Top health stories of 2007 - CNN.com: "Top health stories of 2007Story Highlights
Contaminated food, questionable drugs made medical headlines
Major stem cell development could mean cures without destroying embryos
Year also saw 19 top health breakthroughs for women"
Friday, December 28, 2007
Thursday, December 27, 2007
holiday blues -19 tips to avoid
19 tips for coping with holiday stress and depression:
- Make realistic expectations for the holiday season.
- Set realistic goals for yourself.
- Pace yourself. Do not take on more responsibilities than you can handle.
- Make a list and prioritize the important activities. This can help make holiday tasks more manageable.
- Be realistic about what you can and cannot do.
- Do not put all your energy into just one day (i.e., Thanksgiving Day, New Year's Eve). The holiday cheer can be spread from one holiday event to the next.
- Live and enjoy the present.
- Look to the future with optimism.
- Don't set yourself up for disappointment and sadness by comparing today with the good old days of the past.
- If you are lonely, try volunteering some time to help others.
- Find holiday activities that are free, such as looking at holiday decorations, going window shopping without buying, and watching the winter weather, whether it's a snowflake or a raindrop.
- Limit your drinking, since excessive drinking will only increase your feelings of depression.
- Try something new. Celebrate the holidays in a new way.
- Spend time with supportive and caring people.
- Reach out and make new friends.
- Make time to contact a long-lost friend or relative and spread some holiday cheer.
- Make time for yourself!
- Let others share the responsibilities of holiday tasks.
- Keep track of your holiday spending. Overspending can lead to depression when the bills arrive after the holidays are over. Extra bills with little budget to pay them can lead to further stress and depression.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
The New Health Mecca
Should we focus our health care spending on “bricks and mortar” or technology?...Or both?
By Mike Magee, MDThere's a lot of money flowing into Health right now – raising two big questions: First, are you investing in the past, present or future? Second, will your investment pay off? For those who want to buy in a traditional way, take a look at Grand Rapids Michigan.1 Prominent local donors have committed $1 billion there. For that, they're getting a new medical school (which will house Michigan State programs), a children's hospital, a cancer treatment center, two medical office buildings, and a seven-level parking garage. One billion dollars for "bricks and mortar" in the hope, in their words, of "sustaining the economy and culture of a rebounding city of more than 193,000 residents".
1 For a different type of health bet, look at Royal Philips Electronics NV -- or Philips for short -- a "household name" whose consumer electronics business, overtaken by Asian clones, lost $2.2 billion in 2001. 2 They paid $750 million last year for Massachusetts’ based "Lifeline", a service system and network to help seniors age in place.3 They plan to take it global. Like other big technology vendors with a history in health (think of GE), Philips has been hospital-centric, selling X-ray and CAT Scan equipment with some success. But CEO Gerard Kleisterlee thinks times are changing. "Patients are behaving more and more like consumers. They go on the Internet and get second opinions. Care is being pushed out of the hospitals, which are expensive, and into homes ...." In the past, he says, "It was all about technology." But times have changed, causing him to ask, "What is the hand of cards that I have and how do I play them?" 2 Kleisterlee formed an internal work group to explore new value propositions and point Philips in a new direction. And what did they find? Health - but not the same old health! They started, said Senior VP Paul Smit of their Medical Systems Division, with "an existing, new complex product and redesigned it completely for lay people." What was the product? The "Heart Start Home Defibrillator." 4 Available at $1,200 without a prescription, homes -- and banks, and hotels, and shopping centers, and airplanes -- have eaten the product alive. That triggered the Philips CEO, in September of 2004, to launch a new Consumer Health Care Division.5
The simple command? "Look for opportunities outside the hospital." Mr. Kleisterlee and peers such as Craig Barrett from Intel, are now true believers.6 They have traveled the globe, attending medical meetings, visiting health thought leaders, learned everything they can about aging, and helped form and support the Center for Aging Services Technologies (CAST) in Washington, an arm of the American Association of Home Services for the Aging (AAHSA).7, 8 What are the "sweet spots"? Self-reliance, connectivity, and prevention of functional decline. How's it looking for 2007? Philips Consumer Health Unit is projecting sales of $1.5 billion. 2 Talk inside of Philips is that its CEO has "fundamentally changed the identity of what a lot of people at Philips stand for and believe in." 2 He's done it, they say, by playing the cards he was dealt. And here they are: 1. Take the technology developed for professional use, and redesign it for lay use. 2. Embrace the demographic megatrends of Aging, Consumerism, and the Internet.3. Move health from the hospital to the home. 4. Leverage connectivity, self-reliance and prevention (That's why Philips originally bought "Lifeline.") So there you are. You have the Grand Rapids vision and the Philips vision for our health care future. Both are needed, but to what extent? Who takes the lead, and where is the center? One vision is "bricks and mortar,” the other service. One vision is professional-centric, the other consumer-centric. One is hospital-based, the other home-based. One is driven by historic health sector leaders, the other by new health sector players. Where to put your money for the future? I'd invest in a vision that is led by those with financial assets, IT expertise, and an existing position (with products and services) in the home -- especially if they wisely build future planning around connecting the people to the people who are caring for the people.
Friday, December 21, 2007
Over-70 Adults Get New Food Pyramid
Stress on Nutrient-Rich, High-Fiber Foods, Not Supplements
By Daniel J. DeNoon
WebMD Medical News
People tend to become less active and to eat less as they age. This makes them vulnerable to getting too few nutrients, note Tufts University nutrition expert Alice H. Lichtenstein, ScD, and colleagues.
Moreover, older adults may not be as Internet savvy as younger adults, making it hard for them to use the USDA's official, web-based "MyPyramid" food guide. So Lichtenstein's team has updated their 1999 "Modified Food Guide Pyramid" for older adults to create their new "Modified MyPyramid for Older Adults" in print form.
"The basic message in the Modified MyPyramid for Older Adults is that it is preferable to get essential nutrients from food rather than supplements," Lichtenstein and colleagues note.
However, a little flag flying atop the pyramid signals seniors that supplements or fortified foods -- particularly those containing calcium, vitamin D, or vitamin B-12 -- may be helpful for many seniors but not for all.
At the bottom of the pyramid are icons representing physical activities appropriate for healthy seniors. Next comes a row of water glasses, stressing the importance of fluid intake for older people.
Above these rows, the different food groups portray healthy choices in forms -- such as packages of frozen vegetables -- easily accessible to seniors.
Emphasis is on:
Whole grains and a variety of grains
Variety and nutrient-density of fruits and vegetables
Low-fat and nonfat dairy foods, including milk products with reduced lactose
Oils low in saturated fats and lacking trans fats
Low-saturated fat and vegetable choices in the meat-and-beans food group
Fiber-rich foods in all food groups
"It is important to communicate to older adults that eating should remain an enjoyable experience," Lichtenstein and colleagues note. "The guidance provided can be used as a road map and should be adaptable so it can accommodate many different dietary preferences, patterns, and lifestyles."
Lichtenstein and colleagues provide detailed recommendations in an article in the January 2008 issue of The Journal of Nutrition.
By Daniel J. DeNoon
WebMD Medical News
People tend to become less active and to eat less as they age. This makes them vulnerable to getting too few nutrients, note Tufts University nutrition expert Alice H. Lichtenstein, ScD, and colleagues.
Moreover, older adults may not be as Internet savvy as younger adults, making it hard for them to use the USDA's official, web-based "MyPyramid" food guide. So Lichtenstein's team has updated their 1999 "Modified Food Guide Pyramid" for older adults to create their new "Modified MyPyramid for Older Adults" in print form.
"The basic message in the Modified MyPyramid for Older Adults is that it is preferable to get essential nutrients from food rather than supplements," Lichtenstein and colleagues note.
However, a little flag flying atop the pyramid signals seniors that supplements or fortified foods -- particularly those containing calcium, vitamin D, or vitamin B-12 -- may be helpful for many seniors but not for all.
At the bottom of the pyramid are icons representing physical activities appropriate for healthy seniors. Next comes a row of water glasses, stressing the importance of fluid intake for older people.
Above these rows, the different food groups portray healthy choices in forms -- such as packages of frozen vegetables -- easily accessible to seniors.
Emphasis is on:
Whole grains and a variety of grains
Variety and nutrient-density of fruits and vegetables
Low-fat and nonfat dairy foods, including milk products with reduced lactose
Oils low in saturated fats and lacking trans fats
Low-saturated fat and vegetable choices in the meat-and-beans food group
Fiber-rich foods in all food groups
"It is important to communicate to older adults that eating should remain an enjoyable experience," Lichtenstein and colleagues note. "The guidance provided can be used as a road map and should be adaptable so it can accommodate many different dietary preferences, patterns, and lifestyles."
Lichtenstein and colleagues provide detailed recommendations in an article in the January 2008 issue of The Journal of Nutrition.
'Hospitalist' Physicians Help Shorten Patient Stays
By Ed Edelson HealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, Dec. 20 (HealthDay News) -- A new breed of medical specialists, called hospitalists, can make a small but significant difference in shortening how long a patient needs to stay in the hospital, a new study shows.
At the same time, researchers found no difference in the rate of either patient death or readmission when hospitalists were involved, according to the report in the Dec. 20 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
A hopsitalist refers to a physician who cares solely for hospitalized patients.
The term may be new to the general public, but, in the medical profession, "hospitalist has been a recognized and accepted term that has been around for about a decade," said study author Dr. Peter K. Lindenauer, an associate professor of medicine at Baystate Medical Center and Tufts University, in Boston.
In fact, "There is a Society of Hospital Medicine with 5,000 to 10,000 members, and it is estimated that there may be 20,000 hospitalists across the United States now," Lindenauer said.
"What you can't debate is the number of hospitalists around the country -- there is no going back," added Dr. Laurence McMahon, chief of the division of general medicine at the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor.
"We need to think about how these new doctors get into the health-care system and how they care for patients who are hospitalized," said Mcmahon, who also authored an accompanying editorial on the issue.
Traditionally, a person's private physician has been responsible for care after hospitalization, he said. That began to change about 30 years ago, with the emerging role of emergency room physicians and critical care physicians, Lindenauer said. "They have been assuming the role of attending physician in those situations," he said. "In some respect, the growth of the hospitalist model of care represents the completion of a series of steps toward specialization that began 30 years ago."
According to Lindenauer, the advent of the hospitalist means another question should be asked when individuals choose a private physician: Will that doctor turn over care to a hospitalist, if and when someone needs hospital care?
"It is a discussion that a patient should have with a primary-care physician when he is thinking about enrolling with that physician," Lindenauer said.
The differences shown in the study -- a shortening of length-of-stay by 0.4 days, on average -- are not great, he acknowledged, but they do add up over time.
"Shortening the length of stay by 0.4 days is small, but when you multiply it out over time by thousands of physicians, the effects can be very large. With 5,000 cases a year, [that's] a savings of 2,000 bed-days," he said.
The study was not able to assess patient satisfaction with treatment by a hospitalist rather than a primary-care physician, Lindenauer said, "But we know that efficiency is important, as important to patients as to physicians." he said.
And while full official recognition of the hospitalist speciality is yet to come, the Society of Hospital Medicine is working closely with the of American Board of Medical Specialties toward such an end, Lindenauer said.
"The differences between hospitalists and other doctors who take care of patients in hospitals are pretty minor," McMahon said. "What really is quite revolutionary is the change in how we take care of patients in the hospital."
SOURCES: Peter K. Lindenauer, M.D., associate professor of medicine, Tufts University, Boston;
THURSDAY, Dec. 20 (HealthDay News) -- A new breed of medical specialists, called hospitalists, can make a small but significant difference in shortening how long a patient needs to stay in the hospital, a new study shows.
At the same time, researchers found no difference in the rate of either patient death or readmission when hospitalists were involved, according to the report in the Dec. 20 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
A hopsitalist refers to a physician who cares solely for hospitalized patients.
The term may be new to the general public, but, in the medical profession, "hospitalist has been a recognized and accepted term that has been around for about a decade," said study author Dr. Peter K. Lindenauer, an associate professor of medicine at Baystate Medical Center and Tufts University, in Boston.
In fact, "There is a Society of Hospital Medicine with 5,000 to 10,000 members, and it is estimated that there may be 20,000 hospitalists across the United States now," Lindenauer said.
"What you can't debate is the number of hospitalists around the country -- there is no going back," added Dr. Laurence McMahon, chief of the division of general medicine at the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor.
"We need to think about how these new doctors get into the health-care system and how they care for patients who are hospitalized," said Mcmahon, who also authored an accompanying editorial on the issue.
Traditionally, a person's private physician has been responsible for care after hospitalization, he said. That began to change about 30 years ago, with the emerging role of emergency room physicians and critical care physicians, Lindenauer said. "They have been assuming the role of attending physician in those situations," he said. "In some respect, the growth of the hospitalist model of care represents the completion of a series of steps toward specialization that began 30 years ago."
According to Lindenauer, the advent of the hospitalist means another question should be asked when individuals choose a private physician: Will that doctor turn over care to a hospitalist, if and when someone needs hospital care?
"It is a discussion that a patient should have with a primary-care physician when he is thinking about enrolling with that physician," Lindenauer said.
The differences shown in the study -- a shortening of length-of-stay by 0.4 days, on average -- are not great, he acknowledged, but they do add up over time.
"Shortening the length of stay by 0.4 days is small, but when you multiply it out over time by thousands of physicians, the effects can be very large. With 5,000 cases a year, [that's] a savings of 2,000 bed-days," he said.
The study was not able to assess patient satisfaction with treatment by a hospitalist rather than a primary-care physician, Lindenauer said, "But we know that efficiency is important, as important to patients as to physicians." he said.
And while full official recognition of the hospitalist speciality is yet to come, the Society of Hospital Medicine is working closely with the of American Board of Medical Specialties toward such an end, Lindenauer said.
"The differences between hospitalists and other doctors who take care of patients in hospitals are pretty minor," McMahon said. "What really is quite revolutionary is the change in how we take care of patients in the hospital."
SOURCES: Peter K. Lindenauer, M.D., associate professor of medicine, Tufts University, Boston;
7 Common Medical Myths Debunked
Researchers Say There's No Evidence for Some Widely Held Beliefs
By Miranda Hitti
WebMD Medical News
Reviewed By Louise Chang, MD
Take a look at these seven medical myths, noted in BMJ (formerly called the British Medical Journal).
The debunkers include Rachel Vreeman, MD, a fellow in children's health services research at Indiana University's medical school in Indianapolis.
1. Medical Myth: Drink at least eight glasses of water per day.
Reality: There's no evidence that you have to drink that much water to assure adequate fluid intake -- and drinking too much water can be unhealthy.
