Women Today

According to figures from the U.S. Bureau of Census, approximately 6.5 million senior citizens need assistance with daily living activities. In-home assistance is available through many programs designed to supplement the care of on-site caregivers. Confusion often exists between home health care and the more recent program, palliative care. While both home health care and palliative care bring support in the home, the fundamental difference between the two care options is that home health is designed for short-term interventions with a focus on rehabilitation. Palliative care is a longer-term option addressing continuity of care across the spectrum of a patient’s illness.
The following outlines the difference between the two programs, using real life examples. Criteria for patient use of each program are highlighted below.

Home Health:

--Short-term/intermittent skilled nursing care, physical therapy or speech language pathology

--Homebound – patient must be home except to go out for doctor’s visits

--Under physician’s care plan

--Receive services from a Medicare-participating home health agency

Palliative Care:

--Longer-term/continuous skilled nursing care

--Address physical, psychosocial and spiritual needs and expectations

--Patient is not required to be homebound

--Under physician’s care plan

--Private pay reimbursement for services

The following example is used to illustrate when home health and palliative care services may be appropriate for a patient.

Patient History: Patient is diabetic and has experienced amputation of the lower right leg.
Care Options:

--Home Health. Should the patient elect home health care following amputation and release from the hospital, this is for a short-term rehabilitative period. Once the patient’s home health benefit runs out, the patient has the option to elect palliative care.

--Palliative Care. The patient may elect palliative care immediately following amputation and release from the hospital. Palliative care would then continue until the patient elects to discharge from the program.

Professionals at local home health care and palliative care providers will be able to help patients and families better understand the programs and determine which one fits their needs and care goals.

Pat Day helped coordinate the women-built Habitat for Humanity home in Appleton in June. She shares her enthusiasm for the project with Women readers:

The 2009 Women Build is done!!

Habitat's 10th Annual Women Build home was dedicated June 20 at 3 p.m. The homeowner will move in today, after closing on her mortgage.

She and her family were ecstatic at their beautiful four-bedroom home.

The volunteers worked to the last hour to finish the interior, but Mother Nature dumped enough moisture on the lot to prevent finishing the landscaping. The crew will return soon to complete raking and seeding the yard.

Our crew leaders were tired, but proud of their accomplishments, the largest home they ever built. Many rushed home to shower and freshen up for the dedication.

It did have to be the warmest day of the build!!

Hope (our homeowner) asked me to express her heartfelt appreciation to everyone who helped build her home, including the professional craftspeople who did electric, plumbing, and heating/ventilation installations.

We also thank the financial sponosrs, Lowes and Menasha Corporation Foundation, for their support.

I think most of the ladies who worked on the home took a well-earned day of rest after the build was finished, spending time honoring their fathers and spouses who supported them throughout the build.

I especially want to thank my spouse, Dave, for hauling the mealtime tables and chairs to and from the site, so everyone could rest under the tent during meals.

If this blog has been of interest to you, and you wish to experience this aewsome event yourself, please contact Jodi Isom, Manager of Volunteer Services, at 968-6355.

She will add your name and e-mail address to the Women Build Database and you will be contacted next spring.

Deb Bruflat, Appleton West branch manager for Citizens Bank, presents the Financial Tip of the Week:

Every parent and child knows the day will come. The day when the child leaves their parents’ financial support system and declares their own financial independence. Some are ready for the responsibility while others are not. But how do you know? How do you know when it’s the right time to buy a car, buy a house or to start saving for retirement? Everyone’s financial situation is different and your personal income will help determine how you make these decisions.

With the newest generation of graduates leaving the nest, there are a few things twenty-somethings need to consider:

--Save money now because it’s never too soon to start saving. The easiest way to start saving is to create a realistic budget and stick to it.

--Build your credit by controlling your spending and by paying your bills on time.

--If you’re renting, know when it’s the right time to buy a home. Real estate can be a valuable asset. However, if you’re not financially ready to purchase a home, it can be a costly mistake. Everyone wants to be financially independent. The fact is, some are ready to pay a mortgage or buy a car and others are not.

If you’re uncomfortable with your own financial situation or need a little help sorting things out, remember your local banker is always there to assist you.

Kristin Steede and Cathy Skell, Fox Cities residents who competed on "The Biggest Loser" last season, found that it wasn't only exercise that made them drop pounds. Just as important was watching their diet.

"I’m a big believer in food," Steede says. "You could work out every day for a week and have one bad day of eating and it would blow all the exercise you did.

"Food is king. It is so important. I’m a food addict and I struggle twith that every single day.

"You just have to make the right choices and find that strength."

Cathy and her husband have dramatically changed their eating habits.

"I used to be the mom who would wake up in the morning and have my coffee and read the cookbooks to find the best fattening dessert to bring to the next family doing. You always want to be the one who made the dessert."

Pork tenderloin, orange roughy and cauliflower are now some her favorite dishes, and this fall she's looking forward to preparing a healthy Thanksgiving dinner.

"My goals are to be at my goal weight by the end of summer," she says. "That’s my goal."

For more from Kristin Steede and Cathy Skell, see www.mywomenmagazine.com. Also see Krstin's blog at http://www.kristinsteede.com/.

Our friends at thinkmarriage.org are providing our readers with a weekly marriage tip. Here's this week's advice:

You’ve sent the last child off to college – now what? Many couples spend years taking care of
and nurturing their children so when the time comes to leaving the ‘nest’ they are ready. But are the parents? All too often, couples don’t remember to keep working on their marriage when they’re busy raising their kids and what can happen is there will be an empty house and a couple who doesn’t know how to talk to each other anymore. Rather than finding yourself in a difficult transition, learn how to communicate and re-connect again. Conversations may include:

o Acknowledge that a change is happening, no matter if you feel that change is good or bad.
o Be sure to share your feelings with your spouse. Talk about your feelings openly and honestly.
o Take time to review your marriage, create new dreams and goals.

And most importantly, re-ignite that spark by spending time together! Whether you spend the
day at the beach or cook a meal together, spending time to re-connect and communicate like you did when you first started dating is key. If your marriage isn’t already on the top of your priority list, now’s a great time to move it there!

For an additional 15 seconds of how to make your own moments now that it’s just the two of you, visit http://webisodes.thinkmarriage.org/ and click on Webisode 09.

For more information see www.thinkmarriage.org.