Posted on Tuesday, December 30, 2014

What Should You Consider When Choosing An Assisted Living?

There are many things to think about when choosing an assisted living facility. Your loved one has many needs that must be considered during this transition. In this video, Lori-Ann discusses the importance of starting the process by talking with your loved one to keep them involved. This will not only help make the move easier for them, but your other family members as well.

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How do you make the right decision about moving yourself or a loved one into an Assisted Living Facility without being overwhelmed? How do you even begin talking about it? MyHealthSpin’s “Easy Healthcare: Choosing an Assisted Living Facility” ebook guide gives you all of the practical advice you need to make the right choice.

Available for download NOW!

Posted on Monday, December 29, 2014

5 Breakthroughs in Healthcare in 2014

2014 has passed in a flash. Healthcare continues to develop in amazing ways.

What are 5 medical breakthroughs that happened in 2014?

1. Wearable Technology Used in Surgery: AMAZING! Dr. Rafael Grossman was the first surgeon to use Google Glass in surgery. While operating, Dr. Grossman and others like him can pull up the patient’s medical history, view specific medical texts, or stream a live feed from the operating room to his or her students. Google Glass and other wearable technology will continue to advance, allowing doctors to interact with patients in new and different ways.

2. Telemedicine: Telemedicine continues to grow throughout the world. This technology allows patients who live far away from specialists to be seen by those doctors via the Internet. Since good patient results tend to depend on seeing the right doctor at the right time, this growing technology will greatly help improve patient outcomes.

3. 3 D Printing: You might not know that 3D printing is being increasingly used in medicine. Healthcare providers are using 3D printers to print skin for burn patients, blood vessels for cardiac patients, and patching holes in patients. This technology will help solve many healthcare problems over time.

4. Bionic Eye: In the past, very little could be done for blindness. Now, for some types of blindness, surgeons have successfully implanted a bionic eye that allows patients to detect light and dark and see movement.

5. Seniors at Home: With all the technological advances in medicine, more and more seniors are able to live independently longer. For example, health conditions can be monitored with special wrist monitors and tablets, which allow healthcare providers to track their care while allowing the patient to stay comfortably at home.

As 2014 comes to a close, we continue to watch healthcare grow and develop in exciting ways. I will continue to keep you updated on the healthcare issues that affect you the most. Happy Holidays!

Posted on Monday, December 22, 2014

Talking Family Healthcare at the Holidays

The holidays are filled with friends, shopping, and being together with family you only get to see this time of year. And while your visit with parents and siblings should be about catching up, it’s also a good time to check in with your family about important healthcare topics. These conversations are often difficult but necessary.

Do all the members of your family have a Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare? MyHealthSpin’s Easy Healthcare: Your Hospital Stay provides easy and specific steps to complete before being admitted to a hospital.

A durable power of attorney for healthcare or patient advocate designation, is a legal document in which you name the person who will make medical decisions for you if you can’t yourself. This document is often included in your will or trust. That person, called a patient advocate, will only be able to make decisions for you in the event that you can’t communicate yourself. Your patient advocate can only make medical decisions. He or she won’t be able to make decisions about your finances unless you also give them that power in your will or trust. You can also give your patient advocate the power to donate your organs or your entire body upon your death.

Often, people do not like to talk about how they will handle their healthcare if they get sick or age. But finalizing these issues BEFORE you need to is the key. The holidays are a good time to discuss these issues since it is one of the rare times that many family members are together. Even if it’s only to get them on the family radar.

Do you know where Dad keeps his will or trust? Do you know what your Mom and Dad want done when they die? These are important topics to discuss with your family so there will be no surprises. Communication and preparation can avoid conflicts in the family and unnecessary expenses that arise when your family’s wishes are not known when they get sick or die.

So enjoy the holidays but also find some time to have the important discussions that are necessary to be prepared prior to an illness.

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Although we’d all like to avoid it, it’s likely that most of us will at some point be admitted to the hospital. Whether you are staying in a hospital for a happy event, such as the birth of a child, or are being admitted due to an emergency or serious illness, you should understand how a hospital works. MyHealthSpin’s Easy Healthcare: Your Hospital Stay reveals the easy and practical answers that only an insider knows.

Available for download NOW!