More people than ever are having to fund their own care without professional help to navigate what has become a very complex care system. This book sets out all your options in an easy to digest format so that you will feel coni-- dent about planning for your loved one's care and avoid the mistakes and massive disruption that comes from supporting an elderly relative without a professional to support you. When you read this book you will be able to: 1. Better navigate the complex British care system for older people 2. Choose a homecare agency or care home with coni-- dence 3. Be aware of the essential care standards you can expect from a registered care service 4. Understand the accommodation, care and support options available for older people 5. Find out whether your elderly loved one may be entitled to NHS or social care funding 6. Look out for signs of abuse and know what to do if you suspect abuse of a vulnerable person 7. And much more...

From the Prologue: Diagnosed with dementia in 1997, my husband, Jim, lived at home during his illness and died there in January 2006. I wish this story were fiction, but it is not. Dignifying Dementia is both a love story and an attempt to reach out to others who are living through or who will live through a similar tragedy. It is written in the hope that others might benefit from what I learned as the caregiver of a dementia victim. Only then will Jim's cruel affliction serve some purpose, because it might help others feel less lonely, bewildered, angry or frustrated than I did, shorten the dreadful learning curve, or encourage others to ask more questions and make fewer assumptions. And because it might remind members of the health care industry - from physicians to orderlies, from agency administrators to certified nursing assistants - that dementia victims and their loved ones are human beings who deserve respect, kindness, empathy and patience, so often lost in our fast-paced society. The diagnostic process I describe was painful and disappointing; perhaps someone else's caregiving experience might be easier. Caring for Jim was exhausting; perhaps someone else's might be less draining. Watching someone lose his or her mind and body is not polite. It is rude and mean-spirited. Dementia brutalized Jim and stole the love of my life from me. It altered him, us and me. This is not a medical text; it is the story of our experience with dementia and the lessons I learned as I tried to be Jim's voice, to maintain his dignity and to care for him and for me.

"IF I HAD UNDERSTOOD THE RIPPLE ON EFFECT OF MENIERE'S DISEASE, WE WOULD NOT HAVE LOST THE FAMILY HOME," says the Author. In this candid, honest and thought provoking book, he shares his personal experiences. What can go wrong and more importantly, how you can avoid the negative affects that can happen when you suffer from a long term chronic condition like Meniere's. Meniere's disease can affect not only your general sense of well being but your income, savings, future plans, friends, business partnerships and at the heart of it all, your closest personal relationships. A book every Meniere sufferer, their family, friends and partners should read to fully understand how having a long-term chronic condition, like Meniere's disease, can and will affect all your lives. And how you can help prevent this. Keeping life positive in a time of Meniere's. This self-help book may help you keep chaos out of other parts of your personal life. When you can do this, the negative effect of suffering from a long-term condition, shifts to a positive one as you have less stress and anxiety in your everyday life and more personal energy to deal and cope with the disease itself.

This Collection Of 18 Case Studies Covers A Broad Range Of Subjects Related To Health Care Quality Improvement Efforts. Ideal As Complement To The New Fourth Edition Of Continuous Quality Improvement In Health Care, These Case Studies Explore Themes Such As CQI In Ghana Malaria Control, CQI To Reduce Central Line Infections In Pediatric Hospital, A Mother'S Advocacy Group Against Medical Errors, WHO Safe Surgery Saves Lives Campaign, The Malcolm Baldrige Award Process In Health Care, Comparison Of NICE And Similar Agencies For Comparative Effectiveness Research, And Much More.

One day it happens: the dreaded event that will change your life forever. For Alix Kates Shulman, it happened in a remote seaside cabin on a coastal Maine island--where the very isolation that makes for a perfect artist's retreat can also put life at risk. Shulman woke to find that her beloved husband had fallen the nine feet from their sleeping loft and was lying on the floor below, deathly still. Though Scott would survive, he suffered an injury that left him seriously brain impaired. He was the same--but not the same.
In this elegant memoir, Shulman describes the ongoing anxieties and risks--and surprising rewards--she experiences as she reorganizes her world to care for her husband and discovers that what might have seemed a life sentence to some has evolved into something unexpectedly rich.

