A Healthy Dose of 2011 Reflection

As we wrap up 2011 and look towards 2012, I can’t help but think of the quote by Maya Angelou, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel”.

Christmas Giving Doesn’t Always Come With a Bow.

When I was a new nurse, I can remember being shocked at how many people spent the holidays in the hospital, alone without any family or friends to celebrate the holiday season.  These patients were often dropped off by family members or transferred from skilled facilities due to illness.  They spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, not surrounding by family and friends, but with nurses, physicians and nursing assistants that would have rather been home with their families than spend the holidays at work. I remember feeling sad for these patients. Sad that they were alone during a time that was meant to be a celebration of giving, receiving, and joy.

Staying Healthy Through the Hustle and Bustle of the Holidays

The holidays are upon us! The trees are decorated, Christmas cards are sent, presents are bought and the cookies are made (well, at least for some of us).  There is joyous anticipation for the holiday’s gatherings – getting together with family, enjoying the Christmas feast and singing carols around the piano. But for some of us, the hustle, bustle and overindulgence can wear us down leaving us vulnerable to illnesses – especially if we already have a chronic disease. It is during the busiest time of year that we need to be more vigilant in order to stay healthy. After all, we don’t want to miss out on the celebration!

Knowledge is Power! A Key to Illness Prevention is Knowing Your Family History.

When a patient accesses health care either by admittance to the hospital or when they see a new physician for the first time, somebody (typically a nurse) obtains their history.  Just like complying your individual medical history, an important component of that history is family history. Most people underestimate the significance of knowing their family history and can’t recall important family illnesses. However, your family illnesses can provide valuable clues to help prevent the same thing from happening to you.

Avoid readmission to the hospital by paying more attention to your discharge

The last thing anyone wants to do when they come home from a hospital stay is to return to the hospital. Readmission rates seem to be on the rise, especially readmissions within 30 days. It is estimated that approximately 20% of patients admitted over the age of 65, will be readmitted to the hospital within 30 days. Although some of these readmissions are planned, many of them are not and can be avoided. 

Giving Thanks for a Bountiful Harvest: Celebrating Caregivers.

Many years ago in Europe, festivals were held before and after the harvest cycles to give thanks for a plentiful crop. This was also a time for the community to celebrate the hard work done by all. The people sacrificed their individual needs for the good of the community. These celebrations were combined into what we all know as Thanksgiving Day. It’s one day for each of us to reflect and give thanks for a plentiful “harvest”.

It is during this Thanksgiving week, that we can celebrate the hard work done by the many caregivers and the sacrifices they make for the good of their families – their “community". Caregiving can sometimes be a thankless job, one that isn’t often recognized as important and vital to sustaining a community. But it is the quintessential selfless role that many play, ensuring a plentiful harvest for years to come.

How can you support and celebrate caregivers during this Thanksgiving week?  Consider the following:

•  Offer to stay with their loved one for an afternoon to allow the caregiver a few hours to themselves
•  Offer to cook a meal
•  Run errands, i.e. post office, dry cleaners, or grocery shopping, etc.
•  Hire somebody to clean their house, shovel their snow, rake their leaves or cut their grass
•  Do their laundry
•  Take their kids out for the day
• Sit with their loved one while they attend church

Not sure? Just ask. “What can I do for you today?”

The key is to recognize their sacrifices and hard work by celebrating and supporting what they do. They take care of those that worked hard to give us the plentiful harvest we enjoy today.

May you all have a healthy and joyous Thanksgiving Holiday. Take care and be well.

R.Thompson, MSN, RN

To find out how advocacy can help you or your loved one, please contact the advocates at Uppta at www.uppta.com

Every Patient has a Story: Putting your story together when you need it most.

Illness doesn’t discriminate. From the very young to the very old, people may find themselves faced with an unexpected illness or injury.  When this occurs, they seek medical care.  To enable health care providers to make good decisions regarding diagnosis and treatment, they rely on a full understanding of a patient’s “story” or medical history. 

A Common Purpose: Celebrating Veterans Day

On October 8 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower issued the first "Veterans Day Proclamation" which stated: "In order to insure proper and widespread observance of this anniversary, all veterans, all veterans' organizations, and the entire citizenry will wish to join hands in the common purpose.”  Veterans Day pays tribute to all American veterans, living or deceased, but especially gives thanks to living veterans who served their country honorably during war or peacetime. This day honors the men and women that have served our country under a common purpose, as Eisenhower stated. It is this common purpose that joins a diverse group of people together in times of need. This common purpose is also the heart and soul of advocacy.

