Thursday, December 31, 2009
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Monday, December 7, 2009
Our New Office
Starting February 1st this will be the new home office of Interim HealthCare of Omaha.
Front Entrance
Office Lobby
Fountain and Landscaping Outside Building
Main Office Space
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Thursday, November 12, 2009
About Interim HealthCare
With 40 years of home care experience, Interim understands how important it is for people to stay in their homes. But sometimes, the challenges of everyday living get beyond even the most independent-minded people.
Interim HealthCare provides both professional nursing and therapy services as well as non-medical supportive services that help people remain independent and in control.
It starts with a careful review of the situation and continues with an individualized plan of service. This plan includes options that make it easy to match the right services to the right needs and meet daily challenges - big and small.
Our caregivers are carefully screened, bonded, and insured. They meet our high standard of quality, because we know how important it is to you and your family. And, since they are Interim employees, there is no worry about taxes, Social Security or supervision. We help make independent living at home a possibility for you or the people you care about.
Interim HealthCare employs over 75,000 home health workers each year including RNs, LPNs, therapists, home health aides and more, caring for approximately 50,000 patients on any given day. With our innovative programs, skilled professionals, trained therapists and caring aides, Interim HealthCare cares for individuals in the comfort of their own home and provides payors and physicians the cost effectiveness and positive outcomes of home care. Physicians, health care facilities and payors depend on our proven clinical pathways and national policies and procedures to provide consistent care they can trust.
Interim HealthCare provides both professional nursing and therapy services as well as non-medical supportive services that help people remain independent and in control.
It starts with a careful review of the situation and continues with an individualized plan of service. This plan includes options that make it easy to match the right services to the right needs and meet daily challenges - big and small.
Our caregivers are carefully screened, bonded, and insured. They meet our high standard of quality, because we know how important it is to you and your family. And, since they are Interim employees, there is no worry about taxes, Social Security or supervision. We help make independent living at home a possibility for you or the people you care about.
Interim HealthCare employs over 75,000 home health workers each year including RNs, LPNs, therapists, home health aides and more, caring for approximately 50,000 patients on any given day. With our innovative programs, skilled professionals, trained therapists and caring aides, Interim HealthCare cares for individuals in the comfort of their own home and provides payors and physicians the cost effectiveness and positive outcomes of home care. Physicians, health care facilities and payors depend on our proven clinical pathways and national policies and procedures to provide consistent care they can trust.
Wii Bowling Tounament at Seven Oaks of Florence
Wii sports have become a staple mark in retirement communities all over the country, and none more so then at Seven Oaks of Florence. Of the sports themed games, residents find bowling to be the most fun and entertaining. Residents try to gather at least once a week to have fun and test their bowling skills.
On Monday, Interim HealthCare of Omaha hosted their first Wii Bowling Tournament. While many residents practiced the week before to sharpen their skills and gain an edge on their fellow competitors, others showed up with brute confidence in their abilities.
There were six competitors fighting for the title, bragging rights and movie themed gift baskets.
And the winner of Interim Healthcare's first Wii Bowling Tournament is Betty. She came out on top with a combined score of 472 and a game high of 174. Included in Betty's winnings were movie passes to the Rave Theater and a DVD.
Congratulations Betty and thank you to everyone who participated and helped put on the event.
Betty lining up her shot.
There were six competitors fighting for the title, bragging rights and movie themed gift baskets.
Congratulations Betty and thank you to everyone who participated and helped put on the event.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Veterans Day Salute
Thank you to all the Veterans who served this country and to those who are currently serving. We appreciate all that you do to protect our rights as Americans and your efforts in keeping our citizens safe. Without you we would not be able to live the lives we do today and pursue our American dreams.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Your Rights as a Consumer of Home Care Services
As a consumer of home care, you have several rights and a home care agency will usually provide you with a written copy of them. They include the following:
• The right to choose your home care provider. Your choice must be honored by your doctor, hospital discharge planner, or other referring agency. However, for members of managed care plans, the choices will depend upon which home care agencies your plan works with.
• The right to have your property treated with respect.
• The right to have your family or guardian act for you if you are unable.
• The right to complain to the agency or the State licensing body about your treatment or care if it is not provided, or if staff shows disrespect for you or your property.
• The right to be given a copy of your plan of care or service plan, so you can ask questions about the type of services and staff the home care agency plans to provide to you and how often you can expect those services.
• The right to be informed in writing about how much the services will cost you.
It is important for you to remember that the goal of home care is to keep residents independent in the location of their choosing.
• The right to choose your home care provider. Your choice must be honored by your doctor, hospital discharge planner, or other referring agency. However, for members of managed care plans, the choices will depend upon which home care agencies your plan works with.
• The right to have your property treated with respect.
• The right to have your family or guardian act for you if you are unable.
• The right to complain to the agency or the State licensing body about your treatment or care if it is not provided, or if staff shows disrespect for you or your property.
• The right to be given a copy of your plan of care or service plan, so you can ask questions about the type of services and staff the home care agency plans to provide to you and how often you can expect those services.
• The right to be informed in writing about how much the services will cost you.
It is important for you to remember that the goal of home care is to keep residents independent in the location of their choosing.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Who Pays for Home Care?
Here is a look at some typical payors and what they usually cover for home care services.
Medicare Not all home care agencies are approved by Medicare to provide services to Medicare beneficiaries. A home care agency who is approved by Medicare is called certified. A certified agency has met strict federal requirements for patient care and management and therefore can provide home health services that are paid for by Medicare or Medicaid. These agencies typically focus on medical-related care such as nursing, therapies, and home health aides, but can also provide a range of supportive services. Most commercial health insurers require that services they cover be provided by Certified agencies.
The federal Medicare program provides comparative data on their website as to how certified home health agencies compare in providing care for some of their patients. Quality information that can be used to help you compare home health agencies can be found on Medicare's website www.medicare.gov
If you are a Medicare beneficiary and meet certain criteria, Medicare will cover:
• Skilled nursing care on a part-time or intermittent basis. Skilled nursing care includes services and care that can only be performed safely and correctly by a licensed nurse (either a registered nurse or a licensed practical nurse).
• Home health aide services on a part-time or intermittent basis. A home health aide does not have a nursing license. The aide provides services that support any services that the nurse provides. These services include help with personal care such as bathing, using the toilet, or dressing. These types of services do not need the skills of a licensed nurse. Medicare does not cover home health aide services unless you are also getting skilled care such as nursing care or other therapy. The home health aide services must be part of the home care for your illness or injury.
• Physical therapy, speech-language pathology services, and occupational therapy:
• Physical therapy, which includes exercise to regain movement and strength to a body area, and training on how to use special equipment or do daily activities, like how to get in and out of a wheelchair or bathtub.
• Speech-language pathology services, which includes exercise to regain and strengthen speech and swallowing skills.
• Occupational therapy, which helps you become able to do usual daily activities by yourself. You might learn new ways to eat, put on clothes, comb your hair, and new ways to do other usual daily activities.
• Medical social services to help you with social and emotional concerns related to your illness. This might include counseling or help in finding resources in your community.
• Certain medical supplies, like wound dressings, that are ordered as part of your care.
The criteria you must meet to be eligible for Medicare’s home health benefit have been defined by Medicare:
Physician involvement - Your doctor must decide that you need medical care at home, and make a plan for your care at home.
