Product Recalls of interest to Seniors

Jennie-O Recalls Turkey Burger Product
Willmar-based Jennie-O Turkey Store is recalling nearly 55,000 pounds of frozen raw turkey burger products that may be contaminated with salmonella.

The recall affects four-pound boxes of Jennie-O Turkey Store "All Natural Turkey Burgers with seasonings Lean White Meat." Each box contains 12, one-third pound individually wrapped burgers.

The product has been sold exclusively at Sam's Club stores.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service says the product is tied to the illnesses of three people in Ohio, Colorado and Wisconsin.

Jennie-O has posted product recall information on its website. A news release from Food Safety and Inspection Services is available here.http://www.hormelfoodsproductrecall.com/

Angiocath Recall Now Class I
The FDA has raised the recall of the Mikro-Tip Angiographic Catheter to class I -- the agency's strongest -- because debris in the device may cause serious injury or death.

In March, Millar Instruments recalled all lots of catheter models SPC-454D and SPC-454F that have expiration dates beyond February 2011, an FDA statement said.

Fresh Express recalls spinach shipped to East Coast
Fresh Express onTuesday announced a precautionary recall of spinach shipped to Ohio and the Northeast after a positive result for salmonella from random sample testing. No illnesses have been reported.

The company recalled 2,939 cases of 9-ounce bag spinach with product codes starting with H081 and H082, UPC Code of 7127913204 and use-by dates of April 6 and April 7.

Consumers who purchased the product should discard it and contact their retailer for a refund.

Those with questions can call the Fresh Express Consumer Response Center at (800) 242-5472, Monday through Friday, 5 a.m. to 8p.m.

The spinach was distributed in Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Ohio and Maine. It may have been redistributed in New Jersey, Virginia, Delaware, Vermont, New Hampshire, West Virginia and Washington, D.C.

Health and Wellness for Senior Citizens

Baby Boomers and Seniors, ages 51 and older, are more likely to go online to access their Personal Health Records (PHR) than younger adults.

What is a Personal Health Record (PHR)?
From the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA)

The PHR is a tool that you can use to collect, track and share past and current information about your health or the health of someone in your care. Sometimes this information can save you the money and inconvenience of repeating routine medical tests. Even when routine procedures do need to be repeated, your PHR can give medical care providers more insight into your personal health story.
Remember, you are ultimately responsible for making decisions about your health. A PHR can help you accomplish that.

Important points to know about a Personal Health Record:

• You should always have access to your complete health information.
• Information in your PHR should be accurate, reliable, and complete.
• You should have control over how your health information is accessed, used, and disclosed.
• A PHR may be separate from and does not normally replace the legal medical record of any provider.

Medical records and your personal health record (PHR) are not the same thing. Medical records contain information about your health compiled and maintained by each of your healthcare providers. A PHR is information about your health compiled and maintained by you. The difference is in how you use your PHR to improve the quality of your healthcare.

Take an active role in monitoring your health and healthcare by creating your own PHR. PHRs are an inevitable and critical step in the evolution of health information management (HIM).

The most common health records recorded in a PHR are:

• List of significant illnesses and operations
• Medication Record
• Significant Family History of Disease
• Immunization Record
• Copies of Consent and Authorization Forms

For more information and to set up your PHR go to http://www.myphr.com or contact your doctor to see if they have any plan for helping patients create personal health records (PHR).

Evaluating a Patient’s Ability to Live Independently

By Steven E. Reznick, M.D., FACP

As a geriatrician in a locale with many elderly retirees, I am frequently asked how long mom or dad (or both) can stay in their home and live safely and successfully.  It is clearly a complicated issue even if the individuals involved are cognitively and mentally intact, physically capable and financially able to pay for support and help.
 

There is much to consider. Are the patients physically able to maneuver within their household safely?  If sleep is being interrupted constantly by the night time urge to urinate, can the patient safely navigate the trip to the bathroom without suffering a fall? If they get to the bathroom can they easily manipulate a standard toilet?   If they need to clean themselves and bathe can they get in and out of the shower or bath without falling and injuring themselves? 

Fortunately there are elderly home experts who will travel to the home and evaluate it for safety.  They make an assessment and provide a written report to the patient and the ordering physician. Many of these safety personnel are specially trained home health company nurses sent into the home by the patient’s physician. In many cases, Medicare or the patients’ insurance will cover the cost of the evaluation. Once the evaluation is complete, they will suggest certified and responsible contractors to do the home safety alterations. 

While our goal is always to keep the patient in their home if possible there are many issues other than the safety of the physical plant to consider. One needs to consider how much supervision and assistance the patient needs to perform their normal activities of daily living?  Can they dress and groom themselves independently?  Can they prepare meals for themselves and clean up after them?  Can they get to the store to shop for food and supplies?  Can they get to their doctors’ appointments? What happens if they become injured or ill?  Do they wear a device which allows them to call for help if they are immobile and cannot get to the phone? 

