ACCESS Nursing News and Blog

Mother Theresa once said, “It is not how much you do, but how much love you put in the doing.”

When hiring a homecare aide, make sure that cultural respect is high on your checklist of what is required of the homecare professional you are considering, along with experience, expertise, patience, compassion, dependability and communication. “Culturally-sensitive” care is integral to providing quality healthcare that is responsive to each patient’s needs, according to the National Institute of Health.

Being forgetful or having trouble remembering things doesn’t automatically mean that you have dementia. It’s just a natural result of aging or being fatigued. Something like forgetting why you walked into a room could be a sign of Alzheimer’s dementia – or, it could mean that you are simply exhausted. The difference is that the person with dementia won’t just forget why they walked into a room — the room itself will seem strange and unfamiliar to them.

Best practices to prevent Falls, click here.

The enactment of a New York State law that is posed to change the face of the state’s Home Care industry is scheduled to take place on October 1, 2018. Albany legislators are aiming for this new law to reduce the number of Licensed Home Care Service Agency (LHCSA) businesses by half --from 1,500 to 700, or less.  In response, Home Care Industry Leaders have established the “LHCSA Marketplace” that would provide an opportunity for any LHCSA wishing to sell their smaller sets of MLTC assets to make that intention known to other LHCSAs desiring to acquire such assets.

Having a coordinated care plan in place for patients with brain injuries is the key to a successful recovery. Brain injuries are different for each individual, so there is no one size fits all road map to follow to best care for your patient. Here are some best care practices for caring for someone with a brain injury:

***The New Jersey Nursing Summer Open House has been postponed. Please check back for a later date.

When you or your loved one is ready to come home from the hospital following an illness or injury, having a Registered Nurse, Private Duty Nurse or Home Health Aide can offer both the level of care required and greater peace of mind.  Hiring a stranger to come stay in your home and entrusting them with the care for your loved one can be a stressful and confusing task. What type of professional do you need? Where do you go to find the best and most experienced person? Where can you find someone who is trustworthy, has a proven record of experience and is pre-screened?

Who is Best for You, Your Family and your Home?

Registered Nurse (RN)
A Registered Nurse (RN) is often necessary when caring for patients who are very ill. They are certified and trained to take the lead regarding medical care at home and often oversee the work of LPNs and Home Care Aides, as well as ensure that the care coordination process runs smoothly.   The care provided by RNs includes administering medication, treating and managing illnesses and working with other care providers to coordinate the best care management plan. In addition, an RN can perform diagnostics and analyze test results. 

Everyone deserves a summer vacation – even a doctor, who is relied upon by so many for their consistent care and medications. Whether you are a patient or a physician, a doctor’s vacation needs to be planned for well in advance. Taking a week or two off for any physician or specialist can be extremely complicated for everyone involved.

Follow These Tips to Keep Your Elderly Loved One Healthy and Safe

This summer’s hot, steamy temperatures creates more than simple discomfort for many people — especially for those who are sick and especially, for the elderly, who are far more susceptible to heat-related ailments and consequent hospital stays.  In fact, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), people aged 65 and over accounted for more heat-related hospitalizations than any other age group, with males being hospitalized for heat-related illnesses more than twice as often as females.