Walk Like a Penguin

  I hope we won't have use for this until next year.  But I came across it and thought it might help prevent a fall.  This has been a busy year for our clients who used Hanson Services after  falling on the ice or snow.  It turns out, penguins are our best teachers.

How to Walk on Ice 

We Just Call It "Care"

 The following is a response to this blog post on the term "Person-Centered Care" .  It's from one of my favorite elder care websites: Changingage.org   



  "Thank you for posting Martha's story.  Her ability to recognize her mother's subtle needs is exactly why a care giver's resume should be secondary to a care giver's heart. 
   At Hanson Services, we provide in-home care for adults. We also provide the training and skills one needs to care for an older adult. 
  But kindness and empathy are as important as physical skills, and have to come from the heart, not a classroom.  
   Our care is moment-to-moment and one-to-one, based on our client's needs, mood, energy and personality at that particular time. 
    This has been our philosophy from the beginning.  We don't use the term "person-centered."  We just call it "care."
-Eileen



Hanson Caregivers in Class

It's Not That Simple......

"often a fall doesn't cause a broken hip; a broken hip causes a fall. That is how fragile an elderly person can be. Administering c.p.r. on someone so frail may not save a life, but could ultimately cause an agonizing death"   Maryann Hanson, Founder and CEO of Hanson Services Inc.





Maryann Hanson (far right) discussing today's news with caregivers

    You may have seen this story in the news, a nurse refuses to give CPR to a dying woman.  On the 911 recording, the 911 dispatcher is heard pleading for the nurse to administer c.p.r. and save a dying woman's life. The recording is disturbing. The nurse sounds so uncaring, citing company policy as a reason to refuse the c.p.r.  The woman died without receiving c.p.r. from the nurse.
   This brought up a difficult issue that we, at Hanson Services have to face. Is it ever OK to NOT save a life?
    The issue came up during one of today's continuing education classes. Hanson Services C.E.O. Maryann Hanson discussed the topic with our caregivers
   She explained that many of our clients have DNR (do not resuscitate) orders, and some of our clients are so frail that receiving c.p.r. would crush their bones and cause tremendous pain. "Often a fall doesn't cause a broken hip, a broken hip causes a fall. That's how fragile an elderly person can be. Administering c.p.r. on someone so frail may not save a life, but could ultimately cause an agonizing death." 
    For a caregiver, whose very nature is to preserve life and provide comfort, standing by and watching someone die is not an option.   For that reason, Hanson Services has a policy in place that takes the decision making away from the caregiver and instead allows them to provide the comfort a frail dying person needs most.  
   Hanson Services caregivers have a support staff available to them 24 hours a day.  No one person is left with a life or death decision, and no policy prohibits them from providing comfort to someone who needs it. 
  The nurse in the news story may not have been wrong to refuse CPR.  But there is never an excuse to NOT provide comfort.
-Eileen
  

Do You Have These In Black?

Don't be afraid to wear the red shoes.

 

 

   I can't look at a pair of red shoes without thinking of one of our Hanson Services clients.  For her 98th birthday, she wanted a pair of red shoes.  She wasn't trying to accessorize an outfit, or pretend to be Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz.  She is a woman of style who wears what appeals to her.  She wore her new red shoes with unabashed delight and was the belle-of-the-ball on her birthday.  At nearly 100 years, she is still the most vibrant, beautiful woman in any room. 

 

 The best life lessons come from the most unexpected places. For me, it's our client and the red shoes.

 

   I remember a conversation with the owner of Knuth Shoes.  She noted that we Cleveland women have a peculiar way of buying shoes.  We are drawn to the red (yellow, orange, blue etc.) shoes because of their beautiful colors.  We try them on, admire them, parade in front of the store mirror in them, then we ask, "do you have these in black?  I can't wear the bright colors."

 

   I'm guilty. I love red shoes but never wear them.  In fact, I have a closet full of black shoes, purchased because they were gorgeous in red. 

 

  It's not a lack of versatility.  In fashion, red has become a neutral.  But red on me is just so bold. I'm not sure I can "pull it off", especially at my age. 

 

  What I have learned is that my age doesn't diminish the beauty of the shoes.  Instead, choosing to wear the shoes I like, enhances the beauty of my age.   I hope (God willing) I will be wearing red shoes on my 98th birthday.

-Eileen 

 

 

 

Is It a Scam?

     Probably, (just my opinion).

    If you have doubt, it's probably a scam. Click below before you donate to an unknown charity.
www.clevelandbbb.org/charity

  The Cleveland Chapter of the Better Business Bureau  has a Senior Awareness program designed to help seniors avoid the scams that are so often directed at them. Not all of them are charity scams.

   One scam that stands out on BBB's top ten list for 2012, is the "grandparent emergency scam". 
   This scam is a phone call or email from a loved one who is in danger/trouble, out of town, and needs money right away. 

   It sounds far fetched, but it actually happened to a Hanson Services co-worker.  The co-worker's grandmother received a phone call from a girl who addressed her as "Grandma" and said she was in trouble and needed money. A bad phone connection and Grandma's hearing deficit may have worked in the scammer's favor.  But Grandma was savvy enough to make a few phone calls to check the scammer's story.  She discovered her granddaughter  (my co-worker) was safely at work and unaware of the distress call.  No money was sent, and the scammer lost that time.
   But, most likely the scammer quickly moved on to another target.  Technology and social media make it relatively easy to fool us.  Phone devices can alter, voices, caller i-d, and locations. Social media sites provide our loved one's names and photos, even nicknames.  The elderly are a perfect target because many do not use or understand social media.