Patient is homebound - You must be homebound, or normally unable to leave home unassisted. To be homebound means that leaving home takes considerable and taxing effort. A person may leave home for medical treatment or short, infrequent absences for non-medical reasons, such as a trip to the barber or to attend religious service. A need for adult day care doesn’t keep you from getting home health care.
Patient requires skilled care or SN,PT,ST (or OT with another skill) - You must need at least one of the following: intermittent skilled nursing care, or physical therapy, or speech-language therapy, or occupational therapy.
The services are part-time/ intermittent - Eligibility is also based on the amount of services you need. Medicare covers your home health services for as long as you are eligible and your doctor says you need these services. However, the skilled nursing care and home health aide services are only covered on a part-time or “intermittent” basis. This means there are limits on the number of hours per day and days per week that you can get skilled nursing or home health aide services.
Therapy services don’t have to be part-time or intermittent.
Medicare doesn’t pay for
• 24-hour-a-day care at home;
• meals delivered to your home;
• homemaker services like shopping, cleaning, and laundry
• personal care given by home health aides like bathing, dressing, and using the bathroom when this is the only care you need.
Although Medicare doesn’t cover prescription drugs as part of home health care, a recent law added new prescription drug benefits to the Medicare program as a whole.
Medicare HMO
Medicare Advantage is the name for the Medicare Managed Care Plan or HMO. Your Medicare HMO plan is required by Medicare to provide the same home care benefits as the regular Medicare plan.
If you belong to a Medicare Advantage Plan, you may only be able to choose a home health agency that works with the health care plan. Call your plan if you have questions about the plan’s home health care rules, coverage, appeal rights, and your costs. If you get services from a home care agency that doesn’t work with your Medicare Advantage Plan, neither the plan nor Medicare will pay the bill.
Medicaid
Most states provide state-funded supportive services to elders and disabled individuals who meet income and functional eligibility guidelines. These non-medical supportive services are designed to enable frail elders to remain in their homes.
Most states also provide for state-funded nursing or physical therapy services at home for those individuals who qualify.
Insurance
Medicare is not the only payor who pays for home care. Commercial health insurance policies typically cover some home care services for when a person is recovering from surgery or illness. However, benefits for long-term services vary from plan to plan. Commercial insurers generally pay for medical care in the home with a cost-sharing provision. Cost sharing varies with individual policies. You should contact your health insurer for more information.
As the public's need and preference for home care has grown, private long-term care insurance policies have expanded their coverage for in-home care. Home care benefits vary greatly among plans but most plans today cover home care.
Other payors
There are other sources of payment for home care services. These can include Workers Compensation, the Veterans Administration, the Military Health Program, the Older Americans Act and more. Many home care providers have foundations that will pay for home care for low-income families.
Private Pay
If an individual does not qualify for home care benefits through insurance or Medicare or Medicaid, that individual may want to consider arranging payment privately with the agency.
Medicare Not all home care agencies are approved by Medicare to provide services to Medicare beneficiaries. A home care agency who is approved by Medicare is called certified. A certified agency has met strict federal requirements for patient care and management and therefore can provide home health services that are paid for by Medicare or Medicaid. These agencies typically focus on medical-related care such as nursing, therapies, and home health aides, but can also provide a range of supportive services. Most commercial health insurers require that services they cover be provided by Certified agencies.
The federal Medicare program provides comparative data on their website as to how certified home health agencies compare in providing care for some of their patients. Quality information that can be used to help you compare home health agencies can be found on Medicare's website www.medicare.gov
If you are a Medicare beneficiary and meet certain criteria, Medicare will cover:
• Skilled nursing care on a part-time or intermittent basis. Skilled nursing care includes services and care that can only be performed safely and correctly by a licensed nurse (either a registered nurse or a licensed practical nurse).
• Home health aide services on a part-time or intermittent basis. A home health aide does not have a nursing license. The aide provides services that support any services that the nurse provides. These services include help with personal care such as bathing, using the toilet, or dressing. These types of services do not need the skills of a licensed nurse. Medicare does not cover home health aide services unless you are also getting skilled care such as nursing care or other therapy. The home health aide services must be part of the home care for your illness or injury.
• Physical therapy, speech-language pathology services, and occupational therapy:
• Physical therapy, which includes exercise to regain movement and strength to a body area, and training on how to use special equipment or do daily activities, like how to get in and out of a wheelchair or bathtub.
• Speech-language pathology services, which includes exercise to regain and strengthen speech and swallowing skills.
• Occupational therapy, which helps you become able to do usual daily activities by yourself. You might learn new ways to eat, put on clothes, comb your hair, and new ways to do other usual daily activities.
• Medical social services to help you with social and emotional concerns related to your illness. This might include counseling or help in finding resources in your community.
• Certain medical supplies, like wound dressings, that are ordered as part of your care.
The criteria you must meet to be eligible for Medicare’s home health benefit have been defined by Medicare:
Physician involvement - Your doctor must decide that you need medical care at home, and make a plan for your care at home.
Patient is homebound - You must be homebound, or normally unable to leave home unassisted. To be homebound means that leaving home takes considerable and taxing effort. A person may leave home for medical treatment or short, infrequent absences for non-medical reasons, such as a trip to the barber or to attend religious service. A need for adult day care doesn’t keep you from getting home health care.
Patient requires skilled care or SN,PT,ST (or OT with another skill) - You must need at least one of the following: intermittent skilled nursing care, or physical therapy, or speech-language therapy, or occupational therapy.
The services are part-time/ intermittent - Eligibility is also based on the amount of services you need. Medicare covers your home health services for as long as you are eligible and your doctor says you need these services. However, the skilled nursing care and home health aide services are only covered on a part-time or “intermittent” basis. This means there are limits on the number of hours per day and days per week that you can get skilled nursing or home health aide services.
Therapy services don’t have to be part-time or intermittent.
Medicare doesn’t pay for
• 24-hour-a-day care at home;
• meals delivered to your home;
• homemaker services like shopping, cleaning, and laundry
• personal care given by home health aides like bathing, dressing, and using the bathroom when this is the only care you need.
Although Medicare doesn’t cover prescription drugs as part of home health care, a recent law added new prescription drug benefits to the Medicare program as a whole.
Medicare HMO
Medicare Advantage is the name for the Medicare Managed Care Plan or HMO. Your Medicare HMO plan is required by Medicare to provide the same home care benefits as the regular Medicare plan.
If you belong to a Medicare Advantage Plan, you may only be able to choose a home health agency that works with the health care plan. Call your plan if you have questions about the plan’s home health care rules, coverage, appeal rights, and your costs. If you get services from a home care agency that doesn’t work with your Medicare Advantage Plan, neither the plan nor Medicare will pay the bill.
Medicaid
Most states provide state-funded supportive services to elders and disabled individuals who meet income and functional eligibility guidelines. These non-medical supportive services are designed to enable frail elders to remain in their homes.
Most states also provide for state-funded nursing or physical therapy services at home for those individuals who qualify.
Insurance
Medicare is not the only payor who pays for home care. Commercial health insurance policies typically cover some home care services for when a person is recovering from surgery or illness. However, benefits for long-term services vary from plan to plan. Commercial insurers generally pay for medical care in the home with a cost-sharing provision. Cost sharing varies with individual policies. You should contact your health insurer for more information.
As the public's need and preference for home care has grown, private long-term care insurance policies have expanded their coverage for in-home care. Home care benefits vary greatly among plans but most plans today cover home care.
