The Brunner/Mazel Mental Health Practice Under Managed Care Series addresses the major developments and changes resulting from the introduction of managed care in health care delivery. Volumes in the series enable mental health professionals to provide effective therapy to their patients while conducting and maintaining a successful practice. The series is under general editorial direction of S. Richard Sauber, Ph.D.
A working manual for brief, effective treatment of adjustment disorders. Following the authors’ step-by-step format, the therapist progresses from initial contact and diagnosis through treatment, assessment of progress, and termination. The psychotherapeutic focus is tailored to the demands of managed care programs, and closely follows the DSM-IV — enabling therapists to demonstrate the need for proven-effective treatment appropriate for a specific impairment within a specific time frame as required by managed care and insurance companies.
What are the causes of dementia? Just what is dementia? How will caregivers knowledge of this disease help them provide better care? Knowledge is power. This dementia overview will help you, as a caregiver, to understand the various causes of dementia and what you can do to be prepared to provide quality care with confidence. Knowledge will take the mystery out of the condition and allow you to develop a plan for handling behaviors and changes as they present themselves.
There are so many different causes of dementia it is difficult at times to tell them apart. There are a variety of health related conditions that can cause dementia symptoms, especially in aging adults. These causes include a variety of different diseases and infections, head injuries, nutritional deficiencies, medications, drug abuse and strokes.
To understand dementia is to become aware that this disease is the result of a disease or injury. In other words, something causes injury or insult (through a disease process) to the brain first. If the injury or insult to the brain is severe or progressive, the brains ability to properly function is compromised mentally, physically and emotionally.
All dementias affect the tissue of the brain. All affect different areas of the brain and at different levels of progression. There are times when the underlying cause does not have a permanent affect on the brain. In these cases, such as with nutritional deficits, the symptoms may be reversed.
All dementias cause a malfunction of a part of the brains tissue. The cortex of the brain is the outer covering of the brain and plays an important role in understanding information and connecting functions of the brain such as language and memory.
When the cortex of the brain is affected, characteristic problems affect memory and the inability to recall words. As the disease progresses, the individual looses that ability to understand what others are saying (receptive aphasia) or to express their needs and wants (aphasia). Dementias in this category are Alzheimer’s, Pick’s disease, Binswanger’s and Creutzfeld-Jakob disease.
Some conditions affect the regions below the cortex of the brain. This is known as the sub cortical area of the brain. This area of the brain is responsible for the thought processes and personality areas of the brain. This can cause lack of emotions, cause a person to have false beliefs and irrational thoughts. Memory and language abilities may or may not be affected in this type of demenita. Diseases that cause dementia in this category are Parkinson’s, Huntingdon’s, and AIDs dementia complex.
So how does knowimg the causes of dementia empower caregivers to provide better care?
Dementia is a progressive decline in the brains ability to feel emotions, remember things, problem solve, plan and organize. Cognitive abilities also include executive functions such as making decisions, judgments and morale reasoning. Over time the individual looses the mental abilities to be able to function independently.
Knowing the causes of dementia, understanding which areas of the brain that will be affected, will allow caregivers to be able to anticipate what to expect as the disease progresses. Some with this disease will have difficulty with language, others will have behavioral and personality changes. These anticipated changes can help a care giver plan, anticipate, investigate and prepare for interventions to provide quality care.
Understanding the disease process and understanding the possible physical, mental, cognitive and personality changes, gives a caregiver the ability to make choices. Knowledge can give caregiver information, so that they know what level of care they will or will not be capable of physically or emotionally able to provide.
Understanding the causes of dementia, acquiring the knowledge of the areas to the brain that will be affected will empower caregivers with the knowledge to provide quality care at every level of the disease.
Diane Carbo Registered Nurse has more than thirty five years in the nursing field. Her experience as a geriatric care manager, makes her uniquely qualified to help those who want to live out their lives in their own homes. That decision may be made when you are 20, 30, 40 or in fact at any age, with sooner rather than later being ideal. Diane has developed a web site to make people aware of issues and options. You will find extensive helpful information that will be continually updated. Please visit Diane’s web site and learn more about the causes of dementia. Sign up for “The Caring Advocate” her free newlsetter and take advantage of a complimentary e-course Advocating For Yourself and Others.
Dr. Jane Ginsberg, Founder and President of AskAnAlly.com, the provider of free online advice from a psychologist, announces workshops in the Denver area, titled, Coping With Being Older and Wiser Than Everyone Else A Series.
The ten part series focuses on many of the struggles people face during this often difficult stage of life. Workshops include: Creating the Next Chapter, Family Dynamics, Transitions, Coping With the Holidays, Anxiety and Depression. Participants are invited to share their stories and feelings in a safe and nurturing environment. The series will be held during ten consecutive weeks to encourage a sense of community amongst attendees.
Dr. Ginsberg recently facilitated the series at a retirement home where she consults, and they were hugely popular. She has developed a follow up series called, Coping With Being Older and Wiser Than Everyone Else Forever Young. This builds on the original and introduces some new themes, including: Celebrating Life, How to Create the Support You Need, and Telling Our Stories. She is thrilled to now be able to make them both available to the general public.
