“When you look at me and say, you see a face without a name, perfect strangers in a frame…Everyday we’ll make new memories and add them to this shelf always to remind you, you are never by yourself.”

This song is a tribute to those affected by Alzheimer’s disease and their families. Half of all proceeds from this song will be donated to the Alzheimer’s Society of Canada to help continue research so one day we can hopefully cure this illness. You can purchase the song on iTunes, CD Baby, Amazon, or on the musician’s website at www.brianasselinmusic.com Read more…

With the approaching Supreme Court showdown on the President Obama’s 2010 health care law (the Affordable Care Act, modeled, of course, on Mitt Romney’s law in Massachusetts), the U.S. healthcare system remains a dysfunctional mess, as nurses bear witness to every day.

In late March, the Court will devote six hours over three days to oral arguments on the legal challenges to the law — the most time the Court has given a case in 56 years. The testimony will likely be accompanied by a possible record 100 “friend of the court” briefs, Kaiser Health News reported February 16.

While the ACA had some undeniable positive elements, such as permitting young adults up to age 26 to remain on their parents health plan, and a few limitations on insurance industry abuses, such as barring them from denying coverage due to pre-existing conditions, our health care nightmare is far from over.

And, as nurses have reported repeatedly the past year, the economic crisis has great aggravated the suffering with broad declines in health status that are directly linked to job loss, unpayable medical bills, and families having to choose between paying for food, housing, clothing or healthcare.

As to the law itself, despite its name the ACA has done little to actually make healthcare affordable. Out of pocket health costs for families continue to soar largely unabated. Nurses now routinely see patients who have postponed needed care, sometimes even life-saving or life-prolonging care, because of the co-pays and deductibles.

A Commonwealth Fund study in November, comparing the U.S. Read more…

OK buddies, I want to talk about something. Alot of you nice people that read my stories are youngsters, 40 to 60 year olds. Alot of your parents are still alive and may either live in your city or away. I want to tell you all a secret. When you talk to your parents on the phone and say, “Hi mom (or dad), how are you?” And they always answer, “Fine, just fine.” When you say to them, “Are you keeping busy, getting out doing things?” And they answer, “Oh yes, I have plenty to keep me busy.” When you ask them, “Are you lonely? And they answer, “Oh no, I have friends, I’m fine.” When you say to them, “I wish we could visit but we are just so busy,” and they answer, “Oh I know, don’t worry about me, you have your life. Don’t worry about me.” I want to tell you a secret: Your parents are not telling you the whole truth.

They do get very lonely, they do need help sometimes, they do want to see you. They are your parents, and if you are parents, you know that you never want to hurt your children, or want them to be put out. Us seniors want to be on our own, we want to be independent, but hecky, we miss you. SO, here is my advice, before it is too late, and just because it would be wonderful for you to do, try and see them more. Read more…

Relationships can be tested to the limit when there is a caregiver and care recipient within a family relationship. In a paid caregiving position there are those who have something special within them and those who are just making an income. I think about and meet all types of caregivers on a daily basis.

At my Visiting Angels office, we are always striving to hire the excellent caregiver’s with that something special, rather than someone just looking for a job. It is much easier to control what type of caregiver’s we employ than changing a less than satisfactory family caregiving situation.

Everyone isn’t suited to provide care in a family situation or as a paid position. So what are the characteristics that an excellent caregiver has? I believe there are 5 core qualities an excellent caregiver possesses.

1. EMPATHY

My belief is empathy is the #1 core characteristic of an excellent caregiver. I often question if this is inherent within us or this is something which can be learned?

I tend to believe it’s a lot of inherent and a big mix of environment. I also believe there are degrees of empathy. Some can empathize more than others. If you can totally put yourself in the place of who you are caring for, you will do nothing but provide excellent care.

The question is always – how would I want to be treated and taken care of under these circumstances? If that is the core basis for how you provide care you will provide caring, compassionate, and dignified care with a great attitude. Read more…

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You know, my grandma didn’t believe in drugs. She believed in nuts. She used almonds for everything. She would slip them into everything she fed us just to be sure they did their job. We found them in salads, desserts, candy, and even our underwear. She said they got rid of warts.

I grew up during the depression. And, we spent the little money we had on food, not beauty products. When we saw a wrinkle in the mirror, we just gave up hope. But not my grandma. She made a paste of milk, almonds and rosebuds and smeared it on her face every night. She looked looked like the ghost of the apocalypse but she smelled like Almond Roca. And my grandpa loved sweets.

She had 18 children, not counting the 4 miscarriages and she wasn’t even Catholic. She wasn’t very careful either.

When grandpa lost his hair, she made a paste of gooseberry juice and almond oil. It made his scalp soft as a baby’s bottom. I think that’s why he wore a diaper on his head. He said it was to protect him from a chill. I guess you had to be there.

My aunt Hazel had teenage anemia and my grandma fed her almonds to build her up. It must have worked because she went from a 32A to a 36D in one summer and eloped with Uncle Jack in the fall.

Every night, grandma mixed almond oil with milk and made us drink it before we went to bed. Read more…

One bad egg can spoil the bunch. And it’s not just eggs, is it?!

