The value of unpaid family caregiving services in the U.S. is estimated at $375 billion a year, more than twice what is spent nationwide on nursing homes and paid home care combined. At present, 29 percent of the U.S. population, or approximately 65 million Americans, provide care to an adult relative or friend, according to Caregiving in the United States, National Alliance for Caregiving. And nearly 10 million adult children over the age of 50 care for aging parents.

These family caregivers are themselves aging and providing the bulk of unpaid care (hence the term “informal care”) at a time when they also need to be planning and saving for their own retirement. The effect of informal care on work, wages, and wealth has been well documented and studied. The toll on the human experience is what’s endless in scope…

“Most males have informal care; most elderly females do not.”

-Cynthia M. Taeuber

Aging in Place Often Requires Informal Care

So Shanmugam and her colleagues conducted a chart review of people who sought care at a high-volume wound clinic at Georgetown University Hospital to determine the prevalence of autoimmune diseases. The study included patients with open wounds - usually leg ulcers who were treated during a three-month period in 2009. Of the 340 patients, 49 percent had diabetes, which she says is a typical rate.

"But what was surprising is that 23 percent had underlying autoimmune diseases, and the connection between these relatively rare disorders and wounds that don't heal is under-recognized," she says.

Of the 78 patients in the cohort who had autoimmune disease, most had rheumatoid arthritis, lupus or livedoid vasculopathy, a type of vascular disease.

During 24 weeks, memory composite scores from the Souvenaid group were significantly better than those from the control group. The significant effect on memory performance was confirmed by individual tasks of the NTB memory domain. Detailed analyses of secondary outcomes are still ongoing, including electroencephalogram (EEG) data as a measure of brain function. The EEG analysis, along with data from a magnetoencephalogram (MEG) sub-study may provide further understanding of the effect of Souvenaid on functional connectivity, thus investigating the hypothesis that Souvenaid can support synapse formation and function in mild AD.

Interesting, if a bit dense.

People with disabilities have long complained of inequities at the doctor’s office due to everything from inaccessible equipment to the physicians themselves. Now, the federal government is taking steps toward leveling the playing field.

Under new standards implemented Monday by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, most government health surveys will now be required to collect more detailed information about race, ethnicity, sex, primary language and disability status.

The move, which was mandated under the 2010 health care reform law, is an effort to better understand differences in the quality of health care that people receive. Moreover, health officials say that better data will enable them to identify problems and improve care.

“It is our job to get a better understanding of why disparities occur and how to eliminate them,” Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in announcing the new effort. “Today, through these new standards, we are providing a new set of powerful tools to help us achieve our vision of a nation free of disparities in health and health care.”

How does the hospital environment affect our rehabilitation? New research from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, into how the space around us affects the brain reveals that well-planned architecture, design and sensory stimulation increase patients' ability to recover both physically and mentally. Digital textiles and multisensory spaces can make rehabilitation more effective and reduce the amount of time spent in care.

Welcome to the latest blog from The Patient Experience which looks at the impact of neuropathic pain on the lives of patients and caregivers.  One of the major issues surrounding neuropathic pain is that it is enormously difficult to achieve even partial relief according to Robert H Dworkin et al in their paper  “Pharmacologic management of neuropathic pain: Evidence-based recommendations” published in “Pain” Volume 132 published  5 December 2007.

The purpose of this discussion blog on neuropathic pain is to allow our readers and members to share the different techniques and methods they have used to treat such pain.

Michigan

Complete Nursing Home Regulations	Licensure Rules for Nursing Home Administrators

Regulatory Approach

Michigan. NOTE: Michigan does not regulate assisted living facilities at this time.

Changes at A Glance

Michigan has not made changes in nursing home regulations, however, changes in Public Health Code have been adopted, including additional background check requirements.

Searchable regulations for the focused or extremely bored.

The decision by nursing homes whether or not to treat an ill resident on-site or send them to a hospital are often linked to that person's insurance status. A new study out this month shows that on average individuals enrolled in Medicaid are 27 percent more likely to be sent to the hospital than individuals with private insurance - decisions that often result in higher costs of care and poor health outcomes.

Duh of the week.

People with dementia can still make decisions in their everyday lives and with support from partners can continue to do so as their condition advances. This is one of the preliminary findings of a two-year research project funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) into how married couples living with dementia make decisions on a daily basis.

Last week, I commented in this space about how many Americans are using the Internet and yet how few of them are using it to access healthcare information or the healthcare system.

I’ve been exploring this dichotomy, and I found an interesting study from the Pew Internet & American Life Project, The Social Life of Health Information, 2011.  

The Pew report covers findings much like those reported in HealthLeaders’ FACTFILE on Healthcare Online Trends,  which triggered last week’s blog post. But it digs deeper into some of the trends and finds that there are groups that are making significant use of the internet and social media to research, comment on and find support with healthcare issues. Those groups are caregivers and the chronically ill.

Duh! of the week....