2. Medical Myth: We use only 10% of our brains.
Reality: Most of the brain isn't loafing. Detailed brain studies haven't found the "non-functioning" 90% of the brain.
3. Medical Myth: Hair and fingernails continue to grow after death.
Reality: Hair and fingernails don't keep growing after death. But it may seem that way because dehydration can make the skin shrink back from hair and nails, making them look longer.
4. Medical Myth: Reading in dim light ruins your eyesight.
Reality: Dim light isn't great for focusing, but it's "unlikely to cause a permanent change in the function or structure of the eyes," Vreeman's team writes.
5. Medical Myth: Shaving causes hair to grow back faster or coarser.
Reality: "Shaving does not affect the thickness or rate of hair regrowth," write Vreeman and colleagues. But shaved hair doesn't have the fine taper of unshaved hair, making it seem coarser.
6. Medical Myth: Mobile phones are dangerous in hospitals.
Reality: "Rigorous testing in Europe found minimal interference and only at distances of less than one meter [about 3.28 feet]," write the researchers. But that may be a point of controversy. In September, Dutch doctors reported that cell phones may interfere with critical care equipment and shouldn't be used within a meter of medical equipment or hospital beds.
7. Medical Myth: Eating turkey makes people especially drowsy.
Reality: Turkey isn't all that rich in tryptophan, the chemical linked to sleepiness after eating turkey. But eating a big, decadent meal can cause sleepiness, even if turkey isn't on the menu.
SOURCES: Vreeman, R. BMJ, Dec. 22-29, 2007; vol 335: pp 1288-1289. WebMD Medical News: "Turn Off Cell Phones in Hospital Rooms."
© 2007 WebMD Inc. All rights reserved.
By Miranda Hitti
WebMD Medical News
Reviewed By Louise Chang, MD
Take a look at these seven medical myths, noted in BMJ (formerly called the British Medical Journal).
The debunkers include Rachel Vreeman, MD, a fellow in children's health services research at Indiana University's medical school in Indianapolis.
1. Medical Myth: Drink at least eight glasses of water per day.
Reality: There's no evidence that you have to drink that much water to assure adequate fluid intake -- and drinking too much water can be unhealthy.
2. Medical Myth: We use only 10% of our brains.
Reality: Most of the brain isn't loafing. Detailed brain studies haven't found the "non-functioning" 90% of the brain.
3. Medical Myth: Hair and fingernails continue to grow after death.
Reality: Hair and fingernails don't keep growing after death. But it may seem that way because dehydration can make the skin shrink back from hair and nails, making them look longer.
4. Medical Myth: Reading in dim light ruins your eyesight.
Reality: Dim light isn't great for focusing, but it's "unlikely to cause a permanent change in the function or structure of the eyes," Vreeman's team writes.
5. Medical Myth: Shaving causes hair to grow back faster or coarser.
Reality: "Shaving does not affect the thickness or rate of hair regrowth," write Vreeman and colleagues. But shaved hair doesn't have the fine taper of unshaved hair, making it seem coarser.
6. Medical Myth: Mobile phones are dangerous in hospitals.
Reality: "Rigorous testing in Europe found minimal interference and only at distances of less than one meter [about 3.28 feet]," write the researchers. But that may be a point of controversy. In September, Dutch doctors reported that cell phones may interfere with critical care equipment and shouldn't be used within a meter of medical equipment or hospital beds.
7. Medical Myth: Eating turkey makes people especially drowsy.
Reality: Turkey isn't all that rich in tryptophan, the chemical linked to sleepiness after eating turkey. But eating a big, decadent meal can cause sleepiness, even if turkey isn't on the menu.
SOURCES: Vreeman, R. BMJ, Dec. 22-29, 2007; vol 335: pp 1288-1289. WebMD Medical News: "Turn Off Cell Phones in Hospital Rooms."
© 2007 WebMD Inc. All rights reserved.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
The Long & Short of It - Health Care Traveler
The Long & Short of It - Health Care Traveler: "Patient wishes and futile interventions
By: Leah Curtin
The experts say one should never use the term 'futile care,' and most especially not around families. Care is never futile, but medical interventions sometimes are. And that is the point: How do you know for sure that further medical care is futile? When you do know, how do you communicate this to patients and families? And, finally, in the face of inevitable death, how do you provide care that comforts and soothes, that prepares families for loss, while it helps patients leave life with their dignity and hope intact? Most of all, how do you do this in today's busy, bottomline-driven institution?"
By: Leah Curtin
The experts say one should never use the term 'futile care,' and most especially not around families. Care is never futile, but medical interventions sometimes are. And that is the point: How do you know for sure that further medical care is futile? When you do know, how do you communicate this to patients and families? And, finally, in the face of inevitable death, how do you provide care that comforts and soothes, that prepares families for loss, while it helps patients leave life with their dignity and hope intact? Most of all, how do you do this in today's busy, bottomline-driven institution?"
Monday, December 10, 2007
Online Checking Account, Bank Account, Internet, Pay Bills
Online Checking Account, Bank Account, Internet, Pay Bills
useful information on the advantges of online checking accounts
1.The biggest advantage of online checking account is that you need not stand in a queue any more. Everything can be done right from the comfort of your home. You can do banking while sitting in front of your computer. There is no need to plan your daily schedule days ahead and considering that we are talking about a checking account in which case the payments need to be paid regularly, elimination of the need to visit the bank every time means a lot of time saving.
2. Another advantage of an online checking account is that the chances of fraud are way less. The entire process of online banking takes place under cloaks of heavy duty encryption. This means that the chances of forged checks or that of any other way of fraud become extremely low. You can be confident while writing checks.
3.Third advantage is that an online checking account is a much better option to make payments for your online purchases as compared to credit or wire transfer. You are not sharing crucial information like that of your credit card. Rather you are just writing a check just like in any traditional transaction. This means that an online checking account keeps you safe yet allows you to take advantage offered by online trading.
4.Fourth advantage of online checking account is that you can easily pay your bills and taxes. Most of the online checking accounts come with a facility that clears all your bills automatically as soon as they are pinged to your account. It is possible to make payments towards some of your taxes as well using the same bill pay service.
If you do not have a on line account you can also use your own secured master card debit card The One World United is a great option for you. For more information
Saturday, December 08, 2007
Friday, December 07, 2007
useful weekly health information
Saturday, December 1, 2007 GOD'S CURES REVEALED
If you knew the secrets to curing your best friend's cancer, your spouse's heart disease, your parent's Alzheimer's, your own chronic pain, wouldn't you want to tell the world? The true cures have been covered up by the system you're supposed to trust with your life. But now one of the world's leading authorities on natural medicine is unveiling its greatest discovery—a treasure trove of health breakthroughs that could help to wipe out virtually ALL DISEASE. http://www1.youreletters.com/t/1406711/7000995/837018/1362/
Monday, December 3, 2007 Stones In the Road
Just ask any kidney stone patient and they'll tell you: passing that stone was the worst pain of their lives – just as intense as the pain of childbirth. Whether you're in the Passed- A-Stone club or not, kidney stones are clearly something you want to avoid. Fortunately there are a number of useful steps you can take to significantly reduce your risk. http://www1.youreletters.com/t/1406711/7000995/836821/0/
Tuesday, December 4, 2007 Brain Preservers "Oxidative stress contributes to brain aging."
That observation leads off a new intervention study that shows how long-term use of a common antioxidant supplement may significantly reduce the risk of cognitive decline. We'll also look at other key supplements that offer protection from dementia. http://www1.youreletters.com/t/1406711/7000995/836938/0/
Wednesday, December 5, 2007 Make every night the best night's sleep you've had in years!
If the thought of getting into bed includes visions of tossing, turning and lying awake until the wee hours of the morning, then we've got a solution for you! An all natural combination of herbs and nutrients clinically-designed to help you fall asleep and stay asleep all night – so you can wake up completely refreshed and recharged in the morning. http://www1.youreletters.com/t/1406711/7000995/836939/1362/
Wednesday, December 5, 2007 Master of Disaster When HSI Panelist Allan Spreen, M.D., referred to vegetarianism as a "total disaster," he knew there would be fallout, and boy was there! We'll look at responses from HSI members who have a bone to pick with Dr. Spreen while they defend the meatless diet. http://www1.youreletters.com/t/1406711/7000995/836823/0/
Thursday, December 6, 2007 Corndogs and Ice Cream
For anyone who may be experiencing middle-aged expansion in the mid region, this e-Alert looks at two reasons why it's so important to be disciplined about dietary choices during the holidays. We'll also tell you about a nutrient that might significantly help prevent widening of the waistline. http://www1.youreletters.com/t/1406711/7000995/836822/0/
If you knew the secrets to curing your best friend's cancer, your spouse's heart disease, your parent's Alzheimer's, your own chronic pain, wouldn't you want to tell the world? The true cures have been covered up by the system you're supposed to trust with your life. But now one of the world's leading authorities on natural medicine is unveiling its greatest discovery—a treasure trove of health breakthroughs that could help to wipe out virtually ALL DISEASE. http://www1.youreletters.com/t/1406711/7000995/837018/1362/
Monday, December 3, 2007 Stones In the Road
Just ask any kidney stone patient and they'll tell you: passing that stone was the worst pain of their lives – just as intense as the pain of childbirth. Whether you're in the Passed- A-Stone club or not, kidney stones are clearly something you want to avoid. Fortunately there are a number of useful steps you can take to significantly reduce your risk. http://www1.youreletters.com/t/1406711/7000995/836821/0/
Tuesday, December 4, 2007 Brain Preservers "Oxidative stress contributes to brain aging."
That observation leads off a new intervention study that shows how long-term use of a common antioxidant supplement may significantly reduce the risk of cognitive decline. We'll also look at other key supplements that offer protection from dementia. http://www1.youreletters.com/t/1406711/7000995/836938/0/
Wednesday, December 5, 2007 Make every night the best night's sleep you've had in years!
If the thought of getting into bed includes visions of tossing, turning and lying awake until the wee hours of the morning, then we've got a solution for you! An all natural combination of herbs and nutrients clinically-designed to help you fall asleep and stay asleep all night – so you can wake up completely refreshed and recharged in the morning. http://www1.youreletters.com/t/1406711/7000995/836939/1362/
Wednesday, December 5, 2007 Master of Disaster When HSI Panelist Allan Spreen, M.D., referred to vegetarianism as a "total disaster," he knew there would be fallout, and boy was there! We'll look at responses from HSI members who have a bone to pick with Dr. Spreen while they defend the meatless diet. http://www1.youreletters.com/t/1406711/7000995/836823/0/
Thursday, December 6, 2007 Corndogs and Ice Cream
For anyone who may be experiencing middle-aged expansion in the mid region, this e-Alert looks at two reasons why it's so important to be disciplined about dietary choices during the holidays. We'll also tell you about a nutrient that might significantly help prevent widening of the waistline. http://www1.youreletters.com/t/1406711/7000995/836822/0/
Thursday, December 06, 2007
Poverty and Health | Health Commentary
Poverty and Health Health Commentary
This is in the U.S however it holds true in Canada. There is a supposed free care system which really does not work and is there to feed government health care custodians who suck huge resoures and funds out of the system while generating sub par results. QJ
Here are the facts:
Poverty is on the rise in the United States. It rose overall from 11.3 percent to 12.6 percent from 2000 to 2005.3,4 Severe poverty, that is 50 percent or more below the poverty level or less than $10,000 a year to support a family of four, increased from 4.4 percent of our population to 5.4 percent. Children accounted for one in three poor people and rates in blacks and Hispanics were 24 percent and 21 percent compared to whites at 8 percent.3,4,5
Except for the top 10 percent, U.S. household income is declining. While total population income grew 9 percent in 2005, income for those below the 90 percent percentile declined by .6 percent.6
Income inequality -- that is, the distance between our richest and poorest citizens -- is rising. The portion of our nation’s total income coming from our wealthiest ten percent rose from less than a third (31 percent) in 1980 to nearly half (44 percent) of our combined earning in 2006. Those in the top one percent, earning more than $250,000, now account for 17 percent of national income compared to just eight percent in 1980.6 And the gap between employer and employee income has exploded. In 1965, the average U.S. corporate CEO’s salary was 24 times that of the average employee. In 2005, it increased to 262 times the average worker’s salary.7
But what does this have to do with health? The simple answer? Everything! Consider that the greater your poverty, the more limited your health insurance, the lower your adherence to treatment plans, the more likely you are to forego medicines or screening exams, and the more likely to smoke, be inactive, have poor diet and be overweight.2 And these effects compound in children, building a burden of disease for the nation that extends for decades down the line. Poverty also means less education. Rates of chronic disease after correction for other variables in those without a high school degree compared to college graduates are world’s apart. In the former, diabetes affects 12%, compared to just 6% in college grads. And for coronary artery disease the rate is 10% for poorly educated compared again to 6% in college educated citizens.8
As we look ahead, we would do well to look back. What would my father do? Build more hospitals and chase the disease curve? Not likely! I expect he’d try to figure out how to give his patients a hand up, how to get them a better job or at least a higher hourly wage, how to get their children better educated, how to network them into community resources to address their fear, safety and depression, how to get them to save and plan and dream and accomplish. As Dr. Woolf says, “Improved income and education could reshape disease trajectories and medical spending, but their benefits could also extend beyond the health sector to more broadly improve the lives of individuals, communities and the economy.”2
As dad would say, “that’s just good common sense.”
References
1. Isaacs SL and Schroeder SA. “Class – the ignored determinant of the nation’s health.” New Engl J of Med. 2004; (3511):1137-1142.
2. Woolf SH. Future Health Consequences of the Current Decline in US Household Income. J Amer Med Assoc. Oct 24/31, 2007; 298(16):1931-1933.
3. DeNavas-Walt C et al. Income Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States. 2005. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office. 2006:60-231. US Census Bureau Current Population Reports, consumer Income.
4. Woolf SH, Johnson RE, Geiger HJ. "The rising prevalence of severe poverty in America: a growing threat to public health." Am J Preventive Med. 2006; 31(4): 332-341.
5. DeNavas-Walt C, Proctor BD, Smith J. Income, Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States 2006, Washington DC: US Government Printing Office: 2007:60-233. US Census Bureau Population Reports, Consumer Income.
6. Piketty T, Saez E. Income inequality in the United States, 1913-1998. Quarterly J Economics. 2003;118:1-39.
7. Economic Policy Institute. "CEO-to-Worker pay imbalance grows.” Economic Snapshots. 21 June 2006.
8. Pleis JR, Lethbridge-Cejku M. Summary health statistics for U.S. adults: National health Interview Survey. 2005. National Center for Health Statistics. Vital Health Stat 10. 2006:10(232):1-153.
