Blog

kate b. reynolds hospice home
Tuesday May 13th, 2014

Cleaning out the medicine cabinet

It’s good news when your loved one can switch to a lower dose of a drug or quit a medication altogether. But what should you do with the unwanted pills, patches, or inhalers? Children and pets need to be protected from potentially fatal exposure. Yet chucking everything into the toilet is not recommended.
hospice winston-salem
Wednesday April 23rd, 2014

Helping the doctor help you

These days health is defined as more than the absence of disease. Good health includes physical well-being (having the ability to do activities) mental well-being (feeling clear headed and emotionally stable) social well-being (enjoying meaningful relationships and pastimes) Doctors are prepared to help in all these arenas, but they can’t get started without your input. Lab reports do not reveal quality of life and general well-being! Doctors need your report from home. Plan ahead for your visit by preparing the following:
hospice winston-salem
Wednesday April 9th, 2014

Life support measures

Below are some commonly used methods of life support, along with a values statement you can use to help clarify your own thinking. (We do not support one decision over another. We offer these simply as a way to help you think about the issues and put your own feelings into words.)
hospice winston-salem
Wednesday March 26th, 2014

Tax breaks for in-home care

At tax time, our thoughts naturally turn toward deductions. What might count as a medical expense for your ill older relative? With elders, there's a fine line between health care and personal care. Perhaps your loved one needs some help getting up from a chair. Or perhaps he or she can no longer put together a meal. These situations create safety and health risks. But medical deductions typically cover only the costs of highly skilled providers. Personal tasks such as these don’t require a registered nurse!
Thursday March 20th, 2014

Spring Circular 2014

The Spring Circular 2014 contains:  Hospice HOPE RUN, Everybody is Somebody, Save the Dates, Got Plans?, A Change in Career, Creating Your Legacy of Hope, Thanks to Community Events, National Healthcare Decisions Day - April 16, www.GotPlansNC.org, Board Member in the Spotlight - Margaret Ann Hofler, Hospice Volunteers Help people live, Magnificent Tribute to Sweethearts Past. Click here to view the Spring Circular 2014.
hospice winston-salem
Wednesday March 19th, 2014

Insomnia in older adults

Sleep patterns change as we age. Older adults need just as much sleep as ever. But they often have difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep at night. And even with a full night’s sleep, many elders don’t feel refreshed in the morning. That’s because they don’t get enough time in the deep sleep stage of the sleep cycle. Most elders find ways to cope with these normal changes. Cutting back on caffeine and taking a 30-minute midafternoon nap are recommended remedies. Sometimes problems sleeping are linked to temporary stress or a disturbing event. These go away over time.