facebook here.

Visit us online@ www.HomeHelpers.com/Scottsdale/

IN THE SPOTLIGHT ~ Home Helpers & Direct Link Medical Alert Systems

Find In-Home Care That's Right for You!

Why Home Helpers for In-Home Care?

Home Helpers In-Home Care Services is more than an in-home health care agency: we're your extended family when family can't be there. We're a locally owned, trusted provider of quality, compassionate in-home care, and we customize our home care solutions to your unique situation for an affordable solution that keeps your loved one where they're happiest: at home.

The Home Helpers Difference Includes:

• Free in-home consultation and assessment
• Comprehensive in-home care
• Affordable customized solutions
• Locally owned and operated

Home Care Services for Seniors

Staying active and socially engaged is critical for seniors' health and well-being. And as much as we love spending time with our loved ones, most of us can't be there as much as we'd like to provide that needed companionship.

Home Helpers offers in-home care services that can extend well beyond the day-to-day medical and essential housekeeping tasks: we offer in-home care to help fill in the gaps for a richer, more fulfilling life for your loved one, including:

• Talking, listening, and sharing experiences
• Playing games and cards
• Reading assistance
• Doing puzzles
• Escorting to and from check-ups, errands, social events, etc.
• Sorting and organizing mail
• Connecting with friends and family through social media (Skype, Facebook, etc.)

Personal Care In-Home Care Services

Sometimes our loved ones need help with basic activities of daily living, including hygiene and nutritional needs to stay in their homes living enriched, engaged, and independent lives.

Personal in-home care by a Home Helpers professional provides that needed support, so your aging or disabled family member can be where they're happiest: at home. We can help with a range of needs, including:

• Feeding
• Bathing
• Dressing
• Mobility
  • Getting in and out of bed
  • Sitting and standing
  • Navigating stairs
• Using the bathroom

Alzheimer's and Dementia Care Services Home Health Care

The challenges of caring for a loved one who's suffering from dementia can be overwhelming. Our professional caregivers can ease the burden with customized home health care services that ensure a higher quality of life for you, your loved one, and your entire family.

To provide the most effective method of home care services for your family's unique situation, Home Helpers dementia caregivers receive specialized training and are highly experienced in dementia care; in fact, many are certified in Alzheimer's care through our partnership with the National Certification Board for Alzheimer Care (NCBAC).

Want to learn more?

VISIT OUR CAREGIVERS PAGE

Respite Care In-Home Care Services

Caring for an elderly or disabled family member can be tremendously rewarding, but no matter how much you love and care for them, it's a very stressful role as well. Caregivers are at increased risk of depression and illness due to the tremendous stress, and no one can do it alone.

Respite care provides the break you need to refresh and recharge – it's a planned break from caregiving routines that still allows your loved one to be cared for at home, where they truly belong.

Your respite caregiver will learn your family routine and caregiving needs, and make everyone's life easier with respite care assistance that makes the most sense for you and your family.

About Our Caregivers

• Extensive background checks
• Experienced, well-trained, and insured
• Caring and compassionate
• Chosen specifically for your loved one

The Home Care Association of America enhances the strength and professionalism of private duty home care providers through education and best practices. As a leader in the industry, The Home Care Association of America cares for people at home through advocacy and education. As a member of The Home Care Association of America, we believe that people should be able to age safely in place at home to the extent possible according to their desires and permitted by their resources.

Home Helpers & Direct Link Scottsdale is now a Business Member in Good Standing with AZNHA. The Association was created to enhance the image and confidence of in-home care provider businesses in the eyes of consumers. AZNHA accomplished this by establishing a Code of Business Ethics and Minimum Standards of Delivery of Services for all its members to adhere to. AZNHA members agree to adhere to our Code of Business Ethics.

What Our Clients Say

“Home Helpers approached our situation with personal care. They evaluated Mom, and together we put in place a plan with the flexibility we needed to keep our lives in balance. We also want to say that the people who they employ invest from a personal human care perspective with their clients.”

– John P.

Visit us online @ www.HomeHelpers.com/Scottsdale/

Home Helpers Monitoring Services

Home Helpers provides a wide array of monitoring services and medical alert devices designed to give seniors and others requiring in-home care the independence they need while also assuring safety, using quality systems to make sure our monitoring is as secure and efficient as possible.

Direct Link® Medical Alert Systems – Help at the Touch of a Button™

Direct Link® is our national provider of medical alert systems and personal emergency response systems (PERS), empowering seniors to live independently longer while also ensuring safety and security.

This is more than just a help button – we have:

• 24-hour personal PERS devices
• Fall sensors
• Automated medication dispensers
• Vital signs monitoring units

Each Direct Link unit links to a CSAA Five Diamond Certified central station, where staff is specially trained for medical emergency response situations.

Wish for the best and plan for the unexpected. When and if the need arises, Direct Link will be there.Personal Emergency Response Systems (PERS)

WORRY LESS – HELP IS JUST A CLICK AWAY, 24/7

Seniors who have a personal emergency response system remain independent – and in the comfort of their own home – longer than those who do not, and research shows getting help within the first four hours of a fall can dramatically reduce the severity and effects.* Having a PERS boosts independence, safety, and self-confidence – all at the touch of a button. *According to the AC Nielsen Study

Automated Medication Dispenser

MANAGE MULTIPLE MEDICATIONS EASILY

Did you know approximately 20% of seniors are taking as many as 50 prescriptions every year?** That's a lot to manage, even for the most organized of us. And it's critical to be precise when it comes to your prescriptions. Direct Link's automated medication dispenser is a simple, affordable, and reliable medical alert system solution for managing multiple medications safely and effectively.

**According to the Alliance for Health Reform

Vital Signs Monitoring

IMMEDIATE READINGS BY TRAINED PROFESSIONALS

We've all heard the saying, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” But regularly monitoring chronic illnesses, such as diabetes, congestive heart failure, hypertension and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) really can keep the doctor away, saving time and money while preventing unnecessary ER and hospital visits. All in the comfort of home.

Contact us today to learn more about Home Helpers Monitoring Services. Or contact your local Home Helpers office to schedule a free in-home consultation and discuss your family's needs.

SCHEDULE MY FREE CONSULTATION

DIY Lab Tests: Not a Good Idea

(MedPage Today) -- Patients unaware of the potential problems