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Welcome to Aunt Ann's Home Care
Keeping abreast of what is
happening in the home care, home health care, aging and eldercare world will
create a more informed and more helpful network. Aunt Ann's Agency brings you this one
page newsletter in the spirit of cooperation. We hope you find it useful. |
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Overuse of Antipsychotic Drugs to Control Dementia Seen in Nursing Homes
Reported from the Wall Street Journal
in an article written by Lucette Lagnado are alarming statistics about
the increased usage of antipsychotic drugs. The article reports that in
recent years, Medicaid has spent more money on antipsychotic drugs for
Americans than on any other class of pharmaceuticals -- including
antibiotics, AIDS drugs or medicine to treat high-blood pressure.
The
article states that one reason for the antipsychotic drug increase is
that nursing homes across the U.S. are giving these drugs to elderly
patients to quiet symptoms of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of
dementia. Nearly 30% of the total nursing home population is receiving
antipsychotic drugs, according to the Centers for Medicare &
Medicaid Services (known as CMS). In a practice known as "off label"
use of prescription drugs, patients can get these powerful medicines
whether they are psychotic or not. CMS says nearly 21% of nursing home
patients who don't have a psychosis diagnosis are on antipsychotic
drugs.
Schizophrenic patients, for whom the drugs were
originally intended, make up only 1.1% of the U.S. population, or 2.4
million people over 18, according to the National Institute for Mental
Health. It says 2.6% of Americans suffer from bipolar disorder, for
which the drugs were later also approved.
The use of
antipsychotic drugs comes amid a wider debate about how to care for the
rising numbers of seniors, many of whom have behavior problems stemming
from dementia. Seniors with these issues can be difficult to manage, at
home or in an institution. They can cry, lash out, wander or can even
be violent to themselves or others. There aren't many effective methods
to calm them, doctors say.
A big question is whether to use a
medical model - administering antipsychotics as the way to alleviate
distressing symptoms of dementia - or try to find other ways to help
these patients. There are many non-invasive ways to work with families,
helping those suffering from dementia to live comfortably without
trying to control the person's behavior through the use of powerful
drugs.
Read the article online - click here.
For
more information on ways to care for a person with Alzheimer's disease
without antipsychotic drug usage, visit the Alzheimer's Disease
Education and Referral (ADEAR) Center Web site by clicking here. |
Medicare Coverage Questions for 2008
Medicare
beneficiaries are eligible for Medicare prescription drug coverage,
regardless of income, health status, or current prescription expenses.
There are two types of Medicare plans that provide prescription drug coverage:
Medicare prescription drug plans are offered by insurance companies and
other private companies approved by Medicare. They add coverage to: the
original Medicare plan, some Medicare cost plans, some Medicare private
fee-for-service plans, and Medicare medical savings account plans.
With a Medicare prescription drug plan, one generally pays less for
prescriptions. A plan member card is issued after enrollment that is
used at the pharmacy to get prescriptions filled. If there is a
copayment, coinsurance, and/or deductible, the user pays that. Those
with a limited income and resources may get extra help to pay for the
Medicare drug plan costs.
Medicare health plans (like HMOs and PPOs) often cover prescription
drugs. Medicare health plans include: Medicare Advantage plans and
other Medicare health plans.
Medicare Advantage plans (like HMOs and PPOs) that include prescription
drug coverage as part of the plan are health plan options that are
approved by Medicare but run by private companies. They are part of the
Medicare program. If one joins a Medicare Advantage plan, one is still
enrolled in Medicare.
For more specific information, click here.
To find and compare plans for Medicare, click here.
To review Frequently Asked Questions, click here.
The National council on Aging offers excellent information on
Medicare at this easy to navigate site - click here.
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New to Home Care - Networked Medical Sensors Will Allow for More
Sophisticated Vital Signs Reporting
A new report by Parks Associates, Sensor Technology for Home Health Applications,
predicts that by 2012, more than 3.4 million U.S. senior citizens will
be using networked sensor applications in their homes to help monitor
and improve their health. Because of wireless technology, new
possibilities are arising that will allow at-home usage for more
complicated medical monitoring.
The School of Engineering and
Applied Sciences at Harvard University reports that "Recent advances in
embedded computing systems have led to the emergence of wireless sensor
networks. Sensor networks permit data gathering and computation. This
technology has the potential to impact the delivery and study of
resuscitative care by allowing vital signs to be automatically
collected and fully integrated into the patient care record and used
for real-time triage, correlation with hospital records, and long-term
observation."
The Parks Associates report also projects that
innovation in sensor technologies will make these devices lighter,
smarter, and more reliable, thus driving adoption for home-based
medical applications over the next five years.
Read "Wireless Sensor Networks for In-Home Healthcare: Potential and Challenges" for more information. |
| Tradition of Caring
Aunt
Ann's has had a tradition of caring since 1958. We would like to share one of
our favorite recipes - from our family to yours.
Chicken Piccata
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, about 6 ounces each
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
Lemon juice from 4 lemons
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3 tablespoon drained bottled capers, rinsed and chopped
1 package fresh fettucini pasta cooked
Place one of the breast halves in a large ziplock bag. Sprinkle some water on the top and bottom of chicken breast. Flatten with a rolling pin or meat pounder until about 1/4-inch thick. Repeat with the remaining breast halves.
Mix the flour with the salt and pepper in a shallow pie plate. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Working in 2 batches, place the chicken in the flour mixture and turn to coat on all sides. Shake off the excess flour and add to the skillet. Cook until lightly browned and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate or platter and cover loosely with foil. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
Pour off the fat from the skillet and return the skillet to the heat. Add the chicken stock and lemon juice. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil, stirring to pick up and browned bits in the bottom of the pan. Simmer for 3 minutes. Return the chicken to the skillet and simmer, turning often, until warmed through and the sauce is thickened, about 2 minutes. Add the butter and the capers. Season with salt and pepper and heat just until the butter has melted. The butter will continue to thicken the mixture. Serve over cooked fettucini pasta. There should be plenty of sauce to cover chicken and noodles. Top with grated parmesan cheese.
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About Aunt Ann's Home Care
Aunt Ann's Home Care is the Bay Area's trusted choice in home care. Since 1958, Aunt Ann's has been providing affordable, reliable, compassionate and trustworthy caregivers to those needing as little as a two hour visit or as much as 24-hour care. Aunt Ann's employs and supervises all of its highly experienced caregivers, which include personal care attendants, home health aides, and nurses aides. Call 415-974-3530 or 650-757-2000 today or visit www.auntannshomecare.com to find out why families and hospitals consider Aunt Ann's their number one choice in quality home care. |
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