Topic Tags: education, health care reform, poverty
back to top
This is in the U.S however it holds true in Canada. There is a supposed free care system which really does not work and is there to feed government health care custodians who suck huge resoures and funds out of the system while generating sub par results. QJ
Here are the facts:
Poverty is on the rise in the United States. It rose overall from 11.3 percent to 12.6 percent from 2000 to 2005.3,4 Severe poverty, that is 50 percent or more below the poverty level or less than $10,000 a year to support a family of four, increased from 4.4 percent of our population to 5.4 percent. Children accounted for one in three poor people and rates in blacks and Hispanics were 24 percent and 21 percent compared to whites at 8 percent.3,4,5
Except for the top 10 percent, U.S. household income is declining. While total population income grew 9 percent in 2005, income for those below the 90 percent percentile declined by .6 percent.6
Income inequality -- that is, the distance between our richest and poorest citizens -- is rising. The portion of our nation’s total income coming from our wealthiest ten percent rose from less than a third (31 percent) in 1980 to nearly half (44 percent) of our combined earning in 2006. Those in the top one percent, earning more than $250,000, now account for 17 percent of national income compared to just eight percent in 1980.6 And the gap between employer and employee income has exploded. In 1965, the average U.S. corporate CEO’s salary was 24 times that of the average employee. In 2005, it increased to 262 times the average worker’s salary.7
But what does this have to do with health? The simple answer? Everything! Consider that the greater your poverty, the more limited your health insurance, the lower your adherence to treatment plans, the more likely you are to forego medicines or screening exams, and the more likely to smoke, be inactive, have poor diet and be overweight.2 And these effects compound in children, building a burden of disease for the nation that extends for decades down the line. Poverty also means less education. Rates of chronic disease after correction for other variables in those without a high school degree compared to college graduates are world’s apart. In the former, diabetes affects 12%, compared to just 6% in college grads. And for coronary artery disease the rate is 10% for poorly educated compared again to 6% in college educated citizens.8
As we look ahead, we would do well to look back. What would my father do? Build more hospitals and chase the disease curve? Not likely! I expect he’d try to figure out how to give his patients a hand up, how to get them a better job or at least a higher hourly wage, how to get their children better educated, how to network them into community resources to address their fear, safety and depression, how to get them to save and plan and dream and accomplish. As Dr. Woolf says, “Improved income and education could reshape disease trajectories and medical spending, but their benefits could also extend beyond the health sector to more broadly improve the lives of individuals, communities and the economy.”2
As dad would say, “that’s just good common sense.”
References
1. Isaacs SL and Schroeder SA. “Class – the ignored determinant of the nation’s health.” New Engl J of Med. 2004; (3511):1137-1142.
2. Woolf SH. Future Health Consequences of the Current Decline in US Household Income. J Amer Med Assoc. Oct 24/31, 2007; 298(16):1931-1933.
3. DeNavas-Walt C et al. Income Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States. 2005. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office. 2006:60-231. US Census Bureau Current Population Reports, consumer Income.
4. Woolf SH, Johnson RE, Geiger HJ. "The rising prevalence of severe poverty in America: a growing threat to public health." Am J Preventive Med. 2006; 31(4): 332-341.
5. DeNavas-Walt C, Proctor BD, Smith J. Income, Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States 2006, Washington DC: US Government Printing Office: 2007:60-233. US Census Bureau Population Reports, Consumer Income.
6. Piketty T, Saez E. Income inequality in the United States, 1913-1998. Quarterly J Economics. 2003;118:1-39.
7. Economic Policy Institute. "CEO-to-Worker pay imbalance grows.” Economic Snapshots. 21 June 2006.
8. Pleis JR, Lethbridge-Cejku M. Summary health statistics for U.S. adults: National health Interview Survey. 2005. National Center for Health Statistics. Vital Health Stat 10. 2006:10(232):1-153.
Topic Tags: education, health care reform, poverty
back to top
Saturday, December 01, 2007
Canada's ministers for seniors vow to continue fight against elder abuse - Yahoo! News
Canada's ministers for seniors vow to continue fight against elder abuse - Yahoo! News: "Canada's ministers for seniors vow to continue fight against elder abuse "It would be nice if this ere true and not more idle posturing
Global Issues - Consular Affairs
Global Issues - Consular AffairsWhat the government says you need to travel
Friday, November 30, 2007
A crime against humanity
A Heartland Boondoggle: The World's Most Hated Commodity
By Tom Dyson
The people at the plant were so busy, they didn't have time to show me around.
I was simply told to sign myself in, grab a helmet, and look around on my own...
One year ago, I flew to Iowa and toured a large ethanol plant. It was harvest time, and farmers were bringing in the corn crop.
Ethanol plants buy millions and millions of bushels of corn at harvest time every year. They clean, thresh, dust, and store the corn in a sandbox the size of a football field. Here's a picture I took of the corn pile:
You can only see one fifth of the pile. The plants had already packed most of the corn under plastic tarpaulins to the right of the picture.
Ethanol plants turn this corn into fuel for automobiles.
At the time of my visit, ethanol was a darling. Investors loved it, farmers loved it, politicians loved it, and conservationists loved it. When people find out what I do for a living, they always ask me what I think of the current investment fad. Last year, the question was always, "So what do you think of ethanol, Tom?"
It's amazing how fast public sentiment can change:
• Last month, Jean Zigler, an expert at the United Nations, called ethanol a "crime against humanity."
• The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) released a report in September that asked if ethanol "offers a cure that is worse than the disease."
• An October 2007 report from the National Research Council says "the harm to water quality [from ethanol production] could be considerable, and water supply problems at the regional and local levels could also arise."
• A spring 2007 report from the Environmental Protection Agency says an increase in corn-based ethanol use will raise the level of ozone, especially in midwestern states.
• Nobel Prize for Chemistry winner Paul Crutzen said ethanol "might exacerbate climate change."
• Some foreign countries have slammed ethanol in the press. Mexico blames ethanol for contributing to the price of corn tortillas. China has banned new biofuel plants from using corn. Cuban President Fidel Castro says using food crops for fuel is a "sinister idea."
• Stock prices of ethanol producers have collapsed.
Here's the thing. Yesterday I received an e-mail from my Iowa farmland contact. He grows corn and raises hogs in Sioux County. He says the time is right to start investing in ethanol again. He gives four reasons:
1. No new plants are going up and producers have postponed or cancelled all their planned projects in the past few months due to the dearth of financing. The ones that are up and running are making money, even with high-priced corn.
2. Stock prices are down 50%-60% from the highs and the market has already baked in all the bad news. To make money, all things have to do is go from bad to less bad.
3. Even though petrol companies are reluctant to provide ethanol at gas stations, with e-100 "rack price" under $1.90 per gallon, someone will see the profit potential and get the product out to the consumer. Right now, consumers pay more than $3 for gasoline.
4. Average cost to produce e-100 is $1.50 per gallon, and that's before the 51-cent subsidy. Ethanol plants are profitable at current prices.
In sum, ethanol was a darling. Now the crowd hates it. Contrarian investors can take advantage of the negative sentiment and buy stock in ethanol producers.
The biggest ethanol company in the Midwest is VeraSun Energy, and you have many other candidates for this trade as well.
To be honest, I'd rather keep my money in safer, more stable industries than ethanol. But I can tell you many people who have everyday dealings with this industry are buying ethanol shares. If you choose to speculate with them, just remember: Fortunes in this industry can change very quickly.
the question is do you want cheap food or expensive energy? QJ
By Tom Dyson
The people at the plant were so busy, they didn't have time to show me around.
I was simply told to sign myself in, grab a helmet, and look around on my own...
One year ago, I flew to Iowa and toured a large ethanol plant. It was harvest time, and farmers were bringing in the corn crop.
Ethanol plants buy millions and millions of bushels of corn at harvest time every year. They clean, thresh, dust, and store the corn in a sandbox the size of a football field. Here's a picture I took of the corn pile:
You can only see one fifth of the pile. The plants had already packed most of the corn under plastic tarpaulins to the right of the picture.
Ethanol plants turn this corn into fuel for automobiles.
At the time of my visit, ethanol was a darling. Investors loved it, farmers loved it, politicians loved it, and conservationists loved it. When people find out what I do for a living, they always ask me what I think of the current investment fad. Last year, the question was always, "So what do you think of ethanol, Tom?"
It's amazing how fast public sentiment can change:
• Last month, Jean Zigler, an expert at the United Nations, called ethanol a "crime against humanity."
• The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) released a report in September that asked if ethanol "offers a cure that is worse than the disease."
• An October 2007 report from the National Research Council says "the harm to water quality [from ethanol production] could be considerable, and water supply problems at the regional and local levels could also arise."
• A spring 2007 report from the Environmental Protection Agency says an increase in corn-based ethanol use will raise the level of ozone, especially in midwestern states.
• Nobel Prize for Chemistry winner Paul Crutzen said ethanol "might exacerbate climate change."
• Some foreign countries have slammed ethanol in the press. Mexico blames ethanol for contributing to the price of corn tortillas. China has banned new biofuel plants from using corn. Cuban President Fidel Castro says using food crops for fuel is a "sinister idea."
• Stock prices of ethanol producers have collapsed.
Here's the thing. Yesterday I received an e-mail from my Iowa farmland contact. He grows corn and raises hogs in Sioux County. He says the time is right to start investing in ethanol again. He gives four reasons:
1. No new plants are going up and producers have postponed or cancelled all their planned projects in the past few months due to the dearth of financing. The ones that are up and running are making money, even with high-priced corn.
2. Stock prices are down 50%-60% from the highs and the market has already baked in all the bad news. To make money, all things have to do is go from bad to less bad.
3. Even though petrol companies are reluctant to provide ethanol at gas stations, with e-100 "rack price" under $1.90 per gallon, someone will see the profit potential and get the product out to the consumer. Right now, consumers pay more than $3 for gasoline.
4. Average cost to produce e-100 is $1.50 per gallon, and that's before the 51-cent subsidy. Ethanol plants are profitable at current prices.
In sum, ethanol was a darling. Now the crowd hates it. Contrarian investors can take advantage of the negative sentiment and buy stock in ethanol producers.
The biggest ethanol company in the Midwest is VeraSun Energy, and you have many other candidates for this trade as well.
To be honest, I'd rather keep my money in safer, more stable industries than ethanol. But I can tell you many people who have everyday dealings with this industry are buying ethanol shares. If you choose to speculate with them, just remember: Fortunes in this industry can change very quickly.
the question is do you want cheap food or expensive energy? QJ
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Oil and Health - the impact
Anyone who has followed Mcgee Health Politics programs over the last few years knows that I've done a lot of research on our most precious resource -- water -- and how it affects virtually every aspect of our lives. In the process of that research, I've learned that not everything is as it seems on the surface when it comes to our natural resources.
And now, we have a good reason to look closely at another resource: oil. The global clamor over oil is as loud as it’s ever been. From environmentalists to politicians to economists, it seems everyone has an opinion on what to do about this rapidly dwindling resource.
We know oil affects many aspects of our lives. But seldom do we discuss oil in the context of health. Is it time for us to start?
The answer is yes. Petroleum is one of the primary building blocks of human medicines – from aspirin to antibiotics. Medical supplies, such as bandages, syringes, catheters, oxygen masks, surgical instruments, radiological dyes, hearing aids and many more, consume petroleum in production.
Health workers would have difficulty getting to you, and you to them, absent petroleum to carry us along. Imagine a world in which emergency vehicles were halted and life-saving helicopters and aircraft were grounded.
On the other hand, a world with scare petroleum would mean a cleaner environment, more walking and use of bicycles, and a generally fitter population. There are clear examples of rather immediate positive health impacts with decreased auto congestion. And restrained use of petroleum would result in a greater reliance on local food production, pushing America’s diet closer to “fresh and green.”
On balance, though, the impact of scarce petroleum on overall health care – at least until we develop alternatives – is troubling. Enough so that public health leaders have begun to call for serious scenario-planning and rapid-response capabilities, similar to the exercises we’ve gone through for bird flu and terrorist attacks. At the very least, we need to look at these issues with greater concern than we have in the past.
To learn more, watch this week’s video (embedded with this blog post) or read the full transcript of this week’s program, below. And, as always, please share your own thoughts about petroleum’s impact.
And now, we have a good reason to look closely at another resource: oil. The global clamor over oil is as loud as it’s ever been. From environmentalists to politicians to economists, it seems everyone has an opinion on what to do about this rapidly dwindling resource.
We know oil affects many aspects of our lives. But seldom do we discuss oil in the context of health. Is it time for us to start?
The answer is yes. Petroleum is one of the primary building blocks of human medicines – from aspirin to antibiotics. Medical supplies, such as bandages, syringes, catheters, oxygen masks, surgical instruments, radiological dyes, hearing aids and many more, consume petroleum in production.
Health workers would have difficulty getting to you, and you to them, absent petroleum to carry us along. Imagine a world in which emergency vehicles were halted and life-saving helicopters and aircraft were grounded.
On the other hand, a world with scare petroleum would mean a cleaner environment, more walking and use of bicycles, and a generally fitter population. There are clear examples of rather immediate positive health impacts with decreased auto congestion. And restrained use of petroleum would result in a greater reliance on local food production, pushing America’s diet closer to “fresh and green.”
On balance, though, the impact of scarce petroleum on overall health care – at least until we develop alternatives – is troubling. Enough so that public health leaders have begun to call for serious scenario-planning and rapid-response capabilities, similar to the exercises we’ve gone through for bird flu and terrorist attacks. At the very least, we need to look at these issues with greater concern than we have in the past.
To learn more, watch this week’s video (embedded with this blog post) or read the full transcript of this week’s program, below. And, as always, please share your own thoughts about petroleum’s impact.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Five reasons Grandma should get online
Five reasons Grandma should get online: "5 reasons Grandma should get online
Seniors tune in to technology to connect, shop and stay informed'
This is a useful article that indicates that seniors are the fastest growing group on the net, and that the computer enhances their lifestyle by enabling them . The five reasons are 1. Social networking with their friends and family, 2. the convenience of shopping on line (freedom of virtual mobility), 3. Banking and taking care of own finances. 4. E-learning through books and free web resources 5. Keeping with it -informed, in touch,knowledgeable and worldly.
Seniors tune in to technology to connect, shop and stay informed'
This is a useful article that indicates that seniors are the fastest growing group on the net, and that the computer enhances their lifestyle by enabling them . The five reasons are 1. Social networking with their friends and family, 2. the convenience of shopping on line (freedom of virtual mobility), 3. Banking and taking care of own finances. 4. E-learning through books and free web resources 5. Keeping with it -informed, in touch,knowledgeable and worldly.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Elder sleep problems
As people age, they typically develop more diseases and suffer from aches and pains. "These things can disrupt sleep, so what they may perceive as a sleep disorder may actually relate to the effects of some of their other medical problems," Gammack noted.
