Meeting with a physical therapist and educating yourself before you have joint replacement surgery can help you to have a quicker, less stressful recovery.

Patients who meet one-on-one with a physical therapist (PT) and educate themselves prior to knee or hip replacement surgery feel better prepared to leave the hospital and report less pain and joint stiffness during recovery compared to those who did not, according to a study by Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS). The study evaluated the effect of a face-to-face counseling session coupled with web-based education on patient satisfaction and functional outcomes.

The goal of the education session was to manage patient expectations of the surgery and recovery before undergoing the surgery—rather than after the surgery, when they might be dealing with fatigue, pain or anxiety—so they were able to better absorb and retain the information. Researchers followed 126 patients who underwent knee or hip replacement for osteoarthritis.

All patients attended a group education class before surgery—the standard of care for those scheduled for joint replacement at HSS. They were then randomized into two separate groups. In group one, 63 patients attended the one-on-one education session with a physical therapist in addition to the group class and were granted access to an informational web portal featuring videos. The control group of 63 patients attended the standard group class and received a booklet about what to expect after joint replacement—with no further education.

Using patient satisfaction and patient-reported scores to measure pain, joint stiffness and function both before and after surgery, researchers determined that the patients who attended the extra one-on-one PT counseling session indicated they were better prepared to leave the hospital after surgery and were overall more satisfied with the preoperative education they received. Almost 97 percent of these patients accessed the informational web portal, and all of them said they would recommend it for patients undergoing the same procedure.

Almost 70 percent of patients from the group that did not receive the supplemental educational session or web portal access believed they could have benefited from additional education before surgery. Patients who received one-on-one counseling also needed fewer physical therapy sessions in the hospital before discharge and met PT discharge measures sooner, including being able to get out of bed, walk with or without an assistive device and go up and down stairs independently.

The upshot of this research is that, if you are considering joint replacement surgery, ask to meet one-on-one with a physical therapist BEFORE your surgery if that is not your doctor’s standard approach. And take advantage of any and all learning materials your doctor may give you—specifically online videos and information.

The more you know, the better your recovery may be.

Meeting with a physical therapist and educating yourself before you have joint replacement surgery can help you to have a quicker, less stressful recovery.

Patients who meet one-on-one with a physical therapist (PT) and educate themselves prior to knee or hip replacement surgery feel better prepared to leave the hospital and report less pain and joint stiffness during recovery compared to those who did not, according to a study by Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS). The study evaluated the effect of a face-to-face counseling session coupled with web-based education on patient satisfaction and functional outcomes.

The goal of the education session was to manage patient expectations of the surgery and recovery before undergoing the surgery—rather than after the surgery, when they might be dealing with fatigue, pain or anxiety—so they were able to better absorb and retain the information. Researchers followed 126 patients who underwent knee or hip replacement for osteoarthritis.

All patients attended a group education class before surgery—the standard of care for those scheduled for joint replacement at HSS. They were then randomized into two separate groups. In group one, 63 patients attended the one-on-one education session with a physical therapist in addition to the group class and were granted access to an informational web portal featuring videos. The control group of 63 patients attended the standard group class and received a booklet about what to expect after joint replacement—with no further education.

Using patient satisfaction and patient-reported scores to measure pain, joint stiffness and function both before and after surgery, researchers determined that the patients who attended the extra one-on-one PT counseling session indicated they were better prepared to leave the hospital after surgery and were overall more satisfied with the preoperative education they received. Almost 97 percent of these patients accessed the informational web portal, and all of them said they would recommend it for patients undergoing the same procedure.

Almost 70 percent of patients from the group that did not receive the supplemental educational session or web portal access believed they could have benefited from additional education before surgery. Patients who received one-on-one counseling also needed fewer physical therapy sessions in the hospital before discharge and met PT discharge measures sooner, including being able to get out of bed, walk with or without an assistive device and go up and down stairs independently.

The upshot of this research is that, if you are considering joint replacement surgery, ask to meet one-on-one with a physical therapist BEFORE your surgery if that is not your doctor’s standard approach. And take advantage of any and all learning materials your doctor may give you—specifically online videos and information.

The more you know, the better your recovery may be.

What person-centered care means and how you can get it

By Patricia Corrigan

The way patients and health care providers think about health care delivery is changing, with an increasing desire to involve patients in decisions and planning. Today, many providers also work to meet patients’ needs that go beyond medical treatments. This philosophy is known as person-centered care.

The SCAN Foundation, an independent public charity (and funder of Next Avenue), defines that philosophy as putting older adults “at the center of the decision-making process” by making use of a care team “that considers the full range of needs of individuals and their families.”

Rebecca Kirch, executive vice president of health care quality and value at the nonprofit National Patient Advocate Foundation in Washington, D.C., is a proponent of the philosophy. “So often in our health care system, when we are asked what’s the matter, the provider’s response to our answer doesn’t always align with what matters in our lives to us or to our families,” Kirch says.

What does person-centered care look like, and how can you get it? Here are some examples and advice to help you start a conversation with your doctor about a broader range of care for yourself or a loved one:

‘We Listen to What Patients Need’

Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Group in San Diego has committed itself to person-centered care, with the goals of improving communication channels and offering more support services.

“Medical groups across the country are paying more attention to what patients need and want because patient involvement produces the best outcomes,” says Janet Appel, Sharp Rees-Stealy’s director of population health. The organization serves some 220,000 patients who make more than a million doctor visits each year.

Appel added, “If people are not engaged in how they receive care, their health goals will most likely not be met.” The medical group practices person-centered care in several ways, including:

• Phone or video appointments
• Webinars on topics such as diabetes education
• Expanded evening and weekend hours
• Case management services
• Support programs
• Nurse navigators to help with difficult diagnoses
• Texting to receive reminders and health tips

“The texting program is especially popular,” Appel says. “Patients choose how often to receive texts with tips for healthy living, reminders about appointments or information on where and when flu shots are available. They can also text us with questions, and texting answers back to them helps us stay connected at the patients’ convenience.”

Appel noted that Sharp Rees-Stealy actively seeks feedback so it can make changes that will help communications and practices evolve based on what patients want. “We listen to what patients need in order to improve patient engagement to improve healthy outcomes,” she says.

Delivering Care Where Patients Are Is ‘Critical’

At Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP), a not-for-profit Medi-Cal (California’s Medicaid program) and Medicare health plan, the focus on person-centered care extends to individuals who may need it the most. Based in Rancho Cucamonga, IEHP is a network of more than 6,000 providers and 2,000 team members who serve more than 1.2 million people.

Through the Affordable Care Act, a large pilot program called the Behavioral Health Integration and Complex Care Initiative allows IEHP to provide person-centered care for its low-income plan members at locations convenient to them.

Working with a dozen agencies, IEHP has staff at 30 sites. “We’ve put nurses, behavioral health specialists and care coordinators at primary care offices, behavioral health clinics, substance abuse treatment clinics, adult day care centers, assisted living centers and pain management clinics,” says Dr. Bradley P. Gilbert, IEHP’s chief executive officer.

“Many people we serve face many complicated issues, including with their health, housing, transportation and other challenges, so making sure they are part of the planning and then delivering care to them where they are is critical,” Gilbert says.

The project has made significant improvements in people’s health, based on measurements regarding depression, anxiety, blood pressure and more, Gilbert says. “We’ve had great feedback from members, and providers also say they like the structure of the health care delivery.”

Currently, the pilot program is in transition. The number of sites is increasing, and nurse care managers, social workers and community health workers are being added at each. Plus, IEHP is working to house high-risk members who are homeless.

Ask Your Doctor About Person-Centered Care

What about your needs?

Is it a hardship to arrange transportation for X-rays, screenings or blood tests done across town from your primary physician’s office? Maybe you see specialists in two separate health care systems and you want them to better coordinate your care. Could you benefit from a talk with a social worker about local agencies that help pay some living costs?

Speak up, the experts advise.

“Let your voice be heard,” Appel says. “Ask what patient-centered care means at your doctor’s office, and if it’s not available, ask how you can help get that started.” You may be surprised, she adds, at the doctor’s willingness to listen.

“The medical world has gotten into what retail has done all along — listening to the consumers and then drawing them in by offering what the consumers want,” she says. “Today, there is a lot of competition, with many places to go for health care.”

Person-centered care can be especially important when individuals are coping with serious illness. Kirch, at the National Patient Advocate Foundation, gave this example: “Palliative care, now part of mainstream medicine, presents a bullet-proof case for person-centered care that aligns treatment with the goals and the specific needs of the person and the family affected, rather than focusing only on the disease. Providers must ask about those goals, document them and honor them.”

‘What We Need Now is More Public Demand’

Like Appel, Kirch encourages speaking up for what you want from your provider. “Public demand makes medical practices change faster than any policy or payment incentive,” she says.

How would Kirch assess the status of person-centered care in the U.S. today? “We have more than a toehold, but not yet a foothold,” she says. “We have demonstration programs in place in some pockets of the country, but it’s not yet scaled to where it needs to be. Still, I’m optimistic. What we need now is more public demand.”

© Next Avenue - 2018. All rights reserved.

What person-centered care means and how you can get it

By Patricia Corrigan

The way patients and health care providers think about health care delivery is changing, with an increasing desire to involve patients in decisions and planning. Today, many providers also work to meet patients’ needs that go beyond medical treatments. This philosophy is known as person-centered care.

