High blood cholesterol affects over 65 million Americans. High Cholesterol increases your risk for heart disease. The higher your cholesterol the higher your risk for heart disease. The current guidelines for a goal reading of total cholesterol is < 200 mg/dl, LDL cholesterol < 100 mg/dl, HDL > 60 mg/dl, and triglycerides < 1000 mg/dl.
Three nutrients in your diet make LDL levels rise: saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol; most of these come from animal products or foods made with hydrogenated oils and fats such as margarine, crackers, and french fries (yes, french fries). Excess weight tends to increase your LDL level and typically raise your triglycerides. Where you carry your weight matters as well; that belly weight harms the cardiovascular system (more than weight elsewhere) for it’s easy access to the blood system. Regular exercise (minimum of 30 minutes 3 times weekly) helps to lower weight, improve and lower your LDL level, and raise your HDL (the good cholesterol) level. I like to think of the HDL cholesterol as the softner or emulsifier of cholesterol that keeps the cholesterol soft and flowing through as a waste product rather than sticking to the vascular system. Vitamin therapy such as the supplement Omega 3, 6, and 9 support heart health. Red yeast and rice supplementation is also known to lower total cholesterol. Inclusion of a high fiber diet, that does need to be modified slowly for the novice, is valuable in lowering cholesterol. Any inclusion of supplementationin your diet regimen should be thoroughly reviewed with your health care provider. Lastly, but not of least importance is medication inclusion of the statin and fibrizole cholesterol lowering medications; these are valuable tools ordered by the physician to lower cholesterol.
For further readings , there is a lot of information available. Please click on the blue links for more information.
Your comments, suggestions, and feedback are greatly appreciated.
In addition to options for Seniors to live in independent, assisted living, and long term care facilities there are some interesting options sprouting up acrossthe country. Seniors are now grouping their dwellings and living arrangements and hiring staff collectively to assist in the day to day activities that need support. Click on this blue hyperlink and you will hear, via a you tube, an interview by one of the tenants who live in this supportive arrangement in Chevy Chase, Maryland. The NPR article is also posted on the link in it’s entirety.
As we begin, according to the same article quoted above, the baby boomers are beginning to cycle into the traditional retirement age of 62 next year. I cannot help but wonder what the impact of this will be to advertising and insurance coverages. I wonder too how we can continue to cover the staggering health care costs that we have grown to expect. I imagine, a realistic way to lower costs it to lower costs of caring for our elders. I hope so. Providing options for our elders is what it is all about. This not only lowers costs but adds quality to life along the continuum as we all age and look forward to remaining the decision maker in our health care choices.
Your comments and feedback (as always) are greatly appreciated.
Just this week, this blog, BonnieRN.com, has been added as a member / participant of the Healthcare Blogger Professionals Roster. What does that mean? It means this blog has qualified as a professional member in this community to post the insignia shown here. The code of ethics is clearly defined (which I applaud) to guide and set expectations as a wearer of this insignia to this professional healthcare participants’ code of ethics.
As a practicing and licensed nurse (RN), I relish in the comfort of guidelines and expectations, rules, and a framework to excel within. I wish our world had more of these expectations; not just in nursing but in all that is encompassed within caring for patients, clients, or whatever term the companies use in today’s health care settings. Without elaborating (for now) I can tell you we need this. I can tell you too, I will comment on this more and more as we move forward in the current health care climate of budget cuts and baby boomers who are aging.
There is also a Patient Blogger insignia available for those blogs interested in participating in that process and criteria. I hope to see more growth of that specialty of bloggers in additions to health care bloggers. We learn so much from each other (thank you).
So to those, loyal readers (and yes, I know some of who you are), please continue to read, comment, and forward my blog’s weekly announcements to your friends, families, and colleagues. Let’s continue to do what we do; and let’s continue to do it well.
Please click on the blue hyperlinksfor additional explanations and deffinitions. Your comments and suggestions are always appreciated. Namaste’
What do you do when you have cravings for sweets and know you should not be eating empty calories? To make the matter more difficult, in saying no to sweets, you do some large grocery shopping at Walmart and see that brownies are on sale for the brand that you really like. What do you do? How are you to loose weight when you crave foods that you know you should not eat?
Some diets allow you to eat whatever you like and count calories. You quickly learn the emptiness of sugar in foods when you measure out the difference of a delicious brownie versus a salad with lo-calorie dressing. Do you have the salad with “diet” dressing (shudder and cringe). Have you read the label on those containers of lo-calorie dressings? Yuck. My rule is to not eat anything I do not know how to pronounce. My other rule is to not eat worthless calories unless I like the flavor and feel a sense of satisfaction.; the goal is to keep this intermittent. Keep in mine, a favorite expression of mine is, “Chocolate is medicine”. To me, it is not satisfying to eat a low cal meal if it is laden with chemicals and unpronounceable (yes, that is a real word).