Taking multiple medications, as many older people do, can also lead to fatigue and "hypersomnia," or being tired all the time, Bloom added.
Another big problem, he noted, is depression and anxiety. "Those are very commonly associated with sleep problems."
Despite the prevalence of sleep difficulties in older adults, many patients aren't getting the help they need.
"The average physician receives very little training about sleep disorders and typically does not routinely screen patients for them," said Vitiello, who serves on the board of directors of the National Sleep Foundation. This may be due to a lack of time or training or the belief that there is little that can be done to improve sleep, he explained.
As a result, problems like insomnia, restless leg syndrome, sleep apnea and circadian rhythm disorders are underdiagnosed and undertreated, Bloom said.
Taking multiple medications, as many older people do, can also lead to fatigue and "hypersomnia," or being tired all the time, Bloom added.
Another big problem, he noted, is depression and anxiety. "Those are very commonly associated with sleep problems."
Despite the prevalence of sleep difficulties in older adults, many patients aren't getting the help they need.
"The average physician receives very little training about sleep disorders and typically does not routinely screen patients for them," said Vitiello, who serves on the board of directors of the National Sleep Foundation. This may be due to a lack of time or training or the belief that there is little that can be done to improve sleep, he explained.
As a result, problems like insomnia, restless leg syndrome, sleep apnea and circadian rhythm disorders are underdiagnosed and undertreated, Bloom said.
Friday, November 23, 2007
Where is the common Sense?
When Rules are Wrong: Border Patrol Stops Ambulance
POSTED by obserant blogger cas
NOVEMBER 18, 2007 AT 10:02 PM TO POLITICS, US, CANADA.
cas shares news of government rules and regulations rum amuck at the US-Canada border:
"An ambulance rushing a heart attack victim to Detroit from a Windsor (Ontario) hospital ill-equipped to perform life-saving surgery was stopped for secondary inspection Monday by U.S. Customs, despite the fact it carried a man fighting for his life. Rick Laporte, 49 -- who twice had been brought back to life with defibrillators -- was being rushed across the border when a U.S. border guard ignored protocol at the Detroit portion of the tunnel and forced the ambulance -- with siren and lights flashing -- to pull over." This reminds me of a story a few months back here in Virginia where a husband was pulled over and issued a reckless driving ticket for going over 80mph. The catch: he was taking his wife, who was in labor, to the hospital. It's these people's jobs to uphold the law, but come on, have half a brain and make exceptions for special circumstances!
How do we stop this? Just like Tassers which are legal but abused by "robotic" official and if used without ommon sense
POSTED by obserant blogger cas
NOVEMBER 18, 2007 AT 10:02 PM TO POLITICS, US, CANADA.
cas shares news of government rules and regulations rum amuck at the US-Canada border:
"An ambulance rushing a heart attack victim to Detroit from a Windsor (Ontario) hospital ill-equipped to perform life-saving surgery was stopped for secondary inspection Monday by U.S. Customs, despite the fact it carried a man fighting for his life. Rick Laporte, 49 -- who twice had been brought back to life with defibrillators -- was being rushed across the border when a U.S. border guard ignored protocol at the Detroit portion of the tunnel and forced the ambulance -- with siren and lights flashing -- to pull over." This reminds me of a story a few months back here in Virginia where a husband was pulled over and issued a reckless driving ticket for going over 80mph. The catch: he was taking his wife, who was in labor, to the hospital. It's these people's jobs to uphold the law, but come on, have half a brain and make exceptions for special circumstances!
How do we stop this? Just like Tassers which are legal but abused by "robotic" official and if used without ommon sense
Virus forces aged care centre lockdown - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
The importance of having the right proedures for retirement and nursing homes is illustrated here. qj
Virus forces aged care centre lockdown - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
Virus forces aged care centre lockdown - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
Monday, November 19, 2007
Q-jumpers: Welome to our community
Q-jumpers: Welome to our community
backtoeden elders
sign our guest book , participate in our forums
backtoeden seniors journel
comment on seniors issues
backtoeden elders
sign our guest book , participate in our forums
backtoeden seniors journel
comment on seniors issues
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Go public, go private - 50Plus.com
Go public, go private - 50Plus.com
This is an exellent review of the current Health Care debate and includes an objective calm assesment of the situation. The question is and remains- if you are in pain or need help ,do you really care how you get it ? It is true that the political niceities of public or private medical pale the longer it takes to get the qualified professional service help you need to relieve your health pain. QJ
This is an exellent review of the current Health Care debate and includes an objective calm assesment of the situation. The question is and remains- if you are in pain or need help ,do you really care how you get it ? It is true that the political niceities of public or private medical pale the longer it takes to get the qualified professional service help you need to relieve your health pain. QJ
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Many Americans Dissatisfied With Their Medical CareBy Steven ReinbergHealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, Nov. 1 (HealthDay News) -- Although the United States spends more than twice as much on health care as other western countries, many Americans say they are forced to forgo care because of costs, experience more medical errors, and say the health-care system needs to be overhauled, a new survey finds.
U.S. patients also have the highest out-of-pocket costs and the most difficulty paying medical bills, according to the survey of seven countries conducted by The Commonwealth Fund.
And U.S. and Canadians are least likely to be able to get a same-day appointment with their doctors and are more likely to go to emergency rooms for immediate care, the survey found.
"It's easy to say that we have the best health system in the world, but it's really important to look at the evidence to see what the data show," Karen Davis, Commonwealth Fund president, said during a teleconference Wednesday.
"We are certainly the most expensive health-care system," Davis said. "What these surveys have shown year after year is that patients in the U.S. experience more problems with access to care because of costs," she said.
The report, Toward Higher Performance Health Systems: Adults' Views and Experiences With Primary Care, Care Coordination and Safety in Seven Countries, 2007, is published in the Nov. 1 online issue of Health Affairs.
For the survey, Commonwealth Fund researchers were led by Cathy Schoen, fund vice president and research director of its Commission on a High Performance Health System. They surveyed 12,000 adults in Australia, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States about their health-care systems.
"Despite spending that leads the world, U.S. adults, for the most part, are likely to go without needed care because of costs, to report medical errors when sick, and to encounter high out-of-pocket costs and struggle to pay their medical bills," Schoen said during the teleconference.
Schoen's team found that one third of U.S. adults said the health-care system needed rebuilding, which was the highest rate in any country. In addition to costs, U.S. patients said they received more fragmented and inefficient care, including medical record and test delays, and more time wasted on paperwork, compared with patients in other countries. "Both low- and high-income patients expressed these views," Schoen said.
U.S. patients also said they had the highest rates of lab test errors and some of the highest rates of medical or medication errors. These errors were highest among patients seeing multiple doctors or with multiple chronic illnesses, Schoen said. In the United States, one-third of patients who had chronic conditions reported a medical, medication, or test error in the last two years.
Many U.S. adults also said they were likely to go without care because of costs. Thirty-seven percent of all U.S. adults and 42 percent of those with chronic conditions said cost had kept them from taking prescribed medications, seeing a doctor when sick, or receiving recommended care last year. These rates were far higher than all other countries, Schoen noted.
Patients in Canada, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom rarely reported not getting needed medical care because of costs, the survey found.
"The Netherlands stands out for strong positive endorsement of their health-care system -- confidence in care, quality and safety, and access to the latest technology," Schoen said. "The Netherlands also stands out with low concern with access due to cost, as do Canada and the U.K.," she added.
Moreover, one-fifth of patients in the United States said they had serious problems paying medical bills. That was more than double the rate in the next highest country. In addition, 30 percent of American patients spent more than $1,000 in the last year on out-of-pocket medical expenses.
The survey also found that patients gave the highest grades to health-care systems in which people had one doctor in charge of their medical care. But, across all the countries surveyed, only 45 percent to 61 percent of adults said they had a primary source of care, sometimes called a "medical home." In the United States, only 26 percent of uninsured patients had a medical home, compared with 53 percent of insured adults under 65, the researchers found.
One expert said the survey revealed -- once again -- the shortcomings of the U.S. health-care system.
"Comparing the U.S. health-care system to other industrialized countries is not for the faint of heart. The deficiencies in the U.S. system are painfully evident in every such study, and this one is no exception," said Dr. David Katz, director of Yale University School of Medicine's Prevention Research Center. "We manage to spend more on less efficient health care than any country in the world."
The real message from this survey is not about countries or health-care systems, but people, Katz said.
"What seems to predict better care, better outcomes, and more patient satisfaction is the most fundamental aspect of care there is -- a caring relationship. Patients with a health-care provider they know and trust and can rely on and call their own have a better health-care experience," he said.
SOURCES: Oct. 31, 2007, teleconference with Karen Davis, president, The Commonwealth Fund, and Cathy Schoen, vice president and research director, Commission on a High Performance Health System, The Commonwealth Fund, New York City; David Katz, M.D., M.P.H., director, Prevention Research Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn.; Nov. 1, 2007, Health Affairs, online
Copyright © 2007 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.
THURSDAY, Nov. 1 (HealthDay News) -- Although the United States spends more than twice as much on health care as other western countries, many Americans say they are forced to forgo care because of costs, experience more medical errors, and say the health-care system needs to be overhauled, a new survey finds.
U.S. patients also have the highest out-of-pocket costs and the most difficulty paying medical bills, according to the survey of seven countries conducted by The Commonwealth Fund.
And U.S. and Canadians are least likely to be able to get a same-day appointment with their doctors and are more likely to go to emergency rooms for immediate care, the survey found.
"It's easy to say that we have the best health system in the world, but it's really important to look at the evidence to see what the data show," Karen Davis, Commonwealth Fund president, said during a teleconference Wednesday.
"We are certainly the most expensive health-care system," Davis said. "What these surveys have shown year after year is that patients in the U.S. experience more problems with access to care because of costs," she said.
The report, Toward Higher Performance Health Systems: Adults' Views and Experiences With Primary Care, Care Coordination and Safety in Seven Countries, 2007, is published in the Nov. 1 online issue of Health Affairs.
For the survey, Commonwealth Fund researchers were led by Cathy Schoen, fund vice president and research director of its Commission on a High Performance Health System. They surveyed 12,000 adults in Australia, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States about their health-care systems.
"Despite spending that leads the world, U.S. adults, for the most part, are likely to go without needed care because of costs, to report medical errors when sick, and to encounter high out-of-pocket costs and struggle to pay their medical bills," Schoen said during the teleconference.
Schoen's team found that one third of U.S. adults said the health-care system needed rebuilding, which was the highest rate in any country. In addition to costs, U.S. patients said they received more fragmented and inefficient care, including medical record and test delays, and more time wasted on paperwork, compared with patients in other countries. "Both low- and high-income patients expressed these views," Schoen said.
U.S. patients also said they had the highest rates of lab test errors and some of the highest rates of medical or medication errors. These errors were highest among patients seeing multiple doctors or with multiple chronic illnesses, Schoen said. In the United States, one-third of patients who had chronic conditions reported a medical, medication, or test error in the last two years.
Many U.S. adults also said they were likely to go without care because of costs. Thirty-seven percent of all U.S. adults and 42 percent of those with chronic conditions said cost had kept them from taking prescribed medications, seeing a doctor when sick, or receiving recommended care last year. These rates were far higher than all other countries, Schoen noted.
Patients in Canada, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom rarely reported not getting needed medical care because of costs, the survey found.
"The Netherlands stands out for strong positive endorsement of their health-care system -- confidence in care, quality and safety, and access to the latest technology," Schoen said. "The Netherlands also stands out with low concern with access due to cost, as do Canada and the U.K.," she added.
Moreover, one-fifth of patients in the United States said they had serious problems paying medical bills. That was more than double the rate in the next highest country. In addition, 30 percent of American patients spent more than $1,000 in the last year on out-of-pocket medical expenses.
The survey also found that patients gave the highest grades to health-care systems in which people had one doctor in charge of their medical care. But, across all the countries surveyed, only 45 percent to 61 percent of adults said they had a primary source of care, sometimes called a "medical home." In the United States, only 26 percent of uninsured patients had a medical home, compared with 53 percent of insured adults under 65, the researchers found.
One expert said the survey revealed -- once again -- the shortcomings of the U.S. health-care system.
"Comparing the U.S. health-care system to other industrialized countries is not for the faint of heart. The deficiencies in the U.S. system are painfully evident in every such study, and this one is no exception," said Dr. David Katz, director of Yale University School of Medicine's Prevention Research Center. "We manage to spend more on less efficient health care than any country in the world."
The real message from this survey is not about countries or health-care systems, but people, Katz said.
"What seems to predict better care, better outcomes, and more patient satisfaction is the most fundamental aspect of care there is -- a caring relationship. Patients with a health-care provider they know and trust and can rely on and call their own have a better health-care experience," he said.
SOURCES: Oct. 31, 2007, teleconference with Karen Davis, president, The Commonwealth Fund, and Cathy Schoen, vice president and research director, Commission on a High Performance Health System, The Commonwealth Fund, New York City; David Katz, M.D., M.P.H., director, Prevention Research Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn.; Nov. 1, 2007, Health Affairs, online
Copyright © 2007 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.
Medical error a leading cause of death
8:55 AM 11/6/2007
Medical Interventions a Leading Cause of Death
Not long ago I read a report that made the astonishing claim that the leading cause of death in the US is the American medical system. Medicare's recent announcement that it will no longer reimburse hospitals for the cost of treating certain "serious preventable events," such as an object left in a patient's body after an operation or giving a patient the wrong kind of blood, and particular infections amounts to a frightening acknowledgement of how bad things have gotten in mainstream health care.
Authors of the report on causes of death, published in Life Extension magazine, attributed nearly 800,000 deaths each year to medical interventions, in contrast to approximately 650,000 deaths from heart disease and 550,000 from cancer. The methodology they used to calculate that number didn't stand up to our analysis, so I don't think the numbers are quite so high. However, it did get my attention since the figures came from credible sources including peer-reviewed medical journals, citing for instance, 106,000 deaths annually from adverse drug reactions, 98,000 from medical errors and 88,000 from infections. This compares with 160,000 deaths from lung cancer anticipated for 2007, for instance. Death can't be held off forever, of course -- but preventable deaths from hospital-acquired infections, especially if due to poor hygiene such as those transmitted by not washing hands, are particularly egregious.
For greater insight into the risks we face, I spoke with David J. Sherer, MD, a board-certified anesthesiologist in Falls Church, Virginia, and the coauthor of Dr. David Sherer's Hospital Survival Guide: 100+ Ways to Make Your Hospital Stay Safe and Comfortable (Claren). He said that although this report is controversial and somewhat alarmist, it has elements of truth. Numbers can always be crunched and interpreted in different ways, but the indisputable point here is that medical errors and complications or adverse effects from medical interventions have reached a crisis point in this country -- one that needs to be addressed. That's beginning to happen.