The SCAN Foundation, an independent public charity (and funder of Next Avenue), defines that philosophy as putting older adults “at the center of the decision-making process” by making use of a care team “that considers the full range of needs of individuals and their families.”

Rebecca Kirch, executive vice president of health care quality and value at the nonprofit National Patient Advocate Foundation in Washington, D.C., is a proponent of the philosophy. “So often in our health care system, when we are asked what’s the matter, the provider’s response to our answer doesn’t always align with what matters in our lives to us or to our families,” Kirch says.

What does person-centered care look like, and how can you get it? Here are some examples and advice to help you start a conversation with your doctor about a broader range of care for yourself or a loved one:

‘We Listen to What Patients Need’

Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Group in San Diego has committed itself to person-centered care, with the goals of improving communication channels and offering more support services.

“Medical groups across the country are paying more attention to what patients need and want because patient involvement produces the best outcomes,” says Janet Appel, Sharp Rees-Stealy’s director of population health. The organization serves some 220,000 patients who make more than a million doctor visits each year.

Appel added, “If people are not engaged in how they receive care, their health goals will most likely not be met.” The medical group practices person-centered care in several ways, including:

• Phone or video appointments
• Webinars on topics such as diabetes education
• Expanded evening and weekend hours
• Case management services
• Support programs
• Nurse navigators to help with difficult diagnoses
• Texting to receive reminders and health tips

“The texting program is especially popular,” Appel says. “Patients choose how often to receive texts with tips for healthy living, reminders about appointments or information on where and when flu shots are available. They can also text us with questions, and texting answers back to them helps us stay connected at the patients’ convenience.”

Appel noted that Sharp Rees-Stealy actively seeks feedback so it can make changes that will help communications and practices evolve based on what patients want. “We listen to what patients need in order to improve patient engagement to improve healthy outcomes,” she says.

Delivering Care Where Patients Are Is ‘Critical’

At Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP), a not-for-profit Medi-Cal (California’s Medicaid program) and Medicare health plan, the focus on person-centered care extends to individuals who may need it the most. Based in Rancho Cucamonga, IEHP is a network of more than 6,000 providers and 2,000 team members who serve more than 1.2 million people.

Through the Affordable Care Act, a large pilot program called the Behavioral Health Integration and Complex Care Initiative allows IEHP to provide person-centered care for its low-income plan members at locations convenient to them.

Working with a dozen agencies, IEHP has staff at 30 sites. “We’ve put nurses, behavioral health specialists and care coordinators at primary care offices, behavioral health clinics, substance abuse treatment clinics, adult day care centers, assisted living centers and pain management clinics,” says Dr. Bradley P. Gilbert, IEHP’s chief executive officer.

“Many people we serve face many complicated issues, including with their health, housing, transportation and other challenges, so making sure they are part of the planning and then delivering care to them where they are is critical,” Gilbert says.

The project has made significant improvements in people’s health, based on measurements regarding depression, anxiety, blood pressure and more, Gilbert says. “We’ve had great feedback from members, and providers also say they like the structure of the health care delivery.”

Currently, the pilot program is in transition. The number of sites is increasing, and nurse care managers, social workers and community health workers are being added at each. Plus, IEHP is working to house high-risk members who are homeless.

Ask Your Doctor About Person-Centered Care

What about your needs?

Is it a hardship to arrange transportation for X-rays, screenings or blood tests done across town from your primary physician’s office? Maybe you see specialists in two separate health care systems and you want them to better coordinate your care. Could you benefit from a talk with a social worker about local agencies that help pay some living costs?

Speak up, the experts advise.

“Let your voice be heard,” Appel says. “Ask what patient-centered care means at your doctor’s office, and if it’s not available, ask how you can help get that started.” You may be surprised, she adds, at the doctor’s willingness to listen.

“The medical world has gotten into what retail has done all along — listening to the consumers and then drawing them in by offering what the consumers want,” she says. “Today, there is a lot of competition, with many places to go for health care.”

Person-centered care can be especially important when individuals are coping with serious illness. Kirch, at the National Patient Advocate Foundation, gave this example: “Palliative care, now part of mainstream medicine, presents a bullet-proof case for person-centered care that aligns treatment with the goals and the specific needs of the person and the family affected, rather than focusing only on the disease. Providers must ask about those goals, document them and honor them.”

‘What We Need Now is More Public Demand’

Like Appel, Kirch encourages speaking up for what you want from your provider. “Public demand makes medical practices change faster than any policy or payment incentive,” she says.

How would Kirch assess the status of person-centered care in the U.S. today? “We have more than a toehold, but not yet a foothold,” she says. “We have demonstration programs in place in some pockets of the country, but it’s not yet scaled to where it needs to be. Still, I’m optimistic. What we need now is more public demand.”

© Next Avenue - 2018. All rights reserved.

From FaceTime to iPods, residents at senior living spaces embrace technology

By Mike King
September 10, 2018

Connected technology in our homes is fast becoming part of our daily routine. For good reason: it offers entertainment, convenience, connection to others, improved security and increased comfort. It’s also becoming routine in senior living communities. According to a survey by Pew Research, four in 10 older adults now use the internet and own smart phones — up 50 percent from four years ago.

As the president and CEO of Jewish Senior Life, a continuing care retirement community in Rochester, N.Y., I can say that our team’s experience has given us a strong understanding of how technology can help enrich the lives of those we serve.

From email and webcams that connect with family and friends, and games and puzzles that stimulate minds, to technology-enhanced rehabilitation programs that improve hand-eye coordination, residents with a wide range of physical and cognitive abilities are now enjoying technologies adapted just for them. Even those who’ve never used a computer before.

Through technology, they’re able to continue learning, socializing and doing the things they enjoy doing, which helps them stay engaged, informed, in touch and in control.

These technologies also help foster relationships between staff and residents, who enjoy using them together.

Keeping Lines of Communication and Connection Open

Older adults are increasingly adept with laptops, tablets and smartphones. Many of our residents enjoy using platforms like Skype and FaceTime to keep in touch with family members and longtime friends. Video chatting is more personable than a phone call and allows our residents to be “present” at milestone occasions, such as birthday parties, school performances, graduation ceremonies and weddings.

Whether they’re taking a lifelong learning course, engaging in social media, listening to podcasts or paying bills, today’s older adults want ready access to all that the internet has to offer. Just like they did at home.

Hey Google, When is My Therapy Appointment?

One of the many technology devices we rely on at Jewish Senior Life is Google Home. It’s a voice-activated smart speaker. Our transitional care (short-term rehabilitation) patients enjoy using it during their stays to get instant access to information such as the weather forecast, history and current events, as well as where they need to be when. In short, it helps them stay connected to their hobbies and interests, and on top of their schedule.

Other devices that are increasingly common in assisted living centers, retirement communities and medical facilities include:

• iPads preloaded with medication reminders or “face-to-face” check-ins
• Automated pill dispensers, useful for anyone with a complex pill regimen or a memory disorder
• Wireless pendants that activate a phone if a client has a fall
• Health-monitoring devices that can be applied to a parent’s unit as a motion-detector
• Devices that monitor vital signs, or even manage medications

At Jewish Senior Life, we also utilize the It’s Never 2 Late® (iN2L) system. It’s an adaptive computer system with a picture-based, touch-screen interface that allows users to “touch” their way to find all kinds of engaging content for a variety of interests and uses, and it can be personalized for each resident.

Music, the Universal Language

Many people living in a long-term care residence face cognitive and physical difficulties and have left behind their familiar surroundings, familiar faces and even their favorite music.

We have 65 iPods loaded with MUSIC & MEMORY®, a personalized music software program, which helps them find renewed meaning and connection in their lives in the present and helps them reconnect with their past.

We find it also helps residents relax during sundowning — a symptom of dementia in which an individual experiences late-day confusion or agitation. Hearing pieces of music they know gives them a sense of calm, a sense of peace, puts them at ease. It reminds them of what they were like before they had dementia. And since music is the universal language, the MUSIC & MEMORY program also helps eliminate communication hurdles.

Smart Technology Isn’t a Luxury, It’s a Must-Have

Given the rapid pace at which today’s older adults are embracing technology, and all that it enables them to do, from connecting with grandchildren to playing Scrabble and solitaire to reconnecting with their best selves, the role of connected technology in senior living communities will only increase in prominence.

It can be a wonderful companion and a way to keep the mind stimulated and engaged. Technology can also be a great distraction and source of comfort and help older residents cope and adapt to cognitive and physical challenges.

If you’re considering a move to senior living for yourself or a family member, be sure to ask what technologies are available to the residents and staff. The benefits they bring are immeasurable.

From FaceTime to iPods, residents at senior living spaces embrace technology

By Mike King
September 10, 2018

Connected technology in our homes is fast becoming part of our daily routine. For good reason: it offers entertainment, convenience, connection to others, improved security and increased comfort. It’s also becoming routine in senior living communities. According to a survey by Pew Research, four in 10 older adults now use the internet and own smart phones — up 50 percent from four years ago.

As the president and CEO of Jewish Senior Life, a continuing care retirement community in Rochester, N.Y., I can say that our team’s experience has given us a strong understanding of how technology can help enrich the lives of those we serve.

From email and webcams that connect with family and friends, and games and puzzles that stimulate minds, to technology-enhanced rehabilitation programs that improve hand-eye coordination, residents with a wide range of physical and cognitive abilities are now enjoying technologies adapted just for them. Even those who’ve never used a computer before.