 For example, this could be a grandchild's simple post showing a photo with the caption: "me with Nana at the Smith family reunion".

   We know that he has a grandmother on the Smith side of the family. He calls her "Nana".  We might even get more information like the location and other names of family members in photos.  But even that one photo gives a scammer enough information to phone "Nana" in a panicky voice, tell her it's an emergency, and ask for money.
    Sadly, these predators use fear and urgency to take advantage of a grandparent's love and affection for their grandchildren. 
     The Better Business Bureau is working hard to stay ahead of these scams. You can find their latest warnings here:http://cleveland.bbb.org/bbb-news/
-Eileen
   

60 Years!

Edward and Maryann Toth celebrating 60 years of marriage
 

  It was sunny and 45 degrees according to official records, but Maryann Toth swears it was much warmer on Valentine's Day, 1953.  It was her wedding day, and she needed only a shawl over her wedding dress to keep warm. (My parents agree. It was their wedding day too!)

 

  Sixty years later, it's not the weather that stands out, but the love that keeps two people together for so long.  I marvel at the love between my parents, as I am sure, the Toth's children feel the same way about their parents.

 Broadview Heights Mayor Samuel Alai went a step further to recognize the Toth's sixty years.  He proclaimed February 14th, 2013, "Edward and Maryann Toth day".
  The proclamation was a surprise for the Toths, and the highlight of the annual Broadview Heights seniors Valentine's day party.   Each year, on Valentine's day, the mayor invites couples to renew their wedding vows.

   Edward and Maryann joined more than a dozen other couples to stand before Mayor Alai and once again vow to love, honor and cherish each other. But before anyone would say "I do" the Toths were  invited to step forth to receive the honor.

   The weather wasn't quite as warm as it was on their wedding day, but Maryann and Edward Toth will remember this anniversary for another kind of warmth. It's the kind that comes from a community marveling at 60 years of love and commitment.

  Happy Anniversary Mr. and Mrs. Toth!  We, at Hanson Services wish you many more happy, healthy years together.
-Eileen

Broadview Hts. Mayor Samual Alai officiating Valentine's Day 2013

Future of Healthcare

".......almost every sober analysis of our current health care environment suggests a need for better care for the chronically ill at home and in the community. " STEVEN H. LANDERS, MD, MPH

     When Dr. Steve Landers and his wife Allison moved from Cleveland to New Jersey, Hanson Services lost a great advocate for quality home care.  Dr. Landers helped us fine-tune our in home care and assessments; providing tips and tools to see beyond the obvious.  (He shared a story about a patient and spoiled food, that made me want to check  the expiration labels in every refrigerator I see.)
      Dr. Landers recently contributed to the Cleveland Clinic Medical Journal's latest publication.  The link is below, along with Dr. Landers introduction.  It's good to know he is still connected to Cleveland, and always passionate about quality care at home.
-Eileen



Dr. Landers on the air with WCLV's Bob Conrad during a remote broadcast at Hanson Services

http://www.clevelandclinicmeded.com/online/journal/supplement/home-health/

Medicine’s future: Helping patients stay healthy at home

STEVEN H. LANDERS, MD, MPH

President and CEO, VNA Health Group, Red Bank, NJ

 

Home-based care will undoubtedly play an increasingly important role in the health care system as the United States seeks ways to provide cost-effective and compassionate care to a growing population of older adults with chronic illness. “Home health care,” a term that refers more specifically to visiting nurses, therapists, and related services, is currently the prominent home care model in this country.

Home health services were developed around the start of the 20th century to address the unmet health and social needs of vulnerable populations living in the shadows. Today, there are more than 10,000 home health agencies and visiting nurse organizations across the country that care for millions of homebound patients each year. With the onset of health reform and the increasing focus on value and “accountability,” there are many opportunities and challenges for home health providers and the physicians, hospitals, and facilities they work with to try to find the best ways to keep patients healthy at home and drive value for society.

There is a paucity of medical and health services literature to guide providers and policymakers’ decisions about the right types and approaches to care at home. Maybe this is because academic centers and American medicine became so focused on acute institutional care in the past half century that the home has been overlooked. However, that pendulum is likely swinging back as almost every sober analysis of our current health care environment suggests a need for better care for the chronically ill at home and in the community. It is important that research and academic enterprises emphasize scholarly efforts to understand and improve home and community care so that the anticipated shift in care to home is informed by the best possible evidence, ultimately ensuring that patients get the best possible care.

The articles in this online, CME-certified Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine supplement address contemporary topics in home health and other home-based care concepts. The authors have diverse backgrounds and discuss issues related to technology, palliative care, care transitions, heart failure, knee replacement, primary care, and health reform. Several articles share concepts and outcomes from innovative approaches being developed throughout the country to help patients succeed at home, especially when returning home from a hospitalization.

The articles should improve readers’ understanding of a wide range of initiatives and ideas for how home health and home care might look in the future delivery system. The authors also raise numerous yet-unanswered questions and opportunities for future study. The needs for further home care research from clinical, public health, and policy perspectives are evident. Health care is going home, and this transformation will be enhanced and possibly accelerated by thoughtful research and synthesis.

I am incredibly thankful to my fellow authors, and hope that we have produced a useful supplement that will help readers in their efforts to assist the most vulnerable patients and families in their efforts to remain independent at home.

• Copyright© 2013 The Cleveland Clinic Foundation

http://www.clevelandclinicmeded.com/online/journal/supplement/home-health/