HealthConnection For An Active Life

Stop Changing Adult Diapers and Get Back To Sleep!

2008-06-17T07:02:00.000-07:00

Finally - something new to help the caregivers! Those family members who tirelessly attend to the needs of loved ones, who need help taking care of themselves. Those unselfish, loving people who would give just about anything to get a good night's sleep, but instead have to get up every couple of hours to go and change.... a diaper.

No one wants to think about it much less talk about it. The odor, the expense, the constant checking and changing, and the skin problems that can occur; but up until recently, diapers have been the only alternative for a bed or chair-bound person who suffers from some degree of incontinence. Worse yet for those individuals who may have control over their bladder, but are simply unable to get up and walk to a bathroom - even with help.

Now there is and alternative. CareClean 3000.

What is the CareClean 3000? It's an automatic urine collection device for those who are either incontinent or who cannot walk to, and use the toilet. For women, a small silicon collection cup attached to a hose, is worn against the perinea area and is held in place with an adjustable garment. There is a similar male collection cup held in place the same way. The other end of the hose is attached to a collection device. When urine begins to flow, a sensor located in the collection cup causes a vacuum pump to run, sending the urine to a waste container inside the collection device. When the urine flow stops, a separate fresh water tank sends a cleansing bidet to wash the area, by means of a clean water tube inside the hose. Finally, a gentle stream of air is delivered to the area to help keep the user dry and comfortable.

Cleaning the device to keep it smelling fresh is done twice each day by mixing two caps full of a concentrated cleanser/deodorizer (sold by the manufacturer) into 1/2 cup of water, and running it through the machine into the waste fluid tank. They also recommend cleaning the tank using the same procedure once per day to keep things smelling fresh.

The waste fluid tank holds 60 ounces (just under 1/2 gallon) so most people can easily go through the night before it needs to be emptied. In the morning, you just pull the waste tank from the device, remove the top, pour the contents into the toilet and away it goes.

Will it completely replace diapers? Of course not, and it's not appropriate for everyone, but for those who can take advantage of it the CareClean 3000 can reduce your diaper costs, reduce your work load tremendously, and reduce the odors in your home. But best of all, it can increase the amount of sleep you get, which will give you more energy to tackle the day.

The cost is about what you would pay for diapers over about a 12 to 14 month period, so it will pay for itself over time. You can get more information on the CareClean 3000 by clicking here. There are quite a few testimonials from users and caregivers on the sight as well. Take a look. It might be the nicest thing you've done for yourself in a very long time.

Can a TV Listening Device Improve Your Marriage?

2008-05-29T11:26:00.000-07:00

Possibly.

The makers of Energizer batteries recently conducted a survey in conjunction with Better Speech & Hearing Month in May, with some very interesting results. The survey included over 1,000 men and women between the ages of 44 and 62, who have a spouse that suffers from some degree of hearing loss. Almost half (48%) of those respondents felt that their marriage had suffered to some degree, due to their spouse's hearing loss!

(You can view the original article on a web sight they have devoted to their "Keep Going, Live Healthy" campaign by clicking here.)

The point is this - the individual with the hearing loss is not the only one who suffers. Most often, the spouse shares the pain.

I have a co-worker that has endured mild to moderate hearing loss for years (but refuses to wear hearing aids), so in order to hear the television in the evening he would simply crank up the volume to a level that most of us would find just plain irritating. That's fine if you're the only one home but his wife found it - well, just plain irritating! His next step was to try to use "noise canceling" headphones (the type that covers the entire ear), which worked fine except that he had to contend with the connection cable and was unable to hear anything else in the house (such as the phone, doorbell, tornado sirens or his wife). In fact, she once referred to them as "wife canceling headphones"!)

I suggested he give "TV Ears" a try.

So, what are TV Ears? Think of them as a wireless headset that connects to your television, except that they use a very proprietary noise reduction technology (originally developed for US Air Force pilots) that allows the user to hear the television with a great deal of clarity at a volume that does not interfere with other people in the room. The TV Ears user controls the volume of each ear individually (as well as the tone and balance), independently of the main TV controls. So others can adjust the television to their liking (even to the point of "muting" it), without affecting the user. There are different models designed to work with various types of televisions, and installation is simple. To view the different models and help determine which model is right for your type of television, click on this link . If you still have questions, call HealthConnection at 1-800-838-8367 between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm eastern time. They can help guide you through the process and help with any other questions you might have.

After he head been using them for a week or so, I asked my co-worker how he liked the TV Ears. He said that it took a couple of days to get used to having the tips actually inside of his ear, but now that he is used to it he would never go back to the old headphones. He said that the ability to adjust everything to his personal needs made them great, and that he can finally hear the shows he'd been missing. More importantly, his wife can control the TV volume, and even carry on phone conversations and hear the doorbell.

I think she likes them more than he does!