""Taking Care of Barbara" is an inspirational resource book for anyone living in the world of Alzheimer's. There are clear and concise caregiver tips and references in dealing with the everyday struggles that come with the progression of the disease. What a gift to know and be able to anticipate the needs of our loved one when they may not be able to communicate them. Most importantly, this book is a celebration of family and the relationship between the caregiver and the patient. It lifts the caregiver above the everyday struggles and reminds us of where to find the strength and joy in the frequent frustrations of the day. It inspires us to love beyond the external happenings and shows us there lies a deeper and greater gain that will enrich our spirit. The world of Alzheimer's may feel overwhelming, but this book encourages caregivers to get out of bed, put their feet on the floor and face the day with renewed strength and purpose."
-Kelly Cason Hunter, Hospice Volunteer, Pediatric Nurse

The basic health care system in the United States is not working and must be fixed. The cost of a new, effective system of health care delivery would be instead of rather than in addition to what the US population is now paying for an inadequate, incomplete system. We must put the fiscal responsibility for health care delivery on the medical care sector that makes the decisions on what medications, what procedures and who gets treatment and when, that is, the providers of care, mostly the doctors. By doing this we can correct the more than fifty percent overpayment and misuse of funds currently in vogue. The book deals with the concept of the possibility of eventual coverage of everyone through the Medicare system as the current population ages. It explains the leverage that that single payer universal system such as Medicare, can generate to change the incentives for the providers of care resulting in a reduction of the overall cost. It also sets forth the concept of choice for the patient, the allocation of resources, and the restructuring of the medical education system as well as the recruitment and training of providers. Other problems such as organizational development, provider groups, malpractice, reinsurance through a universal system and other solutions are also dealt with. Today 45 million Americans have no health care coverage, while approximately 50 million are under insured due to high deductibles and co-payments. Many who are eligible for Medicare, federal health care insurance for the aged and Medicaid, federal health care for the poor, may be without coverage due to lack of access to services in the areas that they live. Practical solutions to these problems areaddressed. Robert Gumbiner, MD, with more than 40 years experience in the health care field as a practicing physician, a manager and a force in medical management education, derives much of his experience from successfully developing and managing one of the largest managed care companies in the United States for over 30 years. Drawing on this extensive management experience as well as years of studying health care systems around the world, Robert Gumbiner debunks the myths held by opponents to national universal health care and capitated prepayment. His development of the first capitated prepayment plan for Medical in the 60's in California and first contract for prepayment Medicare on the West Coast in the 80's gave credibility to his ideas that succeeded in reducing health care costs. He shows step-by-step how we arrived at our current dysfunctional system and argues persuasively how we have been misled by special interests in the medical/industrial complex into thinking a health care system funded through the government and managed for effective utilization will eliminate choice. In the final analysis the book's major theme is that the cost of a complete comprehensive system is "instead of and not in addition" to what we are currently paying and how to go about instituting such a system. It offers solutions that have been developed by the author throughout his long career in managing health care delivery systems. It is not a theoretical concept but based upon ideas, errors, successes and a logical, practical model.

Named a Best Book of 2008 by "Library Journal"

In a series of moving vignettes, the author begins by describing a particular representation of Water-Moon Kuan Yin, a Buddhist teacher and goddess associated with compassion, who often sits on a precarious overhang or floats on a flimsy petal. Then Kuan Yin steps out of the frame to join the author in the mundane challenges of caring for her father-transferring his health insurance, struggling with a wheelchair van, managing adult diapers, or playing in the fictions of dementia. From perplexed to poignant to funny, the vignettes record the working-class English of a fading but still wise dad, and they find other human versions of Kuan Yin in a doctor who will still make house calls or kind strangers in the street.

The book includes ten illustrations: both classical representations of Kuan Yin and also the author's own drawings, which adapt Kuan Yin in an act of practical spirituality, reading art through life and life through art. Each vignette invites the harried caregiver to take a deep breath and meditate on the trials and joys of caring for an aging parent.

Thirty million people today care for ailing family members in their own homes--a number that will increase dramatically over the next decade as baby boomers enter old age, as soldiers return home from war mentally and physically wounded, as medical advances extend lives and health insurance fails to cover them.

