Elder Care

How And When You Know When It’s The Right Time To Select Home Nursing For An Aging Parent

Posted in Elder Care on May 21st, 2010 by Linnea Firstat – Be the first to comment

The decision to put a loved one in a home with a nurse can be a tough one to make. It can be helpful if there are other people around you who support the choice. There are several ways that you will know When is the right time to select Home Nursing for an aging parent, that can help you to make the choice that you just might have to.

Taking care of an aging parent might be tough, especially if you are getting older too. You might be watching exactly what you are lifting, but then have to help with the lifting and moving around of your senior parent. When this is the case, hiring a nurse to help with this concern, is a great option.

If you have a parent or an older relative who is suffering from a disease where their mind is beginning to go, then it might be just a matter of time, before they might have to be placed in a home. That is because it can often be too much to handle someone who might be violent at times or require lots of supervision to properly keep the person safe.

When a senior requires more time to care for then you can give, it could be the time to seek some alternative arrangements. You may have a job that travels or a long commute between work and home, often elderly people need medicine administered and toilet needs handled.

When you are concerned with pulling out your back or injuring yourself or your parent, it might be time to consider some arrangements. When a senior needs help on the toilet, on and off the bed and with bath needs, it could be too tough for you to keep up with the physical strength that is involved.

You might feel guilty checking in on your parent just a few times a month, or even less in some people’s cases, however a private nurse can keep your parent happy and well taken care of. It can be a wise investment.

Sometimes a parent finds that their nurse becomes their best friend. It may be the only person they see everyday. This person will become a special person to your parent, it is crucial to find someone who will easily relate to your parent and show them the kind of respect that they deserve. When you find a good match, it can be the best thing that has ever happened to the parent in your life.

If you are struggling with the idea of When is the right time to select Home Nursing for an aging parent, then just take a look at all the reasons why it might work and what doubts you have. When you have concerns about it, you can talk to a nurse about them to get reassured about your questions.

Are you concerned about when it’s the right time is to choose HomeNursing for an aging parent? Get more info on the best homenursing instantly in our free home health guide.

Monitored Home And Business Security

Posted in Elder Care on May 10th, 2010 by Owen Jones – Be the first to comment

Many Americans are just starting to appreciate that advanced security measures are not only for the extremely rich. You just cannot get too much security for yourself and your family or your employees. The problems in society are getting worse too, not better. The current recession is hitting hard and splitting society even more into the have and have-nots, the working and the not-working.

However, these days burglars do not seek out the very wealthy, because they have all the protection that money can buy. The people most likely to be robbed and burgled are the working middle classes. They get robbed when they are at work and the kids are at school or when they are sleeping in their beds.

This is why it is necessary to have the best automated security you can afford taking care of your home and family twenty-four hours a day. But it is not only your home, your business and employees deserve protecting too. How many gun-toting lunatics have shot their colleagues dead in the last few years?

Not many firms can afford security personnel but you could get the next best thing, which is electronically monitored surveillance. There are various types of system available and most are flexible enough to be adaptable to any building. You could then monitor the system yourself during working hours by having a monitor in the office or your home and send the signal to a security firm at other times of the day, at weekends and at night.

If you adopt this sort of system, you will be placing your home or office in the top echelon of secured properties and professional burglars will realize it and stay away from you and yours. Most people begrudge the monitoring fees, but the system falls down, if no-one is watching the image sent by the cameras. You could try to reduce this cost by monitoring the images yourself for part of the day and relaying the image to professionals when you are unavailable. You could also ask your insurance company for a discount and ask your accountant to put the expense down against your taxes.

The good thing about a monitored service is that you know that help is at hand twenty-four hours every day. You may be living alone or prone to fits or a heart attack. You could get almost immediate help in these cases by pressing the panic alarm. These panic buttons can be positioned at the front and back door, in every room in the house or you could have a radio button on a necklace around your neck. These systems are quite common and are used by many care centres for the elderly or the frail.

