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CHAMP Blog

Connect, ask questions and hear from professionals dedicated to improving home care for older people.

Wednesday Wisdom: Go Pats!!!!!

February 01, 2012

You’d have to be totally oblivious with your surroundings (I know…some of our home care patients are!) not to know that it’s “Super Bowl Week.” Many look at Super Bowl Sunday as the ‘holiday’ that lies between Martin Luther King Day and President’s Day.  Yes, there’s a movement to make the Monday after the Super Bowl an official holiday. “No Way”, you exclaim? “Yes Way”, I respond!  I look at Super Bowl Sunday, no matter who’s playing, as an opportunity to cast all diets and ...

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Posted in Wednesday Wisdom / 0 Comments

Preventing Rehospitalization: Home Care to the Rescue?

January 19, 2012

Medicare is going to penalize hospitals that have high readmission rates.  Take it to the next step: hospitals are going to be held accountable for what happens once their patients are home.  The consequences ...

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Posted in Adherence, Medication Management, Safety and Adverse Drug Events / 2 Comments

The Four Most Dangerous Drugs

January 11, 2012

Have you ever heard the same information from all directions? That's the case for me with a recent study that identified the 4 medications most associated with drug-related hospital admissions in older adults: warfarin, ...

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Posted in Medication Management, Safety and Adverse Drug Events / 0 Comments

Who’s Got A Big Red Cherry Nose?

December 15, 2011

We used to think that a large bulbous red nose meant that our patient was a heavy drinker.  Couple that nose with a long white beard, rotund shape and Voila!  It’s Santa Claus!  See ...

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Posted in Alcohol and Substance Misuse / 0 Comments

You’re Never Too Old . . .

December 07, 2011

“Oh honey, I’m too old to have to worry about that any more!” I was attempting to ask Mrs. Estes whether she had thought about smoking cessation. She was convinced there was no reason, ...

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Posted in Health Promotion / 0 Comments

Direct Care Providers: The Key to Improving Depression Care for Dementia Patients

December 07, 2011

Depression and dementia are the two most frequent psychiatric syndromes in the older adult population.  Detection of depression is often complicated by the presence of dementia.  Many individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms ...

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Posted in Home Care Workforce / 0 Comments

Emotional Pain is Real Pain: Arthritis and Depression

December 01, 2011

Many illnesses can take an emotional toll on a person, and arthritis is a big offender. Limits on a person’s mobility and the physical pain caused by arthritis can prevent a person from fully ...

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Posted in Pain Management, Physical Function / 0 Comments

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