By Sarah Daubman, R.D., Staff Dietician
In June of this year I decided to adopt a vegetarian diet. I had attempted the same a few years ago, but did not stay with it in the long run. My interest was renewed after reading T. Colin Campbell’s The China Study, which I would recommend to anyone interested in nutrition research, vegetarianism or disease prevention.
Initially, I challenged myself to stick with it for 30 days. Thirty days has turned into three months and I still remain committed. The benefits of a vegetarian diet have long been clear. In 1997, the American Dietetic Association released their position paper on vegetarian diets stating “that appropriately planned vegetarian diets are healthful, are nutritionally adequate, and provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases.”
The paper goes on to describe the lower incidence rate of diseases in vegetarians than non-vegetarians. Specifically, vegetarians are less likely to have coronary artery disease, type II Diabetes Mellitus and lung and colorectal cancer. Also, vegetarians often have lower cholesterols and blood pressure and weigh less than their meat-eating counterparts.
There are different types of vegetarians. Vegans consume no animal products, including meat, poultry, seafood, dairy, eggs and honey. Lacto-vegetarians eat dairy but no meat, seafood or eggs. Ovo-vegetarians eat eggs but no dairy, meat or seafood. You may have heard some newer terms such as “flexitarian” or “semi-vegetarian.” These persons may limit their intake of certain types of meats or seafood, or only eat meat at limited times, for example, red meat once a week. Whether this reflects the true ideal of vegetarianism can be debated.
As noted in my earlier posting I am a lover of the culinary arts as well as nutrition. Trying new recipes is my favorite part of the new lifestyle and I hope to share some with you as this blog progresses. My goal is not to convert the reader, but rather encourage some new dishes at the dinner table. I promise they will not all be about rutabagas.
About The China Study:
http://www.amazon.com/China-Study-Comprehensive-Nutrition-Implications/dp/1932100660/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-6800051-2080043?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1189043289&sr=8-1
American Dietetic Association Position Paper on Vegetarian Diets:
http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/adapaper.htm
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Care-Givers! Give Yourself A Break
By Dana Pavelock, Director of Home Care Operations
10 Commandments for Care-Givers
1. Be True To Yourself 2. Know Your Limits 3. Make Time for Yourself 4. Know When to Say No 5. Know When To Ask For Help 6. Know When To Get Counseling 7. Have Empathy, Not Sympathy For Your Care Recipient 8. Have Compassion olr Them And Yourself 9. Enlist Your Family Support 10. Create Support for Yourself
Roughly 25 percent of families are relying on informal family caregivers to bridge the needs of caring for a loved one at home. Today, 30 million households are providing care for an adult over the age of 50 and this number is expected to double over the next 25 years. This informal and highly motivated workforce of caregivers often find themselves struggling to navigate a very complex system of health care and are under a great deal of stress. Informal caregivers tend to be family members, mostly women between age 45 and 65, attempting to balance the needs of parents and grandparents with children and grandchildren. Often these individuals find themselves suddenly immersed in the role of caregiver without warning, preparation and/or training and are at risk of compromising their own health care and social needs. Rarely is there a support system for them. As the aging population continues to grow at a very fast rate there will be more and more demands placed upon family caregivers. Combined also with a higher life expectancy and with the trend for the aging population to want to remain at home, we will need ongoing support from local county, government and private agencies.
Some of you reading this may not be in a care-giving role at this time. While you might not be thinking about it now, being proactive and establishing a plan now, in anticipation you will soon be launched into caring for a family member may help avoid some of the stress and other tensions that materialize both at work and at home. The first step should begin with discussing with having a conversation with your and the person you expect will require more care and support to live safely at home, identifying potential support and services that are readily available, anticipating care needs and establishing a plan. All too often, one person takes on the primary role as caregiver which often leads to physical and emotional exhaustion and can result in development of increased health risks to the caregiver.