You will almost certainly have to do some sums to work out whether you need or can afford a monitored home security system, but there is no doubt that it is the most secure system available. However, not all home security monitoring businesses are the same, so it is worth checking up with friends or with the companies’ governing body or even the local council to see if they have a good reputation.

Owen Jones, the author of this writer, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with home security systems comparison. If you are interested in Security Systems For Home Use, please click through to our site.

Happiness Of Round The Clock Child Care Centers

Posted in Elder Care on April 30th, 2010 by Kriss Web – Be the first to comment

Day care centers have definitely contributed to bringing typically the much necessary smiles on the face of working mother and father, although round the clock child care center turned out to be clearly somewhat distinguishing to me hearing it for the very first time, having said that for those who are searching for impressive day care, the name almost never concerns much. Thus there’s nothing very important in connection with particular name. Since parents most of the time look onward to home kinda ambiance for their kids while in the day care Banjara hills.

Parents coming to the child care initially might feel a good quantity of care is actually been taken, to make certain that nearly all matters the subject of child care is up to the international specifications. The direction they’ve utilized the technology for their advantage, this one attribute need to enlighten us the way things are taken care of, with respect to child care.

A number of us have heard of technology which has a human face, while Esperanza care rightly revealed just how a intricate technology finds itself-really going soft on the subject of child care.

Everyone commonly hear of technology which has a human face, while Esperanza care appropriately demonstrated just how a intricate technology finds itself getting soft relating to child care.

That’s music for parents who have regular trips. Well talking on the matter of the transportation, it’s absolutely nothing surprising that drivers cannot be trusted on this issue, therefore parents are obviously concerned about it, nonetheless Esperanza care has an answer they have got facilitated GPS facility for all of their cabs.

It’s not unheard of for parents to seek that kinda ambiance. Most parents really feel similar in such matters. Just about every parent, who cares with regard to the welfare of the baby, in most cases think twice. Considering the fact that it’s actually linked with kids well-being, things ought not to be taken easily. Therefore every parent concerned with the well being of the child will certainly first of all visit the day care and often will take personal stock of the claims.

Parents are often concerned concerning the hygiene conditions that exist in the childcare centers; it is often appropriate that they take personal note of the premises. But after moving through the daycare there is no doubt that Esperanza was living up to the expectations. The place was fully flooded with natural light and there was good ventilation too.

Seriously, day care Banjara hills is without a doubt an ideal childcare center that is a perfect for every working parent because it offers homely environment and the professional standards that the management follows are truly laudable.

Kriss Web is a day care professional, Day Care Banjara hills is actually very well experienced at providing the best child care amenities, now offer your child the best day care experience, find out more on it,www.esperanzacorporate.com

5 Common Mistakes People With Elderly Parents Make

Posted in Elder Care on April 11th, 2010 by Theanna Zika – Be the first to comment

1. Not having a discussions about alternative living arrangements for your parents.

It is critical to be proactive about this! If you start this process early on, it will be a lot easier and much less confrontational. When you start these discussions about options and choices early on, you are able to be much more relaxed and calm about it.

If you wait and start talking about it after your Dad has fallen and broken his hip, there is no time to be low key-you are now “under the gun” to find answers quickly!

2. Being in the dark about your parents financial situation.

Know whether or not they have a long term care policy. If so, you should know where it is and make sure it’s easily accessible. Also, take some time to read through it so you know what it does and does not cover.

If they do not have insurance, what other financial resources do they have? Perhaps it would make sense for you and your parents to talk with an attorney about Medicaid eligibility and spend down rules. Also, if you have a parent who is a Veteran, it’s possible they’re eligible to receive coverage for some services.

3. Immediately thinking that a nursing home is the only option when one, or both, of your parents’ health starts failing.

These days there are a myriad of choices and options. If one is adamant about staying in his or her own home, there is a good chance they can have care there until they pass.

It’s also pretty easy to get creative and combine several types of care. For example, a family can arrange for Mom to go to an adult day care center a few days per week and then have a caregiver fill in the other days as well as overnight, if necessary. You and other family members can then supplement other times as needed. There are endless possibilities when it comes to customizing a plan for you and your loved ones.

