Home Health Care Articles and Links

Here are some relevant articles, article summaries and links for home health that we think you will find helpful.  We are always searching for reliable and helpful information to share with our clients and visitors.  Please check back regularly for updated content.

• 6 Tips to Understanding the Non Medicare Home Health Care Agency
  
  Ezine article - 6 tips to understanding the non-medicare home health agency
• Understanding the Nuances of Alzheimer's Care
  
  E-zine article on basics of Alzheimer's care.

 Open Door Feature Article Summaries and Useful Web Links

Influenza is always an important topic and especially serious for seniors.   Influenza, more commonly referred to as the flu, is a contagious disease caused by the influenza virus.  Vaccinations are the single best way to protect against the flu.  Flu vaccines are updated every year to keep pace with the changing viruses.  The flu season is considered November through May and flu vaccination usually begins in October.  There is great information on seasonal influenza at www.cdc.gov/flu.  (The Open Door, September 2009)

With over 17 million people diagnosed with diabetes you probably know someone who has the disease. Another 5.7 million people are estimated to have the disease undiagnosed.  In 2006, diabetes was the 7th leading cause of death in America.   Diabetes comes about when the body does not produce enough insulin.   Symptoms include:  Frequent Urination, Extreme Hunger, Increased Fatigue, Blurry Vision, Excessive Thirst, Unusual Weight Loss , Irritability.  If any of these symptoms exist, please contact your physician immediately.  Excellent information about diabetes is found at the American Diabetes Association website, www.diabetes.org .  (The Open Door, December 2009)

Our heart pumps roughly 2 ounces of blood with every heartbeat.  That's 2500 gallons of blood per day which makes the heart the hardest working muscle in our body.  Studies from the 1990s have made us all aware of trans fats and their negative impact on our lives.  Trans fats raise our Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL) and lower our High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) which leads to plaque buildup in our arteries and then can lead to a higher risk of heart attack or stroke.  Eating properly and exercising regularly are crucial to good heart health and great information on both can be found on the National Institute of Health website, www.nhlbi.nih.gov .  (The Open Door, February 2010) 

You can know that you are heard even if you are not able to express your thoughts and wishes.  That's what Advanced Directives are; your medical decisions made at a time when you are able to communicate them to be used should you ever be in a situation in which you are unable to communicate.  There are 3 types of Advanced Directives - Living Wills, Health Care Surrogate Designation and Anatomical Donations.  Advance Directives provide a road map for what the patient wants and takes away frustration and confusion that can occur with family and friends.  For more information call the Florida Department of Health at 1 (888) 419-3456 or visit their website, www.floridahealthfinder.com .  (The Open Door, July 2010)

Hurricanes are a natural part of the South Florida landscape even though we dread them so.  Fortunately, we have great information at our disposal and weather forecasting gets better every day.  All the information in the world is useless though without an emergency plan.  Print our emergency checklist and develop a working plan.  During storm season, Palm Beach Staffing , monitors The Weather Underground website, the National Hurricane Center website and the Palm Beach County Department of Emergency Management on a daily basis.  (The Open Door, September 2010)  (The Open Door, June/July 2011)

Slips and falls in the home are very serious issues.  As we age, poor balance and muscle weakness can leads to falls and falls can lead to serious injuries.  Every year more than one-third of adults 65 and over fall and among older adults, falls are a leading cause of injury and death.  Head trauma and hip fractures top the list of fall related injuries.  The Center for Disease Control has great information on fall prevention at www.cdc.gov/injury .  (The Open Door, February 2011)

Dementia is a general illness that takes form when an individual loses cognitive functions that once came naturally.  Read more in our September 2011 newsletter.  (The Open Door, September 2011)

Breast cancer is a disease that is best caught early.  Depending on the age of the woman, breast cancer screenings can be done clinically or with a mammogram every one to two years.  For more information on breast cancer and its detection and prevention, go to www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov .  (The Open Door, January 2012)

Other Helpful Links

Palm Beach Staffing Home Health is a member of the Palm Beach Civic Association and sponsors the Civic Association's "Palm Beach Guide To Better Health" on the Civic Association's website .  Check out the health related articles as well as other great content on their website.

Palm Beach Staffing Home Health has been a member of the Better Business Bureau since our start in 1988.  Click on the seal for information about our company.

Palm Beach Staffing Home Health is a member of both the Chamber of Commerce of the Palm Beaches and the Palm Beach Chamber of Commerce.  We encourage you to actively support the programs and services offered by both Chambers.