RetirementHomes.com - Prescription Drugs

Traditional and Alternative Oral Health Care for the Elderly

aadmin — Fri, 03 Jan 2014 09:00:35 +0000

Periodontal disease is cited as the number one cause of tooth loss after the age of 35.

According to Dr. Steve Bornfeld, DDS, from Brooklyn, NY, periodontal disease – often referred to as gum disease – is an oral condition characterized by inflammation of the supporting structures of the teeth: the gums, bone, and periodontal ligament.

The Bacterial Origin of Periodontal Disease

“It is bacterial in origin, but also depends on the immune reaction of the individual,” said Bornfeld. “Loss of teeth is related mostly to depletion of the bone surrounding the roots. The teeth loosen until they have to be removed or fall out on their own.”

Gum recession is characteristic of periodontal disease in the elderly. “The most common health effects are sensitivity and decay,” said Bornfeld. The root surface becomes exposed to gum recession. Root decay can be very difficult to control, especially in the presence of poor oral hygiene. Bornfeld recommended more frequent checkups for older adults with periodontal disease.

Alternative Treatments for Aging Teeth

Carrie Ibbetson, Registered Dental Hygienist, founder of Oralhealthcoaching.com and Natural Gumption seeks out alternative treatment and products for the care of aging teeth. The Orange County resident has contacted many nearby retirement facilities to assist them with residents’ oral health, especially plaque issues.

A specialist in homecare oral health, Ibbetson offers alternative dental products for older adults and caregivers. “Teaching older adults to take care of their teeth is more important than scaling to reduce plaque buildup.”

Home Remedies for Older Adults

Ibbetson has devised home remedies for elderly people with arthritic dexterity issues. She recommends cutting a hole in a tennis ball and inserting the brush into it for a bigger handle. Or wrap a wash cloth around a tooth brush to make a larger handle to get in between the teeth more effectively.

The California hygienist refers to the 2001 Guinness Book of World Records which recorded periodontal disease as the number one disease affecting mankind. Ibbetson said that the Surgeon General’s report shows that 23% of people aged 64 to 74 years-old have severe periodontal disease.

“As we get older we lose our thin saliva,” said Ibbetson. “Thicker acidic saliva replaces it and retains bacteria.”

The result is ‘dry mouth’ syndrome in older adults. “Eighty per cent of medications cause dry mouth,” she said, “and multiple medications in the elderly community lead to an increase of dry mouth.”

Report from the US Surgeon General

The US Surgeon General backs Ibbetson’s assertion, revealing that most older Americans take both prescription and over-the-counter drugs. The inhibition of salivary flow increases the risk for oral disease because saliva contains antimicrobial components as well as minerals that can help rebuild tooth enamel after attack by acid-producing, decay-causing bacteria. Individuals in long-term care facilities are prescribed an average of eight drugs. 1. The US Surgeon General National Call To Action To Promote Oral Health 2013.

“There is a huge deficit of oral health care in retirement communities,” agrees Ibbetson.

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Are you paying too much for prescription drugs?

aadmin — Wed, 24 Jul 2013 07:38:47 +0000

Through the recession and recent debate in Washington over cutting Medicare, Medicaid or even Social Security, an overlooked aspect of the health care industry has been the escalating cost of prescription drugs. In fact, Time Magazine in 2004 said that prescription drug prices are higher in the United States than any other developed nation; Fortune 500 surveys consistently show pharmaceutical companies as the most profit-generating businesses.

Although pharmaceuticals only account for approximately 13% of total health care costs, many consumers justifiably feel swindled when leaving pharmacies.

Statistics and Causes of High Prices

The high cost of research and development and the pharmaceutical industry's lobbying power largely account for obscene prescription drug costs. Luckily, there are some third-party providers like Medicare that negotiate prices on behalf of consumers. That said, the monthly cost of prescription drugs can still overwhelm the disabled, elderly and families.

Consumer Reports recently showed that an increasing number of Americans who should be taking certain medications are unable to do so because of ballooning costs. Over half of individuals under 65 who have no drug coverage are unable to fill basic prescriptions.