Dr. Sherer and I discussed what's behind this alarming trend and how we can protect ourselves.
BEHIND THE RISE IN MEDICAL-RELATED DEATHS
First of all, the problem is not that medical practitioners have suddenly and inexplicably become sloppy and careless. That's far too simplistic an explanation. Instead, Dr. Sherer chalks up the alarming statistics to a number of different factors:
The American public is getting older and sicker. Growing numbers of graying baby boomers are developing the diseases of aging -- heart disease, diabetes, orthopedic problems, etc. In the meantime, in people of all ages, ballooning rates of obesity contribute to these same health challenges. More sick people mean more medical interventions... and in hard numbers, that adds up to more mistakes or complications.
In a kind of medical "perfect storm," just as more Americans are developing serious health problems, we're struggling with a shortage of medical support personnel including nurses, which decreases the attention paid to patient needs and details of treatment. Also, managed care has meant doctors have less time to devote to patients during office visits and, as a result, are less likely to know the particulars of their history. Dr. Sherer warns that this sets up a system ripe for errors.
Americans today take more medications than anyone else in the world -- and drug companies are working hard to get us to take even more. Spending on direct-to-consumer drug advertising has increased over 300% in nearly a decade, to $4.2 billion in 2005 from $1.1 billion in 1997. With that much money aimed at advertising drugs not just to save lives, but to enhance mood or correct erectile dysfunction or alleviate restless legs syndrome, Dr. Sherer points out that drugs are often being taken by people who don't need them. More drugs mean more drug reactions and interactions to juggle than ever before... again, many more opportunities for errors.
We're paying closer attention to medical errors and preventable complications and -- paradoxically, the harder we look for them, the more we find. This makes the numbers look terrible in the short run, but in the long run this increased vigilance and accountability should result in improved care.
HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF
Forewarned is forearmed: There are many proactive steps you can take to shield yourself and your loved ones from this epidemic of deaths related to medical interventions. At the doctor's office or in the hospital, Dr. Sherer recommends...
Bring an up-to-date list of all medications you take. Make sure that you list not only prescription drugs, but also over-the-counter medications, herbal remedies, vitamins and other dietary supplements. These can all react with one another. Also list the condition for which you take each drug.
Include correct name, spelling, usage and dosage. Dr. Sherer cautions that many drugs -- for example, Xanax (for anxiety) and Zantac (to treat ulcers) -- sound similar. A comprehensive and accurate list that includes the condition for which a drug or supplement has been prescribed will help ward off confusion and errors. This is especially important when dealing with health-care professionals who don't speak English as their first language.
Tell practitioners about any drug allergies or sensitivities and all pre-existing conditions. For example, perhaps you are allergic to penicillin. While this information should appear on your chart, don't take for granted that it does. Reminding health-care providers of your medical history, including drug allergies, is a simple and effective way to avoid potentially life-threatening medical errors.
Do your homework. If you are scheduled to take a new drug or undergo a test or procedure, first research it at reliable government, hospital or university-based Web sites such as www.medlineplus.gov or www.mayoclinic.com or www.jhu.edu (Johns Hopkins). Peer-reviewed journals such as the Journal of the American Medical Association (jama.ama-assn.org) and the New England Journal of Medicine (content.nejm.org) can also be excellent sources of information. An objective non-biased drug assessment database is available through both print and on-line subscription (www.factsandcomparisons.com/) -- ask your health-care provider and/or pharmacist whether they use it.
Speak up. Ask your doctor the right questions. Why do I need this drug/test/procedure? What are the risks versus benefits? Is this the best drug/test/procedure for my condition? What about side effects? In the case of tests, are the results typically straightforward or subject to interpretation? How often is this test/procedure performed at your facility? How often does the surgeon or other medical practitioner perform it? In both cases, the more often, the better. Will there be pain or discomfort? If your physician can't or won't take the time to answer your questions, it's time to get a new physician.
Designate a friend or family member to be your advocate. When you're ill, it's all too easy to become nervous and forget the questions you want to ask, or fail to recall your physician's advice. It's not only comforting to have a trusted advocate by your side at such moments, it also contributes to a better understanding of the situation on your part, and more accountability on the part of your caregivers. If you're in the hospital, try to have someone with you or visiting frequently so that they can get help/nurse's attention if need be.
Take personal responsibility. In the long run, you remain in charge of your own health. Responsibility includes not just your interactions with medical practitioners, but also making lifestyle changes that reduce your risk of illness.
No doubt we will continue to hear more about this vitally important health topic -- and I'll continue to cover it in upcoming issues of Daily Health News. Given that hospitals will now have to absorb the costs of their mistakes due to Medicare's refusal to provide coverage for "serious preventable events," with a stipulation that prevents billing patients for them, too, it's clear that they will focus intently on reducing these events, which can only be good news. And meanwhile, Medicare's new hospital inpatient provisions will result not only in an estimated savings for the government of more than $20 million annually -- but, we can only hope, the saving of many lives as well.
Source(s):
Have fun while connecting on Messenger! Click here to learn more.
Medical Interventions a Leading Cause of Death
Not long ago I read a report that made the astonishing claim that the leading cause of death in the US is the American medical system. Medicare's recent announcement that it will no longer reimburse hospitals for the cost of treating certain "serious preventable events," such as an object left in a patient's body after an operation or giving a patient the wrong kind of blood, and particular infections amounts to a frightening acknowledgement of how bad things have gotten in mainstream health care.
Authors of the report on causes of death, published in Life Extension magazine, attributed nearly 800,000 deaths each year to medical interventions, in contrast to approximately 650,000 deaths from heart disease and 550,000 from cancer. The methodology they used to calculate that number didn't stand up to our analysis, so I don't think the numbers are quite so high. However, it did get my attention since the figures came from credible sources including peer-reviewed medical journals, citing for instance, 106,000 deaths annually from adverse drug reactions, 98,000 from medical errors and 88,000 from infections. This compares with 160,000 deaths from lung cancer anticipated for 2007, for instance. Death can't be held off forever, of course -- but preventable deaths from hospital-acquired infections, especially if due to poor hygiene such as those transmitted by not washing hands, are particularly egregious.
For greater insight into the risks we face, I spoke with David J. Sherer, MD, a board-certified anesthesiologist in Falls Church, Virginia, and the coauthor of Dr. David Sherer's Hospital Survival Guide: 100+ Ways to Make Your Hospital Stay Safe and Comfortable (Claren). He said that although this report is controversial and somewhat alarmist, it has elements of truth. Numbers can always be crunched and interpreted in different ways, but the indisputable point here is that medical errors and complications or adverse effects from medical interventions have reached a crisis point in this country -- one that needs to be addressed. That's beginning to happen.
Dr. Sherer and I discussed what's behind this alarming trend and how we can protect ourselves.
BEHIND THE RISE IN MEDICAL-RELATED DEATHS
First of all, the problem is not that medical practitioners have suddenly and inexplicably become sloppy and careless. That's far too simplistic an explanation. Instead, Dr. Sherer chalks up the alarming statistics to a number of different factors:
The American public is getting older and sicker. Growing numbers of graying baby boomers are developing the diseases of aging -- heart disease, diabetes, orthopedic problems, etc. In the meantime, in people of all ages, ballooning rates of obesity contribute to these same health challenges. More sick people mean more medical interventions... and in hard numbers, that adds up to more mistakes or complications.
In a kind of medical "perfect storm," just as more Americans are developing serious health problems, we're struggling with a shortage of medical support personnel including nurses, which decreases the attention paid to patient needs and details of treatment. Also, managed care has meant doctors have less time to devote to patients during office visits and, as a result, are less likely to know the particulars of their history. Dr. Sherer warns that this sets up a system ripe for errors.
Americans today take more medications than anyone else in the world -- and drug companies are working hard to get us to take even more. Spending on direct-to-consumer drug advertising has increased over 300% in nearly a decade, to $4.2 billion in 2005 from $1.1 billion in 1997. With that much money aimed at advertising drugs not just to save lives, but to enhance mood or correct erectile dysfunction or alleviate restless legs syndrome, Dr. Sherer points out that drugs are often being taken by people who don't need them. More drugs mean more drug reactions and interactions to juggle than ever before... again, many more opportunities for errors.
We're paying closer attention to medical errors and preventable complications and -- paradoxically, the harder we look for them, the more we find. This makes the numbers look terrible in the short run, but in the long run this increased vigilance and accountability should result in improved care.
HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF
Forewarned is forearmed: There are many proactive steps you can take to shield yourself and your loved ones from this epidemic of deaths related to medical interventions. At the doctor's office or in the hospital, Dr. Sherer recommends...
Bring an up-to-date list of all medications you take. Make sure that you list not only prescription drugs, but also over-the-counter medications, herbal remedies, vitamins and other dietary supplements. These can all react with one another. Also list the condition for which you take each drug.
Include correct name, spelling, usage and dosage. Dr. Sherer cautions that many drugs -- for example, Xanax (for anxiety) and Zantac (to treat ulcers) -- sound similar. A comprehensive and accurate list that includes the condition for which a drug or supplement has been prescribed will help ward off confusion and errors. This is especially important when dealing with health-care professionals who don't speak English as their first language.
Tell practitioners about any drug allergies or sensitivities and all pre-existing conditions. For example, perhaps you are allergic to penicillin. While this information should appear on your chart, don't take for granted that it does. Reminding health-care providers of your medical history, including drug allergies, is a simple and effective way to avoid potentially life-threatening medical errors.
Do your homework. If you are scheduled to take a new drug or undergo a test or procedure, first research it at reliable government, hospital or university-based Web sites such as www.medlineplus.gov or www.mayoclinic.com or www.jhu.edu (Johns Hopkins). Peer-reviewed journals such as the Journal of the American Medical Association (jama.ama-assn.org) and the New England Journal of Medicine (content.nejm.org) can also be excellent sources of information. An objective non-biased drug assessment database is available through both print and on-line subscription (www.factsandcomparisons.com/) -- ask your health-care provider and/or pharmacist whether they use it.
Speak up. Ask your doctor the right questions. Why do I need this drug/test/procedure? What are the risks versus benefits? Is this the best drug/test/procedure for my condition? What about side effects? In the case of tests, are the results typically straightforward or subject to interpretation? How often is this test/procedure performed at your facility? How often does the surgeon or other medical practitioner perform it? In both cases, the more often, the better. Will there be pain or discomfort? If your physician can't or won't take the time to answer your questions, it's time to get a new physician.
Designate a friend or family member to be your advocate. When you're ill, it's all too easy to become nervous and forget the questions you want to ask, or fail to recall your physician's advice. It's not only comforting to have a trusted advocate by your side at such moments, it also contributes to a better understanding of the situation on your part, and more accountability on the part of your caregivers. If you're in the hospital, try to have someone with you or visiting frequently so that they can get help/nurse's attention if need be.
Take personal responsibility. In the long run, you remain in charge of your own health. Responsibility includes not just your interactions with medical practitioners, but also making lifestyle changes that reduce your risk of illness.
No doubt we will continue to hear more about this vitally important health topic -- and I'll continue to cover it in upcoming issues of Daily Health News. Given that hospitals will now have to absorb the costs of their mistakes due to Medicare's refusal to provide coverage for "serious preventable events," with a stipulation that prevents billing patients for them, too, it's clear that they will focus intently on reducing these events, which can only be good news. And meanwhile, Medicare's new hospital inpatient provisions will result not only in an estimated savings for the government of more than $20 million annually -- but, we can only hope, the saving of many lives as well.
Source(s):
Have fun while connecting on Messenger! Click here to learn more.
Monday, November 05, 2007
natural cures for the mind -use it or lose it
makes sense to use it
Hollecrest & Associates Inc. Business Solutions
Pro-active Rants Political news & comments
Q-jumpers Health dialoque & comments
Venusian issues Dialoque Family help tips
Be smarter than spam. See how smart SpamGuard is at giving junk email the boot with the All-new Yahoo! Mail
Thursday, November 01, 2007
rear end health- less invasive screening
...and another thing
Here's some comforting news for anyone who has had a colonoscopy and received a clean bill of health or had non-cancerous polyps removed: It appears that your risk of developing colorectal cancer in the future is quite low.
That's according to a new study from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. When S-K researchers analyzed data collected from a national study of colon cancer rates following first-time colonoscopies, results showed that those original colonoscopies were far more significant than follow-up screenings in the prevention of colon cancer.
Lead author of the study, Ann G. Zauber, told HealthDay News, "The initial colonoscopy has a major impact – a huge, huge effect – on reducing colon cancer deaths."
Of course, this doesn't mean that follow-up screenings should be avoided. Zauber noted that with each passing year the importance of a follow-up colonoscopy rises. And patients who are at high-risk of colon cancer should have colonoscopies every three to five years.
You can find more information about colonoscopy and "virtual" colonoscopy (a relatively less invasive screening method) in the e-Alert "YouTubing" (10/17/07), at this link:
http://www.hsibaltimore.com/ealerts/ea200710/ea20071017a.html
R U Ready for Windows Live Messenger Beta 8.5? Try it today!
Here's some comforting news for anyone who has had a colonoscopy and received a clean bill of health or had non-cancerous polyps removed: It appears that your risk of developing colorectal cancer in the future is quite low.
That's according to a new study from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. When S-K researchers analyzed data collected from a national study of colon cancer rates following first-time colonoscopies, results showed that those original colonoscopies were far more significant than follow-up screenings in the prevention of colon cancer.
Lead author of the study, Ann G. Zauber, told HealthDay News, "The initial colonoscopy has a major impact – a huge, huge effect – on reducing colon cancer deaths."
Of course, this doesn't mean that follow-up screenings should be avoided. Zauber noted that with each passing year the importance of a follow-up colonoscopy rises. And patients who are at high-risk of colon cancer should have colonoscopies every three to five years.
You can find more information about colonoscopy and "virtual" colonoscopy (a relatively less invasive screening method) in the e-Alert "YouTubing" (10/17/07), at this link:
http://www.hsibaltimore.com/ealerts/ea200710/ea20071017a.html
R U Ready for Windows Live Messenger Beta 8.5? Try it today!
nutrition sells
Can Good Nutrition Sell?