The option of paying someone to care for your elderly loved one is quite expensive. It will cost a minimum of $15 per hour to supply inexpensive help. You may need more than one person so that the staff has time off for their personal needs.  Some families choose to hire a companion who in exchange for room and board supplies help and supervision. This is always risky especially if you don’t/cannot check the background of the individual you are inviting into the home.

If you can afford to pay for help and to alter the home for safety there is always the issue of socialization. Many of my patients who have lost their mates have also lost their friends. They no longer have someone or a group to pal around with.

One particularly spry 93 year old patient was still playing golf, going to the gym and aerobics class three days a week and playing cards regularly. Her golf foursome and card game participants all had passed away or moved closer to their children for support.  Although she had the finances to hire a wonderful aide around the clock she was lonely for companionship despite living in a large country club on a golf course.   She became a wonderful candidate for the correct assisted living facility with a broad range of social activities and residents of a similar age looking for companionship as well.

These are complex issues which require the assistance of the individual’s physician in most cases. It is important for the individual to choose and retain a physician who will take the time to talk to family and professionals involved in the enrichment of their lives.

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Steven E. Reznick, M.D., FACP is a board certified internist, with added training in geriatrics, practicing concierge medicine in Boca Raton, Florida since 1979. He has been recognized by his peers as a “Best Doc” as published in Miami magazine and the Miami Herald.  For more info call 561.368.0191 or go to www.BocaConciergeDoc.com.  You can read Dr. Reznick’s acclaimed blog at http://bocaratonconciergedoctor.wordpress.com/.

PRODUCT RECALLS: Tylenol Recall and Frankly Fresh Seafood Salad Recall

TYLENOL® 8 Hour Extended Release Caplets 150 count
McNeil Consumer Healthcare, Division of McNEIL-PPC, Inc., is recalling one product lot of TYLENOL® 8 Hour Extended Release Caplets 150 count bottles distributed in the United States. McNeil is taking this action as part of our ongoing surveillance and monitoring efforts that identified a small number of complaints of a musty or moldy odor. The uncharacteristic odor is thought to be caused by the presence of trace amounts of chemicals called 2,4,6-tribromoanisole (TBA) and 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA). This voluntary action is being taken as a precaution and the risk of adverse medical events is remote. The product was manufactured at the McNeil Consumer Healthcare plant in Fort Washington, PA prior to the company's voluntary closure of the facility in April 2010.
The lot number for the recalled product can be found on the side of the bottle label.
FULL RECALLED PRODUCT LIST:

Product Name	Lot Number	UPC Code
TYLENOL® 8 HOUR EXTENDED RELEASE CAPLET 150 count	ADM074	300450297181

Consumers who purchased product from the lot included in this recall should stop using the product and contact McNeil Consumer Healthcare, either at www.tylenol.com or by calling 1-888-222-6036 (Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time) for instructions about receiving a refund or product coupon. Consumers who have medical concerns or questions should contact their healthcare provider.

Frankly Fresh Inc. Voluntarily Recalls Seafood Salad Products Because Of Possible Health Risk

Frankly Fresh, Inc. of Carson, CA. is voluntarily recalling its seafood line of products, because it has the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.

Although healthy individuals may suffer only short term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

Product was distributed in the California and Nevada Areas through retail supermarket stores. Products are packed under the Frankly Fresh label in a variety of sizes in plastic containers with safety seals on. The full list of products can be seen here.

Subscribe to the Senior Wellness Specialists Blog to get up-to-date information on product recalls and other information of value, especially to people 55 and older.

Don't Get Fooled: Frauds Impacting Seniors

There are many scammers targeting seniors with fraudulent claims and offers.

Here are some highlights taken from the FBI webpage on Common Fraud Schemes.

If you are age 60 or older—and especially if you are an older woman living alone—you may be a special target of people who sell bogus products and services by telephone. Telemarketing scams often involve offers of free prizes, low-cost vitamins and health care products, and inexpensive vacations.

Always check out unfamiliar companies with your local consumer protection agency, Better Business Bureau, state attorney general, the National Fraud Information Center, or other watchdog groups. Unfortunately, not all bad businesses can be identified through these organizations.

Be wary of companies that want to send a messenger to your home to pick up money, claiming it is part of their service to you. In reality, they are taking your money without leaving any trace of who they are or where they can be reached.

Always take your time making a decision. Legitimate companies won't pressure you to make a snap decision.

Never send money or give out personal information such as credit card numbers and expiration dates, bank account numbers, dates of birth, or social security numbers to unfamiliar companies or unknown persons.

If you have been victimized once, be wary of persons who call offering to help you recover your losses for a fee paid in advance.

Do not do business with door-to-door or telephone salespeople who tell you that services of medical equipment are free.

Give your insurance/Medicare identification only to those who have provided you with medical services.

Do you have any questions about fraud?  

Dealing with the issue of Aging Parents

I am writing this in response to an article published in the Mercury News titled "Savvy Senior: Elder mediation can help adult families resolve conflicts"

How you deal with the issue of aging parents has a lot to do with the way you were raised. As kids do you remember having dinner with grandparents? Visiting with them at their home? Watching your parents interact with them? Was there respect shown the grandparents? Many cultures revere their elders and gain tremendous insight into many wonderful things through them. But when respect and reverence are absent resentment and anger tend to show their ugly face. Solutions exist before the first salvo is fired, making mediation the choice of last resort.