Without private insurance or third-party providers like Medicare negotiating for these slighted Americans, the option effectively becomes cut back on groceries and gas or take one's chances without prescription medication.

The silver lining is that since prices for generic drugs are considerably cheaper than prescription drugs in the United States, consumers are advised to save potentially thousands of dollars per year replacing high-cost prescription drugs with cheaper, generic alternatives.

Are Prescription Drugs Reasonably Priced?

The Affordable Care Act hopes to curtail the escalating prices of prescription drugs; but, to establish a starting point, US consumers spent over $250 billion on prescription drugs in 2010 alone. Clearly, though, with 90% of seniors taking some kind of prescription drug coupled with the fact that seniors often collect scant pensions or work part-time, something needs to be done to rein in the cost of prescription drugs.

Although almost all private insurance services provide some prescription drug coverage, many of these policies operate on a "tiering" policy that discourages or precludes low-income Americans from obtaining high-end prescription drugs. Obviously, such a set-up causes problems for low-income Americans and seniors, especially considering some disorders only have prescription drug treatments and no generic drug alternative.

Even among relatively financially stable, non-senior adults, over 11% forewent or delayed filling a prescription due to cost. There are publicly-available options to take the sting out of a trip to the pharmacy, however.

Medicare and Medicaid Save the Day

The Medicare outpatient drug program went into effect under George W. Bush in early 2006. The prescription drug component of Medicare, Medicare Part D, helps low-income seniors defer escalating prescription drug costs. Subsidies for Medicare's prescription drug plan rose to $60 billion in 2011, according to the Congressional Budget Office. These numbers indicate significant prescription drug savings for seniors and their families.

Medicaid, on the other hand, is specifically tailored to low-income individuals of all age ranges. Copayments for prescription drugs vary on Medicaid plans vis-a-vis state. The Section 340B program of Medicaid forces drug companies to negotiate prices with the government and give preferential prices to community health centers.

Although the reasons for high prescription drug prices are multifaceted, solutions for cutting monthly drug costs are equally varied. When generic alternatives are available, consumers are well-advised to replace expensive prescription drugs with generic alternatives. Furthermore, most private health insurance features some deferment of prescription drug costs. While not perfect, these strategies can help to lower expenses spent on drugs every month.

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New study says flu vaccine offers poor protection for seniors

aadmin — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 17:56:14 +0000

Have you gotten a flu shot this year? The vaccination is widely available across North America, but as reported recently by CBSNews.com, a study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that the vaccines aimed at fighting the most dangerous influenza strains performed poorly in seniors.

According to the CDC, the vaccine used to combat the H3N2 flu offered 58 per cent protection against children, 46 per cent protection for those aged 18 to 49, and 50 per cent protection for those aged 50 to 64. But for Americans aged 65 and older, the protection fell dramatically to nine per cent, although researchers told CBSNews.com they were yet to determine the reason.

Despite the vaccine’s poor protection for seniors, infectious disease experts told the news source the flu shot is still a useful tool.

“You have to add in all the benefits before you give the influenza vaccine a thumbs down,” Dr. William Schaffner of Vanderbilt University told the news source. He added that for best protection, seniors should contact their doctor at the first evidence of the flu.

According to the CDC, the flu kills about 24,000 Americans every year during flu season.

Did you get a flu vaccine this year? Why or why not? Tell us about it in the comment section below:

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Flu Season Hits Charlotte North Carolina Hard

aadmin — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 16:05:36 +0000

All across the USA flu season has grown to the worst level in a decade. North Carolina is a prime example of the rise of influenza this year, reports The Charlotte Observer. 17 people have died in the state.

Elderly are Hit the Hardest

Most cases have been influenza Type A H3N2, which often affects the elderly the hardest, according to Dr. Zack Moore, medical epidemiologist with Carolina's health division. “As we would expect with an H3N2-predominant season, there have been a lot of long-term care outbreaks and reports of severe illnesses and deaths in the elderly," he told The Charlotte Observer.

Post-vaccination Period - Two Weeks

The recommendation is to get a flu shot. Flu season will peak in late January or early February, enough time to use the two week post-vaccination period needed for antibodies to kick in and fight off the flu.