A Look at the "Guiding Stars" Rating System
There’s a war going on in America’s fast-food nation and consumers will determine who wins. The battle was originally engaged around portion sizes, brought to a head by the film, “Super Size Me” in 2004.1 That battle line remains drawn and active with outlets like TGI Friday’s attracting customers to its new “right size” menu.2 McDonald’s, on the other hand, remains nutritionally schizophrenic, pushing salads on the one hand and a new 89-cent, 410-calorie, 42-ounce drink called “Hugo” on the other.3
Credit goes to the Centers for Disease Control and the Department of Health and Human Services, which rang the alarms in 2001 and 2002 that obesity, particularly among children, was epidemic.4,5 Over the prior three decades, the percentage of U.S. children between six and eleven years old with obesity had risen from 4 percent to 13 percent, and the rate in 12 to 19 year olds from 5 percent to 14 percent.4,5 These government agencies made it clear that being obese did not make you a bad person, but it did virtually guarantee bad health, with higher than normal rates of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, respiratory problems, strokes, arthritis, gallbladder disease, and some cancers.6
While portions were an early focus in the battle, it was well understood by most that the problem in the United States was more fundamental than that. It wasn’t just quantity, it was quality as well. The debate over the past three years has moved from the question, “how much should I eat?” to “what should I eat?” – and more importantly, “what’s in my food?” A landmark work in 2006 by New York Times columnist Michael Pollan, revealed that our grain and meat based, factory-built modern American diet, trumpeted in the center aisles of most super markets, had been infiltrated and dominated by high calorie corn. In both our solid and liquid diets, without our knowledge, we were essentially, in a variety of disguised shapes, sizes, and colors, “eating corn, and washing it down with more corn.”7
Our lack of knowledge was not simply a function of our rushed, out-of-balance, multi-tasking culture which encourages “eating on the run,” nor simply the result of our own disinterest and passivity when it comes to food and health. Rather, it was driven, to a large extent, by misinformation, and massive marketing that hijacked the words “health,” “balance,” “light” and “good for you,” and aligned them with products that clearly were making us ill.8
The government responded with better labels, and earnest efforts, but in truth, they were outgunned by manufacturers, who managed to maintain enough confusion and complexity to keep American families in the dark – at least until now.
This month a grocery store chain, started by Arthur Hannaford 125 years ago in Maine, declared success.9 One year ago, the Hannaford Brothers Company, with 155 stores in the northeast and 26,000 employees, said “enough is enough.” As the region’s largest certified organic supermarket, and a U.S Environmental Protection Agency Merit Award winner, it believed its customers deserved better nutritional support and that the food packaging confused more than it helped.10 So the company put together an advisory committee made up of top-notch academic experts from Dartmouth, Tufts, Harvard, University of North Carolina, University of California and the University of Southern Maine and charged them to create a grading system for food that was trustworthy and easy to use.10
The result was “Guiding Stars,” a “rating formula that credits a food’s score for the presence of vitamins, minerals, fiber and whole grains and debits a food’s score for the presence of trans or saturated fats, cholesterol, added sugar and added sodium.”10 The more positive the attributes, the more stars, with three being the top rating. The next step? Hannaford rated 25,500 products and found that only 28% received one star or more. Many products marketed by manufacturers as “healthy” received no stars. The chain then set about educating their customers about the system. One year later, 81% are aware of the program, and over half use it regularly.9
But did the system change purchasing behavior? Kelly Brownell, a nutrition expert at Yale, said thinking you could succeed with good consumers would be optimistic since you are “competing in an environment that provides massive inducement to unhealthy foods.”9 But advisory board member Lisa Sutherland, an assistant professor of pediatrics and nutrition science, says the results of the first year of data “were pretty much what I would have expected with an objective system that wasn’t designed to promote or negate one food or another.”9
In short, the system worked. Here are the results of the changes in buying habits of Hannaford customers over a 12-month span.9
1) Customers bought leaner cuts of meat. Sales of ground beef with stars increased 7% and beef without stars declined 5%. Starred chicken was up 5%, unstarred declined 3%.
2) Three star fat-free milk increased 1% while no-star whole milk declined 4%.
3) The greatest shifts in behavior were in the center aisle packaged goods. Those with stars grew at 2 ½ times the pace of those without stars. Breakfast cereals with stars increased 3 ½ times those without, and starred frozen dinners outpaced un-starred sales by 4 ½ times. Company spokeswoman Caren Epstein was especially pleased with packaged aisle results. As she said, “People already know that fruits and vegetables are good for them. When you are looking at 100 different cereals, that’s where you need help.”9
A patent is pending on the Guiding Star System and hopefully it will soon be in a supermarket near you. Until then, here are two things to remember. First, the problem with our American diet involves both quantity and quality. Second, just because PepsiCo names something “Smart Spot” or Kraft labels an item “Sensible Solution” doesn’t guarantee that these products are good for you. We consumers need to use our brains, being both smart and sensible. And the companies who are pushing the stuff the hardest aren’t necessarily the ones to choose as your “nutritional best friends.”
A Look at the "Guiding Stars" Rating System
There’s a war going on in America’s fast-food nation and consumers will determine who wins. The battle was originally engaged around portion sizes, brought to a head by the film, “Super Size Me” in 2004.1 That battle line remains drawn and active with outlets like TGI Friday’s attracting customers to its new “right size” menu.2 McDonald’s, on the other hand, remains nutritionally schizophrenic, pushing salads on the one hand and a new 89-cent, 410-calorie, 42-ounce drink called “Hugo” on the other.3
Credit goes to the Centers for Disease Control and the Department of Health and Human Services, which rang the alarms in 2001 and 2002 that obesity, particularly among children, was epidemic.4,5 Over the prior three decades, the percentage of U.S. children between six and eleven years old with obesity had risen from 4 percent to 13 percent, and the rate in 12 to 19 year olds from 5 percent to 14 percent.4,5 These government agencies made it clear that being obese did not make you a bad person, but it did virtually guarantee bad health, with higher than normal rates of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, respiratory problems, strokes, arthritis, gallbladder disease, and some cancers.6
While portions were an early focus in the battle, it was well understood by most that the problem in the United States was more fundamental than that. It wasn’t just quantity, it was quality as well. The debate over the past three years has moved from the question, “how much should I eat?” to “what should I eat?” – and more importantly, “what’s in my food?” A landmark work in 2006 by New York Times columnist Michael Pollan, revealed that our grain and meat based, factory-built modern American diet, trumpeted in the center aisles of most super markets, had been infiltrated and dominated by high calorie corn. In both our solid and liquid diets, without our knowledge, we were essentially, in a variety of disguised shapes, sizes, and colors, “eating corn, and washing it down with more corn.”7
Our lack of knowledge was not simply a function of our rushed, out-of-balance, multi-tasking culture which encourages “eating on the run,” nor simply the result of our own disinterest and passivity when it comes to food and health. Rather, it was driven, to a large extent, by misinformation, and massive marketing that hijacked the words “health,” “balance,” “light” and “good for you,” and aligned them with products that clearly were making us ill.8
The government responded with better labels, and earnest efforts, but in truth, they were outgunned by manufacturers, who managed to maintain enough confusion and complexity to keep American families in the dark – at least until now.
This month a grocery store chain, started by Arthur Hannaford 125 years ago in Maine, declared success.9 One year ago, the Hannaford Brothers Company, with 155 stores in the northeast and 26,000 employees, said “enough is enough.” As the region’s largest certified organic supermarket, and a U.S Environmental Protection Agency Merit Award winner, it believed its customers deserved better nutritional support and that the food packaging confused more than it helped.10 So the company put together an advisory committee made up of top-notch academic experts from Dartmouth, Tufts, Harvard, University of North Carolina, University of California and the University of Southern Maine and charged them to create a grading system for food that was trustworthy and easy to use.10
The result was “Guiding Stars,” a “rating formula that credits a food’s score for the presence of vitamins, minerals, fiber and whole grains and debits a food’s score for the presence of trans or saturated fats, cholesterol, added sugar and added sodium.”10 The more positive the attributes, the more stars, with three being the top rating. The next step? Hannaford rated 25,500 products and found that only 28% received one star or more. Many products marketed by manufacturers as “healthy” received no stars. The chain then set about educating their customers about the system. One year later, 81% are aware of the program, and over half use it regularly.9
But did the system change purchasing behavior? Kelly Brownell, a nutrition expert at Yale, said thinking you could succeed with good consumers would be optimistic since you are “competing in an environment that provides massive inducement to unhealthy foods.”9 But advisory board member Lisa Sutherland, an assistant professor of pediatrics and nutrition science, says the results of the first year of data “were pretty much what I would have expected with an objective system that wasn’t designed to promote or negate one food or another.”9
In short, the system worked. Here are the results of the changes in buying habits of Hannaford customers over a 12-month span.9
1) Customers bought leaner cuts of meat. Sales of ground beef with stars increased 7% and beef without stars declined 5%. Starred chicken was up 5%, unstarred declined 3%.
2) Three star fat-free milk increased 1% while no-star whole milk declined 4%.
3) The greatest shifts in behavior were in the center aisle packaged goods. Those with stars grew at 2 ½ times the pace of those without stars. Breakfast cereals with stars increased 3 ½ times those without, and starred frozen dinners outpaced un-starred sales by 4 ½ times. Company spokeswoman Caren Epstein was especially pleased with packaged aisle results. As she said, “People already know that fruits and vegetables are good for them. When you are looking at 100 different cereals, that’s where you need help.”9
A patent is pending on the Guiding Star System and hopefully it will soon be in a supermarket near you. Until then, here are two things to remember. First, the problem with our American diet involves both quantity and quality. Second, just because PepsiCo names something “Smart Spot” or Kraft labels an item “Sensible Solution” doesn’t guarantee that these products are good for you. We consumers need to use our brains, being both smart and sensible. And the companies who are pushing the stuff the hardest aren’t necessarily the ones to choose as your “nutritional best friends.”
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
health and money problems -everywhere in the world
australia
Ex-Govt official says health system needs fixing
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/10/31/2077455.htm
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Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Finding Happiness After Major Life Crisis
People in the midst of divorce, job loss or a health crisis are often led to believe their lives will be richer, deeper, even happier for the experience -- but new research says it isn't necessarily so. A recent study challenges aspects of the classic "happiness set-point" theory which points to in-born personality factors as being the primary determinant of happiness. Under set-point theory even major changes in life circumstances do not have a long-term effect. However, says lead researcher Richard Lucas, PhD, a psychology assistant professor at Michigan State University, traumatic life events such as divorce, job loss or disability from, say, major illness matter deeply and may shift your happiness set-point permanently south. Dr. Lucas shared what he learned about happiness and offered advice on what you can do to stay positive in the face of difficulties.
IF YOU'RE HAPPY AND YOU KNOW IT...
According to the happiness set-point theory, challenges and crises can temporarily move people away from their set point, but their basic outlook and coping skills will eventually settle back at their original level. While Dr. Lucas agrees that personality traits play a strong role in happiness, his research shows that long-term levels of happiness can and often do change after experiencing a major life event -- not necessarily returning to where they were before.To take a closer look at the nature of happiness, Dr. Lucas examined two large-scale studies in Great Britain (more than 27,000 participants) and Germany (nearly 40,000 participants). Participants in Germany were followed for up to 21 years, and participants in Great Britain for up to 14 years. Using self-reporting scales, researchers measured their levels of satisfaction before and after major events such as marriage, divorce, job loss, widowhood and disability. People seemed to adapt fairly quickly to marriage and even widowhood, though that took longer. However, their emotional state was more often permanently altered by divorce, unemployment or the onset of a long-term disability, according to Dr. Lucas.
Specifically, researchers found that...
- Most people adapt to marriage within a few years. However (no surprise here) there is a great deal of variability, with some getting a long-term boost and others a long-term decline, depending on how good the marriage is.
- On average, people take about seven years to adjust to the loss of a spouse.
- Following divorce, unemployment or physical debilitation from a major illness or injury, people generally do not return to their prior level of happiness.
FACING REALITY IS WHAT HELPS
While Dr. Lucas's research may sound defeatist, it is helpful to consider it a learning tool rather than a reason to give up. For those who have experienced a traumatic event, Dr. Lucas says it's a good idea to set "challenging but realistic goals" to bolster your sense of accomplishment and esteem. Also helpful is having -- and seeking -- good social relationships, as studies have shown the physical and emotional health benefits of a strong support group.In the long run, though, what may help most of all is taking the pressure off yourself for not feeling entirely happy with your new situation, realizing that such events are very traumatic and they do, in fact, change your world. Understanding that the success and happiness you find may look and feel very different than what you've experienced in the past is one key to finding your "new" way to feeling good.
Also remember that challenges present an opportunity for growth and personal development -- but avoiding the subsequent soul searching and not questioning personal assumptions can and usually will leave you worse off. If you are able to become more honest with yourself and others, and allow yourself to benefit from the awakening that challenge may bring, then adversity may indeed present an unexpected blessing and evidence of grace -- and these are certainly seeds from which happiness can grow.
Source(s):
Richard Lucas, PhD, assistant professor of psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan.
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Monday, October 29, 2007
Skill shortage?
Nursing shortage getting critical; BGH holds job fair to attract new recruits
Posted By Susan Gamble
As Ontarians get older and need more health care, the pool of registered nurses keeps shrinking.
Most hospitals, long-term care facilities and clinics are short of nurses - a situation that puts a strain on those who are left, who are working harder and longer than before.
According to the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario, the province is short about 14,000 RNs, and the ratio of RNs to the population is the worst in the country. Nurses are lost as they leave the province, move into other lines of work, retire early and - in a profession dominated by women - take time to give birth and raise families.
Trying to lure and keep good solid employees is an ongoing goal for any facility with nurses, as Lisa Keefe, the recruitment and retention specialist at Brantford General Hospital will tell you.
"If we're not in crisis now, we're fast approaching it," said Keefe Saturday at a special job fair held to attract nurses. "The coming crisis is going to have to be at the top of our priorities."
On any given month, the hospital is short an average of 40 nursing positions.
Keefe said local nurses who may have stopped working to have families and haven't yet returned know that if they want back in the workforce, the opportunities are immense.
About 50 nurses turned out to the recruitment fair - a number that delighted those who toured them around the facility, took resumes and did on-the-spot job interviews.
"The response has been fantastic and we're very happy," Keefe said. "This is a large community hospital with a variety of programs for nurses with a specific interest, so we think it's a great place to work. There's a welcoming environment, competitive pay and benefits and a lower turnover rate than many places."
The hospital boasts a high number of long-service employees, she noted, indicating employees are pretty content with their positions. One of the biggest challenges is replacing nurses for a year when they take a maternity leave.
The health-care system has plenty of part-time and temporary positions to offer.
"We can offer nurses full-time jobs if they want. We do have positions although we have to offer them internally first."
Posted By Susan Gamble
As Ontarians get older and need more health care, the pool of registered nurses keeps shrinking.
Most hospitals, long-term care facilities and clinics are short of nurses - a situation that puts a strain on those who are left, who are working harder and longer than before.
