The Nose Knows: Could Sense of Smell Predict Alzheimer's?

According to new research, your sense of smell might be a predictor of your likelihood of developing Alzheimer's disease.

In two separate studies, researchers found that people who were unable to identify certain odors were more likely to experience cognitive impairment. They reasoned that brain cells that are tied to sense of smell are killed in the early ages of dementia.

The researchers hope that their findings could help develop a "smell test" for doctors to use in the early detection of Alzheimer's disease. Earlier detection can lead to interventions and treatment that could slow the disease's progression. Currently, doctors are able to diagnose Alzheimer's disease only after it has caused significant brain damage.

To learn more, click here.

Do You Have a Senior Summer Survival Kit?

Elderly people often have more trouble dealing with summer heat. Senior Helpers, one of the largest in-home senior care companies, recommends creating "Senior Summer Survival Kits" to help your residents and loved ones cope with hot weather. 

These kits are low-cost and easy to assemble. Examples of contents include: 

• A reusable water bottle to encourage proper hydration
• Copies of all prescriptions and health insurance cards
• Phone numbers of healthcare providers and information about any health conditions
• Sunscreen (at least SPF 30) to prevent serious burns
• Multivitamins to keep the immune system strong
• Hand-held fans 

To learn more, click here. 

DOJ Announces Elder Justice Roadmap

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced a new initiative that seeks to provide additional oversight to combat elder abuse. The Elder Justice Roadmap defines elder abuse as any "physical, sexual or psychological abuse, as well as neglect, abandonment and financial exploitation."

Research suggests that one in 10 Americans over the age of 60 has experienced elder abuse or neglect and that people with dementia are at a higher risk.

The Elder Justice Roadmap was developed using input from hundreds of public and private stakeholders whose feedback was used to determine the project's top five priorities, which are:

1. Awareness: Increase public awareness of elder abuse, a multi-faceted problem that requires a holistic, well-coordinated response in services, education, policy and research. 
2. Brain health: Conduct research and enhance focus on cognitive (in)capacity and mental health - critical factors both for victims and perpetrators. 
3. Caregiving: Provide better support and training for the tens of millions of paid and unpaid caregivers who play a critical role in preventing elder abuse. 
4. Economics: Quantify the costs of elder abuse, which is often entwined with financial incentives and comes with huge fiscal costs to victims, families and society. 
5. Resources: Strategically invest more resources in services, education, research and expanding knowledge to reduce elder abuse. 

To assist in meeting these goals, the DOJ has developed an interactive online curriculum to teach legal aid and other civil attorneys how to identify and respond to elder abuse. The Department of Health and Human Services is also supporting the mission by developing a voluntary national adult protective services (APS) data system.

To learn more, click here.

ProMed Receives HQAA Re-Accreditation

We’re proud to share with you that ProMed has received re-accreditation for DMEPOS products and services by the Healthcare Quality Association on Accreditation.

This accreditation, which is good for three years, allows you to purchase products from us with confidence and the knowledge that ProMed meets quality and industry-focused standards. According to the HQAA, in order to receive this accreditation, ProMed had to show a “dedicated commitment of demonstrating high standards of quality in business and patient care.”

Provide Best-In-Class Care with Compliance Incontinence Management

Are you looking for a solution that will help you ensure your residents are using the incontinence management products that best fit their needs? Do want it to be easy to use and not require purchasing any expensive software or hardware? Last but not least, would you like it be available at no cost?

You can have everything you’re looking for – and more – when you choose Compliance Incontinence Management.

Our exclusive, customizable online tool allows you to size, track and manage your incontinence products. After logging in, the program will take you step by step through assessing your residents’ needs, choosing the best products for them and running a variety of detailed yet easy-to-understand reports. Because Compliance Incontinence Management is Web-based, you can log on anywhere you have Internet access!

