Tulsa Home Health care solutions for all of Northeastern Oklahoma.

35 Million Americans have cholesterol levels of 240 mg/dL or higher.  High levels of cholesterol is a leading cause of heart disease.  The CDC advises all adults to get their cholesterol checked but seniors are especially at risk.

The good news is that there are now safe and effective drugs to help control our cholesterol levels and reduce heart disease.  Every elderly person should be screened for high cholesterol.   It’s a good idea to take advantage of free screening clinics put on by the WISEWOMAN program and other organizations.  In the meantime, here are some things that you can do to reduce the risk of high cholesterol.

• Eat low-fat and high-fiber food such as fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, and whole grains.
• Exercise regularly.  2 1/2 hours of moderate exercise every week can help keep cholesterol under control.
• Stop Smoking
• Watch your weight.  Maintaining a healthy weight has many benefits for the elderly and reduced risk of heart disease is one of them.

For more information on home health care contact Oxford Healthcare.

Depression is a mental illness that can diminish the quality of life for those who experience it.   Depression in the elderly can go unnoticed due to several factors.  Symptoms of depression such as fatigue, loss of appetite, and insomnia also can also be part of the aging process or even a medical condition.

Also, the life changes that come with aging can be a cause for sadness.  Going through a normal grieving process is not depression.  Coming to grips with reduced mobility or the end of a career is not depression.  If the feelings of sadness last for months and are accompanied by a feeling of total hopelessness – that is depression.

Depression can be brought on by loneliness and isolation.  The reduced sense of purpose that comes with retirement can also cause people to experience depression.  Certain medication can also trigger depression in seniors who are predisposed to depression.  Even the fear of dying can bring on clinical depression.

Home care workers who see clients on a daily basis learn to recognize the difference between grieving and depression.  If a senior can still laugh at a good joke or appreciate a kind hug, they are probably not depressed.  A home care worker may be able to gauge the emotional state of an elderly client more objectively than relatives and loved ones.

Here are some common signs of depression:

• Sadness
• Fatigue
• Loss of interest in hobbies
• Becoming socially withdrawn
• Loss of weight or appetite
• Disrupted sleep patterns
• Feelings of worthlessness and/or self-loathing)
• Heavy drinking or drug abuse
• Suicidal thoughts or attempts

A recent study in Canada had some startling results.  Elderly patients who received home health care services after their hip replacement were 43% less likely to die during the following 3 months.

Hip surgery is increasingly common in our aging population.  The double whammy of brittle bones and reduced motor skills is something most senior citizens are faced with sooner or later.  Avoiding hip fractures is definitely preferable to dealing with surgery and post-op recovery. The likelihood of injury can be reduced by getting help with household tasks like laundry and shopping.  Professional home care staff can also spot and fix situations in the home that create a slip and fall hazard.

As the study indicates, having professional home care after surgery improves outcomes significantly.

News report about medical study: Winnipeg Free Press

As part of National Immunization Awareness Month, the CDC is encouraging communities to plan local health screenings or fairs as well as media events and other related efforts at immunization outreach.

Immunization is one of the most significant public health advances of the modern age. With vaccines, we have managed to eradicate smallpox. Wild polio virus was a significant threat back when today’s elderly were children and it has now been eliminated in the USA. The incidence of other diseases such as measles, diphtheria, rubella, pertussis and other diseases has been drastically reduced.

Despite the best efforts of modern medicine, there are still people in the U.S. who succumb to vaccine-preventable diseases.

Today’s vaccines represent safe and effective protection from infectious diseases. Individuals should keep up-to-date on the recommended vaccines so that they can protect themselves, their loved ones and their communities from serious and life-threatening diseases.

Shingles is a disease that can be life threatening to elderly patients. A vaccine for this disease is now available to those over 60, but relatively few people are getting this vaccine. This is partly because of its recent approval and partly because many people are unaware of the potential severity of the disease.

Information about the shingles vaccine (pdf)

For more information on home health care contact Oxford Healthcare.