Fortunately there is help available for individuals who find themselves suddenly in that care-giving role. The best resource is to start by contacting your counties Office for the Aging, surfing the internet and reaching out to home care agencies for help. There is a wealth of information that will provide you with the necessary tools and support you may need so that you can take good care of a loved one and at the same time help maintain your own quality of life. As you might expect, it takes a very special person to fulfill the role of caregiver. In our particular agency, we have long recognized the value of both paid and unpaid family caregivers, recently obtaining a grant through the Dutchess County Office of the Aging to lead a Caregiver Support, Training and Counseling program that provides various workshops, trainings and even an employee to provide one on one visitation in the home, free of charge for caregivers.
When it comes to paid caregivers, please do not underestimate their genuine concern and passion for what it is they do every day. Relationships that are formed between patients and our caregivers is priceless and can be captured by quoting a few words taken from a poem written by Sharon Greene, Home Health Aide; “I am a health care worker, I enjoy my job and this is what I do best. Put a smile on someone’s face, making their day and just being there for them.”
10 Commandments for Care-Givers
1. Be True To Yourself 2. Know Your Limits 3. Make Time for Yourself 4. Know When to Say No 5. Know When To Ask For Help 6. Know When To Get Counseling 7. Have Empathy, Not Sympathy For Your Care Recipient 8. Have Compassion olr Them And Yourself 9. Enlist Your Family Support 10. Create Support for Yourself
Roughly 25 percent of families are relying on informal family caregivers to bridge the needs of caring for a loved one at home. Today, 30 million households are providing care for an adult over the age of 50 and this number is expected to double over the next 25 years. This informal and highly motivated workforce of caregivers often find themselves struggling to navigate a very complex system of health care and are under a great deal of stress. Informal caregivers tend to be family members, mostly women between age 45 and 65, attempting to balance the needs of parents and grandparents with children and grandchildren. Often these individuals find themselves suddenly immersed in the role of caregiver without warning, preparation and/or training and are at risk of compromising their own health care and social needs. Rarely is there a support system for them. As the aging population continues to grow at a very fast rate there will be more and more demands placed upon family caregivers. Combined also with a higher life expectancy and with the trend for the aging population to want to remain at home, we will need ongoing support from local county, government and private agencies.
Some of you reading this may not be in a care-giving role at this time. While you might not be thinking about it now, being proactive and establishing a plan now, in anticipation you will soon be launched into caring for a family member may help avoid some of the stress and other tensions that materialize both at work and at home. The first step should begin with discussing with having a conversation with your and the person you expect will require more care and support to live safely at home, identifying potential support and services that are readily available, anticipating care needs and establishing a plan. All too often, one person takes on the primary role as caregiver which often leads to physical and emotional exhaustion and can result in development of increased health risks to the caregiver.
Fortunately there is help available for individuals who find themselves suddenly in that care-giving role. The best resource is to start by contacting your counties Office for the Aging, surfing the internet and reaching out to home care agencies for help. There is a wealth of information that will provide you with the necessary tools and support you may need so that you can take good care of a loved one and at the same time help maintain your own quality of life. As you might expect, it takes a very special person to fulfill the role of caregiver. In our particular agency, we have long recognized the value of both paid and unpaid family caregivers, recently obtaining a grant through the Dutchess County Office of the Aging to lead a Caregiver Support, Training and Counseling program that provides various workshops, trainings and even an employee to provide one on one visitation in the home, free of charge for caregivers.
When it comes to paid caregivers, please do not underestimate their genuine concern and passion for what it is they do every day. Relationships that are formed between patients and our caregivers is priceless and can be captured by quoting a few words taken from a poem written by Sharon Greene, Home Health Aide; “I am a health care worker, I enjoy my job and this is what I do best. Put a smile on someone’s face, making their day and just being there for them.”
Friday, September 21, 2007
Let's Get Drunk and Drive
By Cynthia Leslie, MD, FACS
Drinking and driving is as American as baseball and apple pie. Alcohol is our drug of choice and boy do we abuse it. Most of the time we’re lucky and people don’t get hurt. But, people who aren’t so lucky end up in the Trauma Center.
