|
your path: Home > News >
May 2009 Edition
New Resources From the AGS Foundation for Health in Aging
Other News
New Resources From the AGS Foundation for Health in Aging
Offering Older Adults and Their Caregivers Advice About H1N1 ("Swine") Flu, AGS Foundation for Health in Aging Issues Easy-to-Read "Tip Sheet"
To reassure older people and their caregivers that the outbreak of H1N1("swine") flu is no reason to panic, and help them understand both how to protect themselves from the flu, and what to do if they suspect they have it, the American Geriatrics Society's Foundation for Health in Aging has released an easy-to-understand expert "tip sheet."
The tip sheet notes that most of the cases in the US have been mild, and explains that many of the things older adults and caregivers already know about the seasonal flu that strikes the United States each winter also apply to the H1N1 flu. The H1N1 flu, like seasonal flu, spreads from person to person through sneezing, coughing, and direct contact with a sick person, the tip sheet notes, describing symptoms of H1N1 infection.
The tip sheet goes on to explain how older adults and their caregivers can lower their risks of contracting the flu (by washing hands or using an alcohol-based hand gel frequently, for example), offers advice on when to call your or your older loved one's healthcare provider, and describes treatment, including the use of the antiviral drugs Tamiflu® and Relenza®. It discusses possible complications, including bronchitis and pneumonia and explains that these pose an increased risk to older people. It also explains how long to stay home if you have the flu - and why it's particularly important to defer visits to older friends and family members until you're no longer contagious. And it suggests that older adults planning to travel notify their healthcare providers, who may recommend that they take the antiviral drugs Tamiflu® or Relenza® before departing.
The new tip sheet is the latest in a series of easily understood senior health tip sheets published by the AGS' Foundation for Health in Aging. The series can be downloaded, printed, and shared at no cost.
back to top
AGS Foundation for Health in Aging Tip Sheet About Persistent Pain in Later Life Offers Advice on Finding Relief
Persistent pain -- pain or discomfort that lasts for a long time, or comes and goes over the course of months or years -- is common among older people, particularly those with chronic health problems such as arthritis.
But persistent pain isn't a "normal" part of aging and shouldn't be ignored. If untreated or improperly treated, persistent pain can make it hard to sleep, walk, and carry out daily activities. It can contribute to falls and lead to disability. It can take the joy out of living.
Fortunately, there are many effective treatments for persistent pain and the FHA's new, easy-to-read "tip sheet" offers older adults who suffer from ongoing pain, and their caregivers, advice on getting treatment and relief.
Written by experts with the American Geriatrics Society, the tip sheet explains how older adults, and their caregivers, can describe pain and their experiences with pain so their healthcare providers can better understand and treat it. Among other things, it describes signs of pain in older adults with dementia, who may be unable to communicate.
The tip sheet provides an overview of the different classes of pain medications -- including acetaminophen (Tylenol,® for example), nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen, and opioid pain medications such as Vicodin, Percocet, Ultracet, Lortab and morphine. It explains which types of pain these medications treat most successfully, and the risks associated with their use. And it offers advice on working with your or your loved one's healthcare providers to find the right medication. In addition, the tip sheet includes information about non-drug pain relief options, such as massage, acupuncture, and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), physical therapy and exercise.
The tip sheet, which advises older adults and their caregivers to alert their healthcare providers immediately if treatment isn't working or is causing side effects, can be downloaded, printed, and shared at no cost.
back to top
Other News
New iTunes Application Designed Specifically for Caregivers Now Available at No Cost
Caregiver Initiative, a new, free iPhone application, is loaded with options that can help caregivers in many ways. The application includes a CarePlanner where caregivers can store health insurance, prescription drug, and other treatment information; healthcare provider and emergency contact information; and photos. Caregivers can also use the application to take notes during healthcare appointments, and access videos and message boards about caregiving.
Johnson & Johnson Consumer Products Company, a division of Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies, Inc., launched Care Connector earlier this year. It can be downloaded for free from http://strengthforcaring.com/careconnector.
back to top
Medicare's New Five-Star Rankings: One Way to Check Out Nursing Homes
Choosing a nursing home and entrusting others with the care of a loved one is not an easy task. Nursing Home Compare, an online tool from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), can make it a bit easier. The internet tool includes detailed information about every Medicare and Medicaid-certified nursing home in the United States. Online visitors can find nursing homes by geographic area and can access the tool's Five-Star Quality Ratings of homes' health inspection, fire safety inspection, staffing, and quality records.
To choose the nursing home that best meets your or your loved one's needs, Nursing Home Compare notes, it's also important to talk to your or your loved one's healthcare practitioners, other family members, friends, and colleagues about nursing home options, to visit available homes, and to check state assessments based on nursing home inspections.
back to top
"Schism," Award-Winning Film Depicting One Man's Descent into Alzheimer's Disease, to be Widely Available on DVD
The final cut of "schism," the independent feature film about a man's descent into Alzheimer's disease that has been snapping up prizes and accolades at film festivals for the last year, will soon be available to the public on DVD.
To date, the film has been available only as a promotional DVD that has been screened at film festivals and other venues but hasn't been offered for sale to the public. The soon to be released Special Edition DVD of "schism" will include scenes that don't appear in the original, and Q&A sessions with the Alzheimer's Association, care professionals, and cast members.
Shot entirely in a nursing facility, with a cast of volunteers and a budget of less than $6,000, "schism" takes on "such timely subjects as Alzheimer's, assisted living, and aging from a unique perspective - that of the afflicted," Los Angeles' Zero Film Festival writes in a review praising the film.
"It's been a year since we first debuted "schism" and we kept editing it," says writer and director John C. Lyons. "People really respond to the film and open up about their own experiences with Alzheimer's. We always knew the movie would get people talking, we just needed a way to get it out there, and we're starting to ramp that up now. It's very exciting!"
More information about the film is available at www.schismmovie.com which will be re-launching soon.
back to top
Help Support the AGS Foundation for Health in Aging
As our valued supporters, we need your help more than ever! The Foundation for Health in Aging (FHA) works to improve the health and wellbeing of older adults -- not only by empowering older people and their caregivers with trustworthy health information, but also by supporting healthcare research and the training of the next generation of geriatrics healthcare professionals.
By making a contribution to the FHA, you can help promote the health and wellness of older adults in each of these ways. Any and all contributions are appreciated, especially in these challenging economic times, when public spending is being curtailed, and need is greater than ever. Gifts can be made on the FHA Web site Donations page. You may also donate by phone (212) 308-1414 or by sending a check to the Donations Department, AGS Foundation for Health in Aging, The Empire State Building, 350 Fifth Avenue, Suite 801, New York, NY 10118.
Your donations are tax-deductible to the full extent of the laws.
back to top
|