4. Not getting help until the last minute.

This is a big one. If you wait until Mom is schedule to come home tomorrow from a hospital stay, it will be extremely difficult to make good, rational decisions in such a short time. Trying to develop a good plan of care under such stress will be overwhelming.

My advice is to do your homework sooner rather than later. It’s never too early to start to search out a few agencies or facilities, find ones you are comfortable with and start building a relationship with them. You can even arrange a visit for you and/or your parents to a facility or have someone come to your home for an assessment. This way, if an emergency occurs, you’ll be reaching out to people you are comfortable with and are familiar with your loved one and their situation.

5. Only looking at cost when deciding between care options.

This can go either way. Very expensive nursing home facilities may not have very good track records when it comes to caring for their residents. Don’t just look at pretty websites, videos, fancy tours or brochures. It’s important to talk to as many residents and their loved ones as possible to get a true sense of the care the facility provides.

And it you’re looking to arrange home care, selecting the company with the lowest rates might not be the best option. The quality caregivers out there command (and deserve) a higher salary. Good home care agencies can’t be the lowest cost providers yet offer the best caregivers. Lastly, if you go the home care route, be sure to meet with, and approve of, anyone that will be provider care for your loved one before they start care.

Theanna Zika started St. Louis home care company, Heavenly Helpers, in 2004. She shares tips, strategies and advice about caring for seniors that she has learned over the years on the blog at her company’s website. The site also features a helpful list of St. Louis senior resources for seniors and their loved ones in the St. Louis Metro area.

The Reason Why to Pick Home Health Care Equipment

Posted in Elder Care on April 5th, 2010 by Claren Ruilberg – Be the first to comment

For individuals who need to protect their personal health, making use of the best products of home health care equipment is necessary to live longer and happily. There are various tools and health care equipments as well as technologies that have been used to cater to people who require home health care. In fact home health care is extremely simple and user-friendly and as a result of the newest innovations in home health care equipment, there are now several ’smart’ devices that have become available that allow for less protection of the various machines.

Wireless Technologies

Newest home health care equipment are even incorporating wireless technologies that meant that the equipment can be associated with the Internet in order to offer even more effective and also checked health care services. Besides these advantages, utilizing newest home health care equipment does mean having health care at lower cost and with larger convenience of use as well.

A lot of people suffer from particular conditions which require that they are strictly checked and this in turn means having to be admitted to a hospital. Nonetheless, modern home health care equipment can perform the monitoring and so save the patient from needing to be accepted in a hospital. Furthermore, it also means having more efficient and also effective care and the patients can exercise greater control over their personal condition.

With so many benefits of working with home health care equipment it is it’s no surprise that sales of this kind of equipment too has been rising – primarily because more and more patients are asking for home health care equipment that enables them to monitor their own health. Companies of this kind of equipment however are released with an increase of impressive as well as excellent equipment, and it is in fact even expected that in the near future they are going to offer us toothbrushes which they can display to check our blood sugar and levels of bacteria and this data would be used in our health care records.

The time is not far either previous to home health care equipment will become available that can keep an eye on the working of a sufferer’s heart and this info will then be transmitted to computers to make heart monitoring a lot more simple and convenient as well.It is not too surprising either to understand that senior home health care is most popular by those who are in an innovative stage in their lives.

In fact, it’s a common scene for older persons to feel depressed when they’re sent to nursing home for medical care because they feel that they have been delivered to a place from in which they’re not going to return – only pass away. To make elderly people feel needed and cared for therefore, it is far better to provide them in their houses where they’ll feel happier and respond well to therapy as well.

If you are considering maintaining your health by selecting best health care provider out there, you need to make sure that it has the right medical equipment. It is recommended for you to check out medical office supplies site where you can get home blood pressure monitors and related info.

When Contrasted With The Costs Associated With Nursing Homes, Home Care Is A More Desirable Option

Posted in Elder Care on February 13th, 2010 by Jack Haddad – Be the first to comment

Many elders and their families are considering home care as a viable option, as the costs for nursing care facilities rises to astronomical figures. Many elders enjoy the independence of living in their homes, while receiving the required medical care that cannot be furnished from their relatives or friends.

