Monday, November 29, 2010

Bravo PH Monitoring System Home Care Path

Chronic heartburn related to acid reflux can be quite uncomfortable to live with. The Bravo PH (potential hydrogen) Monitoring System is a new high tech diagnostic test for acid reflux.

Symptoms of acid refulx include coughing, heartburn, regurgitation with eating or lying down after eating. Normal PH (potential hydrogen) for the esophagus is about 7.0. Abnormal back flow (reflux) of stomach acid in to the esophagus can lower PH below 7.0 for prolonged periods of time.

The Bravo PH Monitoring System includes a small PH capsule about the size of a gel cap. The Bravo capsule measures the PH of the esophagus and transmits the information to an exterior receiver worn on the belt like a cell phone.

The Bravo capsule is spontaneously detached from the esophagus and naturally eliminated from the body, after sending its information. After the test seniors return the Bravo receiver to the doctor and the information is printed out for viewing.

Seniors taking the Bravo PH test will be given a diary as well. Seniors would write in the diary the time reflux symtpoms are felt. With entry include time, food, fluid consumed, etc. This is the new high tech strategy for monitoring symptoms of heart burn.

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Understanding Health Coverage Is Difficult Home Care Path

Health insurance coverage in the United States is very complex. Some health care experts feel the intimate role employers play in providing access to health coverage has become obsolete, or out dated. Years ago an individual could work for the same employer their entire life. Today employment consultants estimate working individuals will be employed in approximately 10 different settings.

The difficulty arises when the employee transfers from one work setting to the next. How does the health insurance coverage work then? National news reported Andy Harris a Maryland representative experienced this first hand. Andy Harris was confronted with (Waiting Period) a time of no health insurance coverage between employers. Andy harris made it clear through complaints that he did not like the loss of health insurance.

Public watch groups have picked up on newly elected Maryland Representative Andy Harris's complaints . Hoping to ride this wave of the publics attention by asking congressional represenatives to not take the government sponsored health care coverage. This would require congressional representatives to shop for and purchase private health care insurance.

Public watch groups explain this is precisely what many members of congress have been asking families to do for themsleves. This would prove tough for newly elected Maryland Rep Andy Harris, who was totally surprised at the waiting period requirement.

Groups working with the current health care reform will hold this up as an example of just how difficult, and complex the delivery of health care is in the United States. Home Care Path www.homecarepath.com encourages seniors to keep informed on the evolution of health care delivery taking place.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

ADL Eating and Dementia Home Care Path

This is a senior care plan for an individual with dementia as relates to the ability to feed themselves. The senior has a cognitive deficit that makes creating a grocery list, going in to the store and picking out the food items on the list, getting the food items in appropriate home storage, assembling food items for meal preparation, cooking the food properly, serving the food on clean dining dishes, consuming the food, storing extra food, doing the dishes in a sanitary manner, impossible. The senior needs the assist of another person to eat daily.

Concern : Altered nutrition, less than body requirements, related to inability to procure food.

Cause: Diagnosis of dementia, alzheimer's disease, cognitive deficit.

Evidence: Loss of body weight, reduced daily food and fluid intake, limited amount of food in refridgerator-freezer, presence of expired foods, senior does not leave residence, limited or no garbage refuse.

Intervention: With a diagnosis of dementia, alzheimer's disease,chronic cognitive deficit, the disease process is progressive indicating the person will not begin to do better. Teaching a person with dementia, Alzheimer's disease, or chronic cognitive deficit is not proven to be effective. The senior typically needs the assist of another to meet their daily nutritional and hydration needs.

Senior care worker can assist the elder with meals in the home.
1. Create a grocery list from seniors likes, dislikes in food and fluid.
2. Go to the grocery store, choosing economically appropriate foods on shelves.
3. Transport the purchased food to the seniors home for storage in regridgeration, freezer, cupboard shelves.
4. Assemble the food's needed for preparing a meal.
5. Properly cook the meal.
6. Serving the food in clean dining dishes.
7. Assisting the senior with reminders, and cues to completely eat the served food.
8. Store any extra prepared food in the refridgerator in sanitary containers.
9. Cleanse the dishes, dry them thoroughly, and store them in cupboard.

This is a simple plan that focuses on the activity of daily living eating for person who has memory difficulty. Home Care Path www.homecarepath.com assists seniors in South Central Wisconsin with non-medical in home custodial tasks.