Speaking the Language of Medicine. Do you need an interpreter?

Nursing schools and medical schools teach students everything there is to know about the body; how it works, what could potentially go wrong and how to treat it. A part of that learning seems to involve learning a whole new language; NPO, infarction, ostomy, ectomy, itis, and ischemia are common words. At first, students often struggle learning the language but over time, just like learning Spanish or Italian, it becomes a part of who you are. Even when playing the role of patient or caregiver, health care providers speak the language of medicine and are easily identified by other health care providers. I can remember when my daughters were little and had to have tubes in their ears having conversations with the nurses, physicians and anesthesiologists in the pre-op area. As soon as I said a word only spoken by health care providers such as NPO, or conscious sedation, they would immediately recognize me as a colleague. “Oh. Are you a nurse or doctor?” they would ask. Funny, I didn’t even realize that I was using the secret language!

Prepare for the Winter Virus Attack!

The change in season from summer to winter can be a wonderful time of year. It brings dramatic color changes, marks the beginning of the holiday season, and inspires warm home-cooked meals.  However, the colder weather also brings the dreaded cold and flu viruses.  There is nothing worse than when you feel the first indication of a virus; scratchy sore throat, runny nose, and just feeling blah.  For many, we think it’s inevitable; that we are sure to get a cold no matter what we do. But, you can minimize your chances.

The key is to minimizing your chances of getting a virus this season is to understand how they are spread from person to person and how to improve your immune system’s ability to fight them off.

Avoid exposure

Viruses are lurking around every corner, waiting for an opportunity to invade your body. The key is to know where they lurk and avoid them.

 Beware of the sneeze:  Viruses hide in secretions from the mouth, nose and eyes. Whenever somebody infected with a cold virus sneezes, the viruses can travel into the air and land on surfaces, like a doorknob, counters, or tables where unsuspecting victims can then touch them. If those secretions get to your mouth, nose or eyes, they can enter your body.  When out in public, make sure you wash your hands frequently and when possible, avoid the onslaught of the sneeze.

Every time my dad witnesses somebody in my family sneeze into their hand, he says, “What are you going to do with that hand now?”  Do everyone a favor, sneeze into your elbow or tissue even if you don’t have a cold.

 Avoid public places if you are vulnerable:  If your immune system is already compromised, try to avoid public places. This includes shopping malls, restaurants and movie theaters. If you need to be in a public place, try to go during off hours and be sure to wash your hands before you wipe your mouth or rub your nose.

Arm your immune system

You have an amazing immune system that when functioning at its optimal level, should be able to fight off viruses. The key is to help strengthen it.

 Sleep: Your immune system is working 24 hours a day; overtime in the winter months! Therefore, it’s imperative that you get more sleep.  Sleep allows your immune system to rest and rejuvenate. Most people do not get enough sleep in general which can leave them susceptible to a virus attack. Even getting just an hour more sleep a night can provide a big boost to your immune system. Now you have a reason to sleep in!

 Get plenty of fluids: Maintaining adequate hydration is essential for your immune system to maintain surveillance throughout your body. When we get dehydrated, our immune system doesn’t function as well, which can leave you more susceptible to an attack.  Water is the best fluid for hydration and should be ingested lukewarm or at room temperature.  Try to avoid extreme temperature such as ice cold or very hot as they can irritate mucous membranes.


Note:  People who are susceptible (kids, elderly) may want to run a humidifier (vaporizer using cold water for safety) during cold season.

 Eat healthy foods: Now is the time to focus on improving your nutrition.  Feeding your immune system healthy foods such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables and lean proteins can help boost function. They are the ideal nutrient sources for your immune system.

The key to minimizing your risk of this year’s virus attack is to prepare and be vigilant in doing everything you can to protect yourself. After all, you want this time of year to be filled with celebrations with family and friends.

Take care and be well

R. Thompson, MSN, RN

To find out how advocacy can help you or your loved one, please contact the advocates at Uppta at www.uppta.com

Switching Hats: Advocacy for Health Care Providers

Illness doesn’t discriminate.  The young, old, highly educated, less educated and even providers in health care can find themselves faced with an acute and unexpected illness. Although health care providers generally play the role of expert advocates, once they switch hats and become the patient or patient’s loved one, continuing the advocate role isn’t always possible or recommended.

