JEFF GOLL 

TRIANGLE ELDER CARE NAVIGATION


Support Services for Seniors and Their Families  

 

 

Aging Well Digest

  
 Useful, interesting, and informative news for seniors and their families
 
          April 2012                                      Issue 20

 Dear Friends:

Welcome to the Aging Well Digest.

 
In this issue you will find 1) two inspiring videos on the power of music, 2) the architect Michael Graves talking about the ugliness of hospitals, 3) an article on the meaning of Palliative Care, and 4) an explanation of HCAHPS and why it signals a change in the way healthcare is delivered. 

I trust you will be able to find something useful, informative, or interesting in this issue. I will continue to be on the lookout for the best and most helpful information on issues related to aging that I find each month and I encourage you to contact me if there are topics you would especially like me to investigate.

If you are looking to get information on a particular nursing home, this Medicare site has information on health inspections, staffing, prevalence of bedsores, percentages receiving flu shots, overall quality ratings and more.

Of course I am here to work with you if you need more personalized help with any of these issues or other aging related concerns. Your first consultation is free in order for us to determine if and how I can help you.

Thanks,  Jeff 





triangleeldercarenavigation.com

 

 

 

 

 
IN THIS ISSUE
1 - The Power of Music
2 - Too Ugly to Die Here
3 - The Meaning of Palliative Care
4 - HCAHPS / A Powerful Consumer Satisfaction Tool

Triangle Elder Care Navigation 


 

jwgoll@mindspring.com

 

 

919-602-8483

 
 
Quick Links
 
Friends of Residents in 
Long Term Care
 
 
Patient Advocate Foundation
 
 
Durham Long Term Care
Ombudsman - Carmelita Karhoff
919.558.2714 
 
 
Orange Long Term Care 
Ombudsman - Charlotte Terwilliger
919.558.9401 
The Power of Music

taos sunflower
 If you want to start your day with a smile or two, click on the links below to watch these two videos on music and aging. The first is a recording by the indefatigable Pete Seeger who will be turning 93 in a few days.  It is a version of "Forever Young" which was written by Bob Dylan and originally recorded by Dylan and The Band. The song has subsequently been recorded by Joan Baez, Harry Belafonte, Johnny Cash, Neil Young, Norah Jones, Patti LaBelle, Meat Loaf, The Pretenders, Diana Ross, Rod Stewart, and Pearl Jam and I'd wager none of them is as wonderful as this Seeger version. 
 
Next watch "Henry" respond to his music in this clip from the documentary "Alive Inside" which also features the neurologist Oliver Sachs. There's a bit of magic here so don't miss it. 
 
"Forever Young" by Pete Seeger

Henry and the Power of Music

 

 

 Its Too Ugly for Me to Die Here

 

 canada lake If you have ever wondered why hospital interiors are so unattractive you will appreciate this video of the architect and designer Michael Graves talking about his frustrations with healthcare infrastructure after a serious illness led him to encounters with several hospitals and rehabilitation centers. His bottom line is that good design is both essential to recovery and affordable to create. His firm now focused on healthcare design and among other things he requires that his employees spend a week in a wheelchair to understand patient needs. That might be a valuable exercise for any healthcare professional. 

 

 Video of Architect Michael Graves

 

The Meaning of Palliative Care 

 

topsail clouds  Many patients and family members confuse 'palliative care' with 'hospice' or 'end-of-life care' and mistakenly think that Palliative Care can only be used when all active treatment stops. What's worse, even among physicians and health care professionals there is confusion over what Palliative Care means.  Essentially, Palliative Care is an arena of health care that focuses on relieving and preventing the suffering of patients.

Unlike hospice, palliative medicine is appropriate for patients in all disease stages, including those undergoing treatment for curable illnesses and those living with chronic diseases, as well as patients who are nearing the end of life. Palliative care attempts to address the physical, emotional, spiritual, and social concerns that arise with advanced illness. To read more about Palliative Care, click on the links below.

