New antibiotic discovered in human boogers

An era of snot transplants?.....

https://goo.gl/qJmnVl

Biologists have discovered that a bacterium in the human nose can produce antibiotics to destroy Staphyloccus aureus (Staph), a bacterium that causes many conditions including Toxic Shock Syndrom, skin infections and food poisoning. The researchers behind the Nature study found that the antibiotic, which they named Lugdunin, is so powerful it can even kill antibiotic resistant strains of Staph (MRSA).

Patients who carried the lugdunensis bacterium were much less likely to have a Staph colonization in their noses– in fact, only 5.9 percent had Staph, in comparison to 34.7 percent of those without the lugdunensis bacterium. By identifying the significance of the lugdunensis bacterium, the study narrowed down a correlation between certain nasal bacteria and the presence of Staph that scientists have long been aware of.

Michigan Dental Program (a program for HIV+ persons only)

http://goo.gl/LS1wM8

The Michigan Dental Program (MDP) covers dental care for persons living with HIV/AIDS who qualify for the program.

To be eligible for MDP:
  • You must provide documentation of HIV disease.

  • You must be a resident of the state of Michigan.

  • In some cases, you must have applied for public assistance (Medicaid and/or Adult Benefits Waiver program) with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) within the past 90 days and have a pending, denial, or spend-down status.

  • Your gross income cannot exceed 450 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). Your income will be evaluated based on FPL guidelines in effect when the completed application is received.

  • Please Note:
    • If you are currently receiving medical and prescription coverage under the Adult Medical Program/Adult Benefits Waiver (AMP/ABW) case, you may apply for assistance from the Michigan Dental Program for your dental care.

    • If you have private dental insurance, such as Delta Dental or Blue Cross Blue Shield, you are not eligible for the Michigan Dental Program.
    • Michigan Dental Program Brochure


Nursing Home Residents Still Vulnerable to Abuse

Duh! of the week.....

http://goo.gl/juplm1

People entering nursing homes need to know that all reasonable safeguards are in place to ensure quality care. But federal rules to be finalized soon fail to hold nursing homes truly accountable to patients, their families or the law.

At issue are arbitration clauses in nursing home contracts that require consumers to settle any disputes that arise over products or services through private arbitration rather than through lawsuits. Corporations of all sorts love forced arbitration because it overwhelmingly tilts in their favor and shields them from liability. But in the process, it denies justice to consumers, investors, patients and others who find they have no legal recourse when wronged.

Forced arbitration is especially problematic in nursing home disputes, which are generally about care, not money. (Medicare and Medicaid pay many nursing home bills.) Typical claims involve neglect or abuse leading to broken limbs, dehydration and untreated pain.

The proposals, by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, should have banned pre-dispute arbitration clauses in nursing home contracts. Instead, they basically condone them as long as these homes take some legalistic steps to explain and disclose the clauses and do not make signing them a condition of admission. Those provisions skirt the real problem. Prospective patients do not have the necessary information to make a decision about signing the clauses. How could they before a dispute even arises? In essence, families are being asked to anticipate the likelihood of grievous harm and legal ramifications. A nursing home admission is stressful and confusing enough without your being asked to sign away your right to sue.

Does disability disclosure and self-identification really help support your staff

https://goo.gl/T8JDDJ

So, what’s the answer?

The obvious answer is to better communicate the benefits of the self-identification form to disabled applicants and employees.  Remove the stigma from declaring a disability to your organization by openly demonstrating your willingness to go the extra mile for your staff, regardless of ability.  But, how do you demonstrate this commitment?

One suggestion might be to build assistive technology into an organisation as a core part of the IT portfolio.  Deploying it across the organisation’s network for everyone to access, whether they need it or not, will improve productivity and communication across the board, whilst making the workplace much more inclusive for all.
  
It will help attract more individuals with disabilities to an organization defining it as an employer which  clearly values equality and human rights.  Staff will be more committed to supportive organizations as they feel more valued and respected.  And, organizational reputation will be further strengthened from the commitment to make reasonable adjustments for disabled employees.

One of the most progressive organizations, which has provided assistive technology as a standard issue and eliminated the need for self-assessment is Transport for London in the UK.  Watch how Transport for London made a real difference to their staff with assistive technology.


MEDICAID COVERAGE OF SOCIAL INTERVENTIONS: A ROAD MAP FOR STATES

Making the best use of Medicaid's ability to support change in social determinants of health is a very important health policy initiative.....

http://goo.gl/X9ETrK

Faced with mounting evidence about the importance of social factors—such as income, access to food and housing, and employment status—in determining health outcomes, state Medicaid officials are looking for ways to integrate services that address these factors into their coverage, payment, and delivery models.

Medicaid can’t solve societal problems on its own, but federal regulations make it clear that it can be a partner in community efforts to address the social determinants of health—and this issue brief explains how.

Prepared at the request of the Milbank Memorial Fund’s Reforming States Group, with support from the New York State Health Foundation, the issue brief is a practical guide for policymakers who want to know when and how states can use Medicaid to facilitate access to social services. It offers a road map of the legal authorities upon which policymakers can rely to extend Medicaid coverage to social interventions and provides examples of how Medicaid can be an important component in the critical work of improving the health of populations. 

10 Things People With Alzheimer’s Have Taught Me

http://goo.gl/b52Oxj

 I have learned so much from these people. Here are the ten most important things they have taught me.