Other payors
There are other sources of payment for home care services. These can include Workers Compensation, the Veterans Administration, the Military Health Program, the Older Americans Act and more. Many home care providers have foundations that will pay for home care for low-income families.
Private Pay
If an individual does not qualify for home care benefits through insurance or Medicare or Medicaid, that individual may want to consider arranging payment privately with the agency.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Benefits of Working with a Home Care Agency
It might be becoming to you, how working with a home care agency rather than a registry or individual worker can protect you as a consumer.
Hiring Most home care agencies have strict hiring criteria and hiring processes. In many states these criteria and processes are required by law. Any home care agency that receives payment for their services from a federal government program like Medicare or Medicaid are also required to have these strict criteria and processes in place. Registries are not subject to these laws and requirements. You want to use an agency who has successfully used their hiring criteria and processes for many years.
Background Checks
Although most states require that home health care agencies perform criminal background checks on their workers and carefully screen job applicants for these positions, the actual regulations vary depending on where you live. Therefore, before contacting a home health care agency, you may want to call your local area agency on aging or department of public health to learn what laws apply in your state.
Background checking laws usually do not apply to registries. When you do your own hiring, the background checking is up to you.
Caregiver Training
Most home care agencies have a structured program of training for their different levels of employees. State licensing laws, and the federal government in certain circumstances, require that home care agencies use only competent employees to provide home care services.
Again, registries are not subject to these laws. It’s up to you to determine the capabilities of any independent worker you choose to hire.
Insurance and Taxes
Home care agencies handle all aspects of employment, including all employer taxes and tax reporting.
With an individual worker and sometimes with a registry, you are responsible for
withholding taxes and social security, filing appropriate reports and paying employer
and employee taxes in a timely manner. Penalties are severe and could result in large
fines.
Scheduling
When you hire an independent worker, you are responsible for the hiring process from advertising to interviewing to separating the employment relationship. You are also responsible for scheduling. This means making all the phone calls and worrying about someone actually showing up to work.
If you are working with a home care agency, they take care of all of these issues.
Access to payors
If you require home care services that are covered under your insurance plan or by Medicare or Medicaid, you must use a home care agency that has been approved by your insurance plan and/or by the Medicare program.
Insurance companies (usually) and Medicare (always) will not pay for services delivered by a registry or by individual workers.
Hiring Most home care agencies have strict hiring criteria and hiring processes. In many states these criteria and processes are required by law. Any home care agency that receives payment for their services from a federal government program like Medicare or Medicaid are also required to have these strict criteria and processes in place. Registries are not subject to these laws and requirements. You want to use an agency who has successfully used their hiring criteria and processes for many years.
Background Checks
Although most states require that home health care agencies perform criminal background checks on their workers and carefully screen job applicants for these positions, the actual regulations vary depending on where you live. Therefore, before contacting a home health care agency, you may want to call your local area agency on aging or department of public health to learn what laws apply in your state.
Background checking laws usually do not apply to registries. When you do your own hiring, the background checking is up to you.
Caregiver Training
Most home care agencies have a structured program of training for their different levels of employees. State licensing laws, and the federal government in certain circumstances, require that home care agencies use only competent employees to provide home care services.
Again, registries are not subject to these laws. It’s up to you to determine the capabilities of any independent worker you choose to hire.
Insurance and Taxes
Home care agencies handle all aspects of employment, including all employer taxes and tax reporting.
With an individual worker and sometimes with a registry, you are responsible for
withholding taxes and social security, filing appropriate reports and paying employer
and employee taxes in a timely manner. Penalties are severe and could result in large
fines.
Scheduling
When you hire an independent worker, you are responsible for the hiring process from advertising to interviewing to separating the employment relationship. You are also responsible for scheduling. This means making all the phone calls and worrying about someone actually showing up to work.
If you are working with a home care agency, they take care of all of these issues.
Access to payors
If you require home care services that are covered under your insurance plan or by Medicare or Medicaid, you must use a home care agency that has been approved by your insurance plan and/or by the Medicare program.
Insurance companies (usually) and Medicare (always) will not pay for services delivered by a registry or by individual workers.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Types of Home Care Providers
Just like there are different types of home care services available, there are also different types of home care providers to consider. As a consumer it's important for you to fully understand the advantages and disadvantages of each type of home care provider before making a decision.
Home Care Agency - A home care agency is an organization that provides home care services, like skilled nursing care, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and personal care by home health aides.
The home care agency employs the qualified individuals to provide these services. The agency is responsible for its employees’ taxes, insurance, bonding and worker's compensation (as required by law). Employment is the key word. It carries with it an array of protections. If an employee is sick or goes on vacation, the agency provides another employee to perform the needed services. Employees receive training specific to the kind of care they provide. A licensed home care agency provides ongoing supervision for their employees. This helps the agency monitor and respond to the changing needs of clients, assuring that the appropriate level/skill of caregiver is assigned and mediating any other issues. The agency conducts background checks according to state law. In many instances the agency is licensed to provide all levels of home care (skilled nursing, therapy and non-medical services for example) so the individual does not need to work with more than one company and can access formal payor sources such as Medicare or insurance for those needs.
Registries or placement agencies differ from home care agencies in that the nurses, therapists, or home care aides they provide are contractors, not employees. Using a placement agency may seem a less expensive alternative; however, placement agencies provide less supervision and oversight of their workers. In some cases, the registry offers only referral and screening services, with the client taking the responsibility to pay the worker directly. In that case, you act as the employer and may be responsible for paying workers compensation and payroll taxes for the worker.
An independent worker is a person who is individually hired by either a family member or the person needing help. Employing a health care professional is an important decision, and one in which most people have little training or practice. While this may appear less expensive, there are many "hidden" costs and some significant risks.
Anyone who hires an independent worker must pay all appropriate payroll taxes - they are the employer. If the independent worker is injured on the job, the person who hires the individual is responsible for medical bills and any other expenses. Also, if the independent worker is sick or goes on vacation, he or she is not obligated to find a replacement. There is no supervision or training program. Unfortunately, there is always the potential for both physical abuse and financial exploitation when work is being done on behalf of a frail and sometimes functionally limited individual. While most individuals who provide care do so out of a desire to help others, there will always be those who see this type of work as an opportunity to take advantage of someone. This becomes especially easy in a private home setting with little or no supervision. Perhaps lower in hourly costs, choosing an independent contractor does not provide the security, trust and assurance most people want for themselves or their loved ones.
Home Care Agency - A home care agency is an organization that provides home care services, like skilled nursing care, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and personal care by home health aides.
The home care agency employs the qualified individuals to provide these services. The agency is responsible for its employees’ taxes, insurance, bonding and worker's compensation (as required by law). Employment is the key word. It carries with it an array of protections. If an employee is sick or goes on vacation, the agency provides another employee to perform the needed services. Employees receive training specific to the kind of care they provide. A licensed home care agency provides ongoing supervision for their employees. This helps the agency monitor and respond to the changing needs of clients, assuring that the appropriate level/skill of caregiver is assigned and mediating any other issues. The agency conducts background checks according to state law. In many instances the agency is licensed to provide all levels of home care (skilled nursing, therapy and non-medical services for example) so the individual does not need to work with more than one company and can access formal payor sources such as Medicare or insurance for those needs.
Registries or placement agencies differ from home care agencies in that the nurses, therapists, or home care aides they provide are contractors, not employees. Using a placement agency may seem a less expensive alternative; however, placement agencies provide less supervision and oversight of their workers. In some cases, the registry offers only referral and screening services, with the client taking the responsibility to pay the worker directly. In that case, you act as the employer and may be responsible for paying workers compensation and payroll taxes for the worker.