One of my tricks or tools, when I know I have been craving sweets too much, is to take a supplement called, Chromium Polynicotinate; it is not recommended by The American Diabetic Society. It does help in halting the cravings of sweets. I have had no ill effects but again, it is not recommended for many individuals and you should check with your physician before taking this or any supplement.
Exercise is important. Exercise helps to keep your metabolism up. It is estimated that we loose the ability to burn calories by the rate of 10% for each decade of aging starting in our thirties! Ouch! That’s not fair, either.
Another favorite method I use in weight control that I have written about before is slow-carbs. Fortunately, I enjoy those low-glycemic index foods that fill you up and are lower in calorie. The problem I have is, it is a boring diet. Of benefit is in the encouragement of the one-day a week encouragement to have a regular and calorie laden day (thank goodness for this). Favorite diet of mine, that I am (still) waiting to come out in print is by a favorite author and blog writer, Tim Ferriss. Tim has authored, “The 4 Hour Work Week”(yes, not work day). This newly revised edition is most pleasant reading (and informative). Check out Tim’s Blog regarding his diet for Slow-Carb to loose weight; this article is called, “How To Loose 20 Pounds of Fat in 30 Days”. I highly recommend reading most of Tim’s articles. He has guest appeared on Ted; this is another favorite website that is amazingly enlightening and educational.
You get to choose every day; empty calories or not.
As always, your comments are greatly appreciated and encouraged.
Of the many Social-Media options, I continue to enjoy and remain surprisingly amazed by is, Twitter. It’s ability to connect with new, interesting, and informative people and businesses provides (for me) islands of time that excite, stimulate, and help in my endeavor to move forward as a Nurse Entrepreneur and Business Owner. The variety of contacts and encounters I make and the ease of this medium (in 140 characters or less) continues to please and surprise me.
Locally, here in Grand Junction, Colorado, (#GJCO) I (finally) see this taking hold; new individuals and businesses are joining (it seems) daily. Lately I see, many radio stations are joining in along with the (expected) Realtors and others who hold titles in sales and promotions. Nationwide, of particular interest to me, are nurses and others in health care and the legal world that promote client protection and advocacy. I have met many patients whom I am honored by and get to listen to “their stories”. Making a difference, having a voice and being heard, is really what it is all about in the matter of “being human”; this is often, and my own reason, for entering the complex and challenging world of health care.
Amazing too, I still meet people (and these are geek people too) who say they would not dream of Twittering. A common comment is they do not have time to “fool around on the computer”. I guess making contacts, learning of new technologies, and meeting interesting people holds a different priority for me; or, is it people just don’t see the benefit? I think it is the later. I do enjoy reading and being exposed to others views and the exposure to new technology is such a benefit in my world as a Nurse Care Manager. I think it is easy to get stale and am grateful for the “up to the latest information” that is blasted via Twitter. I follow folks who are interesting and un-follow those who are not. I ask and answer questions regularly and find myself forming “relationships” with people and businesses I am honored to get to know. I have met important guest speakers when they come to town because of relationships formed on Twitter. This morning I joined the official White-house Twitter account (not to name drop); who knows what I will learn from that (or be frustrated by).
One way I find new members to follow is by clicking lists of other people I respect and see who they are following. Twitter, in it’s infinite wisdom and constant revision, will list recommendations of members to follow. You may view the recommendations and click those members you are interested in following. A simple “un-follow” can be done if you choose to do so at a later time. I find Twitter so easy and much unlike other Social-Media options. I am still amazed that Facebook is as popular as it is. No, I do not do Farmville, etc… (sorry Facebook friends).
I tweet to say hello. I Tweet when I have a new blog post. I am asked all kinds of questions and help friends in my field of nursing make connections; I too have made important connections by asking Twitter friends for information. Twitter has opened my world and exposed me to un-imaginable opportunities and information. Yes, I do have days and busy times when I do not Tweet but am always grateful to get back online and Tweet when I can. I imagine, Websters, if not yet, will have the verb listed, to tweet. If you have a Twitter account, click here to connect with me; if you have not joined than do so by clicking here and follow the instructions. Remember, whenever asked, never give out your password information.
Please let me know if you ever need some help on setting up a Twitter account or have questions on Twitter or any other Social Media medium. As you can see, this, among many topics, is a passion of mine that I enjoy passing on with information to others who are interested. I also, guest speak, on this topic, Social Media, as well as other topics in health care.
As always, your comments, suggestions, and feedback, are greatly appreciated.
