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Written by Jeff Walls
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Monday, 19 July 2010 21:06 |
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 Needless to say, most people don't want to linger over thoughts of their death, nor the death of a loved one. Unless someone is dealing with a terminal illness, planning their own funeral wouldn't cross their mind. More times than not, families are left with making difficult decisions during an even more difficult time. A time when such emotions as grief, guilt, anxiety, anger and depression can lead to poor choices, family squabbling or the inabiltiy to make decisions at all. Having the foresight to discuss your wishes with family members as well as making the financial arrangements ahead of time, will relieve a lot of unnecessary stress for the survivors.
Jim Hellen has been in the mortuary business for 38 years. His experiences have proven that the best "gift" you could ever give your family is to pre-plan your funeral arrangements. Unless there are specifics laid, the decisions have to be made by surviving family members, who may not agree on anything. If the closest survivors of the deceased are their children, it is the law that they all agree on funeral arrangements. There have been cases where funerals were postponed for weeks while siblings fought over funeral homes, cost, etc. It is easy for survivors to want the "very best" for their loved ones remains and over spend on every detail. In many cases, guilt prohibits the survivors to make wise financial choices. This can lead to resentment and further hardships. Hellen stresses the importance of providing guidelines and suggests three easy steps in pre-planning a funeral.
1. Treatment of the remains. This would be the choices of burial 
(above or below ground), cremation, organ
donation, etc...
2. Specifics for the service. This may include where the service is to
be held, what clothes the deceased would
like to be wearing, what music to be played, etc.
3. Financial Arrangements. This could be funeral insurance, pre-paid funeral
costs, personal money set aside, etc.
These are just a few of the possible details that may or may not need to be addressed. Every individual has their own ideas of how they would like their funeral or services to be. Whether it be simple or extravagant, making those decisions ahead of time and making those close to you aware of them, will insure that the deceased gets what they wanted and the survivors have the peace of mind knowing their loved one's wishes were carried out.
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Written by Jeff Walls
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Monday, 12 April 2010 19:49 |
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Making the decision to undergo surgery, of any kind, is one that requires preparation and planning. Surgery, by and large, is a last resort to correcting a medical condition that medication or therapy cannot. Whether it is as complicated as an organ transplant or as ordinary as a tonsillectomy, there is always going to be some risk involved. Reactions to the anesthesia, infections and overall stress on the body are just a few of the things to consider. However, there is always that time when the outcome of surgery over weighs the risks. Such is the case with knee replacement surgery.
As we grow older, it is only natural for our bodies to degenerate somewhat. This can occur from the daily "wear and tear" a body goes through, especially if that person worked a physical job for many years. The body's inability to repair itself after a certain age, creates many problems for seniors who may find it difficult to complete even the simplest daily tasks. One of these common ailments among seniors is osteoarthritis. This a condition involving the degeneration of joints. This can cause swelling, stiffness, knees locking up and debilitating pain.
At this point, one may want to consider knee replacement surgery (or Total Knee Arthroplasty;TKA) to improve their quality of life. Being prepared for surgery and the recovery period afterward is important to the overall well being of the patient as well as for those who will be caring for them. One easy step to take is monitoring/changing ones diet, especially if you are overweight/obese. The extra weight carried not only puts excess stress on the joints, it also makes recovery and rehabilitation much harder on the body. It is also important to make sure you are getting the right vitamins and enough of them. Some vitamins, such as C and D, are not only important in the overall health of your body, but actually contribute specifically to the the prevention of osteoarthritis and the narrowing of bone space.
Another great step in preparing for surgery is developing an exercise routine that will help strengthen your body. This will make the physical and painful rehabilitation process much easier and can even shorten the duration of recovery. This will help to minimize the stress on you and your caregivers. Once you've had the surgery, you should expect to be in the hospital 3-5 days. Within a month to seven weeks afterward, there should be a noticeable improvement in mobility and a decrease/lack of pain. With the exceptions of running and jumping, most daily activities can be renewed. Of course, the amount of time needed for full recovery is different from person to person.
Though not to be taken lightly, knee replacement is a routine surgery performed on over 600,000 people worldwide each year. The average age of patients undergoing this treatment in America is between 65-70. With a success rate of over 90%, knee replacement is a very viable and productive option.
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Written by Administrator
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Wednesday, 24 March 2010 22:59 |
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Our goal here is to provide information, through an open forum, on issues that pertain to senior health care. McKinley Court provides specialized, as well as personalized, services for those people who need short term rehabilitation or long term medical care. We will be exploring such areas as Alzheimer' Disease, diabetes management, cancer care, hospice, stroke recovery and post surgical/physical rehabilitation. In our next entry, we will be looking at the decision to have knee replacement surgery and what that might mean in terms of expectations and rehabilitation. Regardless of whether you are considering the surgery for yourself or for a parent with osteoarthritis, the blog will include views from all sides.
One of these sides we will focus on is the role of the caregiver. They can be a professional, a volunteer or a family member caring for a loved one. Nurse practitioners (NP) are a good example of one such group. With their expertise in transitioning an individual from hospital, to rehab, to long term care, they make it less stressful for the senior as well as the family and personal caregivers. Sharing the experiences of the NP, the resident and those close to them, can provide much needed information to those people in similar situations.
We are looking forward to all comments and suggestions, be they professional or personal.
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