During a rare free moment this month, I was able to visit my cosmetologist for a little bit of rare pampering. As we sat together – our conversation muffled by our masks – she made a funny little quip. “Oh, ‘Rona,” she proclaimed. “Are we going to be buying you a holiday gift this year?”
Career paths are a popular back-to-school topic as millions of students around the country return to the classroom – or virtual classroom, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.
As we enter another month of dealing with the ever-changing pandemic, new challenges continue to present themselves. One of the more frustrating aspects as a healthcare professional is keeping up with minute-by-minute changes in information.
Vaccines play a key role in preventing serious illness over the course of our lives. This remains true in our senior years – including when facing a chronic or terminal illness. Most people began receiving vaccinations as children to prevent illnesses including diphtheria, measles, mumps, polio, smallpox, tetanus, and whooping cough. Over the years, others were developed including vaccines to prevent hepatitis A and B, influenza, and chicken pox. Thanks to these vaccines, smallpox has been eradicated and polio is no longer in transmission in the United States.
During a time in which social distancing is the norm, it’s more important than ever to find alternative ways to stay in touch with loved ones. Isolation can often lead to feelings of loneliness and even depression — especially for seniors who live alone. Thankfully, social media can be a great tool to counteract some of these feelings, as it enables communication and updates between friends and family, all while keeping a safe distance.
Whether they are called CNAs or STNAs, hospice aides provide essential personal care to patients from bathing and grooming to assisting with meals and toileting needs. It is intimate care that creates strong bonds between the aide and their patients.