People 65 years and older are highly-recommended to receive the flu shot. There is no shortage of flu vaccine in the Charlotte area or the state. A physician from Carolinas Medical Center’s Arboretum Urgent Care said the injectable vaccine cannot cause flu. At worst it can create achiness in the arm. The influenza vaccine isn't perfect, but it’s the best tool to prevent the flu.

Other Recommendations

Wash your hands often with soap and hot water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer
Sneeze or cough into your elbow. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with your hands
Stay home if you’re sick. Stay away from your other family members at home to try to decrease their risk of getting flu

Doctors in Charlotte are cautiously optimistic that the flu might have hit a peak during the last week of December, but continue to issue a public health warning.

Medical practitioners attend to the flu in Assisted Living and Continuing Care residences.

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Human Enhancement Medication for Older Workers Raises Concerns

aadmin — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 17:27:52 +0000

In an article from The Telegraph, a growing number of medications are being developed to add a boost to assist older people. These medical developments are called "human enhancements" because they reduce the effects of ageing, by keeping the brain young.

The new report was published by the British Academy of Medical Sciences, and the Royal Academy of Engineering. Elderly adults with mild cognitive impairment and completely healthy people would benefit.

Other methods such as "brain training" games or electrical stimulation of the brain could also be used in future to augment people's cognitive powers. Therapies such as "brain training" are valuable by allowing people to remain in work longer without the side effects of medication.

The "human resources" advancements will assist the older workforce age 55 or 60 whose cognitive functioning is lower than people in their 20s. Older workers may not be able to able to keep up with their younger colleagues, so this may be a way to boost cognition and performance. Tight regulation is recommended to prevent the wealthier or healthier from gaining an unfair advantage.

Ethicist Professor Jackie Leach Scully, from the University of Newcastle, told The Telegraph that there are concerns that any drug which begin to be adopted by healthy people would have to be tightly regulated. British ethicists believe that "human enhancements" could pressure people into using the technology for fear of losing ground to their colleagues.

Cognitive scientists in the USA and Canada are keeping a close eye on developments in Britain.

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Prescription Drugs

Free medication discount card introduced

aadmin — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 13:27:50 +0000

A new discount card has been helping to lower the medical costs for seniors across the United States.

Offered by SeniorSurance, the Medication Card is free and available to anyone using a pharmacy in the United States, even non-Americans, regardless of age. It is also available to those both with and without health insurance. The average savings is about 30 per cent, but it can sometimes rise to about 70 per cent or more.

More than 25,000 pharmacies across the United States honor this discount, including large chains such as Walgreens, Wal Mart, Costco, CVS, Kmart, Long’s Drug Stores, Rite Aid, Safeway, Target, and Von, not to mention thousands of smaller ones, as well.

To take advantage of the card’s discounts, the only steps needed are to visit MedicationCard.net, and then print off the coupon and present it to the participating pharmacy.

So far, the feedback has been very positive, with people saying they weren’t sure the card would work, but it did.

“I went to my pharmacist, sure that they would turn me down when I handed over his card,” John Brown of San Jose, California, said. “Instead I would up saving over $50 each, of two different prescriptions. Now I want additional cards for my family and friends.”

Indeed, not only can anyone take advantage of the discount card for themselves, it can also be printed and shared, so that means, for example, a Baby Boomer with aging parents can print off one card for themselves, and two more cards for Mom and Dad, making the discounts available to the entire family.

Another surprise is that the discount card is also available for pets. To take advantage of those discounts, simply present the card to the approved pharmacy when purchasing medication for your pet, and the discount will be honored.

For more information on the free prescription discount card, visit MedicationCard.net.

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Prescription Drugs

Seniors' Painkillers Wind up as Street Drugs

aadmin — Wed, 16 May 2012 13:11:41 +0000

Popular pharmacological teen drugs - painkillers - OxyContins, Dilaudids, Percocets - show up on drug raids across North America.

Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island (PEI) follows this trend. Recently, the city's police force has found residential Assisted Living and Continuing Care medications being stolen.

The police have launched a program with a local pharmacy to curb these thefts.

