ProMed Good Friday/Easter Closure Notice

Professional Medical will be closed Friday, April 3 in honor of Good Friday/Easter.

Orders placed by noon on Monday, March 30 will be delivered by Thursday, April 2.

Please call our Customer Care team at 800.648.5190 if you have any questions or concerns.

Let Us Meet Your Home Care Needs

ProMed earned its reputation in the industry by serving nursing homes, but we also offer products to meet essential home care needs.

We are your go-to source for items from the best brands in the business, including:

• Aluminum, steel and other specialty rollators 
• Enteral pumps, including our exclusive Compliance® pump, and accessories 
• Walkers in multiple configurations, including bariatric models, side walkers, knee walkers, the unique LiftWalker and a full line of accessories to create a walker that matches your lifestyle 
• Standard, folding and quad canes, including styles for bariatric users 
• Adjustable beds and accessories 
• Shower chairs and benches for safer, simplified bathing 
• A wide variety of raised toilet seats, commodes and accessories 
• Standard and reclining wheelchairs in a wide range of sizes 
• Powered and non-powered support surfaces
• TENS units and electrodes  
• Nebulizer units and ancillary items 

Since these products come from ProMed, a company trusted to meet the needs of long-term care since 1968, you can rest assured that they’ll deliver best-in-class performance and value.

To learn more about our home care product line, contact your ProMed territory manager, give us a call at (800) 648-5190 or visit us online at promedsupply.com.

Study: Pain Frequently Under-Detected, Poorly Managed in Dementia Residents

A new study in the journal BMC Geriatrics found that pain in people with dementia is under-detected and poorly managed in both acute in long-term care.

The researchers determined that this could be related to limited evidence showing the reliability, validity and clinical utility of pain assessment tools for use with the elderly.

While self-reporting is considered to be the gold standard for reporting pain, this option is frequently not feasible for residents with later-stage dementia.

The researchers examined 28 pain assessment tools that could possibly help with this issue, but ultimately determined they could not specifically recommend any of them due to a lack of comprehensive evidence on their reliability, validity, feasibility or clinical utility.

To learn more, click here.

Study: Adults Get Flu Twice a Decade, On Average

According to a new study out of Imperial College London, adults over the age of 30 only catch the flu about twice a decade. However, they noted, many other pathogens can present flu-like symptoms, making it difficult to determine how often people really have influenza.

Children, on the other hand, were found to get the flu every other year, on average.

During the study, the researchers analyzed blood samples and looked at antibody levels against nine different strains of flu that circulated between 1968 and 2009.

The study's authors noted that rhinovirus and coronavirus both present similarly to the flu, possibly leading people to assume these illnesses are influenza.

To learn more, click here.

Study: Nurses' English Skills, Accents Can Impede Care

A new study found that nurses' English skills or accents can impede care.

The study, which involved 1,600 nurses in 98 nursing homes in five states, revealed that about 15 percent of LTC nurses reported that their English proficiency or accents created communication problems with residents.

The study noted that both nurses born and educated in another country and those born abroad but educated here reported communication problems at about the same rate. Regional accents and speech also contributed to communication issues.

The researchers said their results show that current English competency tests might be insufficient and not adequately assess an individual's ability to communicate complex issues regarding care.

To learn more, click here.

Compliance Continuing Education: A Winning Mix of Convenience and Value

Is one of your biggest challenges educating your staff on an ongoing basis? Let ProMed’s Compliance Continuing Education Program help! Our exclusive Web-based educational program will provide you and your team with the in-services that you need to update and reinforce clinical knowledge. 

Compliance Continuing Education covers more than 20 wide-ranging categories. The courses are appropriate for the majority of your staff, including:

• Nurses
• Licensed nursing home administrators
• Registered dietitians/dietetic technicians
• Social workers
• Respiratory therapists
• CNAs and general staff

Because the program is Web-based, courses can be completed anywhere you staff has Internet access!

To learn more, please contact your territory manager or give us a call at 800.648.5190

Protect Yourself from Wintertime COPD Flare-Ups

Unfortunately, it looks like we still have plenty of winter left to endure. During this cold weather, people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, are more likely to experience disease flare-ups involving increased coughing and other exacerbated symptoms. This is partially due to the respiratory viruses (such as colds and flu) that make the rounds when weather turns cold.

HealthGrades recommends taking the following steps to avoid wintertime flare-ups:

• Protect yourself from respiratory infections by staying away from sick people, practicing good hand hygiene and getting vaccinated against flu and pneumonia (check with your doctor before receiving the vaccines). 
• Shield yourself from the cold by checking the weather before going outdoors (keep a close eye on wind chill). If you can, stay inside when it gets very cold outside. If you must go out, wear a knit scarf or mask around your face and mouth as well as a hat, mittens and multiple layers of loose-fitting clothing topped with a weatherproof jacket. 
• Stay away from aggravating elements, including secondhand cigarette smoke, smoke from wood-burning stoves, chemical fumes and dust. It's also a good idea to have your furnace checked to make sure it isn't leaking irritating particles. 
• See your doctor regularly throughout the cold months and follow his or her suggestions on caring for yourself.