An independent worker is a person who is individually hired by either a family member or the person needing help. Employing a health care professional is an important decision, and one in which most people have little training or practice. While this may appear less expensive, there are many "hidden" costs and some significant risks.
Anyone who hires an independent worker must pay all appropriate payroll taxes - they are the employer. If the independent worker is injured on the job, the person who hires the individual is responsible for medical bills and any other expenses. Also, if the independent worker is sick or goes on vacation, he or she is not obligated to find a replacement. There is no supervision or training program. Unfortunately, there is always the potential for both physical abuse and financial exploitation when work is being done on behalf of a frail and sometimes functionally limited individual. While most individuals who provide care do so out of a desire to help others, there will always be those who see this type of work as an opportunity to take advantage of someone. This becomes especially easy in a private home setting with little or no supervision. Perhaps lower in hourly costs, choosing an independent contractor does not provide the security, trust and assurance most people want for themselves or their loved ones.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Types of Home Care Services
November is national Home Care Month and to celebrate it, we will be putting up posts about the different realms home care covers, so you may understand what to look for when deciding to use home care.
Home care is one of the fastest growing and most cost-effective providers of the health care industry, and is clearly preferred by patients. Who of us wouldn’t prefer to be cared for in our own homes rather than in a hospital or other institution?
Types of Home Care Services:
Actually home care is a name that encompasses many different forms of care and services.
There are non-medical supportive services available through home care that help people who need some assistance remain independent. These are services which can extend the ability of many people to live in their own homes. These services are provided by paraprofessionals such as home health aides, certified nursing assistants, homemakers and companions. Services can include assistance with bathing, meal preparation, companionship, shopping, etc. Companions and homemakers give comfort, support and assistance to those who want to continue an active, independent lifestyle in their own home.
Intermittent skilled services are provided through a home care agency by Registered Nurses RNs), Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) or Licensed Vocational Nurses (LVNs). These professionals visit your home periodically and provide health status assessments, teaching about diseases and treatment for clients and families, taking samples for lab tests, nutritional counseling, medication training and compliance, wound care, venipuncture, ostomy teaching and management, IV management and more.
Additionally, many therapies can be provided at home to speed recovery from illness, injury or surgery. These include physical therapy to regain physical motion and strength, occupational therapy to regain day to day skills such as dressing and feeding oneself, and speech and language therapy to improve breathing, swallowing or communicating.
Many home care patients require continuous care for major portions of every day, if
not 24 hours a day. These include:
• Technology-dependent patients who have respiratory conditions treated by ventilators, infusion.
• Functionally disabled patients who may include individuals who are paralyzed,mentally disabled, or unable to perform activities of daily living.
Home care is one of the fastest growing and most cost-effective providers of the health care industry, and is clearly preferred by patients. Who of us wouldn’t prefer to be cared for in our own homes rather than in a hospital or other institution?
Types of Home Care Services:
Actually home care is a name that encompasses many different forms of care and services.
There are non-medical supportive services available through home care that help people who need some assistance remain independent. These are services which can extend the ability of many people to live in their own homes. These services are provided by paraprofessionals such as home health aides, certified nursing assistants, homemakers and companions. Services can include assistance with bathing, meal preparation, companionship, shopping, etc. Companions and homemakers give comfort, support and assistance to those who want to continue an active, independent lifestyle in their own home.
Intermittent skilled services are provided through a home care agency by Registered Nurses RNs), Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) or Licensed Vocational Nurses (LVNs). These professionals visit your home periodically and provide health status assessments, teaching about diseases and treatment for clients and families, taking samples for lab tests, nutritional counseling, medication training and compliance, wound care, venipuncture, ostomy teaching and management, IV management and more.
Additionally, many therapies can be provided at home to speed recovery from illness, injury or surgery. These include physical therapy to regain physical motion and strength, occupational therapy to regain day to day skills such as dressing and feeding oneself, and speech and language therapy to improve breathing, swallowing or communicating.
Many home care patients require continuous care for major portions of every day, if
not 24 hours a day. These include:
• Technology-dependent patients who have respiratory conditions treated by ventilators, infusion.
• Functionally disabled patients who may include individuals who are paralyzed,mentally disabled, or unable to perform activities of daily living.
Registered Nurse is One Thriving Job that is Here to Stay
Registered Nurses
Registered nursing tops the health-care occupations with the greatest number of total jobs (2.5 million). Openings are expected to rise 23 percent from 2006 to 2016. Recent news reports say that 116,000 jobs for registered nurses are currently open in hospitals, with another 100,000 unfilled positions at nursing homes. An additional 587,000 new jobs are predicted to open, which makes nursing the single-largest occupation in terms of career growth.
Prepare to land an opening by completing an online associate or bachelor's degree program in nursing. The median 2008 annual wage for registered nurses was $62,450, with top earnings at $92,240.
Friday, October 30, 2009
CSR Recognition Month
In honor of CSR Recognition Month, everyone at the Interim office would like to thank; Diana, Crystal, Andrew and Tracy, for all the hard work and effort they put in each day to keep our nurses busy, clients happy and our business moving forward. Keep up the great work we really appreciate all that you do.
Breast Self Examination
lumps or masses that could be early signs of cancer. Examine yourself on the same day every month (after you do the test demonstrated below, mark your calendar for next month’s test). If you see or feel a change in your breasts, see your doctor immediately. Remember, most of the time breast changes are not cancer, but your doctor should check what has you concerned.
Step 1 Use a mirror to inspect your breasts in the following positions:
• with your arms at your sides
• with your hands on your hips
• with your arms raised while flexing your chest muscles.
Step 2 Look for any changes in contour, swelling, dimpling of skin, or appearance of the nipple. It is normal if your right and left breasts do not match exactly.
Step 3 Use the pads of your fingers to do the following:
• press firmly on your breast, checking the entire breast and armpit area
• move around your breast in a circular, up-and-down, or wedge pattern
• check both breasts
Step 4 There are three patterns you can use to examine your breast. Use the pattern that is easiest for you:
• the circular
• the up-and-down
• the wedge patterns
Use the same pattern every month.
Step 5 Gently squeeze the nipple of each breast and report any discharge to your doctor immediately.
Step 6 Examine both breasts lying down. To examine the right breast, place a pillow under your right shoulder and place your right hand behind your head. Use the pads of your finger to press
firmly, checking the entire breast and armpit area. Use the same pattern you used while standing. Repeat for your left breast.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
How is the Government Helping to Reduce Breast Cancer?
In 1990, to improve women’s access to screening for breast and cervical cancers, Congress passed the Breast and Cervical Cancer Mortality Prevention Act. This Act guided the Centers for Disease Control in creating the NBCCED, a program for detecting breast cancer in low-income, uninsured and under served women. The NBCCEDP provides screening support in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, 4 U. S. territories and 13 American Indian/Alaska Native tribes or tribal organizations. The services offered in this program are:
• Clinical breast examinations
• Mammograms
• Diagnostic testing for women whose screening outcome is abnormal
• Surgical consultation
• Referrals to treatment.
Since 1991 the NBCCEDP has provided more than 6.9 million screening examinations and diagnosed more than 29,900 breast cancers. In 2000 Congress passed the Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Treatment Act which gives states the option to offer women in the NBCCEDP program access to treatment through Medicaid. As of this date, all 50 states and the District of Columbia have approved this Medicaid option. Local doctors, county or state health
departments can provide information about how to enroll in these programs.
