Hearing that your loved one may need hospice can be very threatening. Hospice care involved much more than simply tending to the terminally ill. Choosing hospice does not necessarily mean end of life, rather it can sometimes prolong life. The earlier hospice is used, the more patients can benefit from the care. Patients can cycle…

Many people use the term deaf to describe a total inability to hear. Other terms used are hearing loss and hearing impairment. 10% of the population are affected with some level of hearing loss. Hearing loss exists when there is a diminished sensitivity to sounds normally heard. Many factors can contribute to someone being born/becoming…

Suffering from a TBI is devastating for the individual and for their loved ones. No two people are alike and no two brain injuries are alike. Some symptoms an individual who have a TBI can experience: *Loss of consciousness for several minutes to several hours *Persistent/worsening headache *Repeated vomiting/nausea *Seizuers/convulsions *Dilated pupil(s) *Clear fluids draining…

As we all know illness or accidents can strike any of us at any time so it is best to be prepared. Advance directives are important for everyone to have regardless of how old you are. They are written documents stating your wishes regarding medical care or finances if you become unable to make decisions…

An estimated 23.6 million people, 7.8% of the U.S population are diagnosed with diabetes. It’s one of the leading causes of death and disability. What is Diabetes? Diabetes is a disorder of the metabolism-the way the body uses or converts food for energy and growth. There are two types of Diabetes, type 1 and type…

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, more commonly referred to as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and in the spinal cord. Some early signs to look for are muscle weakness and struggles with speech, swallowing, or breathing. ALS is one of the most common neuromuscular disorders…

It has been such a cold and snowy winter that we thought summer would never come. Well, summer is just around the corner and it is crucial to know how to remain cool in the hot months to come. Elderly people, young children, and people with chronic medical conditions are more prone to heat related…

Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital is a community based hospital in Lake Forest and is a subsidiary of Northwestern Memorial Health Care. It is one of the nation’s premiere academic medical center. Lisa and I had the privilege of being a vendor at their quarterly vendor fair. It was a pleasure meeting the case managers, nurses,…

I attended the monthly COC breakfast and really enjoyed it! The Lieberman Center hosted the event. Lieberman Center is a beautiful long-term care nursing facility with all private rooms. They also offer short-term rehabilitation and have a dementia special care unit. It was great to see everyone! It was nice to meet some new people…

Since May is National Mental Health Awareness month so I would like to provide some information on Mental Health. Mental Health Awareness Month is very important as its primary goal is to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness and to ensure those struggling with a mental illness that they are not alone. There are…