Money matters among other things, as we have read, bring out the worst in people. The expenses associated with maintaining an independent and dignified lifestyle are enormous.. Insurance and medical costs have gone through the roof. Parents and adult children find themselves in a very stressful situation, as each worries about how they will manage in retirement.

Mom and Dad are living longer and are going through their savings fast, Most Boomers want to be able to help in some way. But they worry about their own retirement. They fret and fight amongst themselves over whether they can or should help out their parents if the need arises, as in the case of a parent having to enter an assisted living facility or a nursing home. Sadly, there have been instances reported where their kids have had to sell off jewelry and other possessions to pay for more time in a facility. From here the frustration and resentment continue to mount.

Boomers who were fortunate enough to have had positive family role models in their youth usually show a strong willingness and a certain calmness when faced with being put in the role of caregiver. Not so much for those whose memories of family time in their childhood were less positive … love, compassion, and tolerance are learned. We all have the capacity to acquire them. We just need better role models.

• How willing are you to give of your time if your parents need you? 
• Sibling rivalry in adulthood can be as intense in this scenario as it was in your youth?
• Who's going to take charge of your parents' finances to make sure their needs are met?
• Which of you is nearest Mom and Dad to check up on them if they're still living on their own? Chances are one of you is going to feel put out.
• On whom does the responsibility fall to be the primary caregiver in old age?

The need for greater involvement of one's family in the care of loved ones in later years has never been presented with this much clarity. The government wants you to participate more; heck they're willing to pay you to stay home with Mom/Dad instead of Medicare and Medicaid picking up the tab at a much higher cost. Unless you have a plan to implement to get you through some of these tough times, expect chaos, apathy and total resentment from your siblings.

The last thing any parent wants to see is their kids miserable. Even if you weren't lucky enough to have great role models growing up, there are things you can do to make the transition to caregiver an enjoyable one. Start by meeting with an attorney to map out how your parents will be cared for as they age; he/she will help determine who among you is best equipped (emotionally and financially) to act on behalf of the parents; as well as who gets what when the parents pass. Long-term life-care insurance should be purchased in your 30s, 40s and 50s; any later and it is cost prohibitive. Insurance companies are also looking into insurance policies that let you age-in-place at home by paying for modifications to your house. And there are communities in suburban areas popping up where neighbors share various expenses, making aging-in-place more affordable. Concierge programs and services exist that can help you plan and assist with all your health and wellness needs.

Do you have concerns about taking care of your aging parents?  We'd love to hear from you with any questions or comments that you might have.

Financial Hurdles of Aging

There's no getting around it, aging is very expensive! Hard fact: Tens of millions of Boomers are stressing out over caring for their parents while at the same time trying to map out a course for themselves for the day they lose their independence. We have officially entered a Tsunami of Seniors. But there is hope.

We're living longer and paying for increased medical procedures. We also have to place parents in assisted living facilities for special care, where they go through their life's savings quickly. The fastest growing segment of the aging population is the 85 group. As was pointed out by many of you in your comments, Medicare and Medicaid may not be able to handle the demand placed on them. Signs of problems manifested over a decade ago when Florida and Tennessee put a moratorium on the construction of nursing homes; they had simply begun to run out of money to pay for the care of the elderly. Somehow the rapid growth of the senior population fell under their radar. Further cuts to both programs will take shape by 2012, as Congress tries to balance the national budget.

Suffice it to say a greater burden will be placed on families to take care of their own. So much for parents not wanting to be a burden to their kids or to be an inconvenience to friends.

It's been reported in the various media time and again that compared with their parents' generation, Boomers have amassed significantly greater wealth. It's fair to say, in light of current economic hardships placed on them, they will now have to strike a balance between the dream of a fun, relaxed lifestyle and the changing realities that aging has brought to the landscape.

The government has incentives for families that decide to take in loved ones who would otherwise be placed in a nursing home. It is significantly less expensive to write a monthly check to the family than to pay for the 24/7 care provided at a nursing home.

Other new concepts in senior living are also emerging. In the planning stages in Florida is a village where seniors live on their own in lushly landscaped suburban communities and are able bundle all expenses at discounted rates with their neighbors. This would include doctor visits, transportation, entertainment, etc. Homes are Universally designed and technologically enhanced so residents can age safely, worry-free in a 21st Century approach to senior living.

Less costly alternatives to assisted living and nursing homes exist. Concierge programs and services allow you to live independently in your own home through technological innovations that make it possible to stay connected to loved ones and friends.

Long-term care insurance providers are also taking a fresh new look at selling policies that will help pay for expenses related to aging. If purchased by people in their 30s and 40s the costs would be very reasonable. Let's all try to be better prepared for the second half of our lives.

Any Questions or Comments?  
Our panel of experts will answer all questions, from the government's role in taking care of seniors to family and sources to help make the transition. Email us or use the comment section below.