Through technology, they’re able to continue learning, socializing and doing the things they enjoy doing, which helps them stay engaged, informed, in touch and in control.

These technologies also help foster relationships between staff and residents, who enjoy using them together.

Keeping Lines of Communication and Connection Open

Older adults are increasingly adept with laptops, tablets and smartphones. Many of our residents enjoy using platforms like Skype and FaceTime to keep in touch with family members and longtime friends. Video chatting is more personable than a phone call and allows our residents to be “present” at milestone occasions, such as birthday parties, school performances, graduation ceremonies and weddings.

Whether they’re taking a lifelong learning course, engaging in social media, listening to podcasts or paying bills, today’s older adults want ready access to all that the internet has to offer. Just like they did at home.

Hey Google, When is My Therapy Appointment?

One of the many technology devices we rely on at Jewish Senior Life is Google Home. It’s a voice-activated smart speaker. Our transitional care (short-term rehabilitation) patients enjoy using it during their stays to get instant access to information such as the weather forecast, history and current events, as well as where they need to be when. In short, it helps them stay connected to their hobbies and interests, and on top of their schedule.

Other devices that are increasingly common in assisted living centers, retirement communities and medical facilities include:

• iPads preloaded with medication reminders or “face-to-face” check-ins
• Automated pill dispensers, useful for anyone with a complex pill regimen or a memory disorder
• Wireless pendants that activate a phone if a client has a fall
• Health-monitoring devices that can be applied to a parent’s unit as a motion-detector
• Devices that monitor vital signs, or even manage medications

At Jewish Senior Life, we also utilize the It’s Never 2 Late® (iN2L) system. It’s an adaptive computer system with a picture-based, touch-screen interface that allows users to “touch” their way to find all kinds of engaging content for a variety of interests and uses, and it can be personalized for each resident.

Music, the Universal Language

Many people living in a long-term care residence face cognitive and physical difficulties and have left behind their familiar surroundings, familiar faces and even their favorite music.

We have 65 iPods loaded with MUSIC & MEMORY®, a personalized music software program, which helps them find renewed meaning and connection in their lives in the present and helps them reconnect with their past.

We find it also helps residents relax during sundowning — a symptom of dementia in which an individual experiences late-day confusion or agitation. Hearing pieces of music they know gives them a sense of calm, a sense of peace, puts them at ease. It reminds them of what they were like before they had dementia. And since music is the universal language, the MUSIC & MEMORY program also helps eliminate communication hurdles.

Smart Technology Isn’t a Luxury, It’s a Must-Have

Given the rapid pace at which today’s older adults are embracing technology, and all that it enables them to do, from connecting with grandchildren to playing Scrabble and solitaire to reconnecting with their best selves, the role of connected technology in senior living communities will only increase in prominence.

It can be a wonderful companion and a way to keep the mind stimulated and engaged. Technology can also be a great distraction and source of comfort and help older residents cope and adapt to cognitive and physical challenges.

If you’re considering a move to senior living for yourself or a family member, be sure to ask what technologies are available to the residents and staff. The benefits they bring are immeasurable.

Throughout the month of May, Presbyterian SeniorCare Network will be embracing the Engage at Every Age theme and will utilize the power of Facebook to publicize our inspiring resident and team member stories. We’ll keep the buzz going all month, so be sure to check Facebook often and be sure to share our posts with your friends and family!

Each May, the Administration for Community Living leads our nation’s celebration of Older Americans Month. The theme for 2018 is Engage at Every Age. This powerful theme emphasizes that you are never too old (or young) to take part in activities that can enrich your physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Participating in activities that promote mental and physical wellness, offering your wisdom and experience to the next generation, seeking the mentorship of someone with more life experience than you—those are just a few examples of what being engaged can mean.

No matter where you are in your life, there is no better time than now to start!

Throughout the month of May, Presbyterian SeniorCare Network will be embracing the Engage at Every Age theme and will utilize the power of Facebook to publicize our inspiring resident and team member stories. We’ll keep the buzz going all month, so be sure to check Facebook often and be sure to share our posts with your friends and family!

Each May, the Administration for Community Living leads our nation’s celebration of Older Americans Month. The theme for 2018 is Engage at Every Age. This powerful theme emphasizes that you are never too old (or young) to take part in activities that can enrich your physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Participating in activities that promote mental and physical wellness, offering your wisdom and experience to the next generation, seeking the mentorship of someone with more life experience than you—those are just a few examples of what being engaged can mean.

No matter where you are in your life, there is no better time than now to start!

Do you take daily medications? Have trouble remembering to take your pills? A pill dispenser may be just what you need. 

Ten percent of all admissions to hospitals and 23 percent of all admissions to nursing homes can be traced to faulty medication administration, such as failure to take the prescribed dose. This forgetfulness costs the United States an estimated $50 billion each year. 

To avoid medication errors in the homes of elderly individuals, it is a good idea to dispense pills and capsules from a tray with compartments for one or more doses for a particular day or specified time.

These trays are designed to simplify drug rounds for home-care providers and reduce the risk of medical errors, and studies have proven their effectiveness. Medication errors are twice as likely to occur with pills or capsules that are not in dispensers compared those from a dispenser. Pill dispensers are inexpensive tools that prove their worth many times over in an age when more elderly individuals rely on daily medications than ever.

The benefits of using a pill dispenser include significant monetary savings, peace of mind and avoiding medication errors. Patients and caregivers feel better when a pill dispenser ensures that the patient will take his or her medication in the prescribed doses and at the correct times.

As most dispensers only need to be filled once a week or less, they can easily be filled by a caregiver or relative for a forgetful senior. Also, filling the dispenser once a week is a great way to keep on track with refills and ensure that the elderly person has all the pills they need for the week (and next week, too).

Tap into our additional Senior Experience here.

Do you take daily medications? Have trouble remembering to take your pills? A pill dispenser may be just what you need. 

Ten percent of all admissions to hospitals and 23 percent of all admissions to nursing homes can be traced to faulty medication administration, such as failure to take the prescribed dose. This forgetfulness costs the United States an estimated $50 billion each year. 

To avoid medication errors in the homes of elderly individuals, it is a good idea to dispense pills and capsules from a tray with compartments for one or more doses for a particular day or specified time.

These trays are designed to simplify drug rounds for home-care providers and reduce the risk of medical errors, and studies have proven their effectiveness. Medication errors are twice as likely to occur with pills or capsules that are not in dispensers compared those from a dispenser. Pill dispensers are inexpensive tools that prove their worth many times over in an age when more elderly individuals rely on daily medications than ever.

The benefits of using a pill dispenser include significant monetary savings, peace of mind and avoiding medication errors. Patients and caregivers feel better when a pill dispenser ensures that the patient will take his or her medication in the prescribed doses and at the correct times.

As most dispensers only need to be filled once a week or less, they can easily be filled by a caregiver or relative for a forgetful senior. Also, filling the dispenser once a week is a great way to keep on track with refills and ensure that the elderly person has all the pills they need for the week (and next week, too).

Tap into our additional Senior Experience here.

Fascinating new research sheds light on the precursors to potentially deadly spills

By Randy Rieland for Next Avenue

The prospect of aging can conjure up a multitude of horrors — a mind stolen by dementia, a body debilitated by illness, a soul crushed by social isolation. For most, fear of falling would be well down the list.

But falls are, in fact, one of the more common and consequential risks faced by older adults. The statistics, compiled by the Centers for Disease Control, are both eye-opening and alarming.

One out of four Americans 65 or older falls at least once every year. Every 11 seconds, an older adult in the U.S. is treated in an emergency room for a fall; every 19 minutes, one dies from a fall. By 2020, the financial cost related to falls by older adults in the U.S. is expected to top $67 billion per year.

Figuring Out the Early Signs of Falls

So, it’s not surprising that an increasing amount of research is focusing on ways to predict if, and even when, a person is likely to fall. The goal is being able to take actions to reduce the risk. Much of that effort is built around using emerging technologies — from infrared depth sensors to brain imaging to virtual reality.

“Technology allows you to monitor people in their homes in a way you couldn’t have in the past,” said Marjorie Skubic, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Missouri and director of the school’s Center for Eldercare and Rehabilitation Technology.

She’s been refining the use of sensors and motion-capture technology to study older adults in their homes for more than a decade, and she’s enthused about its potential for helping people age in place. “We’ve found that once sensors have been in a place for three or four weeks, people completely forget about them. And that’s what we want — to capture their normal activity in their homes.”

Here’s how Skubic and other scientists are using technology to sharpen their ability to predict falls:

Gait Watching

While Skubic’s research has focused broadly on how sensors can help detect early signs of physical and cognitive decline, a recent study zeroed in on finding a more precise correlation between a person’s walking gait and his or her likelihood of falling.

Using sensor measurements of walking speeds and stride length of residents at TigerPlace, a retirement community in Columbia, Mo., researchers found a clear connection between a slowing pace and the risk of falling. In fact, analysis of the multi-terabyte-sized set of data, gathered over 10 years, showed that people whose gait slowed by 5 centimeters per second within a week had an 86 percent probability of falling during the next three weeks. That was four times more likely than someone whose walking speed hadn’t changed.

The shortening of a person’s stride was also determined to be indicator of a fall in the near future, albeit not as clearly as decreasing speed. It was associated with a 50.6 percent probability of falling within three weeks, the study said.

