A Typical Day in a Senior Rehab Facility

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If your parent or loved one has a surgery planned or they have been recently hospitalized, it is likely that they will be referred to an in-patient rehabilitation facility to help them recover. You may be curious about what their stay will be like and how their days will be structured. Whether they will be in the facility for a few days or a few months, each day will be filled with physical therapy, speech therapy, respiratory therapy, occupational therapy and other medical treatments tailored to help them regain their ability to be as independent as possible. Read more

Coming Clean on the Importance of Handwashing

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It was the year 1846, and women admitted to the maternity clinic of Vienna General Hospital were inexplicably dying during childbirth. Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis, a new addition to the maternity clinic, was disturbed by the high mortality rate of patients and was determined to find the cause. After a number of experiments and observations, Dr. Semmelweis changed the course of healthcare with one simple discovery: Washing hands saved lives. Read more

How Do I Find the Best Home Health Care?

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You’ve spent your life knowing your parents and loved ones were there for you providing support, safety, and love. Now, as the roles reverse and the health of your loved one declines, you may be facing the reality of finding proper home care. Read more

5 Ways to Keep the Bounty of the Season from Expanding Your Waistline

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Thanksgiving may be over but it is my favorite holiday. I love the fall colors, the warm oven, the amazing smells coming from the kitchen, and the chance to give thanks for abundance. Thanksgiving is a time for celebrating — and it’s also a time for overeating. Read more

Real Cures for Tendonitis

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What do tennis elbow, pitcher’s shoulder, golfer’s elbow, and jumper’s knee have in common?

First, they all hurt. A lot. Many sufferers describe the pain as a dull ache, tender to the touch with visible swelling in the affected area.

Second, they are all forms of tendonitis. Tendonitis is the inflammation or irritation of a tendon. It is most common around your shoulders, elbows, wrists, knees and heels.

In most cases, the discomfort of mild cases of tendonitis can be treated with over-the-counter medication or rest. But if the pain persists, you may need to see a doctor.

Read more

6 Foods You Should Be Eating to Prevent Alzheimers Disease

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According to the Alzheimer’s Association, every 67 seconds someone in the United States develops Alzheimer’s disease. With this in mind, it’s important that every American lives a healthy lifestyle to combat the onset of Alzheimer’s and other dementia-related diseases. One of the most important lifestyle changes to prevent memory loss is eating foods known to prevent these diseases. Read on for a few recommended foods that can protect your mind without breaking the bank. Read more

Seniors and dental care: it’s something worth smiling about

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According to the Center for Disease Control, a little over half (60 percent) of today’s senior adults visited a dentist in 2013 despite the fact that one in four of seniors aged 65 and older have gum disease. This segment of the population is in need of proper dental care since many of today’s serious diseases can be linked to tooth decay or gum disease. Read more

4 Culinary Questions to Help You Choose a Nursing Home

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When you think about nursing home food, what comes to mind? Candlelight dinners, menus you can vote on and Thanksgiving dinner on the patio? Probably not. But at a five-star skilled nursing facility, that’s exactly what you’ll get. When choosing a skilled nursing or rehabilitation facility for your loved one to recover in, it is always important to take a good look at the food. Read more

Does your loved one need palliative care?

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It was Henry Miller who once said, “It is a very limited concept of medicine that strives to understand disease, but not the needs of sick people.”

Nowhere is that need greater than the care of our elderly. Fortunately, the healthcare industry is taking steps toward recognizing the unique needs of our senior loved ones by providing specialized care that meets the healthcare needs of the patients as well as the emotional and supportive needs of those who love them.

Commonly known as “comfort care,” palliative care provides a team of specialists who cater to the varying healthcare needs of a patient. That team often includes a physician, nurse, pharmacist, a social worker, chaplain and volunteers. Read more

The benefits of midwifery

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True or false: Midwives deliver babies at home without advanced medical care available.

The answer? A resounding false! While more than 90 percent of births in the U.S. are delivered by physicians, a growing minority of women rely on midwives to provide their prenatal care and delivery. These women use state-of-the-art technology and best practices in medicine combined with a patient-centric philosophy to give expecting mothers what they believe is the highest-quality healthcare with the best overall outcomes.

I had the opportunity to interview Diana Lee, a certified nurse midwife and a women’s health nurse practitioner at Revere Health to find out more. Read more