A very overlooked benefit of wartime veterans and their spouses that has been around (it is estimated) since the Spanish War, is The VA Aid and Attendance Program. Qualifications are specific, and reimbursements rates for approved expenses will vary dependant on need and financial status. Our office, here at Kavanagh Consultants, LLC, provides free screening and appropriate referral source to further determine and consult for this program.
Why would you “not go to the VA” (and we do have an excellent VA Hospital here in Grand Junction) to have them screen for the program? Certainly you can do that. Their screening is also free. It is well known, to care and case managers, that there is a much higher success rate of awarded recipients of this program to those who have sought out the private sector to screen and get assistance to qualify for this program. Once the paperwork for the program has been filled out, if an error or oversight exits on the filing, it is rejected and cannot be refiled for another year. The last statement is most penalizing and factual; there is, of course, an appeals process that is lengthy and not often successful.
The benefit is awarded based on ADL (Activity of Daily Living) assistance needed and other factors such as income, etc. The money awarded may be used for various expenses including living in independent and assisted living and of course nursing homes.
Screening is important with utmost importance in choosing the contact you make to consult with regarding your petitioning process to the VA. A savvy Elder Attorney or someone trained, qualified, and very experienced in this process should be retained. There is not a fee to help fill the paperwork out (which the petitioner will do) but there is most often a fee to consult; consultation representation is highly recommended. It is possible a trust account will be necessary along with other legal matters that are important and may be required. A trusted Elder Attorney would be the best resource in my opinion.
The amount awarded varies with a minimum expectation for a married couple to be $ 1,347.00 (I have seen these quoted figures vary) with a minimum expectation for a widow to be $530.00 (again this quoted figure has varied ). A higher award will result if the married couple are both qualified veterans.
Please call our office, here at Kavanagh Consultants, LLC, if you have any questions about this valuable program, VA Aid and Attendance. We provide the screening, like all of our screening and consultation initial services, free of charge. When the potential client is local or not too far away, an initial home visit may be provided, courteously.
As always, your comments and questions are encouraged and greatly appreciated.
The state of Colorado does not require educational units, commonly called CEU’s, of nurses. This came as quite a shock as I came to Colorado from another state that did require CEU’s. I believe, CEU’s are an important component in staying current of evidence based information in health-care that include nursing and other health care practices. This review of CEU requirements refers to Registered Nurses (RN’s) and Licenced Practical Nurses (LPN’s). There are requirements of CEU’s for Certified Nurse Assistants (CNA’s) who are licensed in Colorado; this will be reviewed in a subsequent article.
Does this mean that nurses are not kept current of evidenced based teachings in health care? No it does not. What is does point out is the importance of education in the health care setting where the nurses has created their professional base; this may be in a hospital setting, home health care agency, or other agency or practice. As certifications within specialties are maintained, they too provide a framework for updating a nurses’ education. Certification requirements of a nurse do insure current and cutting edge evidenced based information. Testing is normally required for certification as well as current and lengthy practice guidelines.
There are many good sources for Free CEU’s for nurses that are online such as: Nurse.com (thanks to Johnson and Johnson’s), NIH Education Program, and Medscape.com. I have done a basic Google Search and this revealed multiple free CEU’s for nurses. When certification is achieved and renewed, such as in care management, the CEU’s must be specific to the specialty practice. A focused evidenced based choice of courses is best obtained from the affiliate associations of the nurses specialty. Aligning yourself with these associations provides ongoing support for clinical settings that today are provided online via Teleconferences and Webinars.
Of interest, the range for CEU requirements of nurses ranged from zero to thirty nationwide. Those states requiring the most of nurses in maintaining CEU’s include: Delaware, California, Kansas, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, and New Mexico (my original state of licensing). For the complete list if CEU requirements, click on this Medscape blue hyperlink.
Your comments and feedback, as always, are greatly appreciated.
The saying, “Sometimes you have to spend money to save money” is true with this subject. There are times when you must also remember the saying, “You would not leave the fox in charge of the hen house”. Providing professional oversight can not be overstated when caring for individuals in the home who are too ill to care for themselves and who need an advocate to look out for their needs.
Inappropriate services can be avoided by having a Geriatric Care Manager (GCM) who reviews the care done by caregivers and companions. A care plan that predicts needs and monitors changes that update and revise the care plan does a great service to make the time spent by caregivers and companions more efficient; A significant savings is often the result as well as having piece of mind in having oversight by a trusted and professional GCM.
Identifying and providing oversight in home maintenance and repair avoids delayed and costly repairs. Exploitation of elders by irreputable and unlicensed repair companies are avoided with supervision in the home and checking of references. Financial oversight with check book monitoring while allowing seniors to write their own bills and checks that avoid late penalties and (again) minimizes risk of scams by viewing checkbook history.
