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Congratulations to Signature Funerals!

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Congratulations to Cathy Boomer and Signature Funerals on their celebration of their second year in business!

Signature Funerals will be hosting a 2nd Anniversary Celebration on Thursday, April 11 at 8:30 am. The Celebrations will be held at Signature Funerals (8019 State Line Rd. Kansas City, MO  64114)

For more information on Signature Funerals please visit www.signaturefunerals.com.

THE RIDDLE

Posted on: by debbiedavis No Comments

Following is a poem “The Riddle” written by Kevin Blayney, son of Virgina Blayney, Independent Living resident at Foxwood Springs Continuum Care Community- a Brookdale Senior Living community- in Raymore, Missouri. The poem was written four months after Kevin’s dad, Ken, was moved to the Memory Care community at Foxwood.

THE RIDDLE

When I am old and gray,

Remember I still have many things to say,

I may say these things twice or more,

But to me it was once, not four.

 

Each day is new to me,

Moments from now, where will I be?

This reality I have is something different, you see,

Time stands still, but then it flies,

I often set and wonder why.

 

The life I am living is like a riddle,

It puzzles me now to know so little,

I don’t know where I am going,

Only where I have been.

I think I will get up and follow the wind,

 

Lie in the meadow and hear the grass sing,

Smell the blue sky and see birds on the wing.

I look in the mirror and say, who is that guy?

I think I will shake hands, maybe say “HI”,

 

One thing is for sure,

The love I have shared is something never to die.

 

The Riddle will be answered….

The day I say “Bye”.

 

Permission given to reprint by Virgina Blayney.

Cleveland Clinic predicts 2013′s top 10 medical innovations–Legislation makes the list for the first time

Posted on: by debbiedavis 1 Comment

November 01, 2012

Bariatric surgery for diabetes control is the top medical innovation for 2013, according to Cleveland Clinic‘s seventh-annual list of Top 10 Medical Innovations.

More than 110 Cleveland Clinic experts nominated 150 emerging technologies to compete for the top ten spots, and a panel of Clinic physicians and scientists chose the winners. To be selected, the innovations had to have a high probability of commercial success, The Plain Dealer‘s “Everything Cleveland” reports.

  • Want to become an ‘innovative’ hospital? See the Marketing and Planning Leadership Council’s research brief and webconference on how to develop high-impact innovation centers.

Although weight-loss surgery has been around for some time, new research shows that it can help control diabetes when medicine cannot. “Many diabetes experts now believe that weight-loss surgery should be offered much earlier as a reasonable treatment option for patients with poorly controlled diabetes—not as a last resort,” according to a Cleveland Clinic release.

The nine other innovations on the 2013 list were:

2. Neuromodulation therapy, which prevents cluster and migraine headaches when patients feel them coming;

3. Mass spectrometry for rapid bacterial identification, which enables physicians to more quickly and appropriately treat infections;

4. A handheld imaging device, which can identify melanoma in less than a minute with 98% accuracy and without cutting the skin;

5. Five new cancer drugs, which block abnormal cell growth in patients with advanced prostate cancer;

6. Femtosecond laser cataract surgery, which relies on a laser rather than a surgical blade to perform more precise cataract surgery;

7. A lung washing system, which cleans fluid, infected bacteria, and other damage from lungs, preparing them for transplants that might otherwise be disposed;

8. A new aneurysm technology, which enables physicians to treat complex aneurysms weeks earlier by relying on a fabric graft that can be adapted to the leak, rather than waiting on a custom endograft that can take weeks to make;

9. Breast tomosynthesis, 3D mammography that improves accuracy of breast cancer diagnosis;

10. The Medicare Better Health Rewards Program Act of 2012, bipartisan legislation that would incent patients to proactively prevent various chronic conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, and cancer.

The Medicare Better Health Rewards Program Act is the first piece of legislation to make the list. It encourages patients to play an active role in their well-being through annual wellness visits and maintenance of health standards.

“Our list gives you a flavor of where health care is going,” says Chris Coburn, executive director of Cleveland Clinic Innovations. “If you looked at the first few years of the Summit, you’d see it dominated by devices and drugs…But now we’re also looking at population management” (Cleveland Clinic release, 10/31; McKinney, Modern Healthcare, 10/31 [subscription required]; Theiss, “Everything Cleveland,” Cleveland Plain Dealer, 10/31).

Romney vs. Obama: What’s at stake for U.S. hospitals

Posted on: by debbiedavis No Comments

From the Advisory Board Company-The Daily Briefing

October 15, 2012

The New York Times and Modern Healthcare this month examined the potential impact of this year’s presidential election on U.S. hospitals and other health care providers.

