health


You, home care and ‘What if…?’


By Paul Bridgewater A widow,


living alone,


might ask, “What if an injury prevents me from walking up stairs to my bedroom?”


An adult with shaky hands


might worry about cataract surgery: “What if I can’t get eye drops in my eyes?”


Someone forgetful might


wonder, “What if I miss taking medications? Or worse, what if I take too many?”


And the bigger questions:


What if you or an aging parent were ill, frail, confused, in- jured or recovering from sur- gery? Where would you turn for help?


Many turn to home health


care workers who can be scheduled to provide either medical care in the home or custodial care, such as help with bathing, dressing, cook- ing and other daily tasks. For- tunately, hospital discharge planners can arrange home care, although they may not have the time to find assis- tance that matches all of your preferences. You can also turn to home-care agencies or make arrangements on your own. Be prepared, however, because home health care is not inexpensive.


on Aging, we have state and federal


At the Detroit Area Agency funding to arrange


care for a designated number of individuals. Medicaid might cover these services if your parent would otherwise be in a nursing home. For most others, the costs of home care are a personal responsibility, and here are a few important steps to follow:


• Assess your parent’s needs. Knowing specific, daily needs can help determine what level of care is needed and for how many hours a day or week.


• If you turn to home care agencies, assess their creden- tials.


In Michigan, there is


no licensing for private duty home care companies. You can ask, however, if one of these organizations accred-


Check expiration dates.


Remember: fresh first, frozen second, canned third. Don’t shop when you are hungry.


Paul Bridgewater


its the company: Joint Com- mission on Accreditation of Healthcare


Organizations,


Community Health Accredita- tion Program, or Accredita- tion Commission for Health Care. At least these organiza- tions have established rules and regulations. The State of Michigan does certify caregiv- ers, and certification ensures that your caregivers have the proper training.


• Find out if the company has a registered nurse on staff around the clock. The care- giver assigned to you may not have the capacity to make any medical decisions, but they should be able to get immedi- ate support from a registered nurse. Find out if they also provide the services of thera- pists, dietitians, social work- ers or volunteers.


• Ask a lot of specific ques- tions about who will coordi- nate the care, what can be done if a parent doesn’t get along with a particular worker, what specialized training does staff receive, how do you make complaints, and how much say does the family have in the care plan? Additionally, get referrals, and get any agree- ment in writing.


The right agency will de-


velop a plan, find the right workers, screen them, and then oversee their work. They also provide back-up in case a worker cancels. If an agency


Food buying tips Generally, avoid impulse


buying. Buy house brands if quality compares favor- ably with name brands. Read


offers a full range of services, the care tends to be better coordinated and more com- prehensive than anything you might arrange on your own.


If you hire workers inde-


pendently, you may pay less and have more control. Just be very careful to get referenc- es and carefully monitor the work of your caregiver. And remember, when workers are good to your parent, be very good to them.


form personal


Home care workers per- tasks that


many family caregivers prefer to avoid. Do what you can to make those tasks manageable. It also helps to foster the rela- tionship between your parent and the caregiver by sharing information about them. The caregiver should be interested in your parent’s likes and dis- likes; and your parent should be interested in who the care- giver is.


Use common sense and


don’t leave valuables in obvi- ous places. Workers should never be given access to your parent’s bank account or fi- nancial records.


It’s important, too, to trust


your instincts. You’re hiring for an important service, and you want to be comfortable with your selection. You might even increase your com- fort level by asking a few “what if” questions long before you need them. Try this for start- ers: “Mom/Dad, what if you ever needed help after a hos- pital stay that I couldn’t pro- vide? What characteristics would be important to you in a home care worker?


When it comes to long-term


care issues, a little planning can go a long way. If you need direction, call the Detroit Area Agency on Aging (DAAA) at (313) 446-4444.


Tune in to “The Senior So-


lution” on WGPR 107.5 FM every Saturday morning at 10 a.m., hosted by Paul Bridge- water, president and CEO, DAAA; (313) 446-4444.


THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE


July 28-Aug. 4, 2010


Page B-8 Beaumont Hospital, Grosse Pointe earns stroke certification Beaumont Hospital, Grosse


Pointe, has received two im- portant cardiovascular accred- itations for high quality care of patients with chest pain or having a stroke. The hospital received full accreditation as a Chest Pain Center from the Society of Chest Pain Centers and certification as a Primary Stroke Center from the Joint Commission.


“Receiving both recogni-


tions is huge, it shows our ongoing commitment to the community and to providing the very best in both stroke and chest pain care to our pa- tients on a very rapid basis,” said Donna Hoban, M.D., senior vice president and di- rector of Medical Services at Beaumont Hospital, Grosse Pointe. “It’s an extension of the improvements we’ve made with state-of-the-art diagnos- tic equipment and will help us to continue to grow our stroke care and cardiology services.”