At some point we may need to make decisions for ourselves or our loved ones when living at home alone is no longer possible and more care is needed. But can we afford the elder care costs? How much do the options really cost?

The preponderance of evidence from studies of cost-effectiveness suggests that home health care is less expensive than extended hospitalization from the standpoint of third-party payers, especially when specific patient groups are studied, such as those with incurable cancer requiring parenteral nutrition or individuals requiring intravenous antibiotics.

A prospective clinical assessment by Kramer et al, which was published in the Journal of Health Services Research, reported the following:

Case-mix differences between 653 home health care patients and 650 nursing home patients, and between 455 Medicare home health patients and 447 Medicare nursing home patients were assessed using random samples selected from 20 home health agencies and 46 nursing homes in 12 states.

Home health patients were younger, had shorter lengths of stay, and were less functionally disabled than nursing home patients. Traditional long-term care problems requiring personal care were more common among nursing home patients, whereas problems requiring skilled nursing services were more prevalent among home health patients.

Considering Medicare patients only, nursing home patients were much more likely to be dependent in activities of daily living (ADLs) than home health patients. Medicare nursing home and home health patients were relatively similar in terms of long-term care problems, and differences in medical problems were less pronounced than between all nursing home and all home health patients.

From the standpoint of cost-effectiveness, it would appear that home health care might provide a substitute for acute care hospital use at the end of a hospital stay, and appears to be a more viable option in the care of patients who are not severely disabled and do not have profound functional problems. The Medicare skilled nursing facility, however, is likely to continue to have a crucial role in posthospital care as the treatment modality of choice for individuals who require both highly skilled care and functional assistance.

Moreover, home care appears to be a more viable option in the case of patients who are not severely disabled and who do not have profound functional problems such as mental status impairment or incontinence.

As discussed previously, prospective payment under Medicare is likely to increase the number of elderly patients discharged from the hospital with “subacute” care needs. That said, home health care should be encouraged by public policy as an alternative
for many of these individuals by creating incentives for treating patients with skilled care needs in the home.

Furthermore, there is considerable interest in expanding the scope of home health services to provide a substitute for patients generally treated in nursing homes and covered by Medicaid. Medicaid Waiver Programs (Section 2176) and other demonstration
programs approach this by providing additional services (such as homemakers and adult day care), which assist in compensating for functional disabilities and poor social supports.

In view of the changing demographics of the population, it seems advisable to pursue alternatives to nursing home care for patients in need of long-term care. Onemajor advantage of home health agencies is that they require considerably
less capital to initiate than is required for nursing home construction. On the other hand, it is extremely difficult to provide a range of functional services in the home or community at a cost comparable to nursing home care for patients with heavy care needs in this area. The
cost-effectiveness of the home care option seems to depend in part on the ability to select patients who would otherwise utilize nursing home care but who can be treated in the home at comparable or lower cost.

Jack Haddad, MD, MBA
Portfolio Manager
MD Capital Management

Affiliated Hospitals
Sutter-Roseville Medical Center, Roseville, CA
San Francisco General Hospital, San Francisco, CA
San Jose Orthopedic Medical Group, San Jose, CA
Highland Hospital, Oakland, CA

Dr. Jack Haddad, MD, MBA is the founder and owner of King of Home Care, an independently owned non-medical In-home care agency. In addition to his compassion and dedication to the home care industry, Dr. Haddad’s expertise and knowledge with Home Care is evident by the clinical research trials that he has conducted over the years.

Helpful Ideas For Planning a Funeral Service

Posted in Elder Care on February 12th, 2010 by Becky Huffman – Be the first to comment

As much as you don’t want to consider the whole funeral process, it is important that you are well informed and aware of what is involved. In as much as people don’t wish to think about it, it makes sense to plan it out ahead of time so that everything is taken care of in advance. From flowers to location decisions, many people are caught up in shock while they in the moment. When caught unaware, their emotions may lead them into making costly mistakes that cannot be taken back after the fact. If you are close to the one who has passed, then hopefully you will not be the one in charge of the funeral. You will be dealing with feelings of grief, anger, confusion, erratic thoughts, and sometimes numbness. There are many stages you will go through. There are numerous options and it is easy to become overwhelmed when faced with it all, but if you breathe and try taking it step-by-step you will get through this. To make the funeral planning ordeal a little smoother, try these helpful tips.

