Health Info & Resources for Seniors
Transitional Care Helps You Avoid Re-Hospitalization
Re-hospitalization – admission to a hospital soon after discharge – is common and expensive. In many situations, hospitalization is necessary and appropriate. However, nearly one in every five elderly patients who are discharged from the hospital are re-hospitalized within 30 days.
Returning to the hospital after recovering from an illness, injury or surgery is something nobody wants.
Oxygen Therapy Effectively Cures Hard-to-Heal Wounds
About 8 million Americans suffer from chronic wounds and the number is growing due to an aging population and the rising incidence of diabetes. Fortunately, hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) treatment therapy is a painless, highly effective method to heal wounds that are not responding to other treatments.
Everyone knows that oxygen is essential for breathing, but you might not be aware that skin tissue needs an adequate supply of oxygen to function.
Medications May Cause Heat Related Illness
Our body needs to maintain a core body temperature around 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. In order to accomplish this, it must generate heat or rid itself of excess heat, depending on our environment and activity level.
In order to cool ourselves, our blood vessels will dilate and we may begin to sweat. When we need to generate heat, our blood vessels will constrict and we may begin to shiver.
Smallest Pacemaker to Lehigh Valley
St. Luke’s University Health Network is pleased to announce the successful implantation of the Medtronic Micra Transcatheter Pacing System, the first in northeastern Pennsylvania. Cardiac electrophysiologist Sudip Nanda, MD, performed the procedure to implant the pacemaker on Tuesday, August 9 at St. Luke’s University Hospital Bethlehem. Mary Molinari of Mount Pocono is not only the first patient in northeastern Pennsylvania to benefit from this new technology, she is a primary example of how St. Luke’s is providing better health care to the people of Monroe County.
St. Luke’s Hospitals Excel in Annual Medicare Comparison
St. Luke’s University Health Network’s hospitals were awarded four stars this week in the annual Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) national ratings of hospitals. St. Luke’s University Hospital, St. Luke’s Allentown Hospital, St. Luke’s Anderson Hospital, St. Luke’s Miners Hospital and St. Luke’s Quakertown Hospital all received four stars out of five. St. Luke’s Warren Hospital earned a 3-star rating.
The new rating summarizes up to 64 quality measures over seven categories that include mortality, safety of care, readmission, patient experience, effectiveness of care, timeliness of care and efficient use of medical imaging.
Tips For a Better Sleep
Avoid Caffeine, Alcohol, and Nicotine
Avoid caffeine (coffee, tea, chocolate, cola) for four to six hours before bedtime. Alcohol acts as a stimulant, and will decrease your sleep quality. If you still smoke you should avoid smoking as you near you bedtime.
Make Your Bedroom Comfortable
Keep the bedroom quiet and dark to get a better sleep. Block light, keep the temperature comfortably cool -between 60 and 75°F- and the room well ventilated. Make sure you have a comfortable mattress and pillows. Keep computers, TVs, and work materials out of the room.