One colleague on a rampage, one employee stuck in a rut, one subordinate contaminating the minds of others – sadly, it happens all too frequently. And it matters – a lot!

To create quality practice environments, everyone needs to play full on so that we can have our best foot forward for our:

• Teams to function effectively.

• Facilities to run efficiently.

• Patients to be treated with dignity.

• Selves to be able to function with excellence.

We needn’t look further than the last, and possibly most important question, on the hallowed HCAPHPS* scores, to give us our cue. The patient is asked what is their ‘Likelihood to Recommend’. Patients can choose from the following answers: never, sometimes, usually, and always. Of course, always is the answer we are ‘always’ looking for. It is no exaggeration that our jobs may depend on it.

Think about your own experience in a hospital when you were not a caregiver but a patient or family member. You expected expertly delivered and safe care. You expected accurate diagnosis and timely treatment. But beyond that, what you notice is the manners in which the staff carry themselves, conduct themselves and treat you, your family and each other.

With that in mind, here are a few ideas for you to consider:

The truly toxic people must go. Period. Keep them and you will risk losing the great people instead. If this is your situation and you are not a manager, bring this to your manager. Read more…

From the dangers of tobacco and trans fats to the benefits of physical activity and whole grains, much of what we know about health today is thanks to the Nurses’ Health Study.

Researchers are recruiting 100,000 nurses and nursing students to join the long-running Nurses’ Health Study and expand its landmark research on women’s health.

Female RNs, LPNs, and nursing students between the ages of 20 and 46 who live in the U.S. or Canada are eligible to join the study. More than 25,000 have signed up already, and recruitment will stay open until the goal of 100,000 participants is reached.

Researchers hope to engage a highly diverse group of women in the “next generation” of the study. For the first time, nursing students are eligible to enroll.

In order to make participation as convenient as possible for busy women, participants can join online and complete the study’s surveys through a secure website, http://www.nhs3.org/.

More than 250,000 nurses have participated in the study since the 1970s. By completing confidential lifestyle surveys, they have helped advance medical knowledge about nutrition, exercise, cancer, heart disease, and many other conditions.

“Nurses were originally recruited for their expertise in accurately reporting health data,” explains Dr. Walter Willett, the study’s lead researcher and Chair of the Nutrition Department at Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, Mass. “Their involvement has been invaluable, and their dedication is remarkable—an astounding 90% of them are still enrolled, decades later! The new group, NHS3, will allow us understand how today’s lifestyle and environment affect a woman’s health in the future.”

Nurses enrolled in the earlier studies are encouraging their daughters and younger colleagues to join. Read more…

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The show begins…

“Dan as you know, we try to shy away from controversy but sometimes a gal just has to speak up. I must comment on the recent congressional hearings on contraception. First of all—I thought that train left the station in the 70′s! And can we talk? The expert panel assembled consisted of all males! “Where’s the beef?” as our old friend Clara Peller used to say in the famous Wendy’s commercial. Without going into further detail, we wondered what it would be like—if the shoe were on the other foot—so to speak. You know, the deck being stacked to fall the other way?”

AS LUCK would have it—a little research provided us with the perfect opportunity to share just that kind of breaking news. Listen this Saturday as California State Senator Janelle Jones introduces groundbreaking legislation (Senate Bill SB 1240) that moves to criminalize the very dangerous Viagra. That’s right—Viagra. The all-woman senate panel that drafted this bill says there is mountains of evidence that Viagra should be banned! Don’t miss Senator Jones on Nurse Talk!

AND…we have an update on the very active nurses from National Nurses United. Deborah Burger always brings life and humanity to the critical healthcare issues in our country.

We’ll check in with our friend Andrew McGuire. Andrew is the Executive Director of California One Care. Cal One Care envisions a health care system where every child and every adult receives the health care they need, when they need it, and at a cost that is affordable. Read more…

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We have an update on the very active nurses from National Nurses United. Deborah Burger always brings life and humanity to the critical healthcare issues in our country. Read more…

The show begins with Casey, “Dan as you know, we try to shy away from controversy but sometimes a gal just has to speak up. I must comment on the recent congressional hearings on contraception. First of all—I thought that train left the station in the 70’s! And can we talk? The expert panel assembled consisted of all males! “Where’s The Beef?” as our old friend Clara Peller used to say in the famous Wendy’s commercial. Without going into further detail, we wondered what it would be like—if the shoe were on the other foot—so to speak. You know, the deck being stacked to fall the other way?”

AS LUCK would have it—a little research provided us with the perfect opportunity to share just that kind of breaking news. Listen this Saturday as California State Senator Janelle Jones introduces groundbreaking legislation (Senate Bill SB 1240) that moves to criminalize the very dangerous Viagra. That’s right—Viagra. The all-woman senate panel that drafted this bill says there is mountains of evidence that Viagra should be banned! Don’t miss Senator Jones on Nurse Talk!

AND..we have an update on the very active nurses from National Nurses United. Deborah Burger always brings life and humanity to the critical healthcare issues in our country.

We’ll check in with our friend Andrew McGuire. Andrew is the Executive Director of California One Care. Cal One Care envisions a health care system where every child and every adult receives the health care they need, when they need it, and at a cost that is affordable.

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