You may not realize that skilled care nursing facilities are not just for the elderly, but for anyone that needs rehabilitation or 24-hour care. Skilled nursing care offers long- and short-term care for individuals who need rehabilitation services or who suffer from serious or persistent health issues that are too complicated to be tended to at home.
Deciding between skilled care nursing facilities can be difficult, because you don’t want to worry about the comfort and safety of your loved one, when they are already suffering. Doing your own research is always a good plan, but researching nursing home ratings is particularly important. When you’re unsure of how to choose a nursing home, picking one that is commonly viewed as the best is oftentimes a good choice.
Skilled nursing care at home is an option you can consider if your loved one is not comfortable with leaving home. Skilled nurses, therapists, and home health aides can provide the necessary services right at home, if the patient is unable to care for themselves, and the responsibility has become too great for the caregiver.
Whether at home or in skilled care nursing facilities, the services and care that are available range from skilled nursing care, like monitoring vitals and wound care, to help with the activities of daily living, like dressing and going to the bathroom. Therapies are available as well, such as physical, speech, and occupational therapy.
Nursing homes offer a number of additional services that are not available with home health care. Nursing home activities are available for the resident and their family members to enjoy. Meals are provided as well, and can be suited to the patient’s dietary needs. To learn more, read this: www.croftoncrc.com
If You have a bone or joint injury, you will need to visit an orthopedic doctor. Many orthopedic injuries require an examination called an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging). You may wonder about the differences between MRI and Xray. According to Healthline, although both tests give good images of your bones, an MRI will provide higher-resolution images.
Before your MRI, you may wonder about the experience – including what MRI rooms look like. Clients who are having an MRI lie on a stretcher. The MRI device looks like a semicircle, and your body will move in and out of the center of the hole. During the procedure, the device is very loud; it sounds like metallic clanging as the magnets register the data they collect.
Some clients feel too apprehensive when inside an MRI, so they may prefer an open MRI test – which uses magnets above and below your body. According to the Cleveland Clinic, an open view MRI is reportedly more comfortable, especially for claustrophobic clients. Suppose your doctor needs additional information after the MRI. In that case, they may order a different type of orthopedic scan, including tests such as bone densitometry, an electromyography, or a C/T scan.
The Center for Disease Control reports that the most common reason that patients visit their doctors is for a cough, and upper respiratory conditions as a whole account for 22% of those appointments. However, there are other reasons that Americans go to visit one of approximately 209,000 primary care physicians in the country — and some don’t even see a primary care doctor at all. A growing option in the United States is to visit an urgent care clinic instead, even for yearly recommended physicals and more complex medical treatments.
One of the options that many patients have is to receive medical imaging services for their injuries and illnesses in a doctor’s office or clinic. Some popular types of imaging include X-rays, CT scans, and MRI scans. Magnetic resonance imaging or MRI procedures are used to form images of the body through the use of magnetic fields and radio waves. An MRI machine is a long tube that creates a strong magnetic field around you as you lie inside it, and the machine uses the waves to creates images of your body. MRI machines can be used to diagnose diseases and conditions in the body, especially in the brain, heart, organs, and musculoskeletal system. They are also commonly used in oncology to diagnose cancer. People who have metal plates, screws, or other metallic parts in their bodies cannot go inside an MRI machine due to its magnetic field.
What can a person expect when they receive an MRI? Here are the steps of the MRI procedure that you may see if you need this treatment:
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Preparing for the MRI:
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- Because the MRI machine is a long tube that a patient lies down inside, many people become nervous or report feeling claustrophobic inside the machine. Your doctor can give you a sedative if necessary, so you don’t panic inside the machine. In some cases, you may receive intravenous MRI contrast agents before entering the machine; this helps images process easier. These agents generally won’t cause an allergic reaction or other complications.
Inside the MRI:
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- An MRI procedure could take up to an hour or longer. The inside of the machine is very loud, so your technician may provide earplugs or headphones and music for you. As you lie inside the machine, you can communicate with a technician, who sits in an adjacent room, via microphone. However, you have to lay very still as the scan completes in order to receive an accurate image. During the exam, you may also be asked to perform specific actions, like tapping a finger, so doctors can see which parts of the brain are being used for these functions.
After the MRI:
- Unless you have been sedated by a doctor, you should be able to resume normal activities for the rest of the day. Your doctor will alert you if anything showed up on your images.
If you have any questions or concerns about the process, be sure to speak to your doctor before your MRI.
Have you ever had an MRI procedure or other medical imaging before? Tell us about it in the comments. Read this for more: Mammogram san antonio tx
Did you know that Botox can be used for more than just cosmetics? You have probably heard of Botox as one of the most popular aging skin treatments, along with juvederm fillers and other cosmetic facial fillers.
But there are other uses for Botox than just stopping the wrinkles from forming around your face.
Here are a few of them.
- Botox for Hyperhidrosis. There is a condition in which people sweat almost four times as much as others just keep their body at an optimum temperature. Called hyperhidrosis, this medical problem affects about a million patients in the U.S. With the help of Botox injections, the nerves that send impulses to the sweat glands are blocked. As a result, less sweat is produced.
