Sunday, May 22, 2011

Wisconsin Building More Hospitals

Wisconsin is building new hospitals. Federal medical insurance regulations will provide a valid pay source for every individual in the community. More participation means more choice and increased convenience. Below is a list of staffed hospital beds for the bigger providers in the Madison , Wisconsin area.

University of Wisconsin Hospital lists 503 staffed beds

Saint Mary's Hospital lists 361 staffed beds

Meriter Hospital lists 336 staffed beds

New construction includes plans for adequate parking, larger room size, and an expanded menu of services. This will improve access for alternative therapies. Communites will have the medical infrastructure to assure quality care is available to meet the needs of a changing population. Connect with elder home care assistants in Baraboo Wisconsin www.homecarepath.com

Sunday, May 15, 2011

List Of Documents To Help With Estate Planning

A large part of estate planning is organizing and storing documents where they can be located and reviewed on a regular basis. The following is a brief list of documents helpful in the estate planning process.
1. Last will and testament
2. Revocable living trust
3. Advance medical directive
4. Durable power of attorney for health care
5. Living will
6. Durable power of attorney (financial)
7. Personal property memorandum
8. Memorial instructions
9. Birth certificate
10. Death certificate
11. Marriage certificate
12. Divorce, seperation agreements
13. Adoption papers
14. Citizenship documents
15. Military records
16. Drivers license
17. Social security card
18. Health insurance
19. Medicare acrd
20. Organ donor card
21. Prenuptial agreement
22. Postnuptial agreement
23. Employment agreements
24. Corporation and LLC documents
25. Leases
26. Partnership agreements
27. Bank and investment account statements
28. Life insurance policies with benficiary designations
29. Stock and bond certificates
30. U.S. Savings bonds
31. Property deeds
32. Mortgages
33. Title insurance policies
34. Home owner, business, and umbrella insurance policies
35. IRA's
36. 401k's
37. Pension plans
38. Annuities
39. Social Security benefits
40. Title and insurance for all vehicles, boats, motorcycles, planes
41. Credit card statements
42. Copies of tax returns
43. Safe deposit box contents, key
44. Art
45. Antiques

Estate planning is about organizing documents for easy access. Simple activities like liquidating houshold contents upon death may require coordination of several organizations that work in the local community. Having the documents to support the household contents can make the process unfold in a smooth manner for the family.

Saturday, May 14, 2011

New UW Hospital Madison Wisconsin East Side

On the far east side of Madison Wisconsin lay 42 acres at the American Business Center Park with plans for a UW hospital. The UW Hospital purchased the land in 2005 for construction of a new facility. The new hospital will focus on several services for the local population.

1. Orthopedics, which is the treatment of the musculoskeletal system. Orthopedic doctors specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, muscles and nerves.

2. Alternative medicine which includes services like massage therapy and accupuncture. Alternative medicine typically caters to the private pay population.

3. Geriatrics, which is care and treatment of the elderly. Multiple service locations can enhance accessability for the senior population being served.

4. Larger hospital rooms to accomidate family over night stays. This will include on site vendors to provide services to the family.

UW Hospital Madison Wisconsin has a long history of strong leadership in construction and operation of medical facilities to meet the needs of a changing population.

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Memory Loss and Diversional Activity

Diversional activity involves the stimulation a senior experiences from an interest in leisure activity. This can be a balancing act with a senior who is experiencing memory loss.

With memory loss the senior depends on similar routines, familiar acquaintances, and a static living space to feel safe. Too much change can disrupt the seniors sense of self, facilitating a regression into the past.

Change should be slow, with the focus on being available to the senior in the moment , focussing on shared time to develop trust. As the trusting relationship unfolds subtle techniques to insert opportunity for diversional activity present themselves.

The interest in (leisure) diversional activity are what make the senior feel human, whole, and connected. Strategies for fostering the seniors interest in leisure activity include:

1. Listen to the seniors conversation, and attempt to meet them where they are. Talk a bit on the subject the senior has verbalized.

2. Encourage the senior to share stories on past experiences. Suggest you accompany the senior some time to the geographical location of the past experience.

3. Listen to music that you and the senior have discussed and both agreed you like to hear. Include the senior in the planning. Share the planning process.

4. Always take the opportunity to point out and view life occurring from a window. This can be birds, a passing school bus, or pizza delivery.

5. Make plans to watch a ball game, movie, or special show on television together. Discuss the chosen show fostering anticipatory excitement.

6. Explore the immediate surroundings, outside but near the residence. Point out changes related to the season. Color of grass, heat of sun, shade of tree, presence of people, wandering pets.

7. With trips allow time for visitors. Try not to view an approaching community member as an inconvenience. Allow the community member, and the senior time to share a conversation. Interject conversation to help maintain a comfortable flow.

8. Listen to what the senior says about food and observe the seniors behavior. Simply does the senior eat the food that is being made available to them. If not, could a change result in more of the food being consumed.

9. Read a newspaper or magazine article with the senior. Slowly, pausing at times and encouraging comments, discussion.

10. Recognize the gravity of the act of sharing life experiences with another. All the human senses are participating in the collection of data used to develop a personal memory of the time shared. The presence of another reinforces the sense of a hopeful, forward motion associated with time invested.

Home Care Path www.homecarepath.com coordinates elder home care assistants in the Baraboo, Wisconsin area.

Thursday, May 5, 2011

VA Shaping Final Care Giver Regulations

Under the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Act of 2010 families can be helped with in home care of veterans with severe disabling conditions. A monthly payment will be made to caregivers who help a severly disabled veteran with a condition that occurred in the line of duty on or after 9/11.

For the veteran to be eligible they must be unable to perform at least one or more activites of daily living without assistance from another for at least 90 (chronic) days. Or the veteran needs substantial supervision to be protected from threats to health and safety due to a severe cognitive impairment.

Activities of daily living are things a person must do daily to maintain health. Typical tasks include bathing, dressing, eating, walking, transfers, toileting, grocery shopping, meal prep, laundry, bill paying, medications, and house keeping.

Caregivers will be eligible for a monthly (stipend) payment, and training that includes payment for travel and lodging. Veterans can go to www.caregiver.va.gov to download the family caregiver program( VA CG 10-10) application, available after May 9, 2011. Caregiver support coordinators will also be available by phone 1-877-222 VETS (8387) to assist with the application process.

Home Care Path www.homecarepath.com encourages all families of veterans eligible for the caregiver program to participate.

Monday, May 2, 2011

Seniors Shoes Don't Fit In The Afternoon

The seniors feet swell and it becomes hard to get the shoes on. This is often called edema, or fluid volume excess.

Ask the senior to spend some time during the day seated with the legs elevated. This helps drain excess fluid from the foot and lower leg.

Help the senior avoid wearing constrictive clothing. Tight clothing and leg crossing can reduce the ability of fluid to flow from the swollen area.

Consider supportive socks or hosery that can provide and even therapeutic pressure that will help move fluid out from the lower leg and foot.

If the senior has been prescribed a diuretic (water pill) be sure it is being taken as provider ordered. A diuretic will increase urine output, reducing excess fluid which is causing the swelling.

Reduce salty foods in the diet. Salt is a larger molecule that can attract and hold water in the vessels of the body. Less salt often means less fluid retention.

Always be sure the seniors medical doctor is aware of the swelling in the feet. Home Care Path www.homecarepath.com coordinates elder home care assistants in Sauk City Wisconsin.