When the sensor system detects notable changes in a person’s gait, it sends an alert to the caregiver so she or he can take steps to help prevent a fall.

Invasion of Privacy?

But what about privacy concerns? Aren’t people anxious about having their every step recorded?

The key, says Skubic, is that the system reflects each person as only a silhouette, instead of a clear image captured by a conventional camera. “It’s not streaming video,” she noted. “You can’t tell what someone’s wearing or if their hair is made up. You just get this shape, but you can get a lot of information from that shape.”

At first, Skubic thought she might need to blur the silhouettes to have people feel more comfortable. It turned out that wasn’t necessary.

“There’s this interesting relationship between perceived need and what might be considered an invasion of privacy,” she said. “People said they could see that a crisp silhouette could be easier to interpret, in terms of looking for something related to fall risk. They were OK with that.”

Advantages of Passive Home Observation

Skubic pointed out several benefits of a sensor-based warning system. For starters, it does not require people to wear or interact directly with a device. She cited research that found older people were less likely to engage with technology if they weren’t feeling well — a time when captured data can be most helpful.

Perhaps more importantly, the sensor system enables monitoring to occur over a long period of time in a home environment. “The big difference is that we’re looking at the average in-home gait speed,” Skubic said. “We and other researchers have found that your typical at-home gait pattern is different than if you’re in a lab and someone says, ‘Now walk across the room.’ People walk differently in their own homes.”

Skubic added that research suggests that sensor monitoring can make a difference in enabling older adults to age in place. Another study found TigerPlace residents whose homes had sensors were able to stay there 1.7 years longer than those in a control group without sensors.

A testament to Skubic’s belief in the sensor system was her decision to install one in the home of her aging parents, who live several states away in South Dakota.

“My mother is 93. My father just turned 96. And they want to stay in their own home,” she said. “So I put a system in there. Now I’m able to see from my firsthand experience what it feels like to be the adult child of somebody who has these sensors in their home. I can see how it can help me help them. I installed it on my mother’s birthday in January. It was my birthday present to her.”

Brain Work

Researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York have taken a different approach in using technology to predict falls: they’re looking into people’s brains.

Specifically, they tracked the brain activity of a group of 166 high-functioning adults with an average age of 75 as they performed various activities — walking, talking and then walking while talking. They found that those who needed the front part of their brains to work harder while multi-tasking — reciting every other letter of the alphabet while walking — were more likely to have a fall in the next few years.

A lead researcher for the study, Dr. Joseph Verghese, explained that cognitively impaired people tend to fall at a much higher rate than those with more normal cognition. The challenge was to see if there was a way to determine which people in the second group might have a higher risk of falling.

“When you look at them in the community, they’re walking around doing their activities without any impairment,” he said. “You really need to stress them to reveal the abnormality that would predict falls.”

The high-functioning people did slow down a bit when walking and talking, but that’s pretty typical, and Verghese said it wasn’t enough to help predict falls. But their brain activity told a different story.

“When we measured their brain activity, it appeared they were trying to compensate really hard, using their brain function to maintain their physical performance,” Verghese noted. “It wasn’t something you could see. But you could measure it.” The brain activity was signaling its stress.

More Brain Activity, More Falls

Through follow-ups with test subjects every few months over the next four years, the researchers found that 71 of the 166 had fallen, some more than once. And those who had registered more brain activity while walking and talking were more likely to be in that group. In fact, each incremental increase in brain activity resulted in a 32 percent increased risk of falls.

The goal, said Verghese, is to be able to use this approach to detect if a person has a higher risk of falls before any physical signs appear. “Most of the research has been on identifying impairments that lead to falls. Less attention has been paid to abnormal biology or brain abnormalities that might do that,” he said.

“But what if you could step back to an earlier point in time and treat this as a biological syndrome that leads to clinical impairments like poor balance or worse gait, which then lead to falls? The idea would be to catch this early,” he said.

Verghese said the next phase of the research will look at the activity levels of other parts of the brain during the walk/talk test to see what role they may play in how people perform.

Putting Virtual Reality to Work

Meanwhile, researchers at the University of North Carolina and North Carolina State University have been exploring the potential of virtual reality to provide insights into why some people are more prone to falls.

In a recent study, the scientists had people walk on a treadmill facing a large curved screen showing a moving hallway. That created the sensation they were losing their balance. Through motion-capture technology, the researchers closely tracked how the subjects’ muscles that control posture and foot placement adjusted to the perceived loss of balance.

“We’re not actually causing people to fall,” said lead researcher Jason Franz, “but the variability goes way up — that’s the size of correction people are making from one step to the next. We see that as a key marker to a person’s susceptibility to a balance impairment.”

Franz pointed out that visual cues are particularly important for older adults to maintain balance. Young and healthy adults can rely on “sensors” in their feet and legs to give them a good sense of body position. But that sensitivity tends to diminish as we age, which is why it’s often more difficult for older adults maintain their balance while walking in the dark.

“Since older adults have to rely on vision much more for balance control, we use VR to trick the brain into telling people they’re falling,” he said. “Then we use the motion-capture cameras to measure the motor responses of their bodies.”

What the Muscles Tell Us

By closely tracking how different muscles respond to the sense of falling, scientists can develop a roadmap for detecting a person’s balance impairments and their risk of falling in the future, Franz said. He also believes that a similar approach using VR could be used to train people to improve their balance while walking.

“We think that virtual reality could help detect balance impairments that might not be apparent otherwise, even in clinical testing,” he said. “The key to doing that is to challenge their balance and see how their body responds.”

This article was written with the support of a journalism fellowship from New America Media, the Gerontological Society of America and AARP.

© Twin Cities Public Television - 2017. All rights reserved.

Fascinating new research sheds light on the precursors to potentially deadly spills

By Randy Rieland for Next Avenue

The prospect of aging can conjure up a multitude of horrors — a mind stolen by dementia, a body debilitated by illness, a soul crushed by social isolation. For most, fear of falling would be well down the list.

But falls are, in fact, one of the more common and consequential risks faced by older adults. The statistics, compiled by the Centers for Disease Control, are both eye-opening and alarming.

One out of four Americans 65 or older falls at least once every year. Every 11 seconds, an older adult in the U.S. is treated in an emergency room for a fall; every 19 minutes, one dies from a fall. By 2020, the financial cost related to falls by older adults in the U.S. is expected to top $67 billion per year.

Figuring Out the Early Signs of Falls

So, it’s not surprising that an increasing amount of research is focusing on ways to predict if, and even when, a person is likely to fall. The goal is being able to take actions to reduce the risk. Much of that effort is built around using emerging technologies — from infrared depth sensors to brain imaging to virtual reality.

“Technology allows you to monitor people in their homes in a way you couldn’t have in the past,” said Marjorie Skubic, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Missouri and director of the school’s Center for Eldercare and Rehabilitation Technology.

She’s been refining the use of sensors and motion-capture technology to study older adults in their homes for more than a decade, and she’s enthused about its potential for helping people age in place. “We’ve found that once sensors have been in a place for three or four weeks, people completely forget about them. And that’s what we want — to capture their normal activity in their homes.”

Here’s how Skubic and other scientists are using technology to sharpen their ability to predict falls:

Gait Watching

While Skubic’s research has focused broadly on how sensors can help detect early signs of physical and cognitive decline, a recent study zeroed in on finding a more precise correlation between a person’s walking gait and his or her likelihood of falling.

Using sensor measurements of walking speeds and stride length of residents at TigerPlace, a retirement community in Columbia, Mo., researchers found a clear connection between a slowing pace and the risk of falling. In fact, analysis of the multi-terabyte-sized set of data, gathered over 10 years, showed that people whose gait slowed by 5 centimeters per second within a week had an 86 percent probability of falling during the next three weeks. That was four times more likely than someone whose walking speed hadn’t changed.

The shortening of a person’s stride was also determined to be indicator of a fall in the near future, albeit not as clearly as decreasing speed. It was associated with a 50.6 percent probability of falling within three weeks, the study said.

When the sensor system detects notable changes in a person’s gait, it sends an alert to the caregiver so she or he can take steps to help prevent a fall.

Invasion of Privacy?

But what about privacy concerns? Aren’t people anxious about having their every step recorded?

The key, says Skubic, is that the system reflects each person as only a silhouette, instead of a clear image captured by a conventional camera. “It’s not streaming video,” she noted. “You can’t tell what someone’s wearing or if their hair is made up. You just get this shape, but you can get a lot of information from that shape.”

At first, Skubic thought she might need to blur the silhouettes to have people feel more comfortable. It turned out that wasn’t necessary.

“There’s this interesting relationship between perceived need and what might be considered an invasion of privacy,” she said. “People said they could see that a crisp silhouette could be easier to interpret, in terms of looking for something related to fall risk. They were OK with that.”

Advantages of Passive Home Observation

Skubic pointed out several benefits of a sensor-based warning system. For starters, it does not require people to wear or interact directly with a device. She cited research that found older people were less likely to engage with technology if they weren’t feeling well — a time when captured data can be most helpful.

Perhaps more importantly, the sensor system enables monitoring to occur over a long period of time in a home environment. “The big difference is that we’re looking at the average in-home gait speed,” Skubic said. “We and other researchers have found that your typical at-home gait pattern is different than if you’re in a lab and someone says, ‘Now walk across the room.’ People walk differently in their own homes.”