- Migraines. Frequent migraines affect millions of people worldwide. These are severe headaches that can cause dizziness, nausea, and discomfort, because of the constant pressure on the muscles surrounding the head. Because Botox is meant to freeze muscle movement, an injection near the temples can actually help stop the pounding, and release the intense pressure that cause migraines.
- Back Spasms. There have also been studies that show Botox can be helpful for back spasms, particularly for children who have cerebral palsy, a condition which often causes spastic muscle movement. The serum can block the signals in these muscles, and stop them from contracting.
So, don’t think that everyone who goes to cosmetic clinics is looking for juvederm fillers or Botox for their wrinkles. Get more on this here.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is what some would consider an epidemic in America. Between the ages of 3 and 17, there are about 5.2 million children diagnosed with the disorder. This equates to a little more than 8% of of this age group.
ADHD is characterized by restlessness, impulsivity, emotional outbursts, and lack of focus, making it difficult for any student to remain on task in school, or at home. As a result, these children often deal with low self-esteem, behavioral problems, and anxiety.
Treatment of ADHD has fallen to medication more often than not, as well as ADHD coaching, counseling for ADHD, cognitive behavioral therapy for ADHD, and life management coaching.
But over-medicating is a concern for many parents and educators who feel that physicians are pumping these children with medication without considering ADHD alternative treatments.
There are several ADHD alternative treatments that can be effective in reducing the symptoms of the disorder. Here are just a few of them.
- Diet. It is well-known that what a person eats affects his or her mental state and body functioning. For example, consuming too much sugar can send someone on an energy overload temporarily, and then ultimately drop the person into a “crash.” For children with ADHD, sugars, foods with additives, and foods with an excess of chemicals can actually worsen hyperactivity. By eliminating stimulants, the symptoms of ADHD could significantly be reduced.
- Just Enough Exercise. ADHD is a condition that often fills children up with loads of energy, and they have a hard time sitting still. For this reason, many of them benefit from being able to run, jump, and play in small intervals throughout the day. Once they get home from school, allowing them to spend some more time exercising freely could also reduce symptoms of ADHD, as it helps to release tensions. But too much exercise could also be harmful, as it can send a child’s system into overdrive.
- Nighttime Massage. With the amount of pressure children with ADHD feel at school, and their inability to relax their system, a massage before bedtime could be a great solution. It is common for these children to have difficulty sleeping as well, and massages can help to relieve them of knots or pent up energy that prevents them from getting a good night sleep.
While these ADHD alternative treatments are not a cure for the disorder, they can bring a sense of relief to these children, and help them feel more confident about facing each day. Continue reading here: coachjuli.com
One of your responsibilities as a parent is overseeing your children’s dental care. According to Medical News Life Science, teaching dental hygiene to preschoolers is vital to their lifelong ability to care for themselves. According to Penn State, parents should wipe their child’s gums with a clean cloth after each meal until the child is six months old.
After six months, you can begin using a child’s toothbrush, with a small dab of toothpaste, twice a day. This will help your child get used to the brushing sensation, and it will be the beginning of kids gum care for them. As soon as your child has two teeth that touch, you can begin using floss. As your children grow, encourage them to start using the toothbrush and floss by themselves.
Your child’s dentist will be an essential part of their dental routine, and they should have their first children’s dental cleaning visit when they’re six to twelve months old. By the time your children are old enough to begin shedding teeth, they should be brushing and flossing their teeth. Since they’ll be getting permanent teeth, it will be important to reinforce the importance of limiting sugary foods and drinks.
Did you know that tooth decay is up to four times more common than asthma among adolescents between the ages of 14 and 17? Going to a family dentist on a routine basis (about twice a year) can vastly reduce the odds of tooth decay and gum disease, which is the most common cause of tooth loss among adults.
However, in order to instill the best possible oral hygiene habits in your kids, it would be best to find a dentist for children. Around 80 percent of dentists are general practitioners, while the other 20 percent are dental specialists who limit their practices, such as a pediatric dentist.
What do pediatric dentists do? A dentist for children is dedicated to specifically working with your child from infancy through their teenage years. They perform general dentistry services such as teeth cleaning, making sure your child’s gums are healthy, and teaching them how to keep their mouth healthy.
Why see a pediatric dentist? Your child will begin to get their baby teeth by the time they are around six months old. By age six or seven, they will start to lose these teeth, which are replaced by permanent adult teeth.
Without general family dentistry services performed by a pediatric dentist, children are more at risk for tooth decay and other diseases which can be expensive to fix down the road.
Qualifications: Any dentist for children should have four years of dental school under their belt as well as two years of residency training specifically focused on infants, children, and teens. Your pediatric dentist will also be familiar with childhood psychology, which helps them to better interact with their patients. If you find a dentist that does not have these qualifications, it would be best to continue your dentist search.