As a registered user, you’ll have access to the following valuable reports:

• Resident Assessment List 
• Resident Product List 
• Monthly Distribution
• Order Calculation Worksheet 

We’re confident that Compliance Incontinence Management will help you improve care, save time and reduce costs associated with addressing incontinence at your facility.

Your ProMed territory manager is ready to tell you more and assist you with Compliance Incontinence Management at any time. To get started, contact your territory manager or give us a call at (800) 648-5190.

Keep Residents Safe and Cool This Summer

After a comfortable Fourth of July weekend, the heat is fully cranked up here in Chicagoland! Are you taking steps to prevent heat-related emergencies at your facility? We assembled the following list to help you make sure you have all your bases covered. 

Make sure your building is summer-ready 

• Make sure that the temperature in your facility is safe and comfortable.
• Keep residents indoors in the air conditioning during heat waves.
• Close blinds or curtains to keep direct sunlight from entering rooms.
• Turn off unneeded lights (they emit heat).
• Use extra circulating fans to keep to keep air moving within your facility. Avoid using fans directed at individuals when the ambient temperature exceeds 100° F.

Be ready for anything 

• Many states issue Hot Weather Bulletins. Monitor the television or radio for important local heat-related announcements and be sure to follow your state's protocols during warm weather.
• Review your facility's emergency disaster plan. It should include:
• Up-to-date emergency telephone numbers
• Contingency plans in case the facility's air-conditioning system goes out
• An evacuation plan in case residents need to be moved to a "cooling center
• Be aware of the outdoor heat index (a measurement of what the hot weather "feels like") and take appropriate precautions.
• Remember that exposure to full sunshine can increase the heat index by up to 15 degrees.

Keep residents hydrated

• Consider establishing a hydration station in the facility, where water and other fluids are always available to residents and staff.
• Encourage residents to drink plenty of fluids. Water and fruit or vegetable juices are best.
• Offer residents extra fluids at regular intervals.
• Popsicles or freeze-pops are another alternative to fluids.
• If the resident has a fluid restriction, ask the physician for specific orders during hot weather.
• Avoid caffeine or sodas because these cause a person to lose more body fluid.

The Power of Hydrogen Peroxide

Clorox Healthcare Hydrogen Peroxide Cleaner Disinfectants are the fastest non-bleach disinfectants your facility can buy – and now they're available from ProMed!1

Why should you choose Clorox Hydrogen Peroxide products?1

Efficacy. Both the ready-to-use spray and wipes offer fast kill times on more than 40 microorganisms. They have more EPA-registered kill times for antibiotic-resistant organisms than two of the leading competitors combined. They also have a Norovirus kill claim, which the most common non-bleach competitors do not.

Speed. Clorox Hydrogen Peroxide products offer the fastest non-bleach disinfecting times available. Most bacteria and viruses are knocked out in between 30 seconds and one minute.

They create a more pleasant environment. Because they don't contain bleach, Clorox Hydrogen Peroxide products don't produce any harsh fumes or odors, so they're safe for use around sensitive residents.

They're a great value. The wipes keep larger surface areas wet for longer, using fewer wipes than the competition. This helps to eliminate costly re-wiping to achieve kill times.

They're perfect for both hard and soft surfaces. Clorox Hydrogen Peroxide products are EPA-registered for use on soft surfaces such as curtains, chairs and couches. They’re also cleared for use on the majority of hard surfaces, are noncorrosive and will not degrade plastics or laminated surfaces.

Professional Medical has begun to stock the complete line of Clorox Healthcare Hydrogen Peroxide Cleaner Disinfectants. To learn more about the benefits these products can bring your facility, contact your ProMed territory manager, give us a call at (800) 648-5190 or visit us online at promedsupply.com.

Reference
1 Clorox Professional. Clorox Healthcare Hydrogen Peroxide Cleaner Disinfectants: Quick Facts. Available at: http://www.cloroxprofessional.com/products/clorox-healthcare-hydrogen-peroxide-cleaner-disinfectants/at-a-glance/. Accessed June 25, 2014.