• Death in the Home – Information for Caregivers
• Tips for Alzheimer Caregivers
• Delirium vs. Dementia
• Transitioning an Individual with Dementia into a Facility
• Member Portal Instructions
• Continence Education – Constipation
• Urinary Incontinence – When to Seek Immediate Medical Attention
• Crime Prevention Education for Older Adults
• IADL (Independent Activities of Daily Living) Education
• Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy
• My Medicare Matters
• Advance Directives for Mental Health Treatment
• Drug Review and Side Effects
• Geriatric Friendly Pharmacy
• Medicine Reconciliation:  Brown Bag Consultation
• Feeding Tube Education
• Special Diet Needs Education
• Defibrillator Education
• Diabetes Education
• Fibromyalgia Education
• Pacemaker Education
• Physician Planner Case Note
• Alternative Living Options Education
• Speech Therapy Education
• Social Participation Barriers
• Social Support Plan

The SCANS content team headed by Jean Bandos along with the development team announced today that the SCANS Version 1.3 - May release is now available.  SCANS Version 1.3 is a major content release to the SCANS Knowledge Base.

In order to make more real-world tools for eldercare available more quickly, Jean and the team have devised a "rolling release".  For 3 months beginning in May another group of resources, processes, and tools will be made available to geriatric care managers at My Health Care Manager and our affiliates.

The May release contains 57 new and/or revised resources, processes and tools.  Some sample items include: 
 

• Behaviors and Alzheimer's Disease
• Grief Education
• Activities of Daily Living Education
• Depression and Alzheimer's disease
• Early Stages and Impact on Health
• Memory & Cognition Questions
• Memory Care Unit Checklist
• Memory Care Unit Education
• Mild Cognitive Impairment
• Sobriety Programs Resource
• Handyman Resource
• Private Handyman Contractor Checklist
• Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Detectors
• Daily  Money Management Education
• Financial Planning Education
• Trust Education
• Verifying Funeral Arrangements
• Veterans Benefit Information
• Elder Law Resource & Checklist
• Medication Management Procedure
• Medication Reconciliation
• Polypharmacy
• How to Find a Pain Specialist
• Pain Education
• Pain Resources
• Pain Visual Analog Scale
• Arthritis
• Heart Failure
• Hypertension Education
• Family History - Cancer Education
• Family History - Dementia
• Family History - Diabetes Education
• Family History - Heart Education
• Seat Belt Education
• Cataracts Education
• Glaucoma Education
• Hearing Aid Education
• Sensory Changes
• Assistive Devices
• Hospice Education
• Spiritual Connections

• Schedule of care events (e.g. medical appointments, therapy, geriatric care visits)
• Medical issues (e.g. Alzheimer's, arthritis, incontinence, congestive heart failure, diabetes, COPD)
• Health provider contact information and specialties
• Medication list including dosage, frequency, prescribing physician, and other specifics
• Recent Hospitalizations
• Client contact information
• Updates on key issues of aging such as Caregiving, Advanced Directives, Living Independently, Family Communications, Depression, and more
• Resources
• and more

It also supports secure, private interactivity with the Health Care Manager providing geriatric care for the family using tools like a discussion board, contact logs documenting visits and phone conversations, and posting of care goals like improving home safety, reducing isolation, improving depression, improving mobility, supporting treatment plans, and so on.

Incontinence can be an embarrassing and inconvenient health condition... but there is no reason why you should let it keep you from doing the things you enjoy.  It's also important to remember that you're not alone- an estimated 12 million Americans are living with incontinence.  Urinary incontinence can begin at many different points in life, sometimes after childbirth or menopause for women, or after prostate surgery for men.  The types and causes of incontinence vary, and your urologist may recommend different strategies or treatment options based on your particular situation.  However, WebMD has a page with great tips for managing urinary incontinence- whether you're in a social situation, at the gym, at work, or even on vacation.  For example, did you know that certain types of food (spicy or acidic) and beverages (those with caffeine or alcohol) can often worsen incontinence in some people?  While your parent or loved one may not feel comfortable discussing incontinence with anyone other than their doctor, you may be able to pass along some valuable resources to them- especially if you see that they are missing out on the things they love...