Skubic added that research suggests that sensor monitoring can make a difference in enabling older adults to age in place. Another study found TigerPlace residents whose homes had sensors were able to stay there 1.7 years longer than those in a control group without sensors.

A testament to Skubic’s belief in the sensor system was her decision to install one in the home of her aging parents, who live several states away in South Dakota.

“My mother is 93. My father just turned 96. And they want to stay in their own home,” she said. “So I put a system in there. Now I’m able to see from my firsthand experience what it feels like to be the adult child of somebody who has these sensors in their home. I can see how it can help me help them. I installed it on my mother’s birthday in January. It was my birthday present to her.”

Brain Work

Researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York have taken a different approach in using technology to predict falls: they’re looking into people’s brains.

Specifically, they tracked the brain activity of a group of 166 high-functioning adults with an average age of 75 as they performed various activities — walking, talking and then walking while talking. They found that those who needed the front part of their brains to work harder while multi-tasking — reciting every other letter of the alphabet while walking — were more likely to have a fall in the next few years.

A lead researcher for the study, Dr. Joseph Verghese, explained that cognitively impaired people tend to fall at a much higher rate than those with more normal cognition. The challenge was to see if there was a way to determine which people in the second group might have a higher risk of falling.

“When you look at them in the community, they’re walking around doing their activities without any impairment,” he said. “You really need to stress them to reveal the abnormality that would predict falls.”

The high-functioning people did slow down a bit when walking and talking, but that’s pretty typical, and Verghese said it wasn’t enough to help predict falls. But their brain activity told a different story.

“When we measured their brain activity, it appeared they were trying to compensate really hard, using their brain function to maintain their physical performance,” Verghese noted. “It wasn’t something you could see. But you could measure it.” The brain activity was signaling its stress.

More Brain Activity, More Falls

Through follow-ups with test subjects every few months over the next four years, the researchers found that 71 of the 166 had fallen, some more than once. And those who had registered more brain activity while walking and talking were more likely to be in that group. In fact, each incremental increase in brain activity resulted in a 32 percent increased risk of falls.

The goal, said Verghese, is to be able to use this approach to detect if a person has a higher risk of falls before any physical signs appear. “Most of the research has been on identifying impairments that lead to falls. Less attention has been paid to abnormal biology or brain abnormalities that might do that,” he said.

“But what if you could step back to an earlier point in time and treat this as a biological syndrome that leads to clinical impairments like poor balance or worse gait, which then lead to falls? The idea would be to catch this early,” he said.

Verghese said the next phase of the research will look at the activity levels of other parts of the brain during the walk/talk test to see what role they may play in how people perform.

Putting Virtual Reality to Work

Meanwhile, researchers at the University of North Carolina and North Carolina State University have been exploring the potential of virtual reality to provide insights into why some people are more prone to falls.

In a recent study, the scientists had people walk on a treadmill facing a large curved screen showing a moving hallway. That created the sensation they were losing their balance. Through motion-capture technology, the researchers closely tracked how the subjects’ muscles that control posture and foot placement adjusted to the perceived loss of balance.

“We’re not actually causing people to fall,” said lead researcher Jason Franz, “but the variability goes way up — that’s the size of correction people are making from one step to the next. We see that as a key marker to a person’s susceptibility to a balance impairment.”

Franz pointed out that visual cues are particularly important for older adults to maintain balance. Young and healthy adults can rely on “sensors” in their feet and legs to give them a good sense of body position. But that sensitivity tends to diminish as we age, which is why it’s often more difficult for older adults maintain their balance while walking in the dark.

“Since older adults have to rely on vision much more for balance control, we use VR to trick the brain into telling people they’re falling,” he said. “Then we use the motion-capture cameras to measure the motor responses of their bodies.”

What the Muscles Tell Us

By closely tracking how different muscles respond to the sense of falling, scientists can develop a roadmap for detecting a person’s balance impairments and their risk of falling in the future, Franz said. He also believes that a similar approach using VR could be used to train people to improve their balance while walking.

“We think that virtual reality could help detect balance impairments that might not be apparent otherwise, even in clinical testing,” he said. “The key to doing that is to challenge their balance and see how their body responds.”

This article was written with the support of a journalism fellowship from New America Media, the Gerontological Society of America and AARP.

© Twin Cities Public Television - 2017. All rights reserved.

'Prehabilitation' is slowly being recognized as valuable for success after a procedure

By Judith Graham for Next Avenue

A dozen years ago, at the age of 50, Lillie Shockney decided to have breast reconstruction surgery after two bouts of cancer and two mastectomies. The procedure called for removing a flap of skin and fat from her abdomen, used to rebuild her breasts.

Shockney knew a lot about breast cancer and the trials of recovery: she was (and still is) director of the breast center at Johns Hopkins’ Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center. Characteristically, this dynamic nurse didn’t want to stay in the hospital for any longer than absolutely necessary.

Taking Action to Prepare for Surgery

So, Shockney contacted a physical therapist and asked for exercises that would strengthen her abdominal muscles before she went under the knife. “My hope was that that would result in my getting up and about sooner,” she said.

Over the next six weeks, Shockney lay on her back, lifted each leg 18 inches and held the position for 15 seconds — 30 times, twice a day. The effort paid off when she became the first Johns Hopkins patient to go home three days after the surgery, a day or two earlier than other patients.

Today, all women who undergo DIEP (Deep Inferior Epigastric Perforator) flap breast reconstruction at Johns Hopkins undergo a similar exercise regime — a form of rehabilitation-before-treatment, or prehabilitation.

Not a New Idea

The principle behind prehabilitation is universally embraced by athletes, Shockney noted: Prepare for surgery by getting in good (or great) shape before you subject your body to significant stress, so you’re better able to endure that stress and minimize the potential for complications.

Orthopedists have incorporated prehabilitation into their practices for decades, with positive outcomes for people getting knee and hip replacements, among other procedures.

“We’ve learned that the steps you take before surgery are just as important as what happens during and after surgery,” said Dr. Howard Luks, an orthopedic surgeon who practices about 60 miles north of New York City.

He recommends that people getting knee replacements have five to six sessions with a physical therapist before surgery, during which they work on enhancing their strength and flexibility and learn how to use walkers or canes that might be needed during their recovery.

“Your range of motion before surgery is associated with your range of motion after,” said Luks. “And if your muscles are strong and used to being stressed, they’re going to do better after surgery as well.”

Preparing for Cancer Treatment

More recently, prehabilitation has begun to find a place in cancer centers for patients about to undergo surgery, chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

“Prehabilitation in cancer is really in the early stages,” with researchers trying to learn which interventions are most effective for patients, when therapies should be initiated and how long they should last, said Dr. Julie Silver, an associate professor at Harvard Medical School and founder of Oncology Rehab Partners, which disseminates model cancer prehabilitation and rehabilitation programs.

At McGill University, Dr. Francesco Carli, a professor of anesthesia, has shown that patients with colorectal cancer who follow a structured exercise program; add whey protein to their diet and learn stress reduction techniques before surgery return to the previous level of functioning far more quickly than patients who didn’t prepare for surgery by following this regimen.

Research Supports Benefits

About 80 percent of patients who participated in prehabilitation had returned to their before-surgery “normal” baseline two months after surgery, compared with 30 percent of patients who received usual post-surgery services, Carli and colleagues reported in 2014 in the journal Anesthesiology.

Today, all colorectal cancer patients at McGill are evaluated by a kinesiologist, who tailors recommended exercises to their personal circumstances; a nutritionist, who evaluates their diet and suggests needed supplements and a psychologist, who addresses the fear and anxiety that often precede major medical treatment.

Typically, home-based therapies are initiated a month or two in advance of surgery.

The interventions are especially important for older patients, who have often become inactive and lost muscle strength and physiological resilience, Carli noted. “Our recent findings show that elderly with low fitness are potentially benefiting the most and their functional capacity increases greatly compared to those who are already fit,” he wrote from overseas in an email exchange.

At Lahey Hospital and Medical Center in Burlington, Mass., patients with early stage lung cancer are undergoing a five-stage prehabilitation protocol: getting a nutrition assessment (with coaching to increase protein intake prior to surgery), being counseled to stop smoking (with smoking cessation aids disseminated, if necessary), having a psychological assessment (with people in distress referred for mental health counseling), undergoing a lung assessment (with pulmonary rehabilitation exercises recommended, as needed) and being advised to enhance general conditioning (by walking several times a week for increasingly long periods).

Responding to Patients

“People ask all the time, ‘What can I do to prepare for surgery?’” said Dr. Andrea McKee, Lahey’s chair of radiation oncology. “Previously, we would have told them ‘nothing by mouth after midnight the night before surgery’ or ‘quit smoking.’ We didn’t do the kinds of comprehensive assessments and evaluations of patients that we’re doing now.”

Still, the evidence proving that prehabilitation interventions work is slim, and most hospitals don’t offer these services. Nor does insurance pay, in many cases.

Lahey is offering the services free to patients because it believes they’ll recover from surgery more readily, with fewer complications and potentially reduced costs, McKee said.

“What we’re doing makes a lot of sense intuitively, especially for older patients with multiple medical conditions who need to get through big surgeries safely,” said Silver, who’s working to expand prehabilitation services across the country. “But changing clinical care always takes time.”

Learning the Hard Way

Some patients have recognized the need for prehabilitation on their own. Barbara Charnes, 84, found herself in this position after an April 2015 surgery on her ankle left her bedridden, incontinent and deeply distressed.