Think about it this way, Most of the people we know are fine, upstanding citizens that happily look down their noses at IV drug abusers. Most of those very same people have gotten very drunk. Not only have they gotten drunk, they’ve driven drunk to boot. We hear it all the time- “I only had two beers,” “I know how to handle my liquor,” and “I’m not an alcoholic.” The blah and the blah and the blah, never seem to end. But guess what fine, upstanding? You were drinking and someone is dead.
Here at the Trauma Center, we see patients in distress. We hear screaming and crying, pleading and dying and everything in between. We know that a lot of patients are unfortunate, innocent victims. But many of our unfortunate patients were drunk and incredibly stupid. We see every type of drunkenness that drinking has ever produced, but the drinker we see most often is The Drunk Who Isn’t Drunk. This amazing human being is a marvel to behold. He’s too drunk to tell you his name. He’s too drunk to tell you his age and when you ask him where he lives, he can’t remember that either. He took out a tree at a high rate of speed, and he killed his childhood friend. He’s The Drinker Who Isn’t Drunk and he doesn’t know how it happened.
We also take care of the drinker who’s Only An After Work Drinker. As soon as this drinker leaves her job, she drinks herself to sleep. From 6 p.m. through 6a.m., she’s as drunk as drunk can be and whenever she goes for a drive, bad things tend to happen. When she ends up in the trauma room, she asks the age-old question. But, I’m Only An After Work Drinker – how could this have happened?
And then there is the ultimate drinker, The Drinker Who Knows How To Kill. They murder your sweetheart, or husband. They murder your wife and kids. They also dismember your mother and leave your father face down in a ditch. The Drinker Who Knows How to Kill, look like normal people. They binge on booze on weekends, or they drink throughout the week. However they choose to do it, they’re drinking to get drunk and every time they tie one on, they always want to drive.
Now the last thing a drinker should do is go for a drive while drunk, but no matter how often we say it, no one seems to listen. People get on their ATVs and ride their motorcycles. They jump into their motorboats and rev up the engines. It almost makes me wonder why the trauma team makes a fuss. Perhaps we should all start drinking, just like out drunken patients.
So here’s to driving drunk and not caring about our children. Here’s to driving drunk and murdering all our neighbors. Here’s to driving drunk and becoming a quadriplegic. Here’s to driving drunk and learning to be a widow. Every time we drink and drive, we’re sure to have some fun. Here’s to drinking and driving and killing the people we love.
Drinking and driving is as American as baseball and apple pie. Alcohol is our drug of choice and boy do we abuse it. Most of the time we’re lucky and people don’t get hurt. But, people who aren’t so lucky end up in the Trauma Center.
Think about it this way, Most of the people we know are fine, upstanding citizens that happily look down their noses at IV drug abusers. Most of those very same people have gotten very drunk. Not only have they gotten drunk, they’ve driven drunk to boot. We hear it all the time- “I only had two beers,” “I know how to handle my liquor,” and “I’m not an alcoholic.” The blah and the blah and the blah, never seem to end. But guess what fine, upstanding? You were drinking and someone is dead.
Here at the Trauma Center, we see patients in distress. We hear screaming and crying, pleading and dying and everything in between. We know that a lot of patients are unfortunate, innocent victims. But many of our unfortunate patients were drunk and incredibly stupid. We see every type of drunkenness that drinking has ever produced, but the drinker we see most often is The Drunk Who Isn’t Drunk. This amazing human being is a marvel to behold. He’s too drunk to tell you his name. He’s too drunk to tell you his age and when you ask him where he lives, he can’t remember that either. He took out a tree at a high rate of speed, and he killed his childhood friend. He’s The Drinker Who Isn’t Drunk and he doesn’t know how it happened.
We also take care of the drinker who’s Only An After Work Drinker. As soon as this drinker leaves her job, she drinks herself to sleep. From 6 p.m. through 6a.m., she’s as drunk as drunk can be and whenever she goes for a drive, bad things tend to happen. When she ends up in the trauma room, she asks the age-old question. But, I’m Only An After Work Drinker – how could this have happened?
