Connections In Healthcare

  Millions of people find joy and community in weekly attendance at a religious worship service.   One of the drawbacks of America’s car-centric infrastructure is that transportation becomes a barrier when a person cannot drive themselves or afford a car. It contributes to increased isolation and loneliness, especially if they can no longer attend religious services. Sadly, that is the plight of many seniors and handicapped individuals.  This is a problem healthcare professionals and caregivers can help solve. With just a bit of effort they may be able to help locate transportation.  Finding a place of worship that offers their own transport services is ideal because they will ensure on-time arrival on the most relevant days.   Thankfully, many places of worship offer transportation services on significant worship days. Check with the person’s preferred place of worship to see if they offer van rides to patrons. If not, a conversation with the leadership ma...

Backpacking is a fun sport that millions of people enjoy. It requires a high level of fitness and agility that can be a barrier to some people with health issues. Backpacking with a handicap requires careful planning and may also require adapted equipment. Thankfully, there are many products on the market to help make things easier. Don't let a disability stop you from the activities you enjoy. There are thousands of disabled hikers and backpackers out there including one man who thru-hiked the AT blind, and another who did it with a prosthetic leg.  There is a large community of hikers and backpackers who are ready and willing to share information. Disabledhikers.wordpress.com has many good articles and information. They operate a F acebook  group where someone can as questions and get advice. The Disability  subreddit  is also another great place to ask questions.  One of the most common barriers to backpacking is back injury and chronic back pain. T...

    Pruritus, or itchiness, can be a very significant annoyance. For some patients it can be so severe that it interferes with therapy participation. Addressing this issue productively can reduce anxiety and improve patient participation. Patients with limited range of motion or flexibility may not be able to reach affected areas to scratch or apply lotion or powder. In this post I will share popular anti-itch remedies as well as methods to aid application of lotion and other anti-itch products to hard-to-reach areas. Hydrating the skin is often the most effective solution for itch relief. For serious pruritus, a medicated lotion may be needed instead of typical lotion. Popular over the counter (OTC) anti-itch lotions include those with 1% pramoxine hydrochloride (Sarna, CeraVe), or 1% hydrocortizone (Cortizone-10). These are appropriate for most areas of the body. If not sufficient, an oral anti-itch medication may be useful. Dyphenhydramine (Benadryl) and cetirizine (Zyrtec)...

The Survey of Spiritual Needs is a seven-question survey to assess for spiritual distress, depression and patient needs and wishes related to these issues. This survey can be completed in two to five minutes. It is intended for adult and older teen populations with abstract reasoning skills. Screening for spiritual needs can be conducted by any healthcare personnel including patient care technicians and certified nursing assistants. The SOSN is a brief survey that will enable any healthcare professional to assess for spiritual distress and disruptions in spiritual engagement thoroughly yet quickly. It will also enable the examiner to identify solutions to help their patient re-engage with this occupation and begin to resolve present distress. It will enable the examiner to connect the patient with other appropriate resources and determine if further screening is necessary. No prior training is required. Some users of the original SOSN have requested a shortened version. This alternate ...

Tired of struggling to open jars? Me too. There are many techniques and gadgets out there that claim to help make opening jars easier. Some work better than others. Here is a method that doesn’t require buying any additional kitchen gadgets. First, let’s discuss why jars are hard to open. Jars are sealed by pressure. The contents of the jar are under a vacuum. The vacuum is maintained by a thin rubber layer between the lid and the rim of the jar. This acts against turning the lid as well. While we cannot remove the rubber, we can remove the vacuum to ease the effort needed to open the lid. To do this you will need either an ice pick, awl, or a knife with a sharp tip. You will use the sharp device to puncture a small hole in the top of the lid. Place the sharp tip near the center of the lid holding it so the end of the device is open and not covered by your hand. Use a heavy wooden spoon, rolling pin, or some other weighty object to hit the end of your sharp device. A firm tap is all th...

Many disabled and elderly people can no longer complete home cleaning tasks adequately. In our age of high transience, more and more people are left living alone with no family close by. Discharging home from the hospital with a new disability or mobility deficits can pose major barriers to a person's ability to keep up with house chores like dusting, moping, or vacuuming. They may not have a ready solution for this problem. Of course, one simple solution is to hire a cleaning service. Sadly, many live on a limited income and cannot afford such services. One barrier is that most of the companies offering such services have minimum requirements such as two hours per week. They charge anywhere from $25-$50 per hour which adds up quickly. In some large cities there are companies who offer discounts to senior citizens. So, it is always worth an internet search or calling a few companies to ask. Here are some other options to consider. Call a company directly and explain the situation...