Monday, November 22, 2010

Funds Performance Home Care Path

Many seniors look to funds that invest in stocks as a way to enhance the estate. The words in a funds prospectus can often mask returns. Past performance numbers can be used to indicate risk.

Try to view the funds historical figures in graph form. Determine average annual return over the last 10 years. Then observe year by year results for a ten year period. The fund may show an acceptable average return, but the year to year graph can show wild swings. This shows the funds volitility.

Over the ten year period compare the funds return to an appropriate index, or bench mark. Is the fund down, when the index is down. Or does the fund consistently trail behind the chosen index, bench marks.

Realize a fund can be losing money and claim to be beating the market in a defined time frame. The fund is just not losing as much money as the market in this defined time frame.

Evaluate returns during identified bear markets. Then look at returns in the worst 12 month period. Note the worst 12 month period does not have to run January to December. This can speak to potential losses.

Financial planners look at a funds worst draw down, the maximum cumulative loss. Reviewing loss from peak to trough is considered the ultimate measure of a funds risk.

Home Care Path www.homecarepath.com encourages seniors to meet with a qualified financial planner when considering stock and mutual fund investing.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

What Are ADL's Home Care Path

ADL's are activites of daily living. Activites of daily living are the things we can do on our own when younger throughout the day. ADL's help us live independently. Simply waking up, jumping out of bed, and getting dressed is performing activites of daily living. Belwo are some ADL's.

Eating is an ADL. Can the senior prepare a meal and eat it on their own.

Bathing is an ADL. Can the senior do their own shower completing oral, and hair care.

Dressing is an ADL. Can the senior dress themselves in freshly laundered street clothes approprate for the season.

Toileting is an ADL. Can the senior urinate and have a bowel movement in the toilet on their own, and clean self up after.

Transferring is an ADL. Can the senior get in and out of chairs, vehicles, etc. on their own.

Incontinnence is an ADL. Can the senior use the adult breifs, or pads on their own to reduce skin damage with incontinence.

Home Care Path www.homecarepath.com staff help seniors who experience a loss of the ability to perform activites of daily living on their own. This is a way of helping seniors maintain their independence.

Friday, November 19, 2010

Aligning Forces For Quality Hospital Quality Network Home Care Path

Aligning Forces For Quality Hospital Network (AF4Q) is a National Improvement Program funded through The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Aligning Forces For Quality (AF4Q) is The Robert Wood Johnsons authorized effort to lift the overall quality of health care in 17 targeted regions, as well as reduce racial and ethnic disparities and provide models for reform.

The AF4Q Hospital Quality Network includes three separate quality improvement initiatives aimed at helping hospitals improve care delivery. Hospitals throughout the United States (Mile Bluff Medical Center of Mauston Wisconsin is participating) will pilot health care delivery improvement strategies.

Reducing readmissions is one of the three quality improvement initiatives. This will help hospitals improve care for heart failure patients, ultimately reducing costly and avoidable readmissions.

Increasing Throughput will focus on emergency care. Increasing throughput will utilize real patient provider interactions to improve pace and efficiency of patients moving through the hospital emergency room setting. The flow of patient treatment and release, or admission and transfer to appropriate department will be examined.

Improved Language Services will help the hospital improve care for patients who speak or understand limited English. Trained medical interpreters are to be available with the admission and discharge process to improve patient - provider communication.

Participating hospitals will commit to 18 months, with collecting and submitting required data. Hospitals participating in the pilot demonstrate to the community a leadership role in improving patient care and overall health outcomes.

Home Care Path www.homecarepath.com provides non-medical in home custodial care for seniors in south central Wisconsin.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Dr. Donald M. Berwick Home Care Path

Dr. Donald M. Berwick is the chief of Medicare and Medicaid programs. President Barack Obama nominated Dr. Donald M. Berwick in April of 2010. President Barack Obama appointed Donald M. Berwick in July of 2010.

Dr. Donald M. Berwick presides over a budget that exceeds that of the United States Pentagon. The Medicare and Medicaid programs provides health care to nearly one third of all Americans , spending more than 800 billion per year.

Dr. Donald M. Berwick stated new health law explicitly protects the guaranteed Medicare benefits on which so many seniors and individuals with disabilites rely. The new health law will not cut the guaranteed benefits, nor will it ration care.