If it is possible to get a family funeral adviser, he can help tremendously with various options. Instead of having to physically go to the showroom to pick out the casket and all the other difficult details, the adviser can find it all online for you. An adviser may or may not be within the budget.

Delegate responsibility. Have other family members or friends that are in a frame of mind to handle the important details. Make sure they are armed with any special details or requests from your loved one that you may be aware of so that they may carry this out for you. Decide if you want a modern or a traditional funeral. Should it be held in a church or a fraternity hall? Do you want the casket open or closed? Cremation is less expensive and is becoming more common. Maybe a closed gathering with only family in attendance and spreading the ashes somewhere meaningful is more your style. There are advantages cost-wise to this because there is no embalming, or vaults, grave liners, or coffins. Many people are opting for this route and simply putting up pictures that will make friends and family smile. You can be respectful, yet give them a dignified send off.

Any of these rituals are perfectly fine. There are no clear-cut rules to this personal time. Ultimately it is simply a way to let friends and family honor and celebrate the life that their loved one lived, and to pay their last respects.

Remember that there doesn’t have to be a rigid format. While it is hard to concentrate on all of these matters try to think about the deceased, what song held special meaning to them, and what they would really want you to do for them.

John P Brooks is a funeral directory with over 35 years of experience and he is here to answer questions your might have about planning a funeral service, picking the right funeral home especially picking a funeral home in Texas Get a totally unique version of this article from our article submission service

Wheelchairs Might Be More Important Than You Think

Posted in Elder Care on February 12th, 2010 by Ty Summers – Be the first to comment

Physically disabled people are quite dependent on wheelchairs for mobility as they get the ability to move about, often without assistance. Public facilities like malls, airports and the like provide free wheelchairs to those who need them, even though some form of identification may be asked for at the help desk as a deposit. The versatility and flexibility in design of wheelchairs has also greatly increased, for people with severe paralysis being able to maneuver the chair with any part of the body. There are other chairs too that are known as power chairs which are mouthpiece controlled.

Those who want wheelchairs with a tight and small turning radius can use wheelchairs that are motorized. Some of these can also be tailor made to specifications by adding reclining footrests, seats and legs, power stands and spring suspension on addition to tilting facility. In addition these are also available in a variety of shapes and sizes.

The electric powered wheelchairs have become more popular in recent times. Wheelchairs are great inventions that have provided increased mobility and independence for people with temporary or permanent disabilities. Wheelchairs were originally a basic platform on a set of wheels, but these machines have developed many accessories for improvement since they were first used to help people.

There used to be a time when wheelchairs were just functional with hardly any attention being paid to looks and aesthetics. This is no longer true as there are so many wheelchairs that come in a variety of snazzy and jazzy wheelchairs which are preferred by the younger generation. Such chairs are now considered to be a kind of creative expression too.

Wheelchairs are effective mobility equipments which are seen to help with day to day tasks. Things as simple as moving out of bed can be assisted by a wheelchair and these not only provide assistance to disabled people to move, but also help health professionals in helping such people and making their life a bit easier.

Disabled people often want to travel alone, a way in which they can keep their independence, and for this reason lightweight travel wheelchairs are a very much desired piece of equipment. Walking long corridors, like those from check in to an airplane departure gate can cause a huge amount of stress, even to someone who is only partially mobility impaired.

Materials used in making lightweight wheelchairs include titanium, aluminum, chrome and also carbon fiber. These have evolved quite a lot recently and prices have gone down drastically. These also have a lot of options in terms of wheelchair accessories, arm and back rests, casters and seats too. It is quite amazing that many wheelchairs now weigh less than 10 kgs and are fully functional.