1. Simple pleasures can bring great joy to a person with Alzheimer’s: Even the simplest activities can be enjoyable to people with Alzheimer’s. Ed was once deeply engrossed in examining a coat of mine that had numerous pockets. He spent 30 minutes with it. Another thing I learned is that — like all of us — people with Alzheimer’s usually enjoy receiving presents regardless of how big or how little. I gave one of my ladies a gift once. I told her it was just a small gift. She said, “I know honey, but it’s a present.

2. Pets, children, music and art may reach them on levels we cannot: I have experienced numerous examples of the positive effects these things can have on people with Alzheimer’s.There’s no question about it. Sometimes pets, children, music or art can bring about connections even with people who no longer talk and no longer recognize their loved ones.

3. What it means (and what to do) when they keep repeating the same story or asking the same question over and over: Ed and my ladies sometimes kept telling me the same story or asking me the same question over and over. They didn’t remember that they had just told the story or asked the question. What I learned from this is that the subjects of this repetition must be very important to them. It’s best to respond each time as though it were the first time.


Frailty

http://goo.gl/BvDosg
I’m falling into disrepair.

― Anne Tyler

The Frailty Syndrome: 5 Traits
  1. Weight Loss > 10 lbs over a year
  2. Frequent Exhaustion
  3. Lower Levels of Activity
  4. Slow Gait
  5. Poor Grip Strength
Source: Dr Linda Fried, Johns Hopkins 2001
Fundamental Problems with Frailty

-It’s Age Related 4 out of 10 ‘Frail’ are > 85 yrs old

-Lack of a “physiological safety net” to bounce back from infections and injuries

-Medical System is not equipped well to deal with frailty; system design is Reactive (too late)

-Loved ones become Collateral damage and get pulled down with the frail elder

Good News: Frailty is not necessarily a given with old age.


New anaesthesia techniques boost patient recovery

http://goo.gl/0CMiwq

Over the past three years, around 1000 operations - from joint replacements to mastectomy - have been carried out at UCLH, using regional, rather than general, anaesthesia.

Regional anaesthesia numbs all feeling in a specific region of the body - a procedure known as a peripheral nerve block - about 90 minutes before the first incision is made.

Patients are given a mild sedative to help them relax, but otherwise remain conscious and, importantly, pain-free throughout their op, without experiencing any of the side effects associated with general anaesthesia, such as fasting beforehand and prolonged drowsiness and nausea afterwards.

They don't need as much pain relieving medication, particularly morphine, and they can start their recovery sooner. In fact, once the last stitch has gone in, they can enjoy a cup of tea and a biscuit, just like 78-year-old John Croke, who chose regional anaesthesia for his second hip replacement after having the first done under general anaesthesia.

"It was a lot quicker and more pleasant than the first one I had done. I didn't feel a thing and was able to chat to the doctors and ask what they were up to," he explains. "I would definitely recommend it to anybody."

Was he worried about the prospect of being awake throughout? "I didn't mind," he says. "The most important thing to remember is that [anaesthesia] is safer this way and I know the doctors here are always doing the best for you," he explains.

John says that he heard some of the mechanics of his procedure, but patients don't have to; they can listen to music of their choice on the iPad provided.

A small pilot study of patients at the hospital who did so, showed that all of them would recommend regional anaesthesia and would prefer to have further surgery done this way in future.


New Drug May Treat Rare Obesity Disorder Causing Constant Hunger

I wonder if this has any overlap with Prader Willi?......
https://goo.gl/yVjXqw

An experimental drug spurred substantial weight loss in people with a rare genetic disorder that causes severe obesity because patients feel perpetually hungry.

The study included only two patients with the disorder, known as proopiomelanocortin deficiency.

But those two patients account for two-thirds of all known adult cases worldwide, said Dr. Marc Reitman, of the U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

The disorder is caused by mutations in the gene that makes the protein called proopiomelanocortin (POMC).

Normally, the POMC protein gets chopped into smaller proteins that affect different hormones in the body, explained Reitman, who wrote an editorial published with the study.

When the body lacks POMC, the adrenal glands (which churn out vital hormones) cannot work properly. If that adrenal insufficiency isn't recognized and treated quickly, the disease kills in infancy.


Obi is a robotic dining companion for people with disabilities

I don't know how I feel about this, but choking from poor feeding supports is an important source of harm for people with difficulty eating....

http://goo.gl/LjTmCD

Obi is a robot designed to help disabled people feed themselves with less assistance. Created by the robotics firm Desin, Obi features four separate bowls for food and a robotic arm with a spoon that can learn the delivery location after being shown once by a caregiver.

Obi has portion control settings, interchangeable spoons (both the spoons and the bowls are dishwasher- and microwave-safe), and a spill-proof surface for easy clean up. The robotic arm is highly agile; it can scrape the sides of bowls and adjust itself depending on the type and amount of food it picks up, as well as detect collisions.

Commercial robots built by Baxter were some of the first devices to be trained by humans instead of programmed, and now Obi is bringing that same technology into a consumer product. The Obi isn't exactly cheap — at $4,500 it's going to cost a pretty penny, but it's hard to put a price on giving a loved one an increased sense of autonomy. You can purchase the Obi from its website today.

At that price, they must be targeted to nursing homes....