Archive for October, 2009

Posted on October 27, 2009 - by Nurse Virginia

Follow common sense guidelines when caregiving for the elderly to prevent colds, flu and food poisoning

When all is said and done, the best prevention always turns out to be good old soap and water. Whether it is for washing hands or surfaces, soap and water still are the best.

• Hand washing: First line of defense! Every time we have an in-service at our Nursing Home, on preventing infection, we always start with hand washing. Washing your hands often when preparing food, before, during and after. Hand washing after you use the bathroom, change a diaper, clean up after a pet or take out the garbage. When in doubt – wash your hands.
• Clean surfaces: In the bathroom, kitchen and things everyone touches like door knobs, light switches. Especially if someone in the family is currently ill with a cold, cough or flu.
• Keep food hot or cold: Make sure that food is the correct temperature when cooked    see: isitdoneyet.gov  for safe cooking temperatures. Then keep cooked food hot and refrigerate left over’s immediately after the meal.
• Don’t over use Antibiotics: Antibiotics don’t work against colds and flu as these are viruses not bacterial infections. Over use of Antibiotics make bacteria resistant and harder to treat.
• Wash hands after working with animals: Whether it is an animal at a petting zoo or your own house pet, wash hands after touching animal. And avoid any direct contact with wild animals.
• When working directly with and elder, if you have to cough or sneeze use your sleeve. You even notice now a days where ever you are, that children are being taught not to cover their mouths with their hands when they sneeze, but to cough or sneeze in their sleeve. Doesn’t take too many reminders, and they form the habit that will stay with them all of their lives.

Posted on October 20, 2009 - by Nurse Virginia

How to find a great Nursing Home!

Do your homework!

Just as in every other major decision in life – you have to do your homework. When my children were picking a college – we traveled, toured, asked questions, looked at dorm rooms, and met as many students as we could – we did our homework.

The same holds true with picking out a Nursing Home, maybe even more so. That caregiver you passed in the hall may be the one who will give your mother her bath – wash her hair. You want the caregiver to know how in her later years your Mom was afraid of getting into the bath tub and so took a “sink bath.” Many elderly people “wash up” at the bathroom sink. You want that caregiver to know what kind of soap your Mom has used for the last 50 plus years you have known her. And you want to provide that soap (do they allow or welcome that here, if they look at you strangely for even asking, think again, this home is not on the culture change journey).

See: blogs on “Person-Centered Care” – for information on “Culture Change”

Visit and visit then visit again.

Visit, visit and visit some more, truly this is the age of the consumer. If it is important to your parent to have activities late into the evening hours because they have always been a night owl. Don’t settle for the Home with the super nice Admissions Director. That person won’t be there when you Mom is bored to tears every evening with nothing to do. Ask to see the Activity Calendar, and when you stop in next see if those advertised activities are really happening or is it just on paper? Are the activities in one large room where most of the residents are sleeping in their wheelchairs? Or are the activities conducted in small groups where the activity is geared to the interests of the participants.

If food is very important to your Dad, stop in at meal times and see what’s cooking. Be bold, and ask if you could sample the meal. This is the time to find out if the Nursing Homes entire budget went for that great reception area you just saw and not much for dietary.

Be that knowledgeable consumer you would be if you were buying a new home, new car or new boat in this buyer’s market.

See: Caregiver Tips: Choosing a Nursing Home for your elderly parent (Part III) June 12, 2009

Virginia Garberding, R.N.

Director of Education, The Wealshire

Author: Please Get To Know Me – Aging with Dignity and Relevance

With Cecil Murphey of 90 minutes in Heaven

Posted on October 19, 2009 - by Nurse Virginia

Alzheimer’s disease, dementia and hypothyroidism in the elderly

Hypothyroidism causes Alzheimer’s disease.

Working in a nursing community devoted to persons with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. I have had an interest in tracking resident diagnoses. The percent of diagnosis of hyperthyroidism has been consistently about 30% in our population of persons with Alzheimer’s disease.

Diagnosis of hypothyroidism difficult to get.

Taking into consideration that unless you have the “correct” lab values, you won’t be diagnosed with hypothyroidism. The real percent of our residents having hypothyroidism must be much higher. In 2002 the health care community realized that the lab values then set were not catching all the hypothyroid cases. So they changed the criteria. However this still leaves out all those people who can only be diagnosed by symptoms.

Hypothyroidism is treatable and when caught early can prevent dementia.

The use of thyroid replacement therapy can address the mental sluggishness that can progress to signs of early dementia.

Symptoms of hypothyroidism:

• Intolerance to cold
• Chronic fatigue
• Hair loss (especially eyebrows)
• Overweight
• Arthritis
• Dry skin
• Decreased perspiration
• Muscle weakness
• Nervousness
• Headaches
• Constipation
• Brittle/ridged nails
• Slow movements

This is only a small amount of signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism. For a complete list as well as before and after pictures of persons with hypothyroidism after treatment. See:

Hypothyroidism, Type 2 – the epidemic by Mark Starr, M.D.

Available at: www.type2hypothyroidism.com