Ty Summers enjoys researching mobility accessories along with another closely related category of travel accessories.

The Role Of Long-Term In-Home Care For Alzheimer’s Patients

Posted in Elder Care on February 9th, 2010 by Jack Haddad – Be the first to comment

Caring for a family member inflicted with symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease is both debilitating and a challenging task. Each day brings new demands as the caregiver copes with the rapid progression of the new patterns of behavior of the Alzheimer’s patient.

In preparing and setting up an effective home care for an Alzheimer’s patient, a compassionate caregiver must make the following changes in a new home environment:

1. As the disease progresses, adjusting your communication style to the patient’s changing needs.

2. Scheduling visitors to avoid surprises and have something to look forward to. Even if the elder with dementia does not recognize those who visit, the contact is nonetheless valuable for them.

3. Establishing routines in activities of daily living. Be accepting of the increasingly limited capabilities of the person with dementia and implement care strategies accordingly. Do your best to be patient, kind, flexible, supportive, and calm. This disease is no one’s fault, although it is very aggravating and disappointing.

By the same token, don’t take problem behaviors (like aggressiveness or wandering) personally. Accept the symptoms of the disease and proceed from there. Remember that the person is not behaving this way on purpose.

Plan activities that the patient is interested in, such as art, cooking, walking, swimming, or gardening. Focus on enjoyment, not achievement. If the person is lucid enough, involve them in making music, doing puzzles or crosswords, or playing memory games, card or board games. Or, the patient may passively enjoy hearing music, contact with pets, or sitting outside in the garden.

Go for walks in the neighborhood, go for a drive, or spend time at a park. Walking is often therapeutic, although the pace may not be as vigorous as you might like. Develop a style of paying more attention to the beauty and novelty of your surroundings as you walk.

4. Maintaining social contacts and fun. During the early stage of the disease, caregivers can promote the patient’s sense of well being by providing emotional support and by helping to maintain familiar activities and social contacts.

Even when Alzheimer’s patients no longer have the cognitive ability to understand your humor, they can still appreciate it. They may still smile or laugh and sharing that laughter can be a relief to both you and your charge. Use the same modes of humor as you always have: teasing, nonsense, clowning. Be even more silly than usual!

To counteract isolation and loneliness, encourage family and friends to stay involved. Take the patient to family gatherings if it’s comfortable to do so. Schedule visitors, to avoid surprises and have something to look forward to. Even if the elder with dementia does not recognize those who visit, the contact is nonetheless valuable for them.

Sometimes the caregiver will want to join the patient in family gatherings or stay in the home when visitors are present. Caregivers can start feeling isolated and lonely themselves as more and more of their time is built around the elder’s needs. If the patient feels safe with the visitors, the caregiver can use the visiting time as an opportunity for relief and respite. Adult day care has similar benefits: social stimulation for the patient and free time for the caregiver.

5. Promote comfort and safety. As problems with memory and judgment increase, the patient becomes more vulnerable to accidents and injuries. There will be times when you’ll want to remind the person that they have Alzheimer’s. At other times it might be better to refer to a “memory problem.” Even if you repeatedly tell the elder that they have Alzheimer’s disease, they may not remember that you told them. Be prepared to patiently repeat the information at times when you’re trying to help the person understand why they can’t do something or why you are taking over a task the person used to do.

Carefully screened and compassionate caregivers regard their responsibility as a way of being involved with their loved one. Their caring is based on unconditional love, and they do not consider it a burden. Dementia patients are able to read body language and to respond to the positive attitudes of the caregiver. Where patient and caregiver have had problems in their past relationship, it can be especially challenging to empathize and be kind, so a support system for the caregiver is most important.

6. Communicate with an Alzheimer’s patient. A good home care service trains caregivers to acknowledge requests and respond to these patients. Don’t argue or try to change the person’s mind, even if you believe the request is irrational. Be affectionate with the patient, if this feels natural. Try not to set up a cycle of paying attention only when the person displays problem behaviors. Break this negative cycle by being supportive of positive behavior.