• Clinical breast examinations
• Mammograms
• Diagnostic testing for women whose screening outcome is abnormal
• Surgical consultation
• Referrals to treatment.
Since 1991 the NBCCEDP has provided more than 6.9 million screening examinations and diagnosed more than 29,900 breast cancers. In 2000 Congress passed the Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Treatment Act which gives states the option to offer women in the NBCCEDP program access to treatment through Medicaid. As of this date, all 50 states and the District of Columbia have approved this Medicaid option. Local doctors, county or state health
departments can provide information about how to enroll in these programs.
What Can You Do to Reduce Your Risk?
While there have been advances in diagnosing and treating early stage breast cancer, the medical community has been unable to form a consensus as to the most appropriate and effective ways to reduce the risk of developing breast cancer. The best approach seems to be early detection:
1. Get a mammogram. The American Cancer Society recommends having a screening mammogram every year after age 40. Mammograms may detect lumps that cannot be felt during a clinical breast exam or your own self examinations. Mammograms are an important part of your health history. If you go to another health care provider or move, take your previous mammograms with you or arrange to have them sent.
2. Examine your breasts each month and continue these examinations throughout your life. You will become familiar with the contours and feel of your breasts and will be more alert to changes.
3. Have your breasts examined by a health care provider at least every year after age 40. Clinical breast exams by a trained professional – doctor or nurse - can sometimes detect lumps you may not feel.
1. Get a mammogram. The American Cancer Society recommends having a screening mammogram every year after age 40. Mammograms may detect lumps that cannot be felt during a clinical breast exam or your own self examinations. Mammograms are an important part of your health history. If you go to another health care provider or move, take your previous mammograms with you or arrange to have them sent.
2. Examine your breasts each month and continue these examinations throughout your life. You will become familiar with the contours and feel of your breasts and will be more alert to changes.
3. Have your breasts examined by a health care provider at least every year after age 40. Clinical breast exams by a trained professional – doctor or nurse - can sometimes detect lumps you may not feel.
How is Breast Cancer Identified and Diagnosed?
You as an individual are the first stop on the quest to recognize and report any abnormalities in your breasts. By checking your breasts on a monthly basis, a woman is doing the most important task to identify a problem early. Any of the following signs found during a breast self-exam should be reported to a doctor as soon as possible:
• Any lump or thickening in your breast or armpit.
• Any scaly, thickened or inward-turning nipple.
• Any discharge from your nipple.
• Dimpled or reddened skin or sores on your breast.
• Strange veins in any irregular pattern on your breast.
• Breast pain.
Mark your calendar at the same time every month with the initials “BSE” for Breast Self-Exam and support each other in ensuring that a breast exam is done according to the information in the handout that will be given to you at the end of this program. Notify your doctor as soon as possible if you notice any abnormalities.
The monthly self-exam is not the same as that performed by your doctor. The doctor or a trained nurse takes a careful personal and family history, and then performs a clinical breast examination. This examination uses touch to specific areas of the breast and underarm areas to detect any abnormalities or changes.
A mammogram is another type of exam. Mammography is the best way to detect breast cancer in its earliest, most treatable stage. Surprisingly, mammography can detect a tumor on average one to three years before a woman can feel the lump in her breast. Mammography also can locate cancers that are too small to be felt during a clinical breast examination performed by a specialist. The mammogram test is performed by a technician who has had training in conducting the procedure. The test uses X-rays to look at the tissues of the breast, one breast at a time, using two views of each breast. The technician only exposes the area to be tested (one breast at a time) and only a long as necessary. The technicians work rapidly and carefully to minimize any discomfort that is felt during the test.
A physician or radiologist, reads the mammogram and provides the results to your doctor. The radiologist may contact you to have a repeat test if there is a question about anything that is seen on the mammogram. Sometimes the radiologist will conduct another test that is called an ultrasound to take another type of look at an area of possible concern that was identified on the
mammogram. This test uses sound waves and bounces them off the tissues of the breast. The sound waves are used to create a high quality picture of the area that the radiologist wants to examine further.
Based on the results of these tests, your doctor may or may not request a biopsy as a procedure to take a sample of the breast mass cells or tissue that were found on the mammogram or ultrasound test and remain a concern. After the sample is removed from the breast it is taken to a laboratory. A laboratory pathologist –a doctor who specializes in diagnosing abnormal tissue changes –reviews a sample using a microscope. They look for abnormal cell shapes or growth patterns. Thankfully, nearly 80% of suspicious lumps that are tested turn out to be harmless. When cancer is present, the pathologist determines the type of cancer and whether it has spread beyond the ducts or lobules of your breast. If it has spread this is an invasive or more serious type of cancer.
The diagnosis of breast cancer and creation of a treatment plan for each individual is generally accomplished by a team of experts who work together with the woman involved. Each woman needs to evaluate the advantages and limitations of each type of treatment, and work with what will often be a team of physicians to develop the best and most effective approach to treatment and survival.
• Any lump or thickening in your breast or armpit.
• Any scaly, thickened or inward-turning nipple.
• Any discharge from your nipple.
• Dimpled or reddened skin or sores on your breast.
• Strange veins in any irregular pattern on your breast.
• Breast pain.
Mark your calendar at the same time every month with the initials “BSE” for Breast Self-Exam and support each other in ensuring that a breast exam is done according to the information in the handout that will be given to you at the end of this program. Notify your doctor as soon as possible if you notice any abnormalities.
The monthly self-exam is not the same as that performed by your doctor. The doctor or a trained nurse takes a careful personal and family history, and then performs a clinical breast examination. This examination uses touch to specific areas of the breast and underarm areas to detect any abnormalities or changes.
A mammogram is another type of exam. Mammography is the best way to detect breast cancer in its earliest, most treatable stage. Surprisingly, mammography can detect a tumor on average one to three years before a woman can feel the lump in her breast. Mammography also can locate cancers that are too small to be felt during a clinical breast examination performed by a specialist. The mammogram test is performed by a technician who has had training in conducting the procedure. The test uses X-rays to look at the tissues of the breast, one breast at a time, using two views of each breast. The technician only exposes the area to be tested (one breast at a time) and only a long as necessary. The technicians work rapidly and carefully to minimize any discomfort that is felt during the test.
A physician or radiologist, reads the mammogram and provides the results to your doctor. The radiologist may contact you to have a repeat test if there is a question about anything that is seen on the mammogram. Sometimes the radiologist will conduct another test that is called an ultrasound to take another type of look at an area of possible concern that was identified on the
mammogram. This test uses sound waves and bounces them off the tissues of the breast. The sound waves are used to create a high quality picture of the area that the radiologist wants to examine further.
Based on the results of these tests, your doctor may or may not request a biopsy as a procedure to take a sample of the breast mass cells or tissue that were found on the mammogram or ultrasound test and remain a concern. After the sample is removed from the breast it is taken to a laboratory. A laboratory pathologist –a doctor who specializes in diagnosing abnormal tissue changes –reviews a sample using a microscope. They look for abnormal cell shapes or growth patterns. Thankfully, nearly 80% of suspicious lumps that are tested turn out to be harmless. When cancer is present, the pathologist determines the type of cancer and whether it has spread beyond the ducts or lobules of your breast. If it has spread this is an invasive or more serious type of cancer.
