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/

Don't Call it a Bib.

 You may have seen this beautiful lady on our home page.  Her name is Amy and we absolutely adore her! One of our caregivers made the  heart-embroidered covering she is wearing to protect her clothes at mealtime.
 Notice we do not call it a "bib".  Our education director, Laura Hazen, suggests we use the word "napkin" instead.  Bibs are for babies, and older adults suffer enough indignity when their personal care items carry the same labels as an infant's. Think of adult "diapers" and adult "daycare". There must be a better label for both.
  Laura came up with idea to call the bib a "napkin" while she cared for her (now deceased) mother.  Laura said she would even put a "napkin" on herself to create more normalcy for her mother at mealtimes.
   "Bib" is certainly not a negative word. Some of the best meals are enjoyed while wearing a lobster bib. But when that word becomes a reminder of  yet another diminishing ability, it needs to be replaced.

Hospitalization May Be 'Tipping Point' for Alzheimer's Decline

Hospitalization May Be 'Tipping Point' for Alzheimer's Decline

  To me, this headline is frightening. As I write this, my father who has Alzheimer's, is on day 3 in the hospital because of an infection.  My family is with him, and there are no signs of the delirium mentioned in the news article. Also, he is supposed to go home today.  But I can't help wondering what happens when family can't be there or there is no family.  Would a familiar caregiver fill the same role?

 Maryann Hanson's suggestion is (if possible) to avoid the hospital in the first place.  She mentioned a physician who advised her to evaluate what the hospital would do for an elderly person that can't be done at home, and ask how a hospital stay would affect the quality of life.

  An experienced  caregiver at home can watch for early signs of an infection, so that an antibiotic can be started before the infection becomes an emergency.  Good care at home also means the patient will likely be eating well and taking in enough fluids.
-Eileen

Hospital Readmission Study Supports Care At Home

  We could have saved them the trouble.  A team of researchers concluded that caregiver support at home (family or otherwise) decreases the rate of hospital readmissions among the elderly. Their findings are documented in www.AdvancesInNursingScience.com.

 Our findings at Hanson Services, aren't scientific, but come the to same conclusion. Self-care supported by family and/or our caregivers leads to recovery instead of readmission to the hospital.

  More than just physical support, our clients benefit from the social support of having someone who is invested in their well-being.  We are communicators when our client can't speak, or is too tired to talk; we are a means for doctor visits, note taking, and medicine runs; we are cheerleaders for clients struggling through rehabilitation; and we are dog walkers, pet feeders, and litter box changers when needed.  We also facilitate a good night's sleep, by being awake and alert just in case we are needed.

 Rest and peace of mind are crucial for recovery.  At least that's what we believe at Hanson Services.  We don't have scientific data and a study to back us up, but millions of hours caring for hundreds of clients counts for something.

-Eileen

                  

  

The 99 cent Hamburger

The funeral of a Pennsylvania man made national news because the entire funeral procession went through the drive-thru of a Burger restaurant.  The restaurant was a favorite of the deceased, and the family wanted to honor his favorite hamburger with one final burger run.  Everyone in the procession got a hamburger, including the deceased who was buried with his.

  The story reminded me of one of our Hanson Services clients who also had a favorite burger and burger restaurant. Maryann Hanson mentioned him in one of the radio ads on WCLV 104.9 FM offering a "99 cent Hamburger" run as one of our services.

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