Offering both companionship and guidance to the people who find themselves caring for their intimates, "An Uncertain Inheritance" is a collection of essays from some of the country's most accomplished writers. Poignant, honest, sometimes heartbreaking, often wry, and funny, here is a book that examines caregiving from every angle, revealing the pain, intimacy, and grace inherent in this meaningful relationship.

Can the ailing health care system be cured? Yes, but only with new ideas. Health care reform is stuck because there has not been an acceptable reform proposal. Providing insurance coverage to more people only increases the total cost of health care, and with insurance, costs are controlled by undesirable increases in the use of managed care. Single payer proposals involve unacceptable government price controls. Balanced Choice has the new ideas needed to fix the health care system. It provides the same universal coverage as a single payer system does, but it does not have government price controls. Overall, it costs less than is currently spent on health care in the U.S. Because it benefits consumers, providers, and employers, the resulting political alliance could be powerful enough to change the U. S. health care systems. This book begins curing the system by explaining how Balanced Choice works and what needs to be done. To learn more about Balanced Choice or to download the first chapter of Balanced Choice: A Common Sense Cure for the U.S. Health Care Systems, visit www.BalancedChoiceHealthCare.org.

Confronting America's Health Care Crisis is not just a book for those in the health care field. It is a book for investors, politicians, educators, and anyone who has a interest in reforming American's NUMBER ONE concern: ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE Did you know there are 47 million medically uninsured Americans? What would you do if you lost your health care insurance? What would you do if your child became ill, and you did not have a clinic for his or her care? If you did not have health care insurance; where would you go if you had a cold or chronic illness? What would you do if you had a pre-existing medical conditon and you were denied medical insurance? How could you afford your medication if you did not have health care insurance? This book provides one solution to America's medical crisis. It gives solid answers for anyone interested in health care reform. This book demonstrates how a clinic was built without the support of local, state, or federal funds. It provides guidance, direciton, an outline, case studies and a business plan to build a clinic. It provides ways to work in the community gathering the needed in-kind donations, and it provides suggetions for overcoming the hurdles so that once the clinic is open and operational, it remains open. This book is a journey of one Nurse Practitioner and how she saw a need in her community and built a clinic for the medcially uninsured. This book demonstrates one solution for providing health care to those who are medically uninsured. Health care is not a privilege, no one should be denied adequate health care coverage regardless of ability to pay, or because of a pre-existing health care condtion which precludes him or her from receiving coverage.

This book is designed to enhance suitable interaction between the patient and the family physician. Worldwide shortage of physicians, limits the available time that can be assigned to each client during an office visit. The primary physician usually gives only about 10 minutes for each appointment. It is essential for a patient to present problems in details, accurately, chronologically and logically, within 2 to 3 minutes. The doctor will then afford the time, to evaluate the condition; perform a physical examination; organize suitable tests; formulate, explain the diagnosis and management, or arrange for appropriate specialist referrals.
Attempts are also made in this book to elucidate the actions that a doctor may normally take for various common situations. If such actions are not taken, the patient should know the reasons, or consider negotiating for the needed actions to be taken. Obviously, in a book of this size, not all conditions are covered. By giving ample examples and principles, it is hoped that the skill in applying the same principles to new situation may be developed. The book is not intended to be an encompassing medical text, reference for first aid, or coverage for situations requiring urgent hospital care. It is strictly designed for handling that vital 10 minutes in the doctor's office. People, who are already motivated to take an active interest in their health issues, by looking up medical information from texts and the internet, will find this book informative and useful. The conscientious doctors will serve the patients better, knowing the clients' rightful expectation.

ABOUT THIS BOOK This book is written by an insider. A hospital administrator and practitioner who participated firsthand in laying the foundation for today's collapsing heath care system. A practitioner who then went on to make radical changes in the way he practiced his profession and his philosophy of health care delivery. A practitioner who is now hell-bent on making radical changes in this disastrous health care system he helped to create 30 years ago. This book is an insider's look at the sequence of events and decisions that led to the demise of our health care system. This book is designed to educate you to:

Individuals with chronic pain suffer not only from the torment of physical pain, but also from a healthcare system that, through ignorance, arrogance, and greed, further abuses them. Written in plain English by pain specialists, Validate Your Pain Exposing the Chronic Pain Cover-Up (3rd Edition) tells the inside story of a healthcare system gone awry and of how individuals with chronic pain pay the price in terms of physical, emotional, and financial suffering. But it goes further. Validate Your Pain helps the reader to transcend validation and move toward empowerment and recovery from the bonds of chronic pain by providing practical, step-by-step advice for successfully maneuvering through the healthcare minefield. No other book takes on these important and controversial issues. Validate Your Pain does. ...I urge all pain patients and professionals to hear the message of Validate Your Pain This courageous book is right on target and shows the way to compassionate care of the future...NOW There is nothing else even close to this book on the market. ...Patti Wright, Leader and Founder, Fibromyalgia Friends Support Group Henderson, Nevada FMAngels3@aol. com

This book is about three people from different walks of life, each of whom experienced a life-changing episode of Guillain-Barre Syndrome. Three dramatic stories in one.
Firstly, a story of the Author's remarkable almost complete recovery following his encounter with the syndrome. It is a frank and personal account of his struggle to regain much of what he had lost in bodily function during one year of hospitalisation. It should provide inspiration and possibly answer so many questions typically asked by others afflicted with this syndrome.
Secondly, case studies written by two co-author contributors, one a Calgary Veterinarian and mother of two, the other a retired Vancouver resident who was struck with Guillain-Barre Syndrome whilst shopping for a boat in England.
"There is no single answer to the question as to how life may change after recovery from this disorder. Each case appears to be unique. That is why I have chosen to include, not just a record of my partial recovery, but also the recovery record of two additional people, each different from one another's and each certainly different from mine (Author's Preface)."
"We eventually identified a boat--only three feet short of what we had wanted-- that was within our budget.
At this point Heather's brother, who lived nearby, said he would like a share in the boat, to which we agreed. During this discussion in his house I had to ask him to refrain from smoking, as my throat was quite sore. I was feeling rather run down and often felt cold. About the same time on a Saturday, I felt a tingling in the finger tips of my left hand and found they were a bit swollen. I mentioned it to Heather, but it did not seemserious. It was, however, the first sign that I had contracted GBS. If only I had known, the treatment might have been started earlier! (Patrick Hill)"
"Probably the worst face of Guillain-Barre Syndrome is the effect it has on loved ones. Severe, or not, chronic or not, it matters little to the supporting family at the bedside of a patient. Fear, puzzlement, and apprehension are all experienced by the loved ones. Reading the case histories of Sarah and Patrick, one learns how their spouses also suffered many frightening experiences, but in spite of all that, they remained - obviously without second thought, hesitation or doubt. True to their marriage vows, they provided so much love, care and support. That was the shared experience among the three of us (Author: Epilogue)."

Experienced family doctor Ray Strand writes his patients prescriptions every week, but he also believes that prescribing drugs should be a last resort in most medical cases-not a first choice. In Death by Prescription he provides simple guidelines to help readers protect themselves and their families from suffering adverse reactions to prescription medication.

"The Chicago Sun Times" praises ""Into the Blue" is Susan Edsall's fascinating chronicle of the fight to get her father back into his beloved Big Sky...an engagingly readable testament to an everyday courage....Salted with hilarious memories of Edsall family life, peppered with touching reminiscences of flight with her father, [Edsall] mixes the positive with the painful until it's not only palatable but also poignant."
Three years ago, Susan Edsall's father, a rebuilder and pilot of antique airplanes, suffered a devastating stroke that left him unable to read, write, speak, tell time, understand the alphabet---or fly. The doctors told Susan the best her family could hope for was that he would learn to play checkers. Susan knew if her dad couldn't fly, he'd just as soon not breathe, so she chose another path. Battling the pessimistic conclusion of the experts---and her own looming fears---she and her sister, Sharon, aka the Blister Sisters, decided to take matters into their own hands. With no medical training but double doses of determination, they bushwhacked their own rehab program and got their father back behind the controls of his beloved open-cockpit biplane and into the air.
Susan Edsall's "Into the Blue" is a powerful family memoir about two feisty sisters from Montana who bring their father back to life---and discover themselves in the process. Inspiring, gritty, and often hilarious, it's also the story of anyone who has ever fought back from a dire prognosis to pursue a cherished dream.

