When people with Diabetes, Heart Failure, COPD, or other chronic conditions return home after a hospital stay, it can be an uncertain time. It may be difficult for them to manage their condition on their own, and they may end up being readmitted to the hospital within a few weeks or months. Most would prefer to remain at home in the comfort of family, friends, and familiar surroundings, instead of having to go back to the hospital. And rehospitalization is quite costly.If you need home care services when you return from the hospital, look for a company that is committed to keeping patients with chronic conditions safe at home, and out of the hospital. You may need a comprehensive range of home health care services, including skilled nursing, therapy (physical, occupational, or speech), or home health aide or social work services. Be sure to enlist a company that works closely with hospital discharge planners, follows up with you after your discharge from the hospital, monitors your condition, and acts as a liaison between you and your primary care physician. Make sure the company has the clinical expertise that your condition requires, provides you with a treatment plan created especially for you, and is there for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.If you have a chronic condition, its very important to understand the disease and your role in keeping it under control. Enlist a company that teaches techniques and methods to help you self-manage many aspects of your condition, and helps identify what you can do on an ongoing basis to improve your own health. Be sure you know what the signs and symptoms are when your condition may be worsening and when you may need to call your physician or your home health care company. By working with your home care company and taking charge of your own care, you can achieve the best possible health and highest possible level of independence. By managing your own chronic condition, a crisis can often be avoided, and you will be able to remain safely at home, where you want to be. Editors Note: This article was submitted by Lynda Van Dyke, director of the Bayada Nurses office in Colorado Springs. For additional information, she can be reached at 719-598-9100

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To learn more about Senior Tax Advisory Group, CLICK HERE.In the quest to create wealth, many savers have struggled with how to buy low and sell high and have even found themselves doing just the opposite. If the expression -- if it aint broke don't fix it makes sense then what should you do if your financial plan is broke? Or how about the oft quoted definition for insanity being doing the same thing and expecting different results. Well, if you've had about all the risk and fluctuation you can handle there may be a great alternative for you. In the early to late 1990s, people flooded out of the safe haven of various fixed products to get in on market-oriented products with the hope of capturing high returns. As the market began to move down and eventually crash, many people were told to hold on and be patient. When they did, it took most of them the next five to six years to recover their losses. Then, just as many investments were starting to break even, the current economic recession began, leaving people to wonder how long it will take, yet again to break even let alone grow.When you no longer have time to hold on or the chance of recovering your balance is even less realistic, then the time is now for a different strategy!Fixed annuities can be that wonderful solution for safety and security. They provide unique features such as income planning for now and later. They can also be a great tool for recovery of some of your losses, while allowing you to enjoy some upside potential with no downside risk. Simply put, once you make it you keep it, and you never risk losing it again.There is a lot of media misinformation about this secure financial solution, so it is very important that you get educated by an advisor that you can trust to understand to see if a fixed annuity might be suitable for you. Solid information and innovative solutions help you make informed decisions and the sooner you start gathering the facts for your individual circumstances the better.Editors Note: This article was submitted by Senior Tax advisory Group, Inc. For help, or further information, they can be reached at 719-596-4844

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Dialysis is the process of filtering waste from a patients body when the kidneys no longer function. A dialyzer, also considered an artificial kidney, is the tool that helps filter waste from a patients blood. When dialysis providers use the same dialyzer multiple times on the same patient, the process is called reuse. Reuse is considered a controversial practice in nephrology and many providers choose single use dialyzers for their patients.Dialyzer reprocessing, when done properly, has shown minimal risk to patients mortality and morbidity. However, many nephrologists factor in human error which can affect the process of reuse and expose patients to potential infections and cross-contamination.Exposure to infections is one of the most prominent risks facing dialysis patients. Care must be taken in all aspects of treatment to ensure that equipment has been properly disinfected, staff and patients adhere to rigorous hygiene standards, and water systems are properly maintained and monitored. Reuse of dialyzers, is considered a cost effective tool, but many physicians feel that exposing patients to possible contamination is a risk not worth taking.Providers that administer reuse must adhere to the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) guidelines and follow a series of steps before reusing a dialyzer on a patient. Many nephrologists feel the amount of time needed to safely handle reuse dialyzers takes away needed time with the patient.In addition, research shows that a number of providers who once practiced reuse in 2000 switched to single use dialyzers by 2005. The study conducted by Tufts University in 2007, showed that 40 percent of providers between 2000 and 2005 switched from re-use to single use dialyzers.Regardless of ones stance on reuse, nephrologists agree that patient education is imperative and providers must inform their patients on all aspects of dialysis.Editor's Note: This Article was written by Dr. Jesse Flaxenberg of Pikes Peak Nephrology and submitted by Liberty Dialysis. For more information call 877-684-5008

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Sooner or later, seniors face the possibility of seeking medical treatment for orthopedic ailments. The good news is orthopedic degeneration is usually a slow process. For most people, there is not a window of time that quickly closes to be eligible for surgery so other options to surgery are often available to help.There are many things that can be done, short of surgery, to alleviate pain and increase function such as: moist heat, cold therapy, pain medication, injections and physical therapy. An orthopedic surgeon is the perfect resource to evaluate the orthopedic condition, establish the patients goal for treatment, and develop a treatment plan that will work with the patients current condition.However, it is time to consider orthopedic surgery when the condition begins to interfere with daily activities. The majority of orthopedic procedures performed on senior patients are usually hip, knee and rotator cuff surgery. Surgical options leading up to and including total joint replacement can be wonderful for all the right reasons. Surgery can help seniors hang on to their independence and to be able to stay in their own home for as long as possible instead of having to move into assisted living environments.Should you need surgery, it is important to research surgeon options and select the surgeon with which you are most comfortable. Thoroughly discuss the surgical procedures, from pre-surgery through rehabilitation. Ask any question you need to feel comfortable with the entire joint replacement process.Proper and thorough planning can significantly increase the outcome of joint replacement surgery. Do what you can to prepare yourself physically for the surgery. Diet and exercise is as important before as it is after the surgery. Patients do better when they are motivated to properly exercise and diet prior to surgery. Be sure to participate in joint replacement classes prior to surgery to insure better outcomes from your surgery.Other factors that can affect the outcome of orthopedic surgery are smoking and diabetes. People who smoke do not experience the same recovery time as non-smokers because nicotine directly interferes with soft tissue and bone healing. Additionally, it is important for people with diabetes to have their blood sugars stabilized prior to surgery to avoid potential complications.Editors Note: Dr. Bruce Taylor is an orthopedic surgeon with the St. Mary-Corwin Physician Partners Orthopedics Group and contributed to this article. The goal of the SMC Physician Partners orthopedic group is to serve as a resource to work with patients and identify options for good orthopedic health. Call (719) 562-6254 for more information.

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