The diagnosis of breast cancer and creation of a treatment plan for each individual is generally accomplished by a team of experts who work together with the woman involved. Each woman needs to evaluate the advantages and limitations of each type of treatment, and work with what will often be a team of physicians to develop the best and most effective approach to treatment and survival.
What are the Warning Signs?
The American Cancer Society presents the following warning signs of
breast cancer:
• A lump or thickening in or near the breast or in the underarm that persists through the menstrual cycle or lasts one month in non-menstruating women.
• A mass or lump which may feel as small as a pea.
• A change in the size, shape or contour of the breast.
• A blood-stained or clear fluid discharge from the nipple.
• A change in the feel or appearance of the skin on the breast or nipple; it could be dimpled, puckered, scaly or inflamed.
• Redness of the skin on the breast or nipple.
• An area appears distinctly different from any other area on either breast.
• A marble-like hardened area under the skin.
breast cancer:
• A lump or thickening in or near the breast or in the underarm that persists through the menstrual cycle or lasts one month in non-menstruating women.
• A mass or lump which may feel as small as a pea.
• A change in the size, shape or contour of the breast.
• A blood-stained or clear fluid discharge from the nipple.
• A change in the feel or appearance of the skin on the breast or nipple; it could be dimpled, puckered, scaly or inflamed.
• Redness of the skin on the breast or nipple.
• An area appears distinctly different from any other area on either breast.
• A marble-like hardened area under the skin.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
What is Your Individual Risk?
All women should talk with their physicians about their individual risk for developing breast cancer. For those of you with daughter or granddaughters, this conversation should occur early in life—in their twenties. As we age we should update our health histories, especially if a mother or sister develops breast cancer, or if you have any risk factors for breast cancer from the list in the last posting. A current medical history helps your physician to tell how often you should be screened for breast cancer. The guidelines that are listed in the following, What Can I do to Reduce My Risk section are for women determined by their physician as at average risk. Women who are at high risk may receive different guidelines from their doctors.
Who is at Risk for Getting Breast Cancer?
Scientists still do not know what causes breast cancer, but we do know that certain factors may put a woman at higher risk of developing it. A risk factor is anything that increases a person’s chance of getting a disease. Different cancers have different risk factors. Having a cancer risk factor or even several of them does not necessarily mean that you will get cancer. Some women with one or more breast cancer risk factor never develop it. However, every woman is at some risk for breast cancer as simply being a woman and growing older puts us at risk for this disease. As of age 40, the incidence of breast cancer increases as we age, and continues to increase over our lifetime.
Other factors that can increase a woman’s risk include:
• Personal history of breast cancer - if a woman has had cancer in one
breast; she is at increased risk for developing it in the other breast.
• Family history - a woman is at increased risk if her mother, sister, or
daughter has had the disease.
• Cellular irregularities - if a woman has certain changes in her cells which are called atypical hyperplasia or lobular carcinoma in situ, she is at increased risk; your doctor can help you determine if you have this irregularity.
• Genetics - the presence of certain inherited genes called BRCA1 and BRCA2 indicate a woman’s predisposition to develop breast cancer. Tests are now available to determine the presence of these genes.
• Women who began menstruation at an early age - under 12 years old--had children later in life- after age 30 - or not at all or experienced late on-set menopause - after age 55 - may be at increased risk
• Weight: women who are overweight - carrying their weight particularly in the waist area - are at higher risk, particularly after menopause.
• Familial Groups - female descendants of Eastern and Central European Jews (also known as Ashkenazi Jews) are at increased risk for breast cancer.
• Alcohol - Use of alcohol is linked to increased risk of developing breast cancer. Compared with non-drinkers, women who consume one alcoholic drink a day have a very small increase in risk; however, those who have 2 to 5 drinks per day have about a 1.5 times the risk for the disease as that of women who drink no alcohol.
• Race - Caucasian women are at a slightly higher risk of developing breast cancer than are African-American, Asian, Hispanic or Native American women.
• Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) - long term use of certain female hormones increases the risk of breast cancer. If you have taken such therapy, discuss your risk factors with your physician.
Other factors that can increase a woman’s risk include:
• Personal history of breast cancer - if a woman has had cancer in one
breast; she is at increased risk for developing it in the other breast.
• Family history - a woman is at increased risk if her mother, sister, or
daughter has had the disease.
• Cellular irregularities - if a woman has certain changes in her cells which are called atypical hyperplasia or lobular carcinoma in situ, she is at increased risk; your doctor can help you determine if you have this irregularity.
• Genetics - the presence of certain inherited genes called BRCA1 and BRCA2 indicate a woman’s predisposition to develop breast cancer. Tests are now available to determine the presence of these genes.
• Women who began menstruation at an early age - under 12 years old--had children later in life- after age 30 - or not at all or experienced late on-set menopause - after age 55 - may be at increased risk
• Weight: women who are overweight - carrying their weight particularly in the waist area - are at higher risk, particularly after menopause.
• Familial Groups - female descendants of Eastern and Central European Jews (also known as Ashkenazi Jews) are at increased risk for breast cancer.
• Alcohol - Use of alcohol is linked to increased risk of developing breast cancer. Compared with non-drinkers, women who consume one alcoholic drink a day have a very small increase in risk; however, those who have 2 to 5 drinks per day have about a 1.5 times the risk for the disease as that of women who drink no alcohol.
• Race - Caucasian women are at a slightly higher risk of developing breast cancer than are African-American, Asian, Hispanic or Native American women.
• Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) - long term use of certain female hormones increases the risk of breast cancer. If you have taken such therapy, discuss your risk factors with your physician.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Chances are everyone has been touched during our lives by someone who has had breast cancer. Perhaps it was a mother, sister, aunt, a close friend or yourself. While signing the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) Reauthorization Act, President Bush addressed how breast cancer has touched his life. Jenna Welch, Laura Bush’s mother was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 78. Her disease was diagnosed early, and she received effective treatment and now, she is cancer-free.
Breast cancer is a disease that forms in the tissues of the breast, usually in the ducts or tubes that carry milk to the nipple, and in the lobules or glands that make the milk. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths for American women. Over the past 50 years, the number of women diagnosed with breast cancer has increased each year which is likely due to better public education about the disease and better as well as earlier detection.
Today the statistics are that 1 in nearly 8 women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime, or 12.3% of US women in their lifetime. This year an estimated 180,000 Americans will be diagnosed with breast cancer. Although rare, an estimated 1,500 mean will be part of that number. Our focus today will be on breast cancer in women.
Effective breast cancer testing procedures such as the mammogram diagnose breast cancer before it has a chance to spread to other areas of the body. Such early detection also allows early intervention and is the best way to increase the chance of survival. Early detection also makes treatment more effective. Most breast cancer in the early stages can be effectively treated with surgery that preserves the breast. According to the American Cancer Society, 63% of breast cancers are now discovered at an early stage, before the cancer has spread to other organs or body tissues. The five-year survival rate following treatment for early stage breast cancer is 96%. The American Cancer Society also states that the mortality rate from this disease could decrease by 30% if all women age 50 and older who had a mammogram annually or as often as recommended by their physician.
Particularly vulnerable groups are women who immigrated to the U.S. within the past 10 years as they often under-use breast cancer screening tests. If you are a woman who falls into the category or you know such a woman, we will give the information on a program that will assist you to get the testing you need.
Breast cancer is a disease that forms in the tissues of the breast, usually in the ducts or tubes that carry milk to the nipple, and in the lobules or glands that make the milk. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths for American women. Over the past 50 years, the number of women diagnosed with breast cancer has increased each year which is likely due to better public education about the disease and better as well as earlier detection.