Charnes, who lives in Denver, hadn’t known what to expect from the surgery, the first stage of an ankle replacement that called for another procedure. She hadn’t paid attention to her physical conditioning or emotional readiness beforehand, and doctors hadn’t discussed this with her.

It took almost a year for Charnes to recover before a second surgery to insert a new metal ankle in February 2016. This time, she found a therapist in advance so she could talk through concerns and have someone she could depend on for emotional support. Also, she got on a stationary bike months before the procedure, exercising for half an hour every day and gradually increasing the level of difficulty.

“I think for everyone my age, surgery is physically and emotionally daunting,” Ms. Charnes said, sitting in her sunlit study. “And I think it’s foolish not to prepare if, say, you’re not in very good shape. This time, I understood much better what was going to happen and I felt that I was really ready. And that made all the difference.”

© Twin Cities Public Television - 2017. All rights reserved.

'Prehabilitation' is slowly being recognized as valuable for success after a procedure

By Judith Graham for Next Avenue

A dozen years ago, at the age of 50, Lillie Shockney decided to have breast reconstruction surgery after two bouts of cancer and two mastectomies. The procedure called for removing a flap of skin and fat from her abdomen, used to rebuild her breasts.

Shockney knew a lot about breast cancer and the trials of recovery: she was (and still is) director of the breast center at Johns Hopkins’ Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center. Characteristically, this dynamic nurse didn’t want to stay in the hospital for any longer than absolutely necessary.

Taking Action to Prepare for Surgery

So, Shockney contacted a physical therapist and asked for exercises that would strengthen her abdominal muscles before she went under the knife. “My hope was that that would result in my getting up and about sooner,” she said.

Over the next six weeks, Shockney lay on her back, lifted each leg 18 inches and held the position for 15 seconds — 30 times, twice a day. The effort paid off when she became the first Johns Hopkins patient to go home three days after the surgery, a day or two earlier than other patients.

Today, all women who undergo DIEP (Deep Inferior Epigastric Perforator) flap breast reconstruction at Johns Hopkins undergo a similar exercise regime — a form of rehabilitation-before-treatment, or prehabilitation.

Not a New Idea

The principle behind prehabilitation is universally embraced by athletes, Shockney noted: Prepare for surgery by getting in good (or great) shape before you subject your body to significant stress, so you’re better able to endure that stress and minimize the potential for complications.

Orthopedists have incorporated prehabilitation into their practices for decades, with positive outcomes for people getting knee and hip replacements, among other procedures.

“We’ve learned that the steps you take before surgery are just as important as what happens during and after surgery,” said Dr. Howard Luks, an orthopedic surgeon who practices about 60 miles north of New York City.

He recommends that people getting knee replacements have five to six sessions with a physical therapist before surgery, during which they work on enhancing their strength and flexibility and learn how to use walkers or canes that might be needed during their recovery.

“Your range of motion before surgery is associated with your range of motion after,” said Luks. “And if your muscles are strong and used to being stressed, they’re going to do better after surgery as well.”

Preparing for Cancer Treatment

More recently, prehabilitation has begun to find a place in cancer centers for patients about to undergo surgery, chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

“Prehabilitation in cancer is really in the early stages,” with researchers trying to learn which interventions are most effective for patients, when therapies should be initiated and how long they should last, said Dr. Julie Silver, an associate professor at Harvard Medical School and founder of Oncology Rehab Partners, which disseminates model cancer prehabilitation and rehabilitation programs.

At McGill University, Dr. Francesco Carli, a professor of anesthesia, has shown that patients with colorectal cancer who follow a structured exercise program; add whey protein to their diet and learn stress reduction techniques before surgery return to the previous level of functioning far more quickly than patients who didn’t prepare for surgery by following this regimen.

Research Supports Benefits

About 80 percent of patients who participated in prehabilitation had returned to their before-surgery “normal” baseline two months after surgery, compared with 30 percent of patients who received usual post-surgery services, Carli and colleagues reported in 2014 in the journal Anesthesiology.

Today, all colorectal cancer patients at McGill are evaluated by a kinesiologist, who tailors recommended exercises to their personal circumstances; a nutritionist, who evaluates their diet and suggests needed supplements and a psychologist, who addresses the fear and anxiety that often precede major medical treatment.

Typically, home-based therapies are initiated a month or two in advance of surgery.

The interventions are especially important for older patients, who have often become inactive and lost muscle strength and physiological resilience, Carli noted. “Our recent findings show that elderly with low fitness are potentially benefiting the most and their functional capacity increases greatly compared to those who are already fit,” he wrote from overseas in an email exchange.

At Lahey Hospital and Medical Center in Burlington, Mass., patients with early stage lung cancer are undergoing a five-stage prehabilitation protocol: getting a nutrition assessment (with coaching to increase protein intake prior to surgery), being counseled to stop smoking (with smoking cessation aids disseminated, if necessary), having a psychological assessment (with people in distress referred for mental health counseling), undergoing a lung assessment (with pulmonary rehabilitation exercises recommended, as needed) and being advised to enhance general conditioning (by walking several times a week for increasingly long periods).

Responding to Patients

“People ask all the time, ‘What can I do to prepare for surgery?’” said Dr. Andrea McKee, Lahey’s chair of radiation oncology. “Previously, we would have told them ‘nothing by mouth after midnight the night before surgery’ or ‘quit smoking.’ We didn’t do the kinds of comprehensive assessments and evaluations of patients that we’re doing now.”

Still, the evidence proving that prehabilitation interventions work is slim, and most hospitals don’t offer these services. Nor does insurance pay, in many cases.

Lahey is offering the services free to patients because it believes they’ll recover from surgery more readily, with fewer complications and potentially reduced costs, McKee said.

“What we’re doing makes a lot of sense intuitively, especially for older patients with multiple medical conditions who need to get through big surgeries safely,” said Silver, who’s working to expand prehabilitation services across the country. “But changing clinical care always takes time.”

Learning the Hard Way

Some patients have recognized the need for prehabilitation on their own. Barbara Charnes, 84, found herself in this position after an April 2015 surgery on her ankle left her bedridden, incontinent and deeply distressed.

Charnes, who lives in Denver, hadn’t known what to expect from the surgery, the first stage of an ankle replacement that called for another procedure. She hadn’t paid attention to her physical conditioning or emotional readiness beforehand, and doctors hadn’t discussed this with her.

It took almost a year for Charnes to recover before a second surgery to insert a new metal ankle in February 2016. This time, she found a therapist in advance so she could talk through concerns and have someone she could depend on for emotional support. Also, she got on a stationary bike months before the procedure, exercising for half an hour every day and gradually increasing the level of difficulty.

“I think for everyone my age, surgery is physically and emotionally daunting,” Ms. Charnes said, sitting in her sunlit study. “And I think it’s foolish not to prepare if, say, you’re not in very good shape. This time, I understood much better what was going to happen and I felt that I was really ready. And that made all the difference.”

© Twin Cities Public Television - 2017. All rights reserved.

Profile: June Saint

When June Saint started having cramps in her legs, she never imagined the cramping would result in a fall that would land her in rehab.

When June fell, she felt very lucky that she lived at Bellmead Apartments, our supportive and affordable housing community in Washington. Bellmead features independent living options for older adults, but has supportive services when and if a resident needs them. 

“Sometimes things happen that are out of your control. I fell when I went to reach for something. It was painful. But I took my shoe off and I pounded on the floor and wall until someone heard me,” June says. June’s neighbor did hear her and went to get help. If June had not been in a community surrounded by fellow residents and friends, she may not have been found for days.

June was rushed to the hospital where they found several broken bones in her back. “I was delirious from the pain and to be honest, barely remember my hospital stay.” When June was well enough to be discharged, she went right to short-term rehab at Southmont of Presbyterian SeniorCare Network.

Southmont is only a few steps away from Bellmead Apartments and June benefitted greatly from the proximity of the communities. There was no need to even cross the street – she felt like she was right at home as she recovered. June says, “There was no question, I had to do rehab. So I was pretty glad I had the option to do it at Southmont.  The team at Southmont of Presbyterian SeniorCare Network was so compassionate. My two week stay in short-term rehab was such a wonderful experience.”

June loved that she could do her own thing – she spent her time playing games with her fellow residents. She especially loved BINGO, Rummy Cube and dominoes.  She even had her first manicure, which she said was “such a treat!”

When asked what she loved most about her stay at Southmont, June says, “The homelike environment. I made so many new friends. Really, between Southmont and Bellmead, we are all one big family, all looking out for one another. It really made all the difference.”

When June was healthy and strong enough to return to her apartment, she was greeted by her fellow residents. “It felt like a parade! I had three aides with me and when I walked in the door at Bellmead, my fellow residents started clapping for me. What a welcome!”

June is back to living independently, thanks to the team at Southmont. And she feels safe knowing that she has a great support system around her at Bellmead Apartments.

Presbyterian SeniorCare Network offers a continuum of care right on our Washington campus. From independent living in our supportive and affordable housing community, Bellmead, to personal care, skilled nursing care and specialized-dementia care – we have care and services for older adults, no matter where they are in life’s journey.

For more information about Presbyterian SeniorCare Network in Washington, visit WashingtonSrCare.org or call 724-222-4300.

Profile: June Saint

When June Saint started having cramps in her legs, she never imagined the cramping would result in a fall that would land her in rehab.