A GCM is skilled in long term care planning. By helping elders prepare for what comes tomorrow and what comes this year and in ten years, GCM’s help avoid costly mistakes as they plan for the elders future. A care plan outlines the needs of today and plans for the potential needs of tomorrow with forecasting. Coordinating and working with other professionals such as financial advisors, investors, insurance agent, and attorney assure a solid financial future for the client.
Your comments, questions, and feedback are greatly appreciated and responded to quickly.
How well prepared and rested your caregiver will be for 24 hour or around the clock care will depend on the sleeping pattern of the client who is being care for. To play it safe, if you are not sure, plan on the first 24-48 hours with rotating caregivers each 24 hours; this would involve 3 different caregivers changing shift at 8 hour intervals. You should than assess the ability of the caregivers to extend their time based on the activity of the client and the energy level of the caregiver at the end of their shift.
As you must anticipate needs, it is best to have oversight by a care manager. A care manager would recommended using a caregiver agency who is licensed, insured, and has done a thorough check of their personnel to insure quality, reliability, and safety for your family member. I wish you well; thank you for the question.
This is a great time of year to be aware of immunizations for our youth and young adults who are returning to (usually) school. Click the blue hyperlinks for 0-6 years of age and the 7-18 years of age immunization recommendations by the Center for Disease Control (CDC).
The adult immunization schedule includes in Figure 2 on page 2 a schedule for those adults who have medical conditions that may exclude some immunizations. Physician oversight and council is important in both the children’s and adult immunization schedules.
The are multiple educational materials available on the CDC website; sheets of data of the individual immunizations are available here. The CDC is airing a two hour and 41 minute video. You may view or download this educational video via the Internet; it is recommended for health care workers and those wanting the most up to date information on immunization. The education video may be viewed by clicking the blue hyperlink in this sentence.
Your comments and feedback are greatly appreciated.
The primary reason that is suggested for the need to take vitamin and mineral supplements, is the fact that the nutrients we must acquire to sustain optimal health cannot be derived solely from our food. This is not only a criticism of the overly processed, hormone-pumped, artificial color and flavor enhanced, high sugar, low fiber Western diet: our lack of proper nutrition also stem from a depletion of nutrients in our agricultural soil. To enjoy optimal health and sustain our bodies in a disease free state, we must acquire nutrients from a reliable source.
Who Is BonnieRN
A Certified Care Manager who resides in Grand Junction Co with a specialty practice in Geriatrics and Adults with Disabilities. I am proud to call myself a registered nurse, a mother, an advocate for those who have that need, a proponent of living a healthy lifestyle, a blogger, and most of all a woman who is lucky enough to be here sharing all of this with you on the World Wide Web.
I enjoy writing, tweeting, reading, sharing and learning from various views, disciplines, and thoughts. I am still in awe of the power and empowerment that the Internet provides us.
My thoughts and ideas are my own. I am a nurse who is happy to share what I have learned and what I can. My information is to never take the place of your own common sense and the advice of your health care practitioner or physician. Always get a health check up and get council from your doctor before starting any supplementation / medication or in starting a new regimen. What I write about is what I am passionate about and it may encompass western medicine and cutting edge information with varied input from nontraditional views and theories. The methods and teachings I review may work for me but only your family physician and your good sense should analyze what is best for you.
I hope to write about many topics of interest that include the areas of my expertise and topics I have read about over the years. I remain a forever student and appreciate the disciplines of science and healthcare. I was talked out of going for a degree in nutrition but often seek out that information; you will see many articles on this and other health related topics.
With humility and gratitude, I enter the world of blogging. Your comments, input, and guest writing will help make this blog better and better with diverse input. Remember this phrase, "There is not one of us who can think as well as all of us". Peace be to you and our family... Namaste'
Twitter Updates
Guest Bloggers Welcome
I would enjoy the opportunity to print articles of guest bloggers, written for this blog. Topics may include: A patients perspective on a health issue; someone in the medical or social services field who wishes to share their unique experience, story, or program; and anyone in the legal or financial field who may want to share information regarding topics of client protection, advocacy representation, financial management for a client. This may include or pertain to other matters that serve their community and improve the care, services, or management for seniors or adults with disabilities. I am happy to review your articles for consideration of publication. As the sole owner of this blog, all articles must be approved by Bonnie Kavanagh RN with the understanding that I must have full editing privileges of your article. The writer of the article must agree to allowing their full legal name to be published as the author. Please submit your article for consideration to: kavanaghconsultants@gmail.com thank you.
What does that mean? It means this blog has qualified as a professional member in this community to post the insignia shown here. The 