Jack Haddad, MD, MBA
Portfolio Manager
MD Capital Management
Affiliated Hospitals
Sutter-Roseville Medical Center, Roseville, CA
San Francisco General Hospital, San Francisco, CA
San Jose Orthopedic Medical Group, San Jose, CA
Highland Hospital, Oakland, CA

Dr. Jack Haddad, MD, MBA is the founder and owner of King of Home Care, an independently owned non-medical In-home care agency. In addition to his compassion and dedication to the home care industry, Dr. Haddad’s expertise and knowledge with In-Home Care is evident by the clinical research trials that he has conducted over the years.

The Value of Home Care And Individuals With Advanced Cancer– The results of a German Study

Posted in Elder Care on February 7th, 2010 by Jack Haddad – Be the first to comment

Researches from Germany conducted a study to evaluate the significance of home care patients suffering from advanced cancer. Results were published in Med Klin, 15;95(3): 136-42.

Analysis of the study was derived from interviews with relatives of patients with terminal cancer diseases. They had participated in the home care of 50 consecutively treated patients 2 years previously.

The value of home care was evaluated on the basis of the personal experience of those concerned. Data showed that the holistic concept of palliative home care could be implemented by a specialized team at a high quality level.

Under the favorable conditions of the familiar surroundings, an atmosphere of trust developed as a result of the cooperation with the family members, people close to the patients and with family doctors. It contributed to a relatively high quality of life and to alleviate the emotional stress. Most of those involved were able to accept the hand of fate. On this basis, the terminal phase could be satisfactorily arranged and preparations made for a good quality of death.

During the home care, appreciation of the value of the family increased. The intensified family relations were mostly sustained after the patient’s death. The results document the great personal importance of home care for patients, their caretakers and families. The positive experience and the awareness of having contributed substantially to coping with the life crisis made it easier for the bereaved to grieve and to rearrange their life. Stepwise discriminant analysis was performed using admission, discharge, and combined variables. In our final model of the predictors of discharge disposition, the use of admission functional variables, age, and sex correctly classified 100% of the NH group and 91% of the other group, with IADL, ADL, and mobility defining the function that discriminated the groups.

In conclusion, other studies have been conducted on predictors of bereavement outcomes in family caregivers of persons who have died of cancer. The literature has been divided into common themes of predictors: characteristics of the deceased person, characteristics of the bereaved person, comparisons of bereaved and non-bereaved persons, well-being of the bereaved person prior to the death, prior interpersonal relationships, characteristics of the illness, characteristics of the caregiving experience, and characteristics of terminal care.

A number of recurring patterns point the way to identifying persons who may be at increased risk for poor adjustment during bereavement. It is apparent that men and women express their grief somewhat differently. Whether men or women are at greater risk for poor adjustment, however, remains to be determined.

There is some empirical evidence to suggest that lower socioeconomic status and linguistic barriers interfere with adjustment during bereavement. There is a dearth of culturally relevant services to help palliative-care patients and their family members make the required adjustments. The literature makes apparent the need for open awareness of the impending death and for careful and thoughtful planning for where and how the death ought to occur.

The regular and frequent presence of professional caregivers contributes to family caregivers’ satisfaction with care. Discrepant findings point to the need to explore the issues that underline them. Older bereaved caregivers appear to have some advantages over younger ones, but this finding is not universally found in the results of these studies. Methodological problems include small sample sizes and large variations in the particular bereavement outcomes studied.

Jack Haddad, MD, MBA Portfolio Manager MD Capital Management

Affiliated Hospitals Sutter-Roseville Medical Center, Roseville, CA San Francisco General Hospital, San Francisco, CA San Jose Orthopedic Medical Group, San Jose, CA Highland Hospital, Oakland, CA

Dr. Jack Haddad, MD, MBA is the founder and owner of King of Home Care, an independently owned non-medical In-home care agency. In addition to his compassion and dedication to the home care industry, Dr. Haddad’s expertise and knowledge in hospice care is evident by the clinical research trials that he has conducted over the years.