Treatments:
- Oral health exams on a yearly basis
- Preventative care, such as fluoride treatments and offering a diet and nutrition plan
- Discussing with you on how to break your child’s bad oral habits (not brushing regularly, sucking their thumb, etc.)
- Assessing the need for future orthodontic care
- Fixing dental injuries, repairing teeth or gums
Finding a pediatric dentist: Your area will most likely have a pediatric dentist, though they may be located within a private practice. Other places to check would be dental schools (which will often offer less expensive services) and medical centers. Your child’s pediatrician can always recommend pediatric dentists in the area.
Final note: A dentist for children is generally the best person to see if your child is often impatient and uncooperative — they specialize in dealing with all types of personalities. A pediatric dentist will also be able to offer sleep dentistry to your child in order to keep them calm and relaxed during routine procedures.
If you’re an athlete, you know just how dangerous your sport can be. Sure, it’s the place where you can let loose and be who you are; it’s where you come alive; it’s what makes your clock tick. But when you have to undergo arthroscopic shoulder surgery, posterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, or a back rehabilitation program, you may not be so thrilled about your sport.
Luckily, there are sports medicine clinics that can be extremely helpful in these situations. They are staffed with well-trained sports medicine physicians who know exactly how to help heal sports injuries.
Here’s what sports medicine physicians do.
- Injury Prevention. You don’t necessarily have to wait until you get injured to see one of these physicians. If you consult them early on, you will be able to find out how you can prevent injuries from happening. For example, he or she might be able to tell you how to wrap your knee or elbow in a way that protects it while you play.
- Clean Bill of Health. For any sport, these physicians have to give you the thumbs up in order for you to return to the playing field, or the court. They will go through several diagnostic tests and exercises to determine if you have healed properly, and once you pass these exams, you can rejoin your team.
- Diagnosis. Since many sports medicine doctors have a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree, they are able to properly evaluate an athlete, and give a diagnosis. They have studied human physiology, chemistry, and a host of other subject that relate to the body, and will be able to perform routine tests, and make an accurate diagnosis quickly.
With the help of sports medicine specialists, athletes are able to push their skills to the limits, and perform at the highest level, knowing that these professionals have their back. See more.
Our appearance is probably one of the most important things about us. This might not be ideal, but it’s the truth. We are a very visual culture and identify and evaluate the things around us by the way they look, even ourselves. The other thing about our culture though, is that it is getting increasingly easier to change what we don’t like about ourselves. We can change our appearance in many ways, but one of the most permanent and effective ways to change is with plastic surgery.
The most popular plastic surgery for American women is breast augmentation surgery, and within the last three years almost one million women have opted to undergo the procedure. Whether it’s part of a mommy makeover, reconstruction after mastectomy, or just to regain confidence with breast augmentation, one of the benefits of plastic surgery is that having breast implants can change your appearance to what you actually want it to be.
Since there are different types of breast implants, you can definitely find the ones that will work for you. One type is the saline implant, which about 30% of women choose. The other type are much more popular; the number of breast implant surgeries has tripled since silicon breast implants became available. Which is right for you will depend on the elasticity of your skin, body type, and breast anatomy.
One of the most obvious benefits of plastic surgery is that you can change what you don’t like about your body. If you are thinking of getting breast implants, you might want to consider consulting a plastic surgeon to discuss what is right for you.
Too many Americans are abusing emergency rooms — and, soon, they will have to pay for it. Establishments owned by the Hospital Corporation of American (HCA) are implementing upfront charges for patients who visit with routine illnesses and injuries. In other words, patients with non-life-threatening ailments may have to pay $150 prior to receiving treatment. Why are hospital ERs making these changes, and where else do Americans have to go?
Is It Legal to Charge ER Patients Upfront Fees?
The short answer is yes. Pregnant women, American seniors, and children under age 6 will be exempt from any upfront fees associated with ER visits. Other patients, however, will be subject to fees starting at $150 — if they exhibit symptoms of routine illnesses and injuries only. ERs will still provide legally required medical screenings. Routine patients will simply have to pay up — immediately — if they want care or treatment following the exam.
Although the legality of the upfront fees is not in question, several doctors, nurses, and healthcare professionals are questioning the ethics of charging any patients in the ER. Some fear that patients will hesitate to seek treatment, or they may be turned away for relatively routine symptoms that ultimately develop into something much more serious. Others, however, argue that the motion stands to save hospitals and patients a great deal of money. “These practices help reduce costs for both the patient and the hospital. We think this is appropriate, given that some people use the ER in a way it was not intended: as a source for routine care,” healthcare expert, John Merriweather, explains.
Urgent Care Centers: A Cost-Efficient and Convenient Alternative
Some Americans justify abusing emergency rooms by insisting they have nowhere else to go. This simply is not true. Urgent care facilities cost a fraction of an ER bill, and there are urgent care centers cropping up all over the U.S. — in densely populated cities and rural areas. Walk in clinic hours are flexible, with most open late nights, weekends, and holidays.
Patients can go to convenient, urgent care centers — and they stand to save a lot of money, too. Avoid upfront charges by choosing urgent care for non-life-threatening conditions. Great references here.