Medicare and Medicaid programs redistribute State and Federal collected dollars to health care providers in local communities throughout the United States. The competition to control the distribution of this large pot of money is enormous.

Home Care Path www.homecarepath.com provides non-medical in home custodail care for seniors in south central Wisconsin.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Change Available Phone Books Home Care Path

Technology has started to change the value of a phone book directory. Telephone companies have reduced the frequency of new issue releases, and are moving away from mass printed residential phone listings. Fewer people are using the phone book directories.

More and more households have been using cell phones as the primary phone line. Typically cell phone numbers are not included in the phone book directory. Cell phones are now capable of storing frequently called numbers.

More households have a computer with online access. Families will go on line to find a phone number, rather than thumb through the printed phone listings in a book. Computer providers boast families can find a phone number quicker by searching an online data base, than working through the white pages of a phone book.

Phone companies have been highlighting the environmental savings (less paper use) to encourage the public to shift from printed phone book directories, to online data bases. Home Care Path www.homecarepath.com questions if the printed phone book directories will go like the pay phone booths that once adorned every street corner in America.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Holiday Gift Cards Home Care Path

Holiday gift giving is fast approaching. Gift cards are becoming popular because they are easy to grab and allow the person to choose an item they want. Gift cards are not quite the same as cash. August 2010 gift card regulations became effective.

A gift card will not expire for at least five years after the date of purchase. The money listed on the card should not expire for at least seven years.

If a purchased gift card expires but there is money left on it, a replacement card can be requested at no cost.

Fees can only be charged if they are clearly stated on the card packaging. Inactivity and other fees are banned in the first year.

After one full year there can only be one single monthly fee such as inactivity or usage fee.

The store will still charge a fee to buy the gift card, and for a replacement card if it is lost or stolen.

These regulations apply only to gift cards being sold now. Similar looking rebate cards or general purpose pre paid cards on not covered by these regulations. Home Care Path www.homecarepath.com staff assist seniors with the purchase and wrapping of holiday gifts.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Long Term Care Premium Deductibility Limits 2011

Premiums for qualified long term care insurance policies are tax deductible. Qualified policies are issued after January 1, 1997 and adhere to certain requirements. There is a limit on how large a premium can be deducted, depending on the age of the tax payer. Below are 2011 listed limits:

Age 40 or less your maximum deduction for the year 2011 is 340.00

More than 40 but less than 50 your maximum 2011 deduction is 640.00

More than 50 but less than 60 your maximum 2011 deduction is 1,270.00

More than 60 but less than 70 your maximum 2011 deduction is 3,390.00

More than 70 years of age your maximum 2011 deduction is 4, 240.00

This is a simplified guide and Home Care Path www.homecarepath.com encourages all seniors to consult with a qualified accountant during the tax preparation process.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Choosing Estate Executer Home Care Path

When choosing an executor for your estate you will want someone you can trust. Can they communicate with the family and understand the financial tasks. Can you explain some of the duties to them.

Probating the will, getting federal tax number for the estate, and hiring an attorney if need be.

Locating and listing all of the estate's assets. Where is the all property, life insurance policies, and bank accounts.

Valueing the assets. Appraisals for jewelry, art, real estate and business interests.

Identify which assets will pass through probate, and which can go directly to the beneficiaries.

Identifying and collecting assets owed to the estate before death occurred.

Identifying and paying any debts owed by the estate.

Arranging for living expenses for dependent survivors.

Paying all court and administrative fees.

Filing a final personal income tax return, the estate's federal and state income tax return,

Distributing remaining assets to the designated heirs.

Closing out the estate to the satisfaction of the court.

This is an over simplified list of critical estate executors tasks. This is shown to provide the viewer with an understanding of the complexity, and the time investment required in handling an estate. Home Care Path www.homecarepath.com encourages seniors to consult with a reputable lawyer during the process of selecting an estate executor.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

COLA Social Security Home Care Path

COLA stands for cost of living adjustment. Annually seniors receiving social security benefits would be given a cost of living adjustment. This has been seen as a raise in the seniors social security monthly check.

The United States Congress enacted the COLA provision as part of the 1972 Social Security Amendements. Automatic annual COLA's began in 1975. Before this social security benefits increased only when Congress enacted special legislation.

Currently the U.S. Government has announced no cost of living raises for social security recipients in 2011. This will be the second year in a row that social security benefit checks have not been adjusted upward for inflation.