A Real-Life Story About Guardian Alert 911

2008-04-07T10:30:00.000-07:00

About eight months ago an old friend of mine called to say that he needed some advice. It appears his 89 year-old mother (who I will call "Ruth") had fallen in the basement laundry room of their older home and broken her pelvis. She was stuck there for over 5 hours, unable to move and in a great deal of pain, before anyone found her.

Despite her age, Ruth is quite healthy and active, and after a successful surgery was admitted to a long-term care facility for rehab. So far, so good - so I asked my friend what it was he needed, and he said that the problem was not with his mother, but with his father (we'll call him "Herb").

Now, Herb has had some medical problems of his own but remains as active as possible. Needless to say, the family was not comfortable leaving Herb home alone while Ruth was recuperating. But Herb was not at all happy about staying with his daughter and their family. He wanted to be in his own home, in his own bed. Period.

"Mom lay in the basement for 5 hours before anyone found her. What can we do to make sure the same type of thing does not happen to dad?" my friend asked. I suggested a Guardian Alert 911 unit. It's one of those emergency call systems where you wear or carry a call button that communicates with a base station - just like a cordless phone. If you need help you press the call button and it dials the "911" Emergence Operator at your local Police Department. It is relatively inexpensive, easy to hook up, has no monthly monitoring fees and would give him the ability to call the outside world (via the local Police Department) should the need arise.

My friend easily hooked up the Guardian 911 unit, ran a test and taught his father how to use it. In fact, Herb liked the feeling of security so much, he wore the pendant to bed one night and accidentally set off an emergency call while he was asleep! The local Police Department responded and found Herb healthy (albeit a little embarrassed), and we have since convinced him to keep the pendant on the nightstand next to the bed.

Ruth is home and doing fine, but unfortunately Herb also ended up taking a tumble a few months later and broke his hip. As you might expect, while he was in rehab - SHE used the Guardian Alert unit and was able to stay home! It has really worked out well for both of them, as well as for their adult children.

You can get more information on the Guardian Alert 911 by clicking the link below. Once you are on the page, look for another link that says "Click here to watch our video" and you can view a very informative video on the Guardian system:

Guardian Alert 911 Information and Video Page

Measuring Blood Pressure Correctly

2007-07-03T06:38:00.000-07:00

Blood Pressure is the force of your blood moving through the arteries. It is recorded as two numbers, such as 120/80 mmHG. The higher (top) number is the systolic pressure, which is the pressure of the blood being forced through the arteries by the heart. The pressure between heartbeats is the lower number, and is called diastolic pressure.

If your doctor has diagnosed you as having high blood pressure (known medically as Hypertension), it is probably a good idea to learn how to take your own blood pressure at home. There are several ho me blood pressure monitors available today that make this an easy task to perform yourself, many of them with digital readouts. The least expensive digital units have a squeeze bulb for manually inflating the cuff. If you are unable to squeeze the inflation bulb or simply want the convenience, you can spend a bit more and purchase a self-inflating monitor. The basic self-inflating models require you to choose a setting that is about 40 mmHG above your normal Systolic (high) reading, but some people find that the cuff becomes uncomfortably tight during inflation. If comfort is an issue, the top of the line models offer internal logic that automatically chooses the correct pressure to stop inflating the cuff. Either way, these automatic, self-inflating models offer one-touch convenience for the user.

Here are a few tips that will make your home blood pressure reading more accurate:

Avoid tobacco, caffeine and food for about an hour before taking your blood pressure.
Sit quietly and relax for about 5 or 10 minutes before taking the reading. If you are excited, angry or upset, your reading might be higher than normal.
Read the manufacturer's instructions packaged with the unit to learn how to properly apply the cuff. The left arm is preferred if possible.
Sit in a chair with your back supported, your feet flat on the floor and your arm on a table or other support surface that will allow the cuff to be level with your heart.
Sit still during the reading. Do not talk or cross your legs.
Try to take your readings at the same time each day, and keep a log of your daily readings. This will help make sure your readings are consistent and will enable your doctor to notice any trends or changes in your blood pressure over time.

HighBloodPressureConnection.com offers a great deal of good information on blood pressure management and related topics that can help you lead a more active lifestyle.

I Never Knew That Was Available....

2007-06-28T06:52:00.000-07:00

Medical equipment for home use has come an incredibly long way in the last 30 years. It has gotten smaller and lighter (thus, more portable), technologically more advanced yet easier to use, and the cost of many items have gone down dramatically. The thing that continues to amaze us though, is that the folks who could very often benefit from these items the most rarely know they exist.

While we will often showcase medical equipment items, we will also do our best to keep things interesting by passing along tips on general health related issues, heart healthy recipes, and suggestions on how to save money by getting the most out of the equipment you already own. We might even have a little fun and stray into other areas such as new items for your pets.

If you have a question or suggestion on a topic you would like to see discussed, feel free to comment or send an email and we will do our best to obtain and post the information. Our goal is to help you maintain an active life.