Guidelines for a Quality Home Health Service

Home Health is what a physician recommends on a short-term basis. This might be when a person is recovering from a severe illness or surgery, and needs assistance. Even after the hospital stay is over and they are in their house, the person might continue to need a period of nursing and medical assistance. This is what Home Health services offer. If you need the assistance of qualified Home Health personnel for yourself, or a loved one, here are a few frequently asked questions and answers.

In what situations can Home Health be recommended?

It is a specialized recommendation by the physician. The medical practitioner might determine that you need the services of nursing practitioners while you recover in your own home.

Is it covered by Mediclaim programs?

It is focused on providing medical assistance. It is usually paid by Medicare. It is meant to provide financial assistance to homebound people who are temporarily unable to leave their home without assistance. According to Medicare guidelines, if the person leaves home for "...short, infrequent trips...such as a trip to the barber...more than once a week" they are not eligible for Mediclaim coverage.

What kind of services could be covered under it?

It usually focuses on different kinds of specialized therapies to help you while you are rehabilitating. Often a person might temporarily lose the functions of certain parts of his body, or the ability to speak properly due to certain medical conditions. Health practitioners can offer physical therapy, occupational therapy, or therapy for speech or language fluency, to assist the person in their recovery. It is completely medical and does not include services to assist with basic 'sitter' functions such as dressing or grooming. If you require a service that assists the person with everyday functions on a long-term basis in home surroundings, in-home care could be an option.

How long does the trained nurse remain everyday with the person being cared for?

A Home Health nurse usually does not stay more than an hour. Their services focus on the medical assistance that has been recommended by the physician to help the person recover. A home care giver on the other hand offers to assist the person with everything that they find difficult to do on their own, including preparing food and going on errands. They might also escort the person for medical appointments.

When looking for services for health, Birmingham residents look for an agency that has a track record of quality care.

Home Health Birmingham- If you are looking for quality services for health, Birmingham residents will recommend the expert facilities at Always There.

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New Guidelines for Diagnosing Alzheimer's Disease

One of the most concerning aspects of Alzheimer's disease for those living with the condition, their families and their home care companies is the absence of a definitive cure.

However, scientists across the world are researching potential cures and knowledge about the condition is increasing all the time. Even though a cure has yet to be discovered, the increased knowledge and awareness of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia are helping to improve best practice in dementia care.

Updated guidelines: the key to better dementia care?

Earlier in April 2011, scientists in the USA updated their guidelines for diagnosing Alzheimer's: the first significant update for nearly 30 years.

The original guidelines, established in 1984, defined Alzheimer's as having a single stage, dementia, and diagnosis was based solely on clinical symptoms. The recent update identifies three stages of an Alzheimer's diagnosis (brain changes, mild cognitive impairment symptoms, and finally an evaluation of the mental decline caused by the condition).

The concept that Alzheimer's disease can be diagnosed before memory loss has become apparent is groundbreaking and, hopefully, one step closer to a cure. In the meantime, medical professionals can potentially use the new guidelines to identify individuals in need of dementia care before they show any obvious signs of memory loss: a significant step forward.

Possible cures for Alzheimer's disease

Potential cures for Alzheimer's disease fall into three main areas of research:

Protein plaques in the brain

At the present time, many of the potential treatments and cures for are focused on the protein plaques that appear in the brains of individuals with the condition. The idea is to find a treatment that will remove these plaques and in doing so reverse and remove the presence of Alzheimer's.

Dietary supplements and complementary therapies

There has also been research into whether dietary supplements and complementary therapies could be used to treat Alzheimer's disease, either alongside or instead of drugs.

An American study undertaken in 2009 by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), the VA Bedford Medical Center and Harvard Medical School uncovered evidence that taking vitamin E supplements could postpone or prevent cognitive decline: a finding that could be significant for medical professionals and providers of dementia care.

The study, which observed "a modest slowing of decline in function in those patients taking vitamin E" after three years further suggested that there was an additive effect in patients who took both vitamin E and anti-inflammatory medications, in terms of slowing overall decline. [Source: study investigator Michael R. Flaherty in a 2009 telephone call with Reuters].

These findings could pave the way for new treatments to slow down or even cure Alzheimer's disease.

Drugs and vaccinations

The drugs that are currently used to manage some of the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease are constantly being tested to see if they could be modified in some way to enable them to eradicate the condition altogether.

Stem cell therapies are also being investigated, as is the possibility of a vaccination, which could potentially be issued to elderly people or anyone else considered at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

As well as researching new methods of providing dementia care and potentially curing Alzheimer's disease, scientists are also conducting systematic reviews of previous research in order to build an evidence base and identify any gaps in knowledge.

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