All across Eastern Europe, health services plunged into crisis in the 1990s. Steep cuts in budgets, training and investment and, in some cases, official disinterest, created a pervasive system failure that has had terrible consequences, for patients and their families, for communities, and for those who have been required to work in the many parts of health services. Based on research conducted by the ILO Socio-Economic Security Programme and Public Services International, the book paints a vivid picture of the dedication and professionalism of health-care staff in worsening conditions, in which they have continued to work and have tried to maintain standards despite personal hardships.

The rapid deterioration of the American health-care system, and the debate about what to do about it, is generating a maelstrom of news stories, magazine articles, and books. But the average person finds it difficult to make sense of this blizzard of information. Because the health-care system is large and complex, and because the symptoms of its decline are numerous, comprehensive reports about the health-care crisis are extremely rare. Comprehensive reports in everyday language are nonexistent. The Health-Care Mess was written to fill that void. It assumes the reader knows nothing about health policy. As Kip Sullivan puts it, The Health-Care Mess is the book he wishes someone had given to him in 1986 when he, a community organizer, jumped into the cold, choppy waters of the health-care reform debate. At that time, he had no training in health policy. But in the course of studying the health-care system and explaining its problems to thousands of people, he discovered that health policy is not only accessible but fascinating. The book resembles a textbook in that it treats a complex subject comprehensively, and it is meticulously documented. But it doesn't read like a textbook. The author speaks in an informal, conversational style, he makes minimal use of jargon, and explains what jargon he has to use. And he is not coy about expressing his opinions. He believes the health-care reform debate has been unduly influenced by big corporations, especially those in the insurance and drug industries. He concludes that the health-care crisis will be solved only when America adopts a "Medicare-for-all" system, a system in which universal coverage is implemented by expanding a reformed Medicareprogram to all Americans. The Health-Care Mess explains the debate about what's wrong with the health-care system, and how to fix it, in terms everyone can understand.

Rosemary Rowley's autobiography 'The Reluctant Nurse' is a warm-hearted account of the author's fascinating and varied career in the nursing profession at a time when significant changes were taking place. After an education affected by war, Rosemary did not aspire to be a nurse but had little choice. She trained in orthopaedic and general nursing and midwifery, then spent five years in the RAF nursing service. In 1963 she saw an advertisement in the Nursing Times for a team of nurses to improve the standards of care in Ankara, Turkey. Rosemary's spirit of adventure encouraged her to take this opportunity and during her time in Turkey she was able to see and do things that most young women of this era would never have been able to experience. "We knew at the time that we were fortunate to have the opportunity to see so much, and we made the most of it." Rosemary's charming and emotional story will prove compelling reading for anyone interested in the development of nursing in the 20th century.

A practicing psychoanalyst offers one of the first books to help navigate the profound emotional challenges of caring for elderly parents in a strained parent-child relationship.

Replete with the powerful words of experienced caregivers, "Dementia Caregivers Share Their Stories" is an essential guidebook for anyone who must attend to the needs of a loved one suffering from Alzheimeras disease or another form of dementia. In these pages, members of caregiversa support groups - representing twenty-six families and a variety of professions and income levels - speak candidly about the challenges they have faced at every step in the caregiving process, from recognizing early symptoms of dementia to dealing with its advanced stages.
Highlighting the ingenuity and resourcefulness of caregivers, the book brims with inspirational stories, practical advice, and creative approaches to problem-solving. Among the issues addressed are:
Becoming a caregiver, whether for a spouse or parent
Dealing with the personality changes caused by dementia, from anxiety and paranoia to hallucinations and impulsive behavior
Keeping dementia sufferers meaningfully involved in life
Handling the emotions and stresses of caregiving
Seeking help through support groups and other sources, including medical professionals, clergy, and other family members The authors, who have both been caregivers themselves, augment their intervieweesa stories with connective commentary and their own personal stories. A useful resource section is included to refer readers to associations and help-lines.

In this three-hole-punched workbook/CD-ROM package, Huffman (nursing education, Motlow State Community College) offers a practical approach to understanding OBQI and disease management. She provides tools for applying outcome-based patient care using OASIS outcomes, OBQI, care pathways, and disease management. She also explains the links among pati