According to the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario, the province is short about 14,000 RNs, and the ratio of RNs to the population is the worst in the country. Nurses are lost as they leave the province, move into other lines of work, retire early and - in a profession dominated by women - take time to give birth and raise families.
Trying to lure and keep good solid employees is an ongoing goal for any facility with nurses, as Lisa Keefe, the recruitment and retention specialist at Brantford General Hospital will tell you.
"If we're not in crisis now, we're fast approaching it," said Keefe Saturday at a special job fair held to attract nurses. "The coming crisis is going to have to be at the top of our priorities."
On any given month, the hospital is short an average of 40 nursing positions.
Keefe said local nurses who may have stopped working to have families and haven't yet returned know that if they want back in the workforce, the opportunities are immense.
About 50 nurses turned out to the recruitment fair - a number that delighted those who toured them around the facility, took resumes and did on-the-spot job interviews.
"The response has been fantastic and we're very happy," Keefe said. "This is a large community hospital with a variety of programs for nurses with a specific interest, so we think it's a great place to work. There's a welcoming environment, competitive pay and benefits and a lower turnover rate than many places."
The hospital boasts a high number of long-service employees, she noted, indicating employees are pretty content with their positions. One of the biggest challenges is replacing nurses for a year when they take a maternity leave.
The health-care system has plenty of part-time and temporary positions to offer.
"We can offer nurses full-time jobs if they want. We do have positions although we have to offer them internally first."
Skill shortage?
Nursing shortage getting critical; BGH holds job fair to attract new recruits
Posted By Susan Gamble
Posted 11 hours ago
As Ontarians get older and need more health care, the pool of registered nurses keeps shrinking.
Most hospitals, long-term care facilities and clinics are short of nurses - a situation that puts a strain on those who are left, who are working harder and longer than before.
According to the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario, the province is short about 14,000 RNs, and the ratio of RNs to the population is the worst in the country. Nurses are lost as they leave the province, move into other lines of work, retire early and - in a profession dominated by women - take time to give birth and raise families.
Trying to lure and keep good solid employees is an ongoing goal for any facility with nurses, as Lisa Keefe, the recruitment and retention specialist at Brantford General Hospital will tell you.
"If we're not in crisis now, we're fast approaching it," said Keefe Saturday at a special job fair held to attract nurses. "The coming crisis is going to have to be at the top of our priorities."
On any given month, the hospital is short an average of 40 nursing positions.
Keefe said local nurses who may have stopped working to have families and haven't yet returned know that if they want back in the workforce, the opportunities are immense.
About 50 nurses turned out to the recruitment fair - a number that delighted those who toured them around the facility, took resumes and did on-the-spot job interviews.
"The response has been fantastic and we're very happy," Keefe said. "This is a large community hospital with a variety of programs for nurses with a specific interest, so we think it's a great place to work. There's a welcoming environment, competitive pay and benefits and a lower turnover rate than many places."
The hospital boasts a high number of long-service employees, she noted, indicating employees are pretty content with their positions. One of the biggest challenges is replacing nurses for a year when they take a maternity leave. The health-care system has plenty of part-time and temporary positions to offer. "We can offer nurses full-time jobs if they want. We do have positions although we have to offer them internally first."
Posted By Susan Gamble
Posted 11 hours ago
As Ontarians get older and need more health care, the pool of registered nurses keeps shrinking.
Most hospitals, long-term care facilities and clinics are short of nurses - a situation that puts a strain on those who are left, who are working harder and longer than before.
According to the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario, the province is short about 14,000 RNs, and the ratio of RNs to the population is the worst in the country. Nurses are lost as they leave the province, move into other lines of work, retire early and - in a profession dominated by women - take time to give birth and raise families.
Trying to lure and keep good solid employees is an ongoing goal for any facility with nurses, as Lisa Keefe, the recruitment and retention specialist at Brantford General Hospital will tell you.
"If we're not in crisis now, we're fast approaching it," said Keefe Saturday at a special job fair held to attract nurses. "The coming crisis is going to have to be at the top of our priorities."
On any given month, the hospital is short an average of 40 nursing positions.
Keefe said local nurses who may have stopped working to have families and haven't yet returned know that if they want back in the workforce, the opportunities are immense.
About 50 nurses turned out to the recruitment fair - a number that delighted those who toured them around the facility, took resumes and did on-the-spot job interviews.
"The response has been fantastic and we're very happy," Keefe said. "This is a large community hospital with a variety of programs for nurses with a specific interest, so we think it's a great place to work. There's a welcoming environment, competitive pay and benefits and a lower turnover rate than many places."
The hospital boasts a high number of long-service employees, she noted, indicating employees are pretty content with their positions. One of the biggest challenges is replacing nurses for a year when they take a maternity leave. The health-care system has plenty of part-time and temporary positions to offer. "We can offer nurses full-time jobs if they want. We do have positions although we have to offer them internally first."
Sunday, October 14, 2007
RSV - Signs, Symptoms, Causes & Treatment - Medbroadcast
RSV - Signs, Symptoms, Causes & Treatment - Medbroadcast
Personal care, restaurant industries have highest rates of depression
Oct. 13, 2007
Provided by: Canadian PressWritten by: Kevin Freking, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON - People who tend to the elderly, change diapers and serve up food and drinks have the highest rates of depression among U.S. workers.
Overall, seven per cent of full-time workers battled depression in the past year, according to a government report available Saturday.
Women were more likely than men to have had a major bout of depression, and younger workers had higher rates of depression than their older colleagues.
Almost 11 per cent of personal care workers - which includes child care and helping the elderly and severely disabled with their daily needs - reported depression lasting two weeks or longer.
During such episodes there is loss of interest and pleasure, and at least four other symptoms surface, including problems with sleep, eating, energy, concentration and self-image.
Workers who prepare and serve food - cooks, bartenders, waiters and waitresses - had the second highest rate of depression among full-time employees at 10.3 per cent.
In a tie for third were health care workers and social workers at 9.6 per cent.
The lowest rate of depression, 4.3 per cent, occurred in the job category that covers engineers, architects and surveyors.
Personal care, restaurant industries have highest rates of depression
Oct. 13, 2007
Provided by: Canadian PressWritten by: Kevin Freking, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON - People who tend to the elderly, change diapers and serve up food and drinks have the highest rates of depression among U.S. workers.
Overall, seven per cent of full-time workers battled depression in the past year, according to a government report available Saturday.
Women were more likely than men to have had a major bout of depression, and younger workers had higher rates of depression than their older colleagues.
Almost 11 per cent of personal care workers - which includes child care and helping the elderly and severely disabled with their daily needs - reported depression lasting two weeks or longer.
During such episodes there is loss of interest and pleasure, and at least four other symptoms surface, including problems with sleep, eating, energy, concentration and self-image.
Workers who prepare and serve food - cooks, bartenders, waiters and waitresses - had the second highest rate of depression among full-time employees at 10.3 per cent.
In a tie for third were health care workers and social workers at 9.6 per cent.
The lowest rate of depression, 4.3 per cent, occurred in the job category that covers engineers, architects and surveyors.
Monday, October 08, 2007
DRUG warning
This Common MISDIAGNOSISCan Land You In A Nursing Home!
Here's how to protect yourself and your loved ones
By Dr. Mark Stengler
But I'm going to let you in on a dark, dirty secret: Many of these patients do not have dementia at all. Their memory loss, confusion, and delirium are caused by prescription drugs!
And so are many of their other problems.
This is not just speculation on my part. It's fully documented in the medical journals. In fact, it's so common that there are even medical terms for it. Like "polypharmacy," which means giving a patient too many different drugs. And "iatrogenic illness," which means any illness caused by doctors.
According to the medical journals, polypharmacy and iatrogenic illness are rampant in this country.
One study concluded that one of the major causes of falls in nursing homes is the side effects caused by medications.
Another study found that 97% of nursing home patients take at least one drug, with 17% taking 5 or more!
Yet another study found that many drugs can cause Parkinson's-like symptoms and concluded that "drug-induced parkinsonism is frequent."
And still another study listed 22 different categories of drugs that can cause symptoms that mimic Alzheimer's... plus 14 different over-the-counter drugs that can cause those symptoms!
Here's a typical scenario. A healthy person goes to the doctor for a checkup and is told his cholesterol or blood pressure is high. So he starts taking medication, which causes side effects. This leads his doctor to give him a second drug to treat those side effects. But, of course, that second drug causes new side effects. So the doctor prescribes a third drug to treat the side effects of the second one!
Before you know it, the person's health is spiraling downward and he soon needs people to take care of him. And everyone just chalks it up to "old age."
Except for the insurance companies. They know better. Recently, I spoke to a 72-year-old woman who was turned down by THREE different long-term care companies, even though she passed her physical with flying colors. The reason given? She was on too many prescription drugs.
Yes, the insurance companies know that if this woman continues to take her meds, it's only a matter of time before her health deteriorates. And they don't want to be the ones footing the bill when that happens.
But you can fight back against this system of medicine run amok. First of all, make sure you always try natural remedies first. Pharmaceuticals should be a last resort, not a first option. Secondly, if you have a loved one in a nursing home, talk to a naturally minded physician about possibly weaning them off the drugs. This single step may make a huge difference in their health and well-being.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Legal issues to fight finanial exploitation of the vunerable
Legal Issues in Financial Exploitation
Some but not all abusive actions are defined as crimes. The Criminal Code of Canada describes the different offences that someone can be charged with if they are accused of abusive actions towards older adults. Offences cover physical and sexual abuse, chronic psychological abuse, neglect, loss of rights (under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms), theft, breach of trust and breach of power of attorney, extortion, false pretenses, fraud and intimidation.
What protection does the law provide?
In addition to the Criminal Code of Canada, there may be provincial statutes that protect you. The courts can impose penalties on people who break the law.
Because not all behaviour considered abusive falls under the Criminal Code, a range of resources and supports are necessary to be able to respond to cases of abuse. And while the definitions presented here are commonly accepted, definitions contained within legislation may vary. This may be important in determining what legal responses are available, and it emphasizes the need for a range of resources and supports.
Suing in Civil Court is also an option in some cases. You can sue the person who has abused you in the civil courts for compensation. If you have had property or money stolen, it might be appropriate to sue the abuser for damages for the amount of the loss or for restitution of the money or property (paying back what they took).
In some cases, mediation between the senior and the offender may be an alternative to a court process. Whether this might be appropriate depends on the circumstances. A lawyer can advise you. It is important to get reliable legal information and advice before starting a legal process. In addition, it is crucial to have efficient legal representation should you decide to follow any of the legal options mentioned above. It is important to consult a lawyer who is experienced in your specific area of concern. There are lawyers who have experience in criminal and civil matters, and some who focus on issues of Elder Law, such as wills, estates and powers of attorney.
Some but not all abusive actions are defined as crimes. The Criminal Code of Canada describes the different offences that someone can be charged with if they are accused of abusive actions towards older adults. Offences cover physical and sexual abuse, chronic psychological abuse, neglect, loss of rights (under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms), theft, breach of trust and breach of power of attorney, extortion, false pretenses, fraud and intimidation.
What protection does the law provide?
In addition to the Criminal Code of Canada, there may be provincial statutes that protect you. The courts can impose penalties on people who break the law.
Because not all behaviour considered abusive falls under the Criminal Code, a range of resources and supports are necessary to be able to respond to cases of abuse. And while the definitions presented here are commonly accepted, definitions contained within legislation may vary. This may be important in determining what legal responses are available, and it emphasizes the need for a range of resources and supports.
Suing in Civil Court is also an option in some cases. You can sue the person who has abused you in the civil courts for compensation. If you have had property or money stolen, it might be appropriate to sue the abuser for damages for the amount of the loss or for restitution of the money or property (paying back what they took).
In some cases, mediation between the senior and the offender may be an alternative to a court process. Whether this might be appropriate depends on the circumstances. A lawyer can advise you. It is important to get reliable legal information and advice before starting a legal process. In addition, it is crucial to have efficient legal representation should you decide to follow any of the legal options mentioned above. It is important to consult a lawyer who is experienced in your specific area of concern. There are lawyers who have experience in criminal and civil matters, and some who focus on issues of Elder Law, such as wills, estates and powers of attorney.
What can I do if I am being financially abused?
If you are being financially abused, there are several things you need to know:
- You are not to blame.
- You do not deserve to be abused.
- You have a right to live without fear.
- You have a right to your own money and property.
- You have the right to a safe, healthy relationship and to have your own life.
- You cannot control the abuser's behaviour.
- Abuse often gets worse over time.
If you are not ready, or do not want to do anything right now, that is your choice—it is okay. There are specific actions you can take to stop financial abuse and prevent it from happening again.
You can talk to someone you trust – a friend, relative, clergy or health practitioner, or anyone else you trust. You can also call the police, a senior’s resource centre, crisis line, or legal information agency. Call the Seniors’ Secretariat for information on programs and services in your area.
You can revoke a power of attorney if it is being misused. This is a simple process, requiring a letter drafted by yourself or your lawyer. You will need to send a copy of the letter to your attorney, bank, credit card company and other places where you do business.
You can close any joint bank accounts that you have with the person who is financially abusing you.
You may be able to get a peace bond or restraining order to prevent the abuser from contacting you if you are in fear of the abuser. You have to go to court to get a peace bond.
You can report the abuse to the police, who will investigate to determine if the abuse is a crime, and will make recommendations about how to proceed. You may contact the police about whether the abuse amounts to a criminal offence.
A complete investigation can take considerable time, and there is no guarantee that you will recover any of your lost funds. Nevertheless, it is still important to report economic crime.
What can I do if someone I know is being financially abused?
In all cases of financial abuse, the first consideration should be for the well-being and rights of the senior. If an older person’s safety is in jeopardy, call the police. In other cases, it is important to consider the following:
The older person has the right to self-determination. If they are not ready, or do not want to do anything right now, that is their choice—it is okay. But you can provide information about what they need to know or what they can do if they decide to take action at a later date. Also, by being a good listener and respecting the older person’s wishes, you may ease the concerns of the older person.
In cases where financial abuse occurs at the same time as other forms of abuse and the person is determined to be an “adult in need of protection”, If you have information, whether it is confidential or not, indicating that an adult is in need of protection, you have a duty to report it.
How do I report financial exploitation?
The first step is to call the police. They will carry out an investigation and determine whether the activity is a crime as defined by the Criminal Code of Canada. If it is, the offender can be charged in criminal court and if found guilty of a crime, they will be subject to penalty. Penalties may include a fine, probation, restitution (paying back what they took), a discharge or imprisonment.
If an investigation determines the financial exploitation does not fall under the Criminal Code, you may still be able to sue for damages in civil court. You should consult a lawyer for advice. Not all abuse is a crime. Sometimes, cases can be resolved without going to court. A police investigation can act as a deterrent to the abuser and in some cases may be enough to stop the abusive behaviour. In other cases, a letter from the victim’s lawyer can also act as a deterrent.