And then there is the ultimate drinker, The Drinker Who Knows How To Kill. They murder your sweetheart, or husband. They murder your wife and kids. They also dismember your mother and leave your father face down in a ditch. The Drinker Who Knows How to Kill, look like normal people. They binge on booze on weekends, or they drink throughout the week. However they choose to do it, they’re drinking to get drunk and every time they tie one on, they always want to drive.
Now the last thing a drinker should do is go for a drive while drunk, but no matter how often we say it, no one seems to listen. People get on their ATVs and ride their motorcycles. They jump into their motorboats and rev up the engines. It almost makes me wonder why the trauma team makes a fuss. Perhaps we should all start drinking, just like out drunken patients.
So here’s to driving drunk and not caring about our children. Here’s to driving drunk and murdering all our neighbors. Here’s to driving drunk and becoming a quadriplegic. Here’s to driving drunk and learning to be a widow. Every time we drink and drive, we’re sure to have some fun. Here’s to drinking and driving and killing the people we love.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
DVT: The Silent Killer
By Susan Hecht, RN, Nursing Rehabilitation Liaison
Deep vein thrombosis affects up to 2 million Americans each year. DVT is a blood clot that forms in the deep veins of the legs, usually leading to either partially or completely blocked circulation. If untreated, this clot has the potential to travel to the lungs and block circulation to vital organs.
Learning the preventable measures and becoming aware of the disease will decrease the possibility of having a DVT. I have taken a special interest in this topic because I do not feel there is enough education in the community regarding deep vein thrombosis. Most people have never heard of DVT. The key prevention is AWARENESS. Learning who is at risk and why is a very important step in learning how to prevent becoming a DVT victim.
DVT is often caused by immobilization, trauma and surgery. Some of the more common symptoms are pain and swelling in the legs. Preventative measures include early mobilization, compression devices to promote blood flow and/or anti-coagulation therapy prescribed by your physician.
At Saint Francis Hospital, we’ve taken on the challenge of spreading awareness about DVT. We will be hosting a DVT Awareness Day on Thursday, Sept. 20. We will be joined by Melanie Bloom, widow of the late NBC Correspondent David Bloom who died in the early stages of the Iraq War from DVT complications. Melanie Bloom, the national spokesperson for the Coalition to Prevent DVT, will participate in a DVT Awareness presentation and question and answer session from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at our Atrium Community Conference Center.
This event is free and open to the public, but registration is encouraged. Please RSVP at 845-483-5777.
Deep vein thrombosis affects up to 2 million Americans each year. DVT is a blood clot that forms in the deep veins of the legs, usually leading to either partially or completely blocked circulation. If untreated, this clot has the potential to travel to the lungs and block circulation to vital organs.
Learning the preventable measures and becoming aware of the disease will decrease the possibility of having a DVT. I have taken a special interest in this topic because I do not feel there is enough education in the community regarding deep vein thrombosis. Most people have never heard of DVT. The key prevention is AWARENESS. Learning who is at risk and why is a very important step in learning how to prevent becoming a DVT victim.
DVT is often caused by immobilization, trauma and surgery. Some of the more common symptoms are pain and swelling in the legs. Preventative measures include early mobilization, compression devices to promote blood flow and/or anti-coagulation therapy prescribed by your physician.
At Saint Francis Hospital, we’ve taken on the challenge of spreading awareness about DVT. We will be hosting a DVT Awareness Day on Thursday, Sept. 20. We will be joined by Melanie Bloom, widow of the late NBC Correspondent David Bloom who died in the early stages of the Iraq War from DVT complications. Melanie Bloom, the national spokesperson for the Coalition to Prevent DVT, will participate in a DVT Awareness presentation and question and answer session from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at our Atrium Community Conference Center.
This event is free and open to the public, but registration is encouraged. Please RSVP at 845-483-5777.
