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  • An Overnight Nursing Home for Dementia Patients
    Provides respite care for Alzheimer's patients who suffer from "sundowning". Many with Alzheimer's are at their most active after dark. A New York care facility has launched an after-hours camp-style program to entertain them until the morning—and help their caregivers get some sleep. For months, Ortiz would sleep during the day and be up much of the night wandering around the apartment. Her daughter was too afraid to sleep—afraid her mother might fall and hurt herself or even try to leave…
  • Younger diabetics manage condition less well than older patients: Singapore Study
    SINGAPORE — When it comes to managing their condition, younger TYPE 2 diabetic patients — those below the age of 40 — in Singapore appear to be having a harder time keeping their conditions in check as compared to their older counterparts, a study by the Asia Diabetes Foundation (ADF) has found. The study involved over 300 diabetic patients here and was conducted at the Singapore General Hospital (SGH). Findings revealed that younger patients fared worse in two of three key indicators doctors…
  • Challenging Conversations: End of Life
    By Bruce Broussard, President and CEO at Humana  Jan 27, 2015 Do we know how to handle death as we do life? Most of us don’t think about the former; we’re so wrapped up in our busy lives that it doesn’t really enter our thoughts that often. We’re focused on getting the kids to school; meeting the next deadline at work; getting the family together for dinner. Due to advances in health and medicine, people over 65 are able to live longer than in any previous generation. They’re wearing…
  • A treatment decision in Singapore
    While conscious but not knowing her life was at risk, the patient was against amputation. Lawyer Lyn Boxall presents a case of doctors acting in the best interest of the patient when only an amputation could save her life.  Mdm LP, a diabetic, consulted Dr Tan at the Gleneagles Medical Centre in October 2005 complaining about pain in both feet1.  She said she had been told by doctors at Singapore General Hospital and at Tan Tock Seng hospital that her right leg had…
  • Kidney Donation and Gender Disparity
    A widely prevalent skew in kidney donation — gender disparity — is just as shocking as economic disparity, when the bald numbers are scanned. Doctors at Narayana Health, a large Bangalore-headquartered hospital chain run by well-known cardiac surgeon Devi Shetty, found that an overwhelming 65 per cent of kidney donors in its hospitals are women, whereas 70 per cent of kidney recipients are male. Kidney donation is a medically proven safe process that has no bearing on a person’s lifespan. Yet,…
  • Dutch students choose to live in nursing homes rent-free (as long as they keep the residents company)
    Innovative model for providing company and skills training to the Elderly: The university students pay no rent and in exchange spend at least 30 hours a month with some of the 160 elderly who live here, doing the things professional staff cannot always do — such as just hanging out. “They go see the pensioners for a chat, they play games, go with them to the shopping centre, (and) do shopping for those who can’t,” says activity coordinator Arjen Meihuizen. The students in Deventer prepare…
  • Indian swine flu strain more virulent due to mutations, says MIT study
    The authors of the MIT study — both Indian origin scientists — have said these viruses contain amino acid changes which can be linked to “enhanced virulence and are potentially antigenically distinct from the current vaccine containing 2009 (Cal0709) H1N1” strain. However Indian scientists have countered and said that the mutations are minor and the report is alarmist http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/swine-flu-may-mutate-to-be-more-dangerous-in-india-mit-study/
  • 10 Rules on being a Caregiver's friend
    Your friend is a caregiver and you don't know how to help...here are 10 tips  1. Don’t say, “What can I do to help?”. Just do it. 2. Remember me before I was a caregiver  3. Please don’t stop including/inviting me. I need to know I am wanted. 4. Don’t try to fix my situation. Don’t stop being the listener you always were. 5. Let me know you think of me – Many days I feel forgotten by the world.  6. Follow my lead – There are times I need to talk. Sometimes I just…
  • Student aces A-level exams despite cancer
    He was diagnosed with colon cancer in his first year of junior college, which kept him away from school for four months. But that did not stop Hwa Chong Institution student Ng Yi Pin from catching up with his studies. He also managed to find the time and energy to tutor his older twin brother, Yi Yang, who studied in the same school. Yesterday, the 18-year-old scored eight As for his A levels. Yi Yang also made a marked improvement from his usual results. Yi Pin was in Secondary 4 when he…