To get tips and get more information, visit the WebMD site by clicking the following link...  http://www.webmd.com/urinary-incontinence-oab/coping-08/default.htm

·   An excellent resource regarding evidence based practice for nurses in clinical and educational settings is the Harford Institute for Geriatric Nursing, New York University College of Nursing http://www.consultgerirn.org/ . This site covers geriatric topics including but not limited to overviews, definitions, background information such as incidence, prevalence, assessments, assessment tools, and nursing care strategies. In dealing with fall prevention, as an example, the information that you will have access to is a general overview of falls, definitions, along with assessment tools and educational material. One tool that is shared is the Tinetti assessment tool for the older adults who can ambulate independently. The site also provides nursing care strategies, treatment protocols and management recommendations.

·   Age related changes (such as altered visual acuity, decreased balance and muscle strength, hypotension, and changes in bladder function such as frequency and/or incontinence) increase the risk of falls. If you have a hospital based practice, you know that falls are the single largest category of incidents in an acute care setting and for people over 65 years of age, falls are responsible for one third of deaths (http://www.consultgerirn.org/).

·    In dealing with the elder population, always remember to evaluate for the risk of falls and provide fall prevention education. Another resource for educational materials is the National Institute on Aging  www.nihseniorhealth.gov .

So what exactly is in a Personal Health Record (PHR)? 

You won’t be surprised to know that the answer varies depending on who you ask.  Let’s start by looking at what My Health Care Manager includes in its PHR.

We have identified 17 dimensions to examine as part of initializing a PHR.  These are:

1. Demographic:  General demographic information including but not limited too the senior’s current living and marital status; accessibility to bathroom, bedroom, and laundry; and work/volunteer history. 
2. Family: Family members deceased and living.  Family health history and availability.
3. Social support:  The family’s/friends’ level of support, communication techniques, and the senior’s engagement in social activities.
4. Representatives/Key Contacts: Individuals that the senior has identified to have permission to health and/or financial information, including the level of information they may access and the manner in which the information can be shared.
5. Financial:  The senior’s perception of his/her financial needs and if additional assistance is required to support health or alleviate stress.
6. Spiritual:  The senior’s perception of his/her spiritual needs and level of comfort/peace with current health status.
7. Legal: Arrangements for an individual to act on the senior’s behalf including the status and copies of the senior’s advance directives, funeral, and/or burial/cremation arrangements.
8. Insurance:  Current insurance information and identified gaps or needs for continued education.
9. Support Services:  Multiple service providers and the level of communication between the providers.
10. Caregiver Support: The stress level and needs of the caregiver.
11. Physical Health:  The senior’s past medical history, treatment plans, and current health status - capturing chronic illnesses, chronic pain, incontinence, weight loss/gain, nutritional status, and sleep habits.   
12. Functional Health Status:  The senior’s perception of and satisfaction with his/her health status while assessing the senior’s physical functional status including activities of daily living, balance, ambulation, assistive devices, and sensory status.
13. Emotional/Psychological:   The cognitive, emotional, and behavior status of the senior including screens for cognitive impairment, anxiety, depressive symptoms, and substance abuse.
14. Medication History:  Medications list, multiple providers, multiple pharmacies,   allergies, polypharmacy, and medication administrative needs. 
15. Home/Residential Environmental & Safety Assessment:  Visual assessment of the senior’s environment.  Assessing fall risk, elder abuse, disaster plans, fire/burn prevention, crime/injury, injury prevention, communication system, and support network.          
16. Preventive Health Activities:  Preventative recommendations and attending health screening activities. 
17. Wellness: The senior’s understanding of activities that promote improved health status such as wellness classes, tobacco use cessation, and/or intellectual stimulation.

This information can be gathered and assessed by an individual, a caregiver, or even a Health Care Manager.  We use a 3 ring notebook to collect and organize this information so that it can easily be updated and kept current.  The binder is easily taken along on medical provider appointments and is large enough to be difficult to misplace.