Monday, August 27, 2007
My Father’s Daughter or, the Importance of Proper Hydration
By Joanne Chaconis, R.D.
I think I am a lot like my dad…same sense of humor, just as stubborn and we both love sweets. Practically a carbon copy, with a few exceptions. One of those exceptions? I drink fully enough fluids daily to keep me well hydrated. My dad, on the other hand, is not as diligent. Every conversation that I have with him always includes reminders (some gentle, some not-so-gentle) of the importance of drinking enough fluids.
This seemed to be an important and timely topic to discuss. Timely because of the summer season we are now enjoying. There are many factors that increase our need for fluids and they include: excessive perspiration, fever, vomiting, diarrhea and hyperventilation. I should also mention here that under some medical conditions (such as certain cardiac and renal diseases) your fluid needs may actually decrease. Always check with your physician.
A general rule to follow when determining fluid needs for a healthy individual (according to the Committee on Dietary Reference Intakes) is:
Age in years ml/kg (wt)
Young, active (16-30) 40
Average activity (25-54) 35
Older (55-65) 30-35
Older (>65) 25-30
Here is an example: To convert ml to ounces, divide by 30.
To convert kg to pounds, divide by 2.2.
A 50 year-old adult weighing 150 pounds:
150 pounds divided by 2.2 kg = 68 kg
68 kg x 30-35 ml = 2040-2380 ml
2040 – 2380 ml divided by 30 ml = 68-79 ounces, which translates to between 8 ½ to 10 eight ounce servings daily.
Best beverage choices are water, sugar-free juices and sodas and decaffeinated beverages. Also fruits are a good choice because they are about 20 percent water-packed.
So…toast a loved one (here’s to you dad!) with an eight ounce glass of cool water and stay hydrated!
I think I am a lot like my dad…same sense of humor, just as stubborn and we both love sweets. Practically a carbon copy, with a few exceptions. One of those exceptions? I drink fully enough fluids daily to keep me well hydrated. My dad, on the other hand, is not as diligent. Every conversation that I have with him always includes reminders (some gentle, some not-so-gentle) of the importance of drinking enough fluids.
This seemed to be an important and timely topic to discuss. Timely because of the summer season we are now enjoying. There are many factors that increase our need for fluids and they include: excessive perspiration, fever, vomiting, diarrhea and hyperventilation. I should also mention here that under some medical conditions (such as certain cardiac and renal diseases) your fluid needs may actually decrease. Always check with your physician.
A general rule to follow when determining fluid needs for a healthy individual (according to the Committee on Dietary Reference Intakes) is:
Age in years ml/kg (wt)
Young, active (16-30) 40
Average activity (25-54) 35
Older (55-65) 30-35
Older (>65) 25-30
Here is an example: To convert ml to ounces, divide by 30.
To convert kg to pounds, divide by 2.2.
A 50 year-old adult weighing 150 pounds:
150 pounds divided by 2.2 kg = 68 kg
68 kg x 30-35 ml = 2040-2380 ml
2040 – 2380 ml divided by 30 ml = 68-79 ounces, which translates to between 8 ½ to 10 eight ounce servings daily.
Best beverage choices are water, sugar-free juices and sodas and decaffeinated beverages. Also fruits are a good choice because they are about 20 percent water-packed.
So…toast a loved one (here’s to you dad!) with an eight ounce glass of cool water and stay hydrated!
It Only Takes A Second
By Cynthia Leslie, M.D.
Most people would probably tell you that a second is very short, but I think time is relative and it depends on what you do. I work in Saint Francis Hospital’s very busy Trauma Center, and I am constantly reminded that seconds are very precious. The trauma team treats thousands of patients who have been harmed in different ways. Some have been injured in car crashes and some have been shot or stabbed. A number of our elderly neighbors require treatment due to falls. Whatever the injuries are, there is always a common denominator. Patients need our help and we have seconds in which to give it.