Photo Credit: Some rights reserved by James Jordan

The elderly are at greater risk of becoming seriously ill from West Nile Virus than the rest of us.  The West Nile Virus was first identified as having arrived in the USA in 1999.  Many elderly people are relatively unfamiliar with this disease because it wasn’t around when they were younger.  Over the past decade, this disease has spread over much of the country.  318 confirmed human cases have occurred in Oklahoma and of those cases 20 people have died.

The disease is carried by mosquitoes.  It is fatal to several bird species.  A sudden increase in dead birds in an area is an indication that the disease may be present in the local mosquito population.

July to October is the period when the mosquitoes that carry West Nile Virus are most active in Oklahoma.   The disease can strike people at any age but those over 50 are at greater risk of developing severe symptoms.

The obvious way to prevent this disease is to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes.   To do this, apply an effective insect repellent when you go outdoors for activities such as gardening, yard work, camping, or other leisure activities.  Mosquitoes tend to feed during the evening or early in the morning.  Staying inside during these times of day is a precaution worth considering.

Care should also be taken to minimize any standing water around the outside of the home. If standing water cannot be drained, it can be treated with an appropriate larvacide.

For more information on home health care contact Oxford Healthcare.

Photo Credit: Some rights reserved by peapodsquadmom

Flu vaccines save lives. The majority of people who get flu shots are elderly. Ironically, the flu shot is less effective with older patients because of their weakened immune response. That means that it is even more important for everyone else to get flu shots. If caregivers, neighbors and grandchildren all get vaccinated against influenza, this helps to create a herd immunity.

A great example of how herd immunity can benefit the health of a population is chicken pox. This disease was accepted as a fact of life for generations and people were a bit dubious at first when a vaccine was approved and promoted. Before widespread vaccination, the cost of chicken pox to the health care system was $160 Million. After less than a decade of widespread vaccination that cost has dropped to about $60 million. Hospital stays related to chicken pox dropped by 75%.

The progress related to the flu vaccine is more complicated because flu strains change from year to year. Many elderly patients will actually receive a new type of vaccine this fall that is essentially double the dose that is given to people who are under 65. This is to compensate for the reduced response in elderly patients.

For more information on home health care contact Oxford Healthcare.

Photo credit: Some rights reserved by Duchamp

The medical term for low blood sodium is hyponatremia. This is a serious condition that commonly occurs in the elderly as the result of other health conditions and sometimes as a side effect of medication. Signs and symptoms of hyponatremia may include:

• Nausea
• Headache
• Confusion
• Restlessness
• Drowsiness
• Loss of consciousness or coma

The concentration of salt in the blood is precisely controlled in normal healthy people. Various factors related to aging contribute to a higher rate of low blood sodium among the elderly. One study saw a prevalence of 2.5% in an acute care facility.

Low blood sodium can only be diagnosed with a blood test and it is very important that patients suffering from this condition receive timely hospital treatment.

For more information on home health care contact Oxford Healthcare.

Sources: Mayo Clinic, eMedicine

June is National Aphasia Awareness Month. Many people have never heard of aphasia. Sadly, many of us are introduced to the term when they are being told that a loved one is suffering from the disability as a result of a stroke or other brain injury. More than 1/4 of stroke survivors acquire aphasia.

Aphasia is defined as an impairment of language that affects the production or comprehension of speech. The ability to read or write may also be affected. When a stroke or other illness causes aphasia it can have a profound impact on both the affected individual and their family.

There are several forms of aphasia. The most severe form is called global aphasia and those suffering it cannot produce or understand speech to any appreciable degree. With Broca’s aphasia, sufferers can utter some short phrases of four words or less. Their understanding of speech is relatively unimpaired and they often retain the ability to read, though writing can prove difficult. With Wernicke’s aphasia, patients can speak but their understanding of the meaning of words is impaired. With anomic aphasia, people are left with the inability to recall the appropriate nouns and verbs for use in their discussion.

As you can imagine, each type of aphasia presents obstacles to those wishing to live independently. In many cases, there is hope for improvement with therapy.

For more information on home health care contact Oxford Healthcare.