Deputy Police Chief Gary McGuigan told cbcnews|Prince Edward Island: "The drugs are ending up in our community or out on the streets." He added: "They're either using them to feed their own addictions or they are selling them illegally to other people."

Jeannine McQuaid, director of pharmacy operations at Murphy's Pharmacies, told CBC about the dangers of expired medications. She warned that seniors need to turn them in, to avoid vulnerability from break-ins from someone looking for narcotics.

The strategy is to remove expired medications and safeguarding painkillers that teenagers and family members use and sell.

Officer McGuigan said the police force will dispatch uniformed police officers to collect old and unused medication.

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Prescription Drugs

Seven drugs which could be causing depression

aadmin — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 14:57:50 +0000

For many Baby Boomers and seniors, medications are a daily part of their lives, helping ease their pain, prevent disease, or simply to strengthen their bones.

But there are often hidden risks behind many medications; risks which may cause physical side effects, but also risks which could cause people taking the medications to have emotional side-effects.

As reported recently on AARP.com, there are seven major types of medications which can cause depression, so identifying these types of drugs can make a big difference for many people:

1/ Beta blockers- Often used for people with high blood pressure, these can cause depression and fatigue.

2/ Anti-seizure drugs- Also known as anticonvulsants, these are also used to treat bipolar disorder and related illnesses.

3/ Anti-anxiety drugs- This medication can help with insomnia and acts as a muscle relaxant, but a side effect can make users feel like they’re having a hangover.

4/ Drugs for Parkinson’s- AARP reports that as many as one in four people diagnosed with Parkinson’s do not have the illness, so a second opinion is always a good idea.

5/ Blood thinners- Also diagnosed for rheumatoid arthritis, blood thinners can increase the odds of mental illness.

6/ Menopause medication- Often used to regulate hormones for menopausal women suffering from hot flashes, ask your doctor for any alternative suggestions.

7/ Stimulants- To help boost energy, these drugs are frequently used by people suffering from fatigue, but it can have a detrimental long-term effect.

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Prescription Drugs

Seniors See Savings in Prescription Medicine

aadmin — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 14:00:55 +0000

Health care is one of the biggest expenses during a lifetime, and this statement is particularly true for older adults. Health problems increase with age and costs become elevated. One of the biggest cost areas is drugs and according to the Department of Health and Human Services, almost 4 million seniors saved about $2.16 billion through discounts for their prescription medications in 2011.

"Before, many beneficiaries were forced to stop taking the drugs," Jonathan Blum, director of the Center for Medicare was quoted by USA Today, Your Life. "This reduces costs through better management."

Blum announced that saving in drug expenses reduces costs in other health care areas . Seniors need to visit hospitals and emergency centers less frequently, for heart attacks, low blood sugar and asthma attacks. Costly in-patient care is ameliorated especially through easier access to expensive mental health drugs.

High-priced medication for cancer treatment or multiple sclerosis are being made available to beneficiaries who quickly reach the maximum expense. Insulin for diabetes or medications for heart disease have been extended before they reach their coverage cap.

"It's targeted to those most in need," Blum was quoted by USA Today Your Life.

Prescription medication is a high priority for Assisted Living residences and in Nursing Care.

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Prescription Drugs

Pharmacists can help with questions about medication

aadmin — Wed, 18 May 2011 12:04:02 +0000

It may not be the most celebrated holiday, but the fact is that May is Older Americans Month. This marks a time to look after the needs of seniors who may require a little more assistance than usual, whether that means hiring a home care aid or just stopping by more often.

To commemorate the month, The American Pharmacists Association recommends helping older adults become more aware of how much help a simple visit to the pharmacy can be, because pharmacists can not only prescribe medications, they can help with directions, side effects and other issues that can arise.

In fact, they can also conduct limited screenings of cholesterol and blood pressure levels, along with blood sugar and osteoporosis.

Some are willing to help patients with more personal problems, whether they want to stop smoking but need guidance or are looking to live an active lifestyle while managing a chronic condition.

Some suggest that regular visits to the pharmacist can make seniors better aware of their own health, and make it more apparent where a more in-depth visit to the doctor may be necessary.

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