When patients arrive in the trauma room, the trauma team is ready. We first look for life-threatening injuries that require immediate treatment. If a patient has trouble breathing, her lung could be collapsed. If the patient has internal bleeding, he may present with signs of shock. When the body is oxygen deprived, the brain is extremely vulnerable and brain death can occur in as little as four to six minutes. The trauma team’s job is to immediately assess, resuscitate and treat and we do all of that very quickly because we know that seconds count.
Trauma is the number one killer of our youngest and healthiest neighbors. It is also a merciless scavenger that maims the old and frail. Heart disease and cancer are widely known public health problems, but the grisly toll that trauma takes frequently goes un-noticed. Hundreds of thousands of people have died on U.S. highways. Hundreds of people die every day as the result of senseless violence. Trauma is more than an injury. It is a national epidemic and until we acknowledge the damage it does, we won’t do much about it. People are driving way too fast and people are much too angry. If you think that rage and speed don’t kill you need to think again. Trauma is killing our youngest, our oldest, our best and our brightest. We need to address the problems and we need to do it now.
It only takes a second to crash into a tree, but that second could be avoided by driving a bit more slowly. It only takes a second to hit and kill a child, but that second could be avoided by refusing to drink and drive. It only takes a second to remember to use your seatbelt and it takes another second to tell your children to do the same. If we use our seconds wisely we will save our neighbors’ lives. What better way to use them when it takes so little time
Most people would probably tell you that a second is very short, but I think time is relative and it depends on what you do. I work in Saint Francis Hospital’s very busy Trauma Center, and I am constantly reminded that seconds are very precious. The trauma team treats thousands of patients who have been harmed in different ways. Some have been injured in car crashes and some have been shot or stabbed. A number of our elderly neighbors require treatment due to falls. Whatever the injuries are, there is always a common denominator. Patients need our help and we have seconds in which to give it.
When patients arrive in the trauma room, the trauma team is ready. We first look for life-threatening injuries that require immediate treatment. If a patient has trouble breathing, her lung could be collapsed. If the patient has internal bleeding, he may present with signs of shock. When the body is oxygen deprived, the brain is extremely vulnerable and brain death can occur in as little as four to six minutes. The trauma team’s job is to immediately assess, resuscitate and treat and we do all of that very quickly because we know that seconds count.
Trauma is the number one killer of our youngest and healthiest neighbors. It is also a merciless scavenger that maims the old and frail. Heart disease and cancer are widely known public health problems, but the grisly toll that trauma takes frequently goes un-noticed. Hundreds of thousands of people have died on U.S. highways. Hundreds of people die every day as the result of senseless violence. Trauma is more than an injury. It is a national epidemic and until we acknowledge the damage it does, we won’t do much about it. People are driving way too fast and people are much too angry. If you think that rage and speed don’t kill you need to think again. Trauma is killing our youngest, our oldest, our best and our brightest. We need to address the problems and we need to do it now.
It only takes a second to crash into a tree, but that second could be avoided by driving a bit more slowly. It only takes a second to hit and kill a child, but that second could be avoided by refusing to drink and drive. It only takes a second to remember to use your seatbelt and it takes another second to tell your children to do the same. If we use our seconds wisely we will save our neighbors’ lives. What better way to use them when it takes so little time
Honoring Home Care's Unsung Heroes
By Dana Pavelock
We often get calls and questions about Personal Care Aides and Home Health Aides. The general public has developed their own perception based on a slew of articles that may or may not really capture the essence of who these people are and how important the work is that they do. This has often led to misconceptions about the level of training or skills of these workers.
For the most part, individuals performing this level of para-professional health care service consist of a group of people who have a commitment to caring for others. They are men and women of varying ages and backgrounds who understand the vital role that they serve. They provide services and care to individuals on either a short term or long-term basis to improve quality of life, preserve dignity of self and maintain patient’s ability to remain home for as long as they choose. Services range from companionship to total care, one hour a day to live in aides, with settings ranging from plush private homes to inner city projects. Home Health Aides and Personal Care Aides experience much satisfaction providing care and develop wonderful relationships with patients and family members alike, and at the same time often are under appreciated for who they are and what they do.