According to the Times, President Obama and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney offer “two profoundly different visions for the future of the country’s health care system.” Both of those visions would bring change and present unique challenges for the health industry, Modern Healthcare reports.

  • How could the presidential election impact hospital finances? Join our experts in November for a discussion of the policy and financial implications.

If Romney wins

If elected, Romney among other things has pledged to:

  • Repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and replace it with new legislation, which might include some ACA provisions (Although Romney has not specified exactly what would replace the ACA, most of his ideas focus on market forces. For instance, he wants to create tax breaks for consumers who purchase insurance through individual insurance markets.);
  • Transform Medicare into a premium-support model; and
  • Convert Medicaid into a block-grant system that could cut as much as $1.26 trillion from the program.

According to former CMS Administrator Thomas Scully, Romney may not be able to repeal the ACA if Republicans do not win the necessary votes in both chambers of Congress. “But I think he’ll delay it for a helluva long time,” he says.

If Obama wins

If re-elected, Obama among other things has pledged to:

  • Fully implement the ACA;
  • Maintain the current Medicare model but attempt to cut costs by reducing payments to providers; and
  • Expand the Medicaid program to cover millions more U.S. residents.

However, Paul Ginsburg—president of the Center for Studying Health System Change—says that Obama may agree to compromise on certain parts of the law to obtain Republican support. For example, Obama might agree to delay some provisions of the law or reduce federal subsidies intended to help middle-income residents purchase insurance.

Regardless of the outcome

Whether Obama or Romney becomes the next president, hospitals will turn to the White House and Congress in the next few years to address many critical health care issues, including:

  • Disproportionate-share hospital payment cuts, which hospitals agreed to under the ACA in part because they expected more insured patients through the Medicaid expansion;
  • The sustainable growth-rate formula, the widely panned Medicare physician payment formula that will cut reimbursements by 27% next year if Congress does not act; and
  • Medicare and Medicaid cuts proposed by both candidates (Daly/Zigmond, Modern Healthcare, 10/6 [subscription required]; Goodnough/Pear, New York Times, 10/10).

The Election and My Retirement – Andrew D. Scianna, JD, AAMS®

Posted on: by drewscianna 1 Comment

Right now you cannot turn on the television or radio without hearing how one party will restore America and how the other will ruin it.  It does not matter which side of the aisle, both major parties want to make you believe that they care the most about your future.

So how does the Presidential election impact your retirement?  “Historically, the election outcome to the incumbent or challenger does not appear to have a significant impact on the stock market.” (Bloomberg 06/20/2012)  We know that you may have strong feelings about the current President and if polls suggest tell us anything it is either that you love or strongly dislike his performance over the last four years.  The polls are relatively evenly split.  Though no matter what happens you control more of your future than any politician by choosing to stick to or discontinue your plan.

So what if Congress changes?  Right now Republicans control the house and Democrats the Senate.  This could change either way, stay the same, or even create a 50/50 split in the Senate.  All of those scenarios are likely at this point in time. However we know that the “Markets (would) likely welcome the prospect or one party being in control of Congress regardless of party affiliation.” (LPL Mid Year Outlook 2012, June 2012)  Markets have also done well in split Congress sessions.  For example the US major market indices peaked in October 2007 with a split Congress.
So what about all of those international elections?  If you have a well-diversified portfolio it is likely that you own many international companies. Additionally, many American companies do a great deal of their business overseas.  Just watching the Olympics you can see the international impact of US businesses across the globe.  Europe, specifically, does have many political situations and elections upcoming. “(The) potential series of events leading to a crisis can be avoided, but it increasingly cannot be simply deferred…The next group of leaders in Europe will set the path for a deeper common bond or a return to nationalism with both economic and market consequences.” (LPL Mid Year Outlook 2012, June 2012)  However, this does not mean Europe should be completely avoided.  We are optimistic that these problems can be solved and Europe will eventually come out this recession and debt based crisis.

While there is a lot going on the world, two things are certain.  First, the markets will continue to be volatile, as they always have been.  Second, as always you must develop a plan that you feel comfortable with using even if the elections do not go the way you like.

 

Alzheimer’s 2012 Statistics

What You Need To Know About Alzheimer’s Disease

Watch this gripping 2 minute video about the most current statistics about Alzheimer’s Disease.  It is easy to think it won’t happen to you or your loved ones, but we need to wake up. Alzheimer’s is on the rise! Watch to learn more.

Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures 2012

Facts and Figures About Alzherimer’s Disease – 2012

  • 5.4 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease.
  • One in eight older Americans has Alzheimer’s disease.
  • Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States.
  • It is the only cause of death among the top 10 in the United States that cannot be prevented, cured or even slowed.
  • More than 15 million Americans provide unpaid care valued at $210 billion for persons with Alzheimer’s and other dementias.
  • Payments for care are estimated to be $200 billion in the United States in 2012.

An estimated 800,000 individuals with Alzheimer’s (or one in seven) live alone. People with Alzheimer’s and other dementias who live alone are exposed to higher risks—including inadequate self-care, malnutrition, untreated medical conditions, falls, wandering from home unattended and accidental deaths—compared to those who do not live alone. Of those who have Alzheimer’s and live alone, up to half of them do not have an identifiable caregiver.

Learn the numbers. Spread awareness.

Alz Awareness

Sources:

Alzheimer’s Association. 2012 Alzheimer’s disease facts and figures. Alzheimer’s and Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association. March 2012; 8:131–168.

Why Elderly People Hoard: 10 Senior Hoarding Solutions

Posted on: by Amy Criger 2 Comments

original post found here

Senior hoarding is a complicated and increasingly common. The first step in combating clutter with seniors is to figure out why your loved one is hoarding.

Reasons why Elderly People Hoard Belongings:

  1. History and Memories – often each item triggers a specific memory and it is difficult for seniors to separate the memory from the item.  Especially if the item is from an especially happy time.  One solution to this problem is to keep one item per memory.  You don’t need a box of baby clothes, how about this photo instead?
  2. Fatigue – Often the problem has become too big or too overwhelming mentally to deal with and it is easier for the senior to ignore.  One solution is to seek the help of a friend, family member, caregiver, or professional organizer.
  3. Sentimental Attachment – each item may be seen as a way to feel close to someone or to a time past.  Every person wants to tell their story.  One solution to the sentimental attachment associated with belongings is to help a senior tell their story.  Perhaps a quilt made out of favorite t-shirts, or a new scrapbook of family history. 
  4. Means – The seniors of today have more money than in times past. Shopping is a favorite past-time of many seniors today.  The problem is the additional accumulation of “stuff”. Some seniors shop for a life they had in the past, others for a life they hope to have in the future. Identify this if it becomes an unhealthy pattern and is adding to clutter.  If not, then let your senior shop away!
  5. Loyalty – Seniors often feel loyal to the person that gave them an object. They feel that by throwing the object out they are hurting the person that gave it to them.  As difficult as it may be, a solution is to separate the object from the person or the memory.  Help them gently realize that no one is being helped by keeping multiple items and being surrounded by clutter.
  6. Desire to conserve – Some elderly people lived through the depression era.  They were taught from a very young age not to be wasteful.  While this is a wonderful character trait and in many ways a skill that younger generations could learn from, this can be a difficult reason to overcome. One solution is to help your parent or senior loved one realize that they are not conserving things, because the items that they care about are buried and not being properly honored.  Focus on a few favorites and honor and display them properly.
  7. Physical Changes – Perhaps your senior has had a recent illness or injury. A stroke or rapid mental decline can make it virtually impossible to declutter.  Sometimes after an illness or injury a senior adult can no longer keep up with housekeeping. A solution is hiring an in home caregiver to help with daily or periodic housekeeping and house management.
  8. Time to accumulate – Seniors have had an entire lifetime to acquire treasures.  A pattern of not purging can lead to having too much.  A solution is putting in time and energy to help clean up if the home is not safe or if your senior feels overwhelmed.  Sort, make decisions, and organize.
  9. Fear – Sometimes fear of the unknown leads to hoarding.  Fear of losing belongings, or being unsure what will happen to the items once they leave the home are the most common. A solution is to donate usable items if at all possible and to include the senior in the physical donation if at all possible.
  10. Loneliness – Sadly, an all to common reason for senior hoarding is loneliness.  Many seniors don’t get visitors as often and no longer have a busy social life. Instead they replace people with belongings.  Sometimes it is a protective mechanism – the belongings will not leave them. A solution, find clubs or activities at a senior center that your senior is interested in. A professional in home caregiver can also provide regular companionship and assistance around the home.

Remeber to respect your parent or senior loved one, first and foremost.  If the senior’s safety is not impaired then it may not be worth pressing the issue.  Always stay calm while discussing the hoarding issues. More tips on sensitive solutions for hoarding…

If you are unsure if your elderly loved one is safe at home, download our free printable Home Safety Checklist for tips and tricks to make your home safe for aging in place.

 

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