When June fell, she felt very lucky that she lived at Bellmead Apartments, our supportive and affordable housing community in Washington. Bellmead features independent living options for older adults, but has supportive services when and if a resident needs them. 

“Sometimes things happen that are out of your control. I fell when I went to reach for something. It was painful. But I took my shoe off and I pounded on the floor and wall until someone heard me,” June says. June’s neighbor did hear her and went to get help. If June had not been in a community surrounded by fellow residents and friends, she may not have been found for days.

June was rushed to the hospital where they found several broken bones in her back. “I was delirious from the pain and to be honest, barely remember my hospital stay.” When June was well enough to be discharged, she went right to short-term rehab at Southmont of Presbyterian SeniorCare Network.

Southmont is only a few steps away from Bellmead Apartments and June benefitted greatly from the proximity of the communities. There was no need to even cross the street – she felt like she was right at home as she recovered. June says, “There was no question, I had to do rehab. So I was pretty glad I had the option to do it at Southmont.  The team at Southmont of Presbyterian SeniorCare Network was so compassionate. My two week stay in short-term rehab was such a wonderful experience.”

June loved that she could do her own thing – she spent her time playing games with her fellow residents. She especially loved BINGO, Rummy Cube and dominoes.  She even had her first manicure, which she said was “such a treat!”

When asked what she loved most about her stay at Southmont, June says, “The homelike environment. I made so many new friends. Really, between Southmont and Bellmead, we are all one big family, all looking out for one another. It really made all the difference.”

When June was healthy and strong enough to return to her apartment, she was greeted by her fellow residents. “It felt like a parade! I had three aides with me and when I walked in the door at Bellmead, my fellow residents started clapping for me. What a welcome!”

June is back to living independently, thanks to the team at Southmont. And she feels safe knowing that she has a great support system around her at Bellmead Apartments.

Presbyterian SeniorCare Network offers a continuum of care right on our Washington campus. From independent living in our supportive and affordable housing community, Bellmead, to personal care, skilled nursing care and specialized-dementia care – we have care and services for older adults, no matter where they are in life’s journey.

For more information about Presbyterian SeniorCare Network in Washington, visit WashingtonSrCare.org or call 724-222-4300.

'Prehabilitation' is slowly being recognized as valuable for success after a procedure

By Judith Graham for Next Avenue

A dozen years ago, at the age of 50, Lillie Shockney decided to have breast reconstruction surgery after two bouts of cancer and two mastectomies. The procedure called for removing a flap of skin and fat from her abdomen, used to rebuild her breasts.

Shockney knew a lot about breast cancer and the trials of recovery: she was (and still is) director of the breast center at Johns Hopkins’ Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center. Characteristically, this dynamic nurse didn’t want to stay in the hospital for any longer than absolutely necessary.

Taking Action to Prepare for Surgery

So, Shockney contacted a physical therapist and asked for exercises that would strengthen her abdominal muscles before she went under the knife. “My hope was that that would result in my getting up and about sooner,” she said.

Over the next six weeks, Shockney lay on her back, lifted each leg 18 inches and held the position for 15 seconds — 30 times, twice a day. The effort paid off when she became the first Johns Hopkins patient to go home three days after the surgery, a day or two earlier than other patients.

Today, all women who undergo DIEP (Deep Inferior Epigastric Perforator) flap breast reconstruction at Johns Hopkins undergo a similar exercise regime — a form of rehabilitation-before-treatment, or prehabilitation.

Not a New Idea

The principle behind prehabilitation is universally embraced by athletes, Shockney noted: Prepare for surgery by getting in good (or great) shape before you subject your body to significant stress, so you’re better able to endure that stress and minimize the potential for complications.

Orthopedists have incorporated prehabilitation into their practices for decades, with positive outcomes for people getting knee and hip replacements, among other procedures.

“We’ve learned that the steps you take before surgery are just as important as what happens during and after surgery,” said Dr. Howard Luks, an orthopedic surgeon who practices about 60 miles north of New York City.

He recommends that people getting knee replacements have five to six sessions with a physical therapist before surgery, during which they work on enhancing their strength and flexibility and learn how to use walkers or canes that might be needed during their recovery.

“Your range of motion before surgery is associated with your range of motion after,” said Luks. “And if your muscles are strong and used to being stressed, they’re going to do better after surgery as well.”

Preparing for Cancer Treatment

More recently, prehabilitation has begun to find a place in cancer centers for patients about to undergo surgery, chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

“Prehabilitation in cancer is really in the early stages,” with researchers trying to learn which interventions are most effective for patients, when therapies should be initiated and how long they should last, said Dr. Julie Silver, an associate professor at Harvard Medical School and founder of Oncology Rehab Partners, which disseminates model cancer prehabilitation and rehabilitation programs.

At McGill University, Dr. Francesco Carli, a professor of anesthesia, has shown that patients with colorectal cancer who follow a structured exercise program; add whey protein to their diet and learn stress reduction techniques before surgery return to the previous level of functioning far more quickly than patients who didn’t prepare for surgery by following this regimen.

Research Supports Benefits

About 80 percent of patients who participated in prehabilitation had returned to their before-surgery “normal” baseline two months after surgery, compared with 30 percent of patients who received usual post-surgery services, Carli and colleagues reported in 2014 in the journal Anesthesiology.

Today, all colorectal cancer patients at McGill are evaluated by a kinesiologist, who tailors recommended exercises to their personal circumstances; a nutritionist, who evaluates their diet and suggests needed supplements and a psychologist, who addresses the fear and anxiety that often precede major medical treatment.

Typically, home-based therapies are initiated a month or two in advance of surgery.

The interventions are especially important for older patients, who have often become inactive and lost muscle strength and physiological resilience, Carli noted. “Our recent findings show that elderly with low fitness are potentially benefiting the most and their functional capacity increases greatly compared to those who are already fit,” he wrote from overseas in an email exchange.

At Lahey Hospital and Medical Center in Burlington, Mass., patients with early stage lung cancer are undergoing a five-stage prehabilitation protocol: getting a nutrition assessment (with coaching to increase protein intake prior to surgery), being counseled to stop smoking (with smoking cessation aids disseminated, if necessary), having a psychological assessment (with people in distress referred for mental health counseling), undergoing a lung assessment (with pulmonary rehabilitation exercises recommended, as needed) and being advised to enhance general conditioning (by walking several times a week for increasingly long periods).

Responding to Patients

“People ask all the time, ‘What can I do to prepare for surgery?’” said Dr. Andrea McKee, Lahey’s chair of radiation oncology. “Previously, we would have told them ‘nothing by mouth after midnight the night before surgery’ or ‘quit smoking.’ We didn’t do the kinds of comprehensive assessments and evaluations of patients that we’re doing now.”

Still, the evidence proving that prehabilitation interventions work is slim, and most hospitals don’t offer these services. Nor does insurance pay, in many cases.

Lahey is offering the services free to patients because it believes they’ll recover from surgery more readily, with fewer complications and potentially reduced costs, McKee said.

“What we’re doing makes a lot of sense intuitively, especially for older patients with multiple medical conditions who need to get through big surgeries safely,” said Silver, who’s working to expand prehabilitation services across the country. “But changing clinical care always takes time.”

Learning the Hard Way

Some patients have recognized the need for prehabilitation on their own. Barbara Charnes, 84, found herself in this position after an April 2015 surgery on her ankle left her bedridden, incontinent and deeply distressed.

Charnes, who lives in Denver, hadn’t known what to expect from the surgery, the first stage of an ankle replacement that called for another procedure. She hadn’t paid attention to her physical conditioning or emotional readiness beforehand, and doctors hadn’t discussed this with her.

It took almost a year for Charnes to recover before a second surgery to insert a new metal ankle in February 2016. This time, she found a therapist in advance so she could talk through concerns and have someone she could depend on for emotional support. Also, she got on a stationary bike months before the procedure, exercising for half an hour every day and gradually increasing the level of difficulty.

“I think for everyone my age, surgery is physically and emotionally daunting,” Ms. Charnes said, sitting in her sunlit study. “And I think it’s foolish not to prepare if, say, you’re not in very good shape. This time, I understood much better what was going to happen and I felt that I was really ready. And that made all the difference.”

© Twin Cities Public Television - 2016. All rights reserved.

'Prehabilitation' is slowly being recognized as valuable for success after a procedure

By Judith Graham for Next Avenue

A dozen years ago, at the age of 50, Lillie Shockney decided to have breast reconstruction surgery after two bouts of cancer and two mastectomies. The procedure called for removing a flap of skin and fat from her abdomen, used to rebuild her breasts.

Shockney knew a lot about breast cancer and the trials of recovery: she was (and still is) director of the breast center at Johns Hopkins’ Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center. Characteristically, this dynamic nurse didn’t want to stay in the hospital for any longer than absolutely necessary.

Taking Action to Prepare for Surgery

So, Shockney contacted a physical therapist and asked for exercises that would strengthen her abdominal muscles before she went under the knife. “My hope was that that would result in my getting up and about sooner,” she said.

Over the next six weeks, Shockney lay on her back, lifted each leg 18 inches and held the position for 15 seconds — 30 times, twice a day. The effort paid off when she became the first Johns Hopkins patient to go home three days after the surgery, a day or two earlier than other patients.

Today, all women who undergo DIEP (Deep Inferior Epigastric Perforator) flap breast reconstruction at Johns Hopkins undergo a similar exercise regime — a form of rehabilitation-before-treatment, or prehabilitation.