PCA’s and HHA’s are required to complete training classes ranging from seven days to two weeks in length through a health training curriculum that is approved by the Department of Social Services and the NYS Department of Health. Some of the training consists specifically on working with children and disabled population, meal preparation, complex diets and nutrition, spending & budgeting, care of the home & personal belongings, infection control, personal care related to bathing, dressing, grooming, ambulating and transferring patients, use of mechanical lifts and other medical equipment, and assisting with medications.
HHA’s receive enhanced training in areas such as how to measure vital signs, prepare complex modified diets, assist with prescribed exercise programs, use other prescribed medical equipment, provide special skin care, and assist with dressing changes. The training is very detailed and students not only have to complete the training, they need to pass academic testing and demonstrate competency in each module. They are also required to participate in on-going in-service training throughout the year and demonstrate competency in the field under the direct supervision of a Registered Nurse. For more information regarding the training curriculum and to see exactly what services and activities are permissible by a Home Health Aide please visit the following site: www.nyhealth.gov/ and search Home Health Aide Training.
Like other agencies that deliver HHA & PCA services, every week we receive positive feedback from patients we serve who express high levels of satisfaction in for the services of our aides, who routinely go above and beyond the call of duty. HHA & PCA staff never cease to amaze us with their focus on providing exceptional care and customer service, doing so from the heart without seeking recognition. In many ways they are the unsung heroes in our health delivery system.
Please help the health care community recognize the valuable and important role our home care aides provide. We ask that you simply understand the work they do and whenever you have the opportunity, let them know how appreciated they are for what they do.
We often get calls and questions about Personal Care Aides and Home Health Aides. The general public has developed their own perception based on a slew of articles that may or may not really capture the essence of who these people are and how important the work is that they do. This has often led to misconceptions about the level of training or skills of these workers.
For the most part, individuals performing this level of para-professional health care service consist of a group of people who have a commitment to caring for others. They are men and women of varying ages and backgrounds who understand the vital role that they serve. They provide services and care to individuals on either a short term or long-term basis to improve quality of life, preserve dignity of self and maintain patient’s ability to remain home for as long as they choose. Services range from companionship to total care, one hour a day to live in aides, with settings ranging from plush private homes to inner city projects. Home Health Aides and Personal Care Aides experience much satisfaction providing care and develop wonderful relationships with patients and family members alike, and at the same time often are under appreciated for who they are and what they do.
PCA’s and HHA’s are required to complete training classes ranging from seven days to two weeks in length through a health training curriculum that is approved by the Department of Social Services and the NYS Department of Health. Some of the training consists specifically on working with children and disabled population, meal preparation, complex diets and nutrition, spending & budgeting, care of the home & personal belongings, infection control, personal care related to bathing, dressing, grooming, ambulating and transferring patients, use of mechanical lifts and other medical equipment, and assisting with medications.
HHA’s receive enhanced training in areas such as how to measure vital signs, prepare complex modified diets, assist with prescribed exercise programs, use other prescribed medical equipment, provide special skin care, and assist with dressing changes. The training is very detailed and students not only have to complete the training, they need to pass academic testing and demonstrate competency in each module. They are also required to participate in on-going in-service training throughout the year and demonstrate competency in the field under the direct supervision of a Registered Nurse. For more information regarding the training curriculum and to see exactly what services and activities are permissible by a Home Health Aide please visit the following site: www.nyhealth.gov/ and search Home Health Aide Training.
Like other agencies that deliver HHA & PCA services, every week we receive positive feedback from patients we serve who express high levels of satisfaction in for the services of our aides, who routinely go above and beyond the call of duty. HHA & PCA staff never cease to amaze us with their focus on providing exceptional care and customer service, doing so from the heart without seeking recognition. In many ways they are the unsung heroes in our health delivery system.
Please help the health care community recognize the valuable and important role our home care aides provide. We ask that you simply understand the work they do and whenever you have the opportunity, let them know how appreciated they are for what they do.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
