Steve Barlam, Chief Professional Officer of LivHOME, discusses the specific steps that families and caregivers can take to avoid preventable post-discharge readmissions in Episode 29 of The Senior Care Podcast by LivHOME. He also looks at the broader implications of readmissions, which have become a significant issue for hospitals, insurers and seniors themselves.

Barlam explains that 1 in 3 seniors are readmitted to the hospital within 90 days of an initial stay. The reasons include confusion about the discharge plan and medications, a lack of follow-up with primary physicians, the absence of home health support and equipment, and insufficient attention to nutritional needs.

Overall, three-quarters of all readmissions are preventable. Avoiding preventable readmissions is important, Barlam says, because the hospital environment is disruptive and not necessarily conducive to health and well-being, with germs and viruses prevalent and privacy and comfort minimal.

Unfortunately, depression in the elderly is an illness that can often go untreated. Too many times, people assume that depression is just a normal part of growing older or a natural reaction to some chronic disease. While it is true that the elderly do face many new challenges as they grow older, depression is not an illness that must simply be tolerated by each senior.

Depression can present itself in many different ways for seniors. Family and friends of the elderly often overlook it because they do not recognize the signs of depression. Other people simply do not know that depression is an illness that can be medically treated by their doctor. Another problem is that depression can easily be mistaken for other illnesses that seniors face, such as dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, heart disease, Parkinson’s disease or thyroid disorders.

In addition, many elderly people feel too ashamed to admit they are struggling with feelings of depression. They are afraid they will be made fun of if they seek medical help for a mood disorder such as depression, all the while blaming themselves for feeling so glum. Other elderly people may worry that they cannot afford to seek help from a medical professional to treat their depression.

Depression is the highest risk factor for suicide among the elderly. They are more likely to reach out and ask for help when it comes to a physical ailment than they are to seek treatment for depression. While they may initially feel shame when it comes to treating a mood disorder, it is imperative that they receive the proper assistance from a medical professional who is familiar with the illness. With such recent medical breakthroughs in the field of mental health, the treatment prognosis for depression looks good. In fact, once an elderly person is diagnosed with the illness, around 80% of them can successfully be treated using medication, psychotherapy, electroconvulsive therapy or some combination of the three.

• During the first stages, you may see a very mild decline in cognitive function. Your loved one may feel like they are having little lapses in memory, forgetting things like familiar words or where they left their keys.
• The next symptoms you may see consist of a mild level of cognitive decline. It is often at this point that many people are officially diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Friends and family will begin to notice cognitive difficulties. Some of the most common difficulties during this time can be an inability to remember words or names, trouble performing tasks in a social or work setting, forgetting things they just read or problems with organization.
• The next stage of symptom progression is considered mild or early-stage Alzheimer’s disease. It is very important for your loved one to keep up with medical appointments and maintain an open dialogue with their physician. They will experience a greater difficulty with important tasks like planning dinner or paying bills. They may begin to forget things about their own history and become moody or withdrawn in social settings.
• This next stage of Alzheimer’s is considered the moderate or mid-stage of the disease. You will notice that their memory continues to worsen and even some of their personality traits may begin to change. Your loved one may need extensive help with their activities of daily living and they may even begin to lose awareness of their surroundings during this time.
• The final stage of this disease is considered severe or late-stage Alzheimer's. You may see your loved one lose the ability to carry on a conversation or to control their movements. They may need help to eat or use the bathroom, muscles may grow to become rigid, and they may experience problems swallowing.

LivHOME understands that Alzheimer’s is a diagnosis that affects the entire family. Our team of professional Care Managers and Caregivers are experts in dementia and Alzheimer’s care. We take a holistic approach and successfully anticipate the needs of your loved one while enhancing their quality of life. LivHOME team members will work hard to provide the support and resources your loved one deserves.

In their published study University of Virginia lead scientist Professor George Bloom found that the toxic protein, which has been known to play a key role in Alzheimer's, sticks together in the brains of people with Alzheimer's, and these deposits result in the destruction of key nerve cells. “We've confirmed that it converts more abundant beta-amyloids [proteins] into a form that is up to 100 times more toxic,” said Bloom, “making this a very dangerous killer of brain cells and an attractive target for drug therapy.”

Alzheimer’s disease has long been one of the most painful afflictions that older family members can succumb to, as it is the leading cause of dementia and is currently incurable. In a 2007 study, by Brookmeyer, it was predicted that 1 in 85 of all people globally would become afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease. Probiodrug, based in Halle, has completed phase I safety trials of a drug that suppresses an enzyme involved in the formation of pyroglu beta-amyloid.

Understanding the toxic proteins and learning to suppress them might unlock a treatment that can affectively suppress or eliminate Alzheimer’s. Because of the broad range of senior help, care management, and in-home care that LivHOME provides many elderly people that suffer from severe to mild cases of Alzheimer’s can continue to live in their homes with professional assistance and caregiving.

In many of these instances, non-medical care is the best way to achieve happy living for the family remaining at home. Hopefully, with the help of researchers and scientists working all over the world, Alzheimer’s can be treated and made curable.

When considering professional in-home care, the first vital question to ask is how much help does your loved-one need on a daily basis. Some of the most important areas to evaluate would be personal and household care. Household care includes things like cooking, cleaning and doing laundry. Personal care includes bathing, dressing, preparing meals and personal hygiene. For example, you would want to determine if your parent is able to safely bathe and dress without assistance. If they take medications on a daily basis, can they safely administer their own medicine? Do you need someone to help drive your parent to doctor’s appointments? Do you need someone to check on your parent early in the morning or late at night?

LivHOME is one of the nation’s largest at-home care providers for seniors. Their mission is to help elderly adults remain living at home for as long as possible. They understand that each family is unique and therefore, each family will have its own set of needs. It’s for that very reason LivHOME provides you with Professional Geriatric Care Managers who are experts in geriatrics and specialize in areas of social work, nursing and mental health. The Professional Geriatric Care Managers provide an elite level of care and work closely with your family to evaluate your parent’s needs. Based on their clinical assessment, the Geriatric Care Manager will create a custom Plan of Care and then work with the Caregiver every step of the way to see the plan through.

LivHOME provides your family with a team of experienced professionals and an unsurpassed level of care. LivHOME works side by side with your family to provide a safe and healthy home environment for your elderly parent, and in the words of Mike Nicholson, LivHOME CEO, “We measure the success of our service by the answer to one question: “Is it good enough for my mom?’”

Click here to listen to episode 28

For more information about LivHOME’s franchise program, contact Mickey Goldkorn at 323-932-1320 or visit the LivHOME franchise website at www.livhomefranchise.com.