Not a New Idea

The principle behind prehabilitation is universally embraced by athletes, Shockney noted: Prepare for surgery by getting in good (or great) shape before you subject your body to significant stress, so you’re better able to endure that stress and minimize the potential for complications.

Orthopedists have incorporated prehabilitation into their practices for decades, with positive outcomes for people getting knee and hip replacements, among other procedures.

“We’ve learned that the steps you take before surgery are just as important as what happens during and after surgery,” said Dr. Howard Luks, an orthopedic surgeon who practices about 60 miles north of New York City.

He recommends that people getting knee replacements have five to six sessions with a physical therapist before surgery, during which they work on enhancing their strength and flexibility and learn how to use walkers or canes that might be needed during their recovery.

“Your range of motion before surgery is associated with your range of motion after,” said Luks. “And if your muscles are strong and used to being stressed, they’re going to do better after surgery as well.”

Preparing for Cancer Treatment

More recently, prehabilitation has begun to find a place in cancer centers for patients about to undergo surgery, chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

“Prehabilitation in cancer is really in the early stages,” with researchers trying to learn which interventions are most effective for patients, when therapies should be initiated and how long they should last, said Dr. Julie Silver, an associate professor at Harvard Medical School and founder of Oncology Rehab Partners, which disseminates model cancer prehabilitation and rehabilitation programs.

At McGill University, Dr. Francesco Carli, a professor of anesthesia, has shown that patients with colorectal cancer who follow a structured exercise program; add whey protein to their diet and learn stress reduction techniques before surgery return to the previous level of functioning far more quickly than patients who didn’t prepare for surgery by following this regimen.

Research Supports Benefits

About 80 percent of patients who participated in prehabilitation had returned to their before-surgery “normal” baseline two months after surgery, compared with 30 percent of patients who received usual post-surgery services, Carli and colleagues reported in 2014 in the journal Anesthesiology.

Today, all colorectal cancer patients at McGill are evaluated by a kinesiologist, who tailors recommended exercises to their personal circumstances; a nutritionist, who evaluates their diet and suggests needed supplements and a psychologist, who addresses the fear and anxiety that often precede major medical treatment.

Typically, home-based therapies are initiated a month or two in advance of surgery.

The interventions are especially important for older patients, who have often become inactive and lost muscle strength and physiological resilience, Carli noted. “Our recent findings show that elderly with low fitness are potentially benefiting the most and their functional capacity increases greatly compared to those who are already fit,” he wrote from overseas in an email exchange.

At Lahey Hospital and Medical Center in Burlington, Mass., patients with early stage lung cancer are undergoing a five-stage prehabilitation protocol: getting a nutrition assessment (with coaching to increase protein intake prior to surgery), being counseled to stop smoking (with smoking cessation aids disseminated, if necessary), having a psychological assessment (with people in distress referred for mental health counseling), undergoing a lung assessment (with pulmonary rehabilitation exercises recommended, as needed) and being advised to enhance general conditioning (by walking several times a week for increasingly long periods).

Responding to Patients

“People ask all the time, ‘What can I do to prepare for surgery?’” said Dr. Andrea McKee, Lahey’s chair of radiation oncology. “Previously, we would have told them ‘nothing by mouth after midnight the night before surgery’ or ‘quit smoking.’ We didn’t do the kinds of comprehensive assessments and evaluations of patients that we’re doing now.”

Still, the evidence proving that prehabilitation interventions work is slim, and most hospitals don’t offer these services. Nor does insurance pay, in many cases.

Lahey is offering the services free to patients because it believes they’ll recover from surgery more readily, with fewer complications and potentially reduced costs, McKee said.

“What we’re doing makes a lot of sense intuitively, especially for older patients with multiple medical conditions who need to get through big surgeries safely,” said Silver, who’s working to expand prehabilitation services across the country. “But changing clinical care always takes time.”

Learning the Hard Way

Some patients have recognized the need for prehabilitation on their own. Barbara Charnes, 84, found herself in this position after an April 2015 surgery on her ankle left her bedridden, incontinent and deeply distressed.

Charnes, who lives in Denver, hadn’t known what to expect from the surgery, the first stage of an ankle replacement that called for another procedure. She hadn’t paid attention to her physical conditioning or emotional readiness beforehand, and doctors hadn’t discussed this with her.

It took almost a year for Charnes to recover before a second surgery to insert a new metal ankle in February 2016. This time, she found a therapist in advance so she could talk through concerns and have someone she could depend on for emotional support. Also, she got on a stationary bike months before the procedure, exercising for half an hour every day and gradually increasing the level of difficulty.

“I think for everyone my age, surgery is physically and emotionally daunting,” Ms. Charnes said, sitting in her sunlit study. “And I think it’s foolish not to prepare if, say, you’re not in very good shape. This time, I understood much better what was going to happen and I felt that I was really ready. And that made all the difference.”

© Twin Cities Public Television - 2016. All rights reserved.

Sports medicine therapy techniques are not just for professional athletes and weekend warriors. Turns out, older adults may benefit from the same electrotherapy techniques when used to help recover from joint replacement surgery.

Electrotherapy—the use of electrical energy as a medical treatment—has been used for many years to help professional athletes and weekend warriors recover from pain strains, sprains and other injuries. Now that same sports medicine approach is being offered to older adults to help them regain the ability to walk, feed, dress and groom themselves after surgery or injury.  Seniors tend to respond best to three types of electrotherapy used in rehabilitative care: electrical stimulation, ultrasound and diathermy.

One type of electrical stimulation is transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS). Many studies have found that TENS is useful in easing pain after surgery. A TENS unit consists of a small battery-powered device with wires connecting to a pair of electrodes that transmit low-level electrical charges to the skin near the source of pain or at a pressure point. The mild electrical current travels through the skin and along the nerve fibers causing a warm, tingling sensation. A typical TENS session lasts anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes.

The use of ultrasound (low-intensity, pulsed soundwaves) and diathermy (a high-frequency electric current delivered to generate deep heat in body tissues) also allow physicians to individualize treatment. The machines can be adjusted to provide the exact depth of energy penetration and thermal response required, depending on whether the tissues require heating or not.

For example, if a patient has had a total knee replacement, pain may limit how far the knee can be stretched or how much exercise the therapist can administer to improve range of motion (ROM). When the patient is treated with one of the electrotherapy modalities, in conjunction with the therapeutic exercise program, he or she can better tolerate the ROM and strengthening exercises because swelling and pain have been reduced. The electrotherapy does not replace physical therapy, but facilitates it.

Electrotherapy also has been found to be effective in helping people recover from stroke and other neurological impairments, as well as in enhancing wound healing and treating contractures, a common condition in nursing facilities, in which muscles, tendons or other tissue shorten and harden, often leading to joint rigidity and deformity.

The FDA has approved 11 different electrical stimulation waveforms, which gives therapists flexibility to select the treatment options best suited to each individual and condition. The energy provided by electrical stimulation, ultrasound and short-wave diathermy machines helps reduce swelling and pain and increases circulation, which stimulates the cells to heal damaged tissue.

Ask your physical therapist if sports medicine can help you get back in the game!

Sports medicine therapy techniques are not just for professional athletes and weekend warriors. Turns out, older adults may benefit from the same electrotherapy techniques when used to help recover from joint replacement surgery.

Electrotherapy—the use of electrical energy as a medical treatment—has been used for many years to help professional athletes and weekend warriors recover from pain strains, sprains and other injuries. Now that same sports medicine approach is being offered to older adults to help them regain the ability to walk, feed, dress and groom themselves after surgery or injury.  Seniors tend to respond best to three types of electrotherapy used in rehabilitative care: electrical stimulation, ultrasound and diathermy.

One type of electrical stimulation is transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS). Many studies have found that TENS is useful in easing pain after surgery. A TENS unit consists of a small battery-powered device with wires connecting to a pair of electrodes that transmit low-level electrical charges to the skin near the source of pain or at a pressure point. The mild electrical current travels through the skin and along the nerve fibers causing a warm, tingling sensation. A typical TENS session lasts anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes.

The use of ultrasound (low-intensity, pulsed soundwaves) and diathermy (a high-frequency electric current delivered to generate deep heat in body tissues) also allow physicians to individualize treatment. The machines can be adjusted to provide the exact depth of energy penetration and thermal response required, depending on whether the tissues require heating or not.

For example, if a patient has had a total knee replacement, pain may limit how far the knee can be stretched or how much exercise the therapist can administer to improve range of motion (ROM). When the patient is treated with one of the electrotherapy modalities, in conjunction with the therapeutic exercise program, he or she can better tolerate the ROM and strengthening exercises because swelling and pain have been reduced. The electrotherapy does not replace physical therapy, but facilitates it.

Electrotherapy also has been found to be effective in helping people recover from stroke and other neurological impairments, as well as in enhancing wound healing and treating contractures, a common condition in nursing facilities, in which muscles, tendons or other tissue shorten and harden, often leading to joint rigidity and deformity.

The FDA has approved 11 different electrical stimulation waveforms, which gives therapists flexibility to select the treatment options best suited to each individual and condition. The energy provided by electrical stimulation, ultrasound and short-wave diathermy machines helps reduce swelling and pain and increases circulation, which stimulates the cells to heal damaged tissue.

Ask your physical therapist if sports medicine can help you get back in the game!