President Obama has called for a 250 dollar payment for social security recipients as part of an economic stimulus package. This would help off set the increased cost of medical expenses, which rise beyond figures that project inflationary levels.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Funeral Trust Home Care Path

Setting up a funeral trust is an asset retention strategy. A way to keep as much money with the members of the household as possible. This is a way for seniors to pre pay for funeral expenses.

You establish a funeral trust by depositing money in to an interest bearing trust account. Seniors can open an individual trust account with a bank and deposit their money in a savings account or certificate of deposit.

A funeral trust allows some flexibility for the family in picking a funeral home provider. A funeral trust is pre paying your funeral expenses with a tax benefit. Money left to family can be subject to estate taxes, which can be significantly higher than regular income tax. The senior invests money on funeral expenses while alive, this money is no longer subject to higher estate taxes upon death.

Consider purchasing cemetery property , choosing a stone, and having it set, prior to death. Getting these funeral items in place ahead of death can minimize stress and anxiety for surviving family. This greatly reduces the anticipated total funeral expenses at the time of the seniors death.

The funeral directors practice evolves and changes as time goes by. Home Care Path www.homecarepath.com encourages seniors to make an informed choice that will result in the most benefit to the family's they love.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Customs Declaration CN 22 Home Care Path

With the gift giving season approaching many items will be shipped outside of the United States through the Postal System. Objects being sent beyond United States borders will require a custom's form. Customs forms are available through the local Post Office. Home Care Path www.homecarepath.com advises seniors to keep an extra customs form in the home for gift mailing. Forms can be completed ahead, in the home setting, to reduce time in the post office.

The most used customs form is the Customs Declaration CN22. Often seen in racks at the Post Office waiting areas. Measures about 7.5 inches long and about 4 inches tall. Tan tone on the left side, white on the right. Corregated to allow the postal clerk to tear a portion free and apply to the package you are sending.

On the right side you fill in your name and address as the sender. Below you fill in the name and address of the receiver. Below this you sign and date the form.

On the left side you check ths box "Gift" at the top. Middle left you hand write a description of the object being sent, for example "Belt Buckle". To the right of the description you write an estimate of the value, say belt buckle "5.00". Down below you sign and date the form for a second time.

The postal clerk will weigh your package and write the weight in to the box between Description and Value on the tan tone left side. The postal clerk will seperate the tan paper from the white portion on the right. The tan side is applied directly on the package by the postal clerk.

The cost to mail the package will depend on the weight and the zone area the receiver's address falls in to. Home Care Path staff help the senior to wrap the package as small and safe as possible. More economical shipping for the holiday season.

Monday, November 1, 2010

Equity Indexed Annuities Home Care Path

Equity indexed annuities also known as fixed index insurance products, and indexed annuities, have been strongly marketed to Wisconsin consumers. An annuity is a contract between the senior and the insurance company , in which the company promises to make payments to the senior. If the senior must wait to receive payments, it is a defferred annuity. If the payments begin immediately the senior has an immediate annuity.

With a fixed annuity the insurance company pays a set amount to the senior regardless of the performance of the stock. So less risk. With a variable annuity the rate of return is not set but depends on the performance of the stock. So more risk. Equity indexed annuities fall in between these two.

Equity indexed annuities have characteristics of both fixed and varaible annuities. The return on an equity indexed annuity varies more than a fixed annuity, but not as much as a variable annuity. Equity indexed annuities give more risk than the fixed annuity but this include more potential for return. The equity indexed annuity gives you less risk than a variable annuity , but this includes less potential for return.

Equity indexed annuities provide a guaranteed interest rate combined with an interest rate linked to a market index. Market index is a value placed on the performance of a specific group of stocks. The return on market index linked interest is related to several defined features.

If the insurance company lowers the participation rate, or cap rate, of the equity indexed annuity this can contribute to a lower return. If the insurance company increases the spread, asset, margin fees, this can contribute to a lower return. So how the equity indexed annuities index linked interest rate is computed, can be complex.

Equity indexed annuities are considered long term investments. Getting out early can result in a loss. Many plans offer about 90 percent return on premiums you pay in, and about 3 percent interest. Seniors and families are encouraged to consult a financial advisor to best explain equity indexed annuities.

Home Care Path www.homecarepath.com provides non medical in home custodial care for seniors in south central Wisconsin.