To earn accreditation in


acute cardiac medicine by the SCPC, a Chest Pain Center must meet criteria in coordi- nating hospital emergency ser- vices with the local emergency medical services. The accredi- tation recognizes a high level of expertise in caring for pa- tients who arrive with symp-


toms of a heart attack, the importance of standardized diagnosis and treatment for efficient and effective evalu- ation; and rapid treatment of patients with chest pain and other heart attack symptoms.


Beaumont, Grosse Pointe,


also earned the Gold Seal of Approval for stroke care. The Joint Commission’s Stroke Center Certification is achieved by demonstrating patient care, quality and safety, and comply- ing with the highest national standards. Certification em- phasizes a commitment to sig- nificantly improving outcomes for stroke patients as outlined by the Joint Commission.


Heart attacks are the lead-


ing cause of death in the United States, with 600,000 people dying annually of heart disease. More than five million Americans visit hospitals each year with chest pain. A Chest Pain Center’s protocol-driven and systematic approach to patient care allows physicians to reduce time to treatment during the early stages of a heart attack, when treatment is most effective, and to better monitor patients when it is not clear whether they are having a heart-related issue.


The Society of Chest Pain


BCBSM, MSU College of Medicine conclude first year of ‘FIT’ initiative


Children from four Grand


Rapids schools started off the summer focusing on their health, thanks in part to a grant from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.


Project “FIT,” a childhood


obesity prevention program funded through a $1 million grant from the Blues, is arming students from Campus, Bu- chanan, Cesar E. Chavez and Dickinson Elementary schools with some new tools to prac- tice healthier lifestyles.


Last year, Blue Cross Blue


labels. Don’t buy in amounts that


will mean food going bad and having to be thrown out.


Shield of Michigan and Michi- gan State University’s College of Human Medicine collabo- rated with the Grand Rapids Public Schools to develop the health initiative.


FIT uses a multi-faceted


approach, collaborating with schools’ staff, families and


community organizations to help establish a social “cul- ture” embracing lifestyles that help sustain healthy weight and wellness.


The key objectives for FIT are to:


• Promote a healthy lifestyle by exposing schools and their surrounding communities to healthy foods and physical ac- tivities


• Improve the basic knowl- edge and attitudes about the value of physical health and nutrition


• Partner with existing health and fitness programs to in- crease impact


With a first year of accom-


plishments under its belt, the FIT team has already begun strategizing for the upcoming school year. Schools intend


to hold staff training events to share ideas on how teachers, students, parents and staff can continue to work toward the goal of becoming healthier and more physically active.


New curricula and training


materials will also be distrib- uted for teachers to implement into their class schedules for the upcoming school year.


As FIT moves into its


second phase of implementa- tion, healthy eating, physi- cal activity and a greater awareness of healthy lifestyle choices will be on the top of the priority list. Community engagement and collaboration will continue to be a priority.


For more information, vis-


it bcbsm.com or www.human- medicine.msu.edu.


Centers, established in 1998 and headquartered in Colum- bus, Ohio, is a patient-cen- tered, nonprofit international organization focused on im- proving care for patients with acute coronary syndromes and other heart disease.


Each year about 700,000


people experience a new or recurrent stroke, which is the nation’s third leading cause of death. On average, some- one suffers a stroke every 45 seconds and someone dies of a stroke every 3.1 minutes. Stroke is a leading cause of serious,


long-term disabil-


ity in the United States, with about 4.7 million stroke survi- vors alive today.


Founded in 1951, the Joint


Commission is an indepen- dent, nonprofit organization that seeks to continuously improve the safety and quality of care provided to the public through health care accredita- tion and related services that support performance improve- ment in health care organiza- tions. It evaluates and accred- its nearly 15,000 health care organizations and programs in the nation.


Visit Beaumont’s website at www.beaumonthospitals.com.


There are 2,500 reasons to set your alarm a little earlier.


Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan thinks the best way to encourage healthy behavior is to reward people for it. That’s why Healthy Blue OutcomesSM


physicians, set health goals and achieve them. In return, we give them the opportunity to lower their deductibles by up to $2,500 annually. Along the way, we have an array of online resources to help members track their progress, get tips on healthier living and more. To learn more about Healthy Blue OutcomesSM


and how it can inspire wellness, visit bcbsm.com/outcomes. offers rewards to members who meet with their


Join the conversation about making Michigan healthier at aHealthierMichigan.org.


Leading Michigan to a healthier future.


SM


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