Read the Full Article

Definition of Palliative Care


HCAHPS - An Acronym That Will Change        
                 Healthcare 

 beach seaweed Acronyms can be frustrating but every once in a while one comes along that is really worth understanding. HCAHPS is one of those. HCAHPS stands for Hospital Consumer Assessment of Health Providers and Systems and is a government survey for measuring patient satisfaction at hospitals across the country. It employs a 27 question survey to standardize the measurement of how well a hospital is doing to meet patient needs. What makes this such a revolutionary development however is that CMS 

(Center for Medicare Services) will be using it to determine the level of reimbursement hospitals will receive for services they provide. The higher the score, the higher the compensation that will be received for the same service. Instead of just good intentions, hospitals will now have a powerful financial incentive to meet patient expectations. For more details, read the articles below.

 

HCAHPS Will Make You Powerful 

 

27 HCAHPS questions 

 

HCAHPS FAQs 

 

 

 

                    Services Offered

 

                             -Patient Advocacy 


                      -Housing Transitions / Coaching

                          

                         -Medicare Counseling

                       (all Medicare Counseling is free of charge)  

                      

                       -Daily Money Management


                               -Executor Tasks 

                        - Family Communication
       
                     -Education and Patient Rights 

 

                                           Archived articles by issue and topic

 

                                                                  Issue #1                                                                              
                                          - Health insurance claim denial                                          
                                                  - Hospital shift change                                                                                                                 - The most frequent medical error                                                                                           - Senior fraud schemes                                                      

    - "Observation only" hospital stays
    -  Sleep issues in assisted living facilities
    -  Family mediation and senior issues
    -  Creativity and aging

                                 Issue #3                                  
    - Sex, condoms, seniors
    - Senior friendly products
    - Common diagnostic tests
    - Global dementia projections

    - Beers list criteria
    - Pre-authorization delays
    - NC SHIIP
    - Senior Pharmassist

    - Poor nursing home pay
    - The CLASS act
    - Falls and Fractures
    - Creative advantages

    - Are we safer now? (hospital safety)
    - Trauma center bias
    - Nursing home practices
    - Revocable Trust review

    - Hospital discharge
    - Home health agencies
    - Geriatric MD shortage
    - Bereavement counseling

    - Hospital Re-admissions
    - For-Profit Nursing Care Homes
    - Reverse Mortgage Councilors
    - Home Safety Checklist

     - Health Care Literacy
     - National Patient Advocacy Foundation
     - 10 Ways you Get Smarter as You Age
     - Driving Errors and Aging Drivers

 

Issue # 10 

Most Drugs Don't Work for Most Patients

Six Steps to a Successful LTC Transition

Falls and Their Prevention

The Need for "At Home" Services

 

Issue #11 

Hospital Safety Video

The Cost of Caregiving

The Hospital to Nursing Home Revolving Door

VA vs. Medicare Drug Price Comparison

 

Issue #12

Criminal Records in Nursing Homes

Consistent Assignment in LTC

The High Cost of Poor Nursing Care

   The Culture Change Movement in LTC

 

Issue #13 

What Are Old People for?

Hospital Comparisons

Medicare Enrollment 

End of Life Discussion

 

Issue # 14 

The Cost of Getting Old

$42 Million Gift

Discharge Planning

Thriving and Aging

 

Issue # 15 

Friends of Residents Gala 

Hospital Satisfaction Evaluations

 The Green House Movement

 Where Are the Geriatricians?

 

Issue #16

 Overuse of Anti-Psychotic Drugs

 Hospital Disability Syndrome

Nursing Homes and End of Life 

 News in Dementia Care

 

Issue #17 

Aging and Happiness

ER for Seniors

Old Brain/Young Brain

Gene Cohen/Creativity 

 

Issue #18 

Caretaking from a Distance

For-profit Nursing Home Quality

Geriatric Nursing Care

"Affordable" Assisted Living and Medicaid

 

Issue #19 

Innovation and Aging

End of Life Planning

Home Care Workers 

Hospital Hand-offs

 

 

 

 
     While I hope that this digest will contain something useful, interesting, or informative for you in every monthly edition, I don't want to burden the inbox of anyone who would prefer not to receive it.  If you would rather not get this email digest again, please just click on unsubscribe at the bottom of this page.

Alternatively, if you would like to send this digest to someone, just click on Forward email at the bottom of the page. Also, let me know if there are any topics you would like to have me include in the Aging Well Digest.

      I intend to provide coverage on a wide range of senior issues so that even if you are a professional in the field of aging, I hope you can learn something in every issue.
            "It takes a long time to become young."
                                               Pablo Picasso

         "With mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come."
                                  Merchant of Venice   1.1.80

photography by Jeff Goll