Today the statistics are that 1 in nearly 8 women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime, or 12.3% of US women in their lifetime. This year an estimated 180,000 Americans will be diagnosed with breast cancer. Although rare, an estimated 1,500 mean will be part of that number. Our focus today will be on breast cancer in women.
Effective breast cancer testing procedures such as the mammogram diagnose breast cancer before it has a chance to spread to other areas of the body. Such early detection also allows early intervention and is the best way to increase the chance of survival. Early detection also makes treatment more effective. Most breast cancer in the early stages can be effectively treated with surgery that preserves the breast. According to the American Cancer Society, 63% of breast cancers are now discovered at an early stage, before the cancer has spread to other organs or body tissues. The five-year survival rate following treatment for early stage breast cancer is 96%. The American Cancer Society also states that the mortality rate from this disease could decrease by 30% if all women age 50 and older who had a mammogram annually or as often as recommended by their physician.
Particularly vulnerable groups are women who immigrated to the U.S. within the past 10 years as they often under-use breast cancer screening tests. If you are a woman who falls into the category or you know such a woman, we will give the information on a program that will assist you to get the testing you need.
Recent Articles
Is H1N1 safe?
- Omaha World Herald (9.19.09)
Interim HealthCare will be featured on Lifetime Television's half-hour show "The Balancing Act" this Fall.
- The Balancing Act (9.14.09)
Pregnant Women Need H1N1 Shot.
- Yahoo News (9.28.09)
H1N1 Virus Vaccinations set to Arrive.
- KETV (9.28.09)
Beware of Fake H1N1 Vaccination.
- Yahoo News (10.7.09)
More H1N1 to Arrive.
- Omaha World Herald (10.7.09)
Social Networking and he Elderly.
- CSA Connections (10.12.09)
Close to 5,000 People Worldwide Have Died from H1N1.
- Yahoo News (10.23.09)
- Omaha World Herald (9.19.09)
Interim HealthCare will be featured on Lifetime Television's half-hour show "The Balancing Act" this Fall.
- The Balancing Act (9.14.09)
Pregnant Women Need H1N1 Shot.
- Yahoo News (9.28.09)
H1N1 Virus Vaccinations set to Arrive.
- KETV (9.28.09)
Beware of Fake H1N1 Vaccination.
- Yahoo News (10.7.09)
More H1N1 to Arrive.
- Omaha World Herald (10.7.09)
Social Networking and he Elderly.
- CSA Connections (10.12.09)
Close to 5,000 People Worldwide Have Died from H1N1.
- Yahoo News (10.23.09)
Monday, September 14, 2009
More Articles Related to the Flu and H1N1
Flu season comes early; most are swine variety
Health workers under pressure to get flu shots.Companies claim single-dose swine flu vaccine
Stories from Yahoo New!
Many ask: Is flu shot safe?
H1N1 virus leaves Huskers with queasy thoughtsStories from Omaha World Herald
H1N1 Dominant Flu Virus In Area
Story from KETV (Omaha ABC affiliate stattion)Thursday, September 3, 2009
Health Related Articles from Yahoo
Here are some articles that relate to what people are doing for the upcoming flu season and the proper use of medication
Story from Yahoo News:
This article talks about how the scare of H1N1 has school around the world concerned and contemplating closing. Children are more likely to contract H1N1 and having them in group settings is making administrators concerned.
Story from Yahoo Health:
An article from Yahoo Health reports on a study that people who take aspirin daily to prevent heart attacks could be putting themselves in danger. The study shows what aspirin does to the stomach lining and how it can be harmful.
Story from Yahoo News:
Swine flu fears factor in possible school closures
This article talks about how the scare of H1N1 has school around the world concerned and contemplating closing. Children are more likely to contract H1N1 and having them in group settings is making administrators concerned.
Story from Yahoo Health:
Daily aspirin may do more harm than good: study
An article from Yahoo Health reports on a study that people who take aspirin daily to prevent heart attacks could be putting themselves in danger. The study shows what aspirin does to the stomach lining and how it can be harmful.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Help Us Choose Home Campaign
Clink on the link to learn more about home care and show your support by signing the effort to collect 1,000,000 signatures on a petition to oppose drastic reductions in the Medicare home health benefit. There are also links on how to reach your representatives and voice your opinion.
Help Us Choose Home Take Action
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Help Us Choose Home Take Action
Shared via AddThis
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Interesting Health Related Articles in the Local Paper
Here are a couple links to articles that are interesting and health related. They are from the Omaha World Herald.
VA Hospital in Need
This story is about the VA Hospital in Omaha, NE and how it is in desperate need of hundreds of millions of dollars. The facility needs new additions along with renovations and upgrades to the current building. Some of the problems that need to be addressed are the lack of space and functional issues. Both Sen. Mike Johanns and Sen. Ben Nelson are discussing the issue.
Kids With Broken Arms Do Better With Ibuprofen
A study result shows that kids with broken arms did better after taking ibuprofen than those taking acetaminophen plus codeine.
VA Hospital in Need
This story is about the VA Hospital in Omaha, NE and how it is in desperate need of hundreds of millions of dollars. The facility needs new additions along with renovations and upgrades to the current building. Some of the problems that need to be addressed are the lack of space and functional issues. Both Sen. Mike Johanns and Sen. Ben Nelson are discussing the issue.
Kids With Broken Arms Do Better With Ibuprofen
A study result shows that kids with broken arms did better after taking ibuprofen than those taking acetaminophen plus codeine.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Registered Nurse is Number Two Best Bet for a Solid Second Career
According to Yahoo Hotjobs, Registered Nurse is the second best bet if you are looking to start a new career, while Licensed Physical Therapists is number eight.
2) Registered Nurse
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the career with the greatest expected increase in available jobs over the next seven years is registered nurse. If you have an aptitude for science, a compassionate nature, and like the idea of variable hours, an RN degree may be your ticket to future employment. Not to be confused with LPNs or LVNs, it takes four years of education to obtain a bachelor of science in nursing or two to three years to receive and associate's degree from a community college. Either path can lead to an RN certification.
Median annual salary: $55,910
8) Licensed Physical Therapist
With 27 percent growth expected by 2016, licensed physical therapy is another graduate degree program with promise of jobs in the future and excellent compensation. Most programs require a master's or doctorate-level degree.
Median annual salary: $64,322
(Contenct from Yahoo Hotjobs click here for full article)
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Pictures of Our Client with Her New Special Needs Dog, St. Croix
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Bake Sale Results
Friday, July 24, 2009
***Bake Sale***
Our office is having a bake sale today (7/24/09) to help one of our clients purchase a helper dog. We will be set up in the main lobby of the Wear Building at 7602 Pacific St. We have an array of goodies to choose from, so stop on by and support a good cause while enjoying a treat.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
The Interim Insight - Summer '09
Here is the summer 2009 edition of the
Interim HealthCare of Omaha company newsletter.
Click on the page to view it in a larger size.
Interim HealthCare of Omaha company newsletter.
Click on the page to view it in a larger size.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
HawthoRNe Premeries Tonight
Tonight at 9/8C TNT will premier its new show HawthoRNe, a character-driven drama series about a nurse who is a true everyday hero.
HawthoRNe is about a compassionate and headstrong Chief Nursing Officer heading up a group of dedicated nurses at Richmond Trinity Hospital who spend long days and nights on the hospital’s front lines.
