Month: June 2015

Heat Stroke: Symptoms, Prevention, and Treatment

Posted on by Martin

Heat stroke is most likely to affect older people who live in apartments or homes lacking air conditioning or good airflow. Other high-risk groups include people of any age who don’t drink enough water, have chronic diseases, or who drink excessive amounts of alcohol.
Symptoms of heat stroke include:

  • Core body temperature above 105 degrees Fahrenheit
  • Throbbing headache
  • Dizziness and light-headedness
  • Lack of sweating despite the heat
  • Red, hot, and dry skin
  • Muscle weakness or cramps
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Rapid heartbeat; strong or weak
  • Confusion, disorientation, or staggering
  • Seizures
  • Unconsciousness

If you suspect that someone has a heat stroke, call 911 immediately, and initiate first aid to the patient.

  • Fan air over the patient while wetting his or her skin with water from a sponge or cloth
  • Apply ice packs to the patient’s armpits, groin, neck and back. These are areas with a large amount of blood vessels close to the skin, cooling them can reduce body temperature.
  • Give patient a cold shower or place the patient in a cool tub of water.

To lower the risk of heat strokes during the warm months, stay in an air-conditioned environment.  If you must go outdoors, wear light-colored, loose-fitting clothing, and a wide-brimmed hat.  Use sunscreen, and drink plenty of extra fluids.

Exercising and Staying Healthy

Posted on by Martin

Physical activity provides long-term health benefits for everyone! By being active, you will burn calories that you store from eating throughout the day and—it can be as easy as walking the dog or as rigorous as running a marathon.   It’s never too late to jumpstart a healthy lifestyle.

Regular physical activity can produce long term health benefits. People of all ages, shapes, sizes, and abilities can benefit from being physically active. The more physical activity you do, the greater the health benefits.

Being physically active can help you:

  • Increase your chances of living longer
  • Feel better about yourself
  • Decrease your chances of becoming depressed
  • Relieve Stress
  • Increase your energy level
  • Sleep well at night
  • Move around more easily
  • Have stronger muscles and bones
  • Stay at or get to a healthy weight

When you are not physically active, you are at a greater risk or developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and stroke.

Being active increases the amount of calories burned. As people age their metabolism slows, so maintaining energy balance requires moving more and eating less.

There are different types of physical activities that can be done at all levels.  If you are not comfortable doing aerobics on land, you can always do aerobics in a pool.  Muscle strengthening can be done with varying weights.  There are weights beginning at 1 lb., so people of all ages can do these exercises.    Balance and stretching exercises help stability and flexibility, and can reduce risk of injuries.  Gentle stretching, dancing and yoga are a few ways of achieving this goal.

Remember, always check with your doctor before starting a new exercise program.

 

Communication is Key in Homecare

Posted on by Martin

Aging, disabilities, and chronic illness make it difficult and challenging for individuals to care for themselves.  That’s where we come in……health aides can help.  Health Aides improve the quality of life with hands on care and kindness.  For many, Health Aides become trusted friends.

Family membrs may be worried about a loved one recovering after surgery or who is weak and forgetful, and they turn to us to provide excellent and reliable care.  We may be needed on a full time basis, or just be helping hand from time to time.  Our responsibility is a great one.  We are being entrusted with someone’s loved one; a parent, sibling, cCommunication is keyhild or friend.

As with many issues in health care, communication is key.  If your patient suddenly becomes rude or stubborn or starts acting differently from the way they normally do, this kind of behavior can actually be masking health problem.

If this occurs with your patient, it is very important that you contact your agency, physician and family members.  Remember, communication is key.