A Fractured Ankle Turned Me Into My Father

I have become my father. I don’t mean I’m short-tempered, overly particular about petty things or obsessed with finding cheap gasoline, although these are all traits he passed on to me. I mean I can’t walk.

Unlike my father, my condition is temporary — I fractured my ankle on an ill-advised descent down an icy hill on cross-country skis, landing me with a space-age boot and crutches. My father, on the other hand, begrudgingly used a walker for the last years of his life, as his balance became more and more tenuous and his legs progressively weakened from normal pressure hydrocephalus and spinal stenosis. In other words, he was old. And, like 12 million adults in the United States age 65 or older, he lived alone.

It pained me to watch my father struggle. I tried hard to understand his frustrations, even when he was at his most belligerent, and did my best to alleviate them. I moved across the country to care for him after my mother died and, while we lived more than two hours apart, I regularly spent weekends with him, drove him to and from Florida each winter, and spent countless nights on the phone with his medical alert company or with paramedics each time he was unable to lift himself out of his chair late at night or, worse, took a fall.  read more

Awesome Workshop Add-Ons – Limited Slots Going Fast

LAS VEGAS – Limited seating is still available for the four Medtrade Spring workshops scheduled for day one of the show. Medtrade Spring runs April 16-18, 2019, at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. Workshops cover four vital topics: 1) continuing education via certification through BOC; 2) enhanced productivity with Brightree (Brightree customers only); 3) HME master sales training (complimentary add-on) with Mike Sperduti; and 4) competitive bidding – preparing the industry for a new round (presented by VGM).

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Medtrade Spring 2019 SmartSaver Rates Expire Dec 22

LAS VEGAS – Take advantage of the lowest possible rates for Medtrade Spring 2019, scheduled for April 16-18, 2019, at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas.

  • A SmartSaver Conference Pass is only $99 and allows full access to all educational sessions (and the Expo Hall) at Medtrade Spring.
  • A SmartSaver Expo Pass is only $25, and provides full access to the Expo Hall.

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Five Ways to Prepare Your Home for People Who Use Mobility Devices

VALLEY COTTAGE, NY – With the holiday season approaching, not only do you want to plan your menu and set up your festive décor, but you may also need to make your home accessible to loved ones who use mobility devices. When planning for temporary guests, whether they’re staying a day or a month, small changes can make a home a safe and comfortable place.

Whether you are preparing your own home, or recommending preparations to customers who come into your HME shop, here are five easy ways to make a home more accessible.

Click here to read more about the 5 ways to prepare your home

Medtrade – AIRS Founder Tackles Oxygen Humidification

NEWAYGO, MI – During last month’s Medtrade, Valerie Obenchain, founder and CEO, Advanced Interactive Response Systems (AIRS), Newaygo, Mich, debuted The Breathe Easy Moisture Exchange Cannula. The new moisture exchange tubing automatically humidifies oxygen to mimic the environment, and can replace the need for a humidifier.

As a registered respiratory therapist for the past two decades, Obenchain has seen a lot of needs go unmet, and it was her desire to do something about it that sparked the creation of AIRS. “Our first product takes the water out of the air and instantly humidifies that oxygen going to the patient,” says Obenchain. “It’s a clean and portable way to humidify. Currently there is not a good portable way to humidify oxygen. And when you breathe in that really dry air, it’s not pleasant. Now there is a solution.”  read more

MHCA – Missouri Health Care Association- Webinar Schedule

MHCA offers a wide range of sessions throughout the year on hot topics and changes that may impact the long term care industry. We offer a wide variety of in-seat and online education to meet your needs.

CPR: The Basics for Long-Term Care
October 29, 2018 | 10:00 – 11:00 am
1.0 Patient Care hour requested

  1. Review F678-Personnel provide basic life support, including CPR
  2. Understand the roles and responsibilities of the facility staff regarding CPR
  3. Overview of the policies required in regards to CPR. CPR continues to be an issue that is confusing.

Do we perform CPR? When do we do CPR? What guidelines are in place? In this session attendees will gain an understanding of the rights of residents to choose their code status and the facilities responsibilities to the resident to carry out the resident’s wishes.

MDS ADL Coding and Your QM’s/RUGS
November 13, 2018 | 2:00 – 3:00 pm
1.0 Admin hour

More details coming soon!

Click here for more information on Upcoming Education & Events

Check out their You Tube Channel for past webinars: MHCA YouTube Channel

7th Annual Statewide CNA/Nurse Leadership Conference!

CNA/Nurse Leadership Conference
November 7-8, 2018
Camden on the Lake
2359 Bittersweet Road
Lake Ozark, MO 65049
888-365-5620

Click here for more information

Note to MHCA Business Partners: We are seeking items for the give-away bags (pens, stress balls, etc.) and/or door prizes to give the approximately 200 attendees. If your organization would like to contribute to this event it would be very much appreciated! Any MHCA Business Partner that is able to donate will be included in the promotional materials sent to all facility administrators. All items must be shipped to our office no later than Friday, October 26, 2018. Contact Michelle Walters for more information and to donate!