Jane Ginsberg is quickly becoming one of the go-to experts on Elder Care in the industry. She not only sees elderly clients and their families in her private practice, but she also consults for elder care facilities, runs workshops, and acts as a mediator for families dealing with the trials and tribulations of having a loved one grow older.
As a mediator, Dr. Ginsberg wears a different hat, The goal is to make decisions. Its not necessarily to mend a relationship. She suggests that families shop around to find a mediator who is right for them. The AskAnAlly.com Elder Care Resources page offers many options.
Dr. Ginsberg is also featured in the May 2012 issue of More Magazine in the article, Quibbling Siblings: Elder Care Edition by Lise Funderburg. The author shares her personal story of caring for her ailing father as he battled stage 4 prostate cancer, and how this shared responsibility permanently changed her relationship with her two sisters. She calls the process a monumental rite of passage.
Dr. Ginsberg, along with several other experts in the field, is quoted throughout the article. She speaks to the fact that these situations often bring us right back to childhood, If you were a kid who felt left out a lot, you tend to experience whatever happens with your siblings now as if that were still going on, she says. Luckily, she says, As an adult, you come to the table with many more skills than you did as a child.
The May issue of More Magazine is on newsstands now. Lise Funderburg is a writer and editor based in Philadelphia. Her latest book is Pig Candy: Taking My Father South, Taking My Father Home.
For more information on the upcoming workshops and the possibility of holding workshops in your area, visit the AskAnAlly.com/Events page.
Jane Ginsberg is a psychologist and the founder and creator of AskAnAlly.com. She has been helping people reach their full potential for over 28 years. She currently divides her time between Denver, Colorado, and Cape Cod, Massachusetts, with her daughter, Hannah and their dog, Chester.
Due to greater understanding of how many Americans live with mental illnesses and addiction disorders and how expensive the total healthcare expenditures are for this group, we have reached a critical tipping point when it comes to healthcare reform. We understand the importance of treating the healthcare needs of individuals with serious mental illnesses and responding to the behavioral healthcare needs of all Americans. This is creating a series of exciting opportunities for the behavioral health community and a series of unprecedented challenges mental-health organizations across the U.S. are determined to provide expertise and leadership that supports member organizations, federal agencies, states, health plans, and consumer groups in ensuring that the key issues facing persons with mental-health and substance use disorders are properly addressed and integrated into healthcare reform.
In anticipation of parity and mental healthcare reform legislation, the many national and community mental health organizations have been thinking, meeting and writing for well over a year. Their work continues and their outputs guide those organizations lobbying for government healthcare reform..
MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE DELIVERY
1. Mental Health/Substance Use Health Provider Capacity Building: Community mental health and substance use treatment organizations, group practices, and individual clinicians will need to improve their ability to provide measurable, high-performing, prevention, early intervention, recovery and wellness oriented services and supports.
2. Person-Centered Healthcare Homes: There will be much greater demand for integrating mental health and substance use clinicians into primary care practices and primary care providers into mental health and substance use treatment organizations, using emerging and best practice clinical models and robust linkages between primary care and specialty behavioral healthcare.
3. Peer Counselors and Consumer Operated Services: We will see expansion of consumer-operated services and integration of peers into the mental health and substance use workforce and service array, underscoring the critical role these efforts play in supporting the recovery and wellness of persons with mental health and substance use disorders.
4. Mental Health Clinic Guidelines: The pace of development and dissemination of mental health and substance use clinical guidelines and clinical tools will increase with support from the new Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute and other research and implementation efforts. Of course, part of this initiative includes helping mental illness patients find a mental health clinic nearby.
MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM MANAGEMENT
5. Medicaid Expansion and Health Insurance Exchanges: States will need to undertake major change processes to improve the quality and value of mental health and substance use services at parity as they redesign their Medicaid systems to prepare for expansion and design Health Insurance Exchanges. Provider organizations will need to be able to work with new Medicaid designs and contract with and bill services through the Exchanges.
6. Employer-Sponsored Health Plans and Parity: Employers and benefits managers will need to redefine how to use behavioral health services to address absenteeism and presenteeism and develop a more resilient and productive workforce. Provider organizations will need to tailor their service offerings to meet employer needs and work with their contracting and billing systems.
7. Accountable Care Organizations and Health Plan Redesign: Payers will encourage and in some cases mandate the development of new management structures that support healthcare reform including Accountable Care Organizations and health plan redesign, providing guidance on how mental health and substance use should be included to improve quality and better manage total healthcare expenditures. Provider organizations should take part in and become owners of ACOs that develop in their communities.
MENTAL HEALTHCARE INFRASTRUCTURE
8. Quality Improvement for Mental Healthcare: Organizations including the National Quality Forum will accelerate the development of a national quality improvement strategy that contains mental-health and substance use performance measures that will be used to improve delivery of mental-health and substance use services, patient health outcomes, and population health and manage costs. Provider organizations will need to develop the infrastructure to operate within this framework.
9. Health Information Technology: Federal and state HIT initiatives need to reflect the importance of mental-health and substance use services and include