Jada Pinkett Smith plays Christina Hawthorne, the kind of nurse you want on your side when you or someone you love is in the hospital. She is the kind of nurse who fights for her patients and doesn’t let them slip through the cracks. When necessary, she takes on doctors and administrators who are overworked, distracted or just unable to see the human being behind the hospital chart.
Whether showing humanity to a homeless woman, trying to talk a suicidal cancer patient off a ledge or exposing a doctor’s near-fatal error, Hawthorne will do everything in her power to help her patients. When a patient’s care is at risk, she doesn’t hesitate to violate protocol, defend her staff or stand up to administrators who seem to have forgotten a hospital’s true purpose.
But the long days at the hospital and Hawthorne’s intense focus on helping others take a toll on her personal life. Christina is recently widowed – her husband died one year ago after a battle with cancer, leaving her to raise a smart, rebellious teen-age daughter on her own. Hawthorne is still coming to terms with losing her husband, finding a way to balance her career with her equally important role as a single parent, and finding the time to take care of someone who always seems to fall through the cracks – herself.
Joining Pinkett Smith in HAWTHORNE is Michael Vartan (Alias) as Dr. Tom Wakefield, the oncologist who treated Christina’s husband and serves as Chief of Surgery for the hospital. The cast also includes Suleka Mathew (Men in Trees) as Bobbie Jackson, a fellow nurse and one of Hawthorne’s best friends; David Julian Hirsh (Lovebites) as Ray Stein, a nurse struggling with being accepted in a female-dominated profession; Christina Moore (90210) as Candy Sullivan, a nurse with a unique sense of duty; and Hannah Hodson (TNT’s The Ron Clark Story) as Camille, Hawthorne’s daughter. In addition, special guest star Joanna Cassidy (Six Feet Under) portrays Amanda, Hawthorne’s mother-in-law, who also happens to be a member of the hospital board.
(Image and text from www.tnt.tv)
For more about the show visit: http://www.tnt.tv/series/hawthorne
Friday, June 12, 2009
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Sure Steps: Fall Prevention and Home Safety
Interim HealthCare, the leading provider of home care and medical staffing services in Omaha, provides the fall prevention program SureSteps, which is a comprehensive program to address one of the greatest issues facing elderly Americans - falls. This program provides an upgrade to all Interim HealthCare services to reduce the risk and impact of falls among all our patients and clients. Interim HealthCare SureSteps also provides freestanding assessment and risk management tools for consumers who aren't currently Interim HealthCare patients/clients as well as senior residential (independent living) facilities and their residents.
Each year, thousands of older Americans fall at home. Many of them are seriously injured, and some are disabled.Falls happen to people of all ages, but after age 65, the chances of falling are about one in three. This is because of normal, age-related physical changes, medical conditions and the drugs taken for conditions. Through the SureStepsSM program, specially trained staff provide a comprehensive approach to fall prevention including:
· A home safety review and recommendations for modifications
· A plan for exercises to improve strength, balance and flexibility
· Comprehensive consumer/patient education
· Medication management to help understand and manage the impact of medications that affect alertness and balance.
Our SureStepsSM program addresses all aspects of fall prevention because each aspect impacts the ability of someone to live independently. Different people have different needs, and, there are often times when a person's needs change. Interim HealthCare has the ability to provide a comprehensive range of services. This makes it easier for the client and provides a continuity of assistance and care.
As part of its consumer education, Interim HealthCare also offers a free unique interactive web activity called the SureStepsSM House. Visitors can access the game at http://www.interimhealthcare.com/suresteps/game. The object is to help Stanley uncover 26 hidden hazards in his house and learn helpful tips about how to prevent falls.
For more information, visit www.interimhealthcare.com or call 402.392.1818
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Interim HealthCare of Omaha Commercial
Here is our commercial that can be seen on ABC's Good Morning America (7am), Rachel Ray (9am) and The Doctors (3pm).
Video from KETV
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
National Saftey Month Tips and Facts
June is National Safety Month hosted by The National Safety Council (NSC). During the month the NSC promotes safety throughout the country. This year the focus is on the most significant reasons for unintentional deaths at home, work and on the road.
Being a home health care provider, we at Interim HealthCare of Omaha thought this would be a great time to share some important facts and tips to stay safe in your home.
Did you know that unintentional injuries in the home result in nearly 21 million medical visits each year? By making a few simple changes you can reduce the risk of danger in your home and potentially safe a life.
In a home fire, you may only have three minutes to get everyone safely outside, so follow these tips to help reduce your risk of a fire.
Prevent Fires and Burns
Prevent Poisonings
For more home safety tips, check out Homesafetycouncil.org.
Being a home health care provider, we at Interim HealthCare of Omaha thought this would be a great time to share some important facts and tips to stay safe in your home.
Did you know that unintentional injuries in the home result in nearly 21 million medical visits each year? By making a few simple changes you can reduce the risk of danger in your home and potentially safe a life.
In a home fire, you may only have three minutes to get everyone safely outside, so follow these tips to help reduce your risk of a fire.
Prevent Fires and Burns
- Have working smoke alarms and test regularly.
- Stay by the stove when cooking, especially when frying food.
- Keep space heaters at least three feet away from anything that can burn and turn them off when leave or go to sleep.
Prevent Poisonings
- Keep cleaners in original containers and do not mix them together.
- Use medications carefully. Follow the directions.
- Install carbon monoxide detectors near sleeping areas.
- Have a grab bar in the bath tube and shower.
- Make sure stairs, steps and landings are brightly lit.
- Have handrails on both sides of the stairs and steps.
- Use a ladder for climbing instead of a stool or furniture.
For more home safety tips, check out Homesafetycouncil.org.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Nurses are the Number Two Hardest Position to Fill
Forbes published an article entitled, The Hardest Jobs to Fill in America, which lists and breaks down why there is a need for these professionals. According to the list, nurses are the second hardest job to fill behind engineers.
Here is a segment from the article describing the need for nurses.
Here is a segment from the article describing the need for nurses.
"The next profession on the list, nursing, also requires an interest in math and science. But that isn't why there's a shortage of nurses. The demand for them is higher than ever because the aging American population needs more and more health care, and advances in medicine are enabling nurses' patients to survive and need treatment longer, while many nurses are reaching retirement age.
Exacerbating the shortage is a lack of educators able to train the next generation. Karen L. Miller, dean of the nursing school at the University of Kansas Medical Center, laments, "If there aren't enough teachers, we can't make more graduates."
2. Nurse
There are several causes of this shortage. First, America's aging population requires more caregivers for chronic illnesses affecting older people. Also, advances in medical care require more nurses to assist in treatment. However, there's a shortage of nurse educators, so while demand for professionals is great, there aren't enough teachers to train the next generation fast enough."
Forbes.com
Click Here to Read the Full Article
Interim HealthCare of Omaha can help those who need to fill their open nursing positions. As a medical staffing agency we take the headache out of trying to find a qualified nurse that fits the facilities needs. By placing the right nurse to fill the position, Interim HealthCare makes sure the people in the facility can receive the care they need.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Follow us on Twitter and Facebook
Interim HealthCare of Omaha is also on Twitter and Facebook.
Want to find out what's going on with us? Well, follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/IHCOmaha and become our friend on Facebook to show your support.
Come follow the bug!
Want to find out what's going on with us? Well, follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/IHCOmaha and become our friend on Facebook to show your support.
Come follow the bug!
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