Why is it important to get legal advice?
Getting legal advice is a worthwhile investment. Many people are reluctant to contact lawyers for help because they think it will cost too much, or they simply don’t know how to find one. Sound legal advice, particularly from a lawyer who deals with the growing field of Elder Law, can have many benefits. This may include reduced stress, a less complicated and speedier resolution to problems, and having someone who understands and has experience in similar cases. In addition, getting legal advice may help you avoid costly mistakes that can occur when trying to deal with things on your own.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Tips for mind stimulating fun for elders
Tips for Mind-Stimulating Fun
Following, from Home Instead Senior Care, are ways to help engage your senior loved one in mind-stimulating activities:
Video action. Interactive video games have become popular for family members of all ages. Some games, such as Nintendo's Brain Age , and the new Wii home video game system, are particularly good for stimulating seniors minds.
Computer savvy not needed. Even seniors who are intimidated by the computer still can play online and other computer games. Why not try to help them get started playing Solitaire or joining an online bridge game?
Organize game night. Board or card games offer a great avenue for mind stimulation. Why not encourage your senior loved one to get a few friends together to join in the fun?
The magic of music. Many seniors were avid musicians in earlier years and some may still have pianos or instruments in their homes. Ask them to play you a tune or challenge them to learn an instrument.
Tournament fun. Bridge and Scrabble tournaments for seniors are springing up around the country. Check with your local senior center or Home Instead Senior Care office to learn of any activities in your area. Or encourage your older adult to join a local bridge group.
Think big. Crossword, large-piece jigsaw and Sudoku puzzles are great pastimes for seniors who need a mind-stimulating activity when they are alone.
Out and about. Most communities have concerts, lectures and other pursuits that can interest seniors and their families. If your loved one is able to get out, consider those.In the news. Many seniors maintain their interest in politics and current events. For their next birthday, why not renew a subscription to a newspaper or popular news magazine. Or organize a news discussion group.Just the two of you. When it's just you and your senior loved one, remember there are more things you can do than watch television. Hasbro Inc., the largest U.S. game company, has introduced three fast versions of classic board games this year: Monopoly Express, Scrabble Express and Sorry Express. They don't take long to play!
Companionship Counts. Companionship is an important part of stimulating seniors' minds. If your senior has no one to spend time with, consider hiring a companion, such as a Home Instead or BTE CAREGiver.
Following, from Home Instead Senior Care, are ways to help engage your senior loved one in mind-stimulating activities:
Video action. Interactive video games have become popular for family members of all ages. Some games, such as Nintendo's Brain Age , and the new Wii home video game system, are particularly good for stimulating seniors minds.
Computer savvy not needed. Even seniors who are intimidated by the computer still can play online and other computer games. Why not try to help them get started playing Solitaire or joining an online bridge game?
Organize game night. Board or card games offer a great avenue for mind stimulation. Why not encourage your senior loved one to get a few friends together to join in the fun?
The magic of music. Many seniors were avid musicians in earlier years and some may still have pianos or instruments in their homes. Ask them to play you a tune or challenge them to learn an instrument.
Tournament fun. Bridge and Scrabble tournaments for seniors are springing up around the country. Check with your local senior center or Home Instead Senior Care office to learn of any activities in your area. Or encourage your older adult to join a local bridge group.
Think big. Crossword, large-piece jigsaw and Sudoku puzzles are great pastimes for seniors who need a mind-stimulating activity when they are alone.
Out and about. Most communities have concerts, lectures and other pursuits that can interest seniors and their families. If your loved one is able to get out, consider those.In the news. Many seniors maintain their interest in politics and current events. For their next birthday, why not renew a subscription to a newspaper or popular news magazine. Or organize a news discussion group.Just the two of you. When it's just you and your senior loved one, remember there are more things you can do than watch television. Hasbro Inc., the largest U.S. game company, has introduced three fast versions of classic board games this year: Monopoly Express, Scrabble Express and Sorry Express. They don't take long to play!
Companionship Counts. Companionship is an important part of stimulating seniors' minds. If your senior has no one to spend time with, consider hiring a companion, such as a Home Instead or BTE CAREGiver.
Friday, September 07, 2007
health care can kill
How Much Is Your Company’s Healthcare Liability?
September 6th, 2007 @ 10:27 am
GM has a total healthcare liability of $64 billion. No wonder the ongoing talks with the UAW are tense and the industry as a whole is struggling to compete (for a fascinating look at how the way America pools risk handicaps auto makers, check out this article by Malcolm Gladwell). But it’s not just the auto industry that’s burdened by the mounting troubles of the American healthcare system. From Michael Moore’s latest film, to the near daily articles about the “obesity epidemic,” to a flood of proposed legislation from Congress, healthcare is on everyone’s mind.
Luckily, many smart people are at work on the issue. This week Forbes.com is pooling their collective wisdom in a feature entitled “Solutions: Healthcare.”
You’ll find AOL founder Steve Case discussing empowering the consumer through his new venture RevolutionHealth.com, and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse’s (D-R.I.) proposal to store every American’s health records centrally and make prescriptions entirely electronic. Michael J. Critelli, executive chairman of Pitney Bowes, urges us to look “at investing in health as we do any other investment, with a payback in terms of not only lower costs for healthcare but reduced absenteeism.” And Princeton Professor Uwe Reinhardt, makes the point that the American healthcare system is no value: we spend twice as much as Canadians per capita. His solution? Invest in “information infrastructure” to get the right information to the right people more efficiently.
Forbes also looks at a topic we recently blogged here on the BNET Intercom: what managers can and should do to improve the health of their teams. Based on your responses, it’s a tricky question that many managers are wrestling with.
These issues, which certainly interest us as citizens, also matter for American business. Problems with healthcare increase the costs of insurance, absenteeism, and reduce productivity due to illness and stress. Forbes is on to something. We need more smart minds thinking about these problems and sharing their insights.
September 6th, 2007 @ 10:27 am
GM has a total healthcare liability of $64 billion. No wonder the ongoing talks with the UAW are tense and the industry as a whole is struggling to compete (for a fascinating look at how the way America pools risk handicaps auto makers, check out this article by Malcolm Gladwell). But it’s not just the auto industry that’s burdened by the mounting troubles of the American healthcare system. From Michael Moore’s latest film, to the near daily articles about the “obesity epidemic,” to a flood of proposed legislation from Congress, healthcare is on everyone’s mind.
Luckily, many smart people are at work on the issue. This week Forbes.com is pooling their collective wisdom in a feature entitled “Solutions: Healthcare.”
You’ll find AOL founder Steve Case discussing empowering the consumer through his new venture RevolutionHealth.com, and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse’s (D-R.I.) proposal to store every American’s health records centrally and make prescriptions entirely electronic. Michael J. Critelli, executive chairman of Pitney Bowes, urges us to look “at investing in health as we do any other investment, with a payback in terms of not only lower costs for healthcare but reduced absenteeism.” And Princeton Professor Uwe Reinhardt, makes the point that the American healthcare system is no value: we spend twice as much as Canadians per capita. His solution? Invest in “information infrastructure” to get the right information to the right people more efficiently.
Forbes also looks at a topic we recently blogged here on the BNET Intercom: what managers can and should do to improve the health of their teams. Based on your responses, it’s a tricky question that many managers are wrestling with.
These issues, which certainly interest us as citizens, also matter for American business. Problems with healthcare increase the costs of insurance, absenteeism, and reduce productivity due to illness and stress. Forbes is on to something. We need more smart minds thinking about these problems and sharing their insights.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Helpful information on dying with dignity
Planning a Dignified Death for our friend Claire at New Beginnings
Download PDF Version
Transcript
Decision making at the end of life is a critical challenge for the patients, families and physicians involved.1 In the not-too-distant past, families and physicians were often complicit in hiding information from terminally ill patients. Studies show that this practice is much less frequent today. However, physicians in a 2001 study were found to understate the severity of a terminally ill patient's prognosis 63 percent of the time2, and there is general agreement that physicians and health institutions continue to overuse technology and under-use communication when dealing with terminally ill patients. To reinforce this point, an examination of hospital records of 164 patients with significant dementia and terminal metastatic cancer shows that nearly half of the patients received aggressive non-palliative treatments and a quarter received cardiopulmonary resuscitation.3
While it's easy in retrospect to critique such behaviors, the reality is that managing the progression toward death is highly complex. The physician is often asked to bridge the chasm between life-saving and life-enhancing care. Guidance must be highly personalized and must consider prognosis, the risks and benefits of various interventions, the patient's symptom burden, the timeline ahead, the age and stage of life of the patient, and the quality of the patient's support system.
Considering all these, the physician, patient, and family are expected to explore all curative options, provide clear and honest communications, invite family input, provide their best recommendations, and ultimately affirm and support a patient's decision.1
Walking the road of terminal illness carries special burdens for all involved. For the patient and family, shock gives way to a complex analysis that often intersects with guilt, regret and anger. Fear must be managed and channeled, and loss and its implications for family and loved ones cannot be avoided. On top of this, there are multiple complex decisions that must be addressed within specific time constraints.
While all this is extremely difficult for patients and families, it's also demanding of physicians.4,5 The sheer complexity of individualizing and humanizing each passage is complicated by a heavy emotional burden that comes with accepting responsibility for the care of others. Physicians struggle to balance hopefulness with truthfulness. Determining "how much information," "within what space of time," and "with what degree of directness for this particular patient" requires a skillful commitment that matures with age and experience.
Managing both physical and mental health and distinguishing between normal grief and clinical depression add to the challenge.
Finally, incorporating the unique culture and spiritual context that can help define the right course of action for each individual demands a special set of eyes and ears and an ability to reach out and touch.
Studies confirm that 85 percent of terminally ill patients desire as much information as they can get, good or bad. Prognostic information is the most important. Only 7 percent of terminally ill patients seek "good news" exclusively and only 8 percent want no details.4,5
When a diagnosis is first made, everyone's focus is on life preservation. But a sharp decline, results of diagnostic studies, or an internal awareness can signal a transition and lead patients and families to recognize that death is approaching. Once acceptance arrives, end-of-life decision-making naturally follows. Denying that death is approaching only compresses the timeline for these decisions, adds anxiety, and undermines the sense of control over one's own destiny.
With acceptance, the goals become quality of life and comfort. Physicians, hospice, family, and other caregivers can focus on assessing physical symptoms, psychological and spiritual needs, quality of support systems, estimation of prognosis, and defining a patient's end-of-life goals.2 How important might it be for a patient to attend a granddaughter's wedding or see one last Christmas, and are these realistic goals to pursue?
One issue that often gets confused in the process of planning a death with dignity is hope. It is possible to die with hope, with self-control, and with dignity, but it requires some time and planning. Physician participation is critical. End-of-life care expert Dr. David Weissman offers this counsel: "Physicians are often reluctant to provide specific information largely out of fear of destroying hope …. Dying patients can still have hope for system control, of resolving personal relationships, and for a dignified death."1
In order to plan a death with dignity, we need to acknowledge death as a part of life - an experience to be embraced rather than ignored when the time comes. Recognizing when that time has arrived is a critical challenge for each of us.
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Decision making at the end of life is a critical challenge for the patients, families and physicians involved.1 In the not-too-distant past, families and physicians were often complicit in hiding information from terminally ill patients. Studies show that this practice is much less frequent today. However, physicians in a 2001 study were found to understate the severity of a terminally ill patient's prognosis 63 percent of the time2, and there is general agreement that physicians and health institutions continue to overuse technology and under-use communication when dealing with terminally ill patients. To reinforce this point, an examination of hospital records of 164 patients with significant dementia and terminal metastatic cancer shows that nearly half of the patients received aggressive non-palliative treatments and a quarter received cardiopulmonary resuscitation.3
While it's easy in retrospect to critique such behaviors, the reality is that managing the progression toward death is highly complex. The physician is often asked to bridge the chasm between life-saving and life-enhancing care. Guidance must be highly personalized and must consider prognosis, the risks and benefits of various interventions, the patient's symptom burden, the timeline ahead, the age and stage of life of the patient, and the quality of the patient's support system.
Considering all these, the physician, patient, and family are expected to explore all curative options, provide clear and honest communications, invite family input, provide their best recommendations, and ultimately affirm and support a patient's decision.1
Walking the road of terminal illness carries special burdens for all involved. For the patient and family, shock gives way to a complex analysis that often intersects with guilt, regret and anger. Fear must be managed and channeled, and loss and its implications for family and loved ones cannot be avoided. On top of this, there are multiple complex decisions that must be addressed within specific time constraints.
While all this is extremely difficult for patients and families, it's also demanding of physicians.4,5 The sheer complexity of individualizing and humanizing each passage is complicated by a heavy emotional burden that comes with accepting responsibility for the care of others. Physicians struggle to balance hopefulness with truthfulness. Determining "how much information," "within what space of time," and "with what degree of directness for this particular patient" requires a skillful commitment that matures with age and experience.
Managing both physical and mental health and distinguishing between normal grief and clinical depression add to the challenge.
Finally, incorporating the unique culture and spiritual context that can help define the right course of action for each individual demands a special set of eyes and ears and an ability to reach out and touch.
Studies confirm that 85 percent of terminally ill patients desire as much information as they can get, good or bad. Prognostic information is the most important. Only 7 percent of terminally ill patients seek "good news" exclusively and only 8 percent want no details.4,5
When a diagnosis is first made, everyone's focus is on life preservation. But a sharp decline, results of diagnostic studies, or an internal awareness can signal a transition and lead patients and families to recognize that death is approaching. Once acceptance arrives, end-of-life decision-making naturally follows. Denying that death is approaching only compresses the timeline for these decisions, adds anxiety, and undermines the sense of control over one's own destiny.
With acceptance, the goals become quality of life and comfort. Physicians, hospice, family, and other caregivers can focus on assessing physical symptoms, psychological and spiritual needs, quality of support systems, estimation of prognosis, and defining a patient's end-of-life goals.2 How important might it be for a patient to attend a granddaughter's wedding or see one last Christmas, and are these realistic goals to pursue?
One issue that often gets confused in the process of planning a death with dignity is hope. It is possible to die with hope, with self-control, and with dignity, but it requires some time and planning. Physician participation is critical. End-of-life care expert Dr. David Weissman offers this counsel: "Physicians are often reluctant to provide specific information largely out of fear of destroying hope …. Dying patients can still have hope for system control, of resolving personal relationships, and for a dignified death."1
In order to plan a death with dignity, we need to acknowledge death as a part of life - an experience to be embraced rather than ignored when the time comes. Recognizing when that time has arrived is a critical challenge for each of us.
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