Health Care Consumers: Getting Your Biggest Bang For Your Buck

 

Today there are so many different treatment options available to consumers of health care, many of which are expensive.  Both patients and their health care providers can be overwhelmed by the available choices. “Back in the day,” if you had diabetes and needed insulin, your options were clear or cloudy (Regular or NPH, respectively). Now there are over a dozen insulins available to choose from with more on the way.

Moral Support for Grown-ups

As I write this blog, I am sitting in the waiting room at my daughter’s dentist office. This is her first root canal and she is scared. When she asked if I would go with her, my first thought was, why?  She is 26 years old.  After all, it’s just a root canal. However, to her it was more than that. It was the not knowing what to expect, being alone and the potential pain that frightened her. Having somebody with her, especially somebody that was knowledgeable (I am a nurse) and having somebody that loved her made all the difference.

Got Energy? A Caregivers Guide to Good Nutrition.

As a caregiver, do you ever feel that at the end of the day you have nothing left for yourself or other members of your family? We hear it all the time, “I just don’t have any energy left.”  The life of a caregiver can be more energy draining than the life of the person needing care. Caregiving, although rewarding, can be relentless, under appreciated, and physically and emotionally demanding. Caregiver burnout is common.

Many times we see caregivers’ health decline. Caregivers are known to ignore their own health, stop disease prevention activities; they gain weight, stop exercising, and lose their enthusiasm for life. Lunch might be a quick candy bar or take out burgers typically inhaled between doctor’s visits or tending to hygiene needs.

Do you have a good or bad relationship with your physician?

Having a good relationship with your health care provider is essential.  However, what does a “good relationship” really mean? You know it when you see it and you know it when you don’t. 

My friend Carol has been sick for the last few weeks. She has a history of breast cancer and has had recent episodes of stomach pain and diarrhea resulting in a 10lb weight loss over a short period of time.  Of course everyone was worried about the cancer coming back in another part of her body, but the initial tests were negative.  Whew. We met for coffee this morning and she told me a story about her physician.

Preparing for Pain Management is as Easy as 1,2,3!

Several years ago, we thought my father had lung cancer. He had a single nodule spotted during a routine X-ray. He has a history of heavy tobacco usage; therefore we were not shocked when the surgeon said, “I am 99% sure this is a cancer.”  Many tears and tests later, he was scheduled for a procedure to remove the “tumor.”

Just one pair of shoes: A Labor Day tribute.

Labor Day just passed. When I was young, it was just another Monday holiday that gave me a reason to over eat, spend time with family and friends and not go to work or school.  I really didn’t understand the meaning behind the holiday; I just enjoyed it. It wasn’t until I became a home care nurse that I truly understood the significance of this national holiday.  My learning didn’t come from a class, article, or even website, it came from the elderly patients who shared their stories with me about hard work, sacrifice and honor.  It was while sitting at their kitchen tables and in their living rooms that I learned to appreciate and respect the people, now elderly, that created the convenient life many of us have in this country.

Prepare for a Quick Get-away With Your Most Prized Possession – Your Health.

When Hurricane Irene was predicted to hit the east coast, it created a flurry of activity. Residents were either bracing themselves for the impact or high tailing it out of there and away from its path. Those who chose to stay, stocked up on toilet paper, water, milk and bread while those who chose to leave, packed up their most precious personal belongings and left for drier ground. Fortunately, we had a warning and therefore, time to prepare. But what about the times when we are not warned; when something unforeseen happens and we only have mere moments to “gather and go”. Would we stop to gather our most important possessions and if so, what would they be? Would they be our photos, important papers, smart phones and computers? Or would they be the possessions beyond what we traditionally think of as “precious?”  Do we consider our health and the health of our loved ones as possessions to secure in times of disaster or even unpredictable travel away from home?

The Value of Advocacy: A story of friendship and support.

Kim's Story

Kim has been my best friend since the third grade. “Lifers” as we like to say. I am a nurse and she is a quality analyst for a talent management company – 2 different worlds. When she or her family has a medical question, I am their “go to” person. Recently, she had a bout with an ear infection that resulted in hearing loss and extreme episodes of dizziness. Kim tends to be a private person and rarely calls for simple issues, so when she called to complain about her ear and dizzy spells, I knew it was a big deal. After asking her a few questions, I got the sense that her primary physician wasn’t managing her care properly. I suggested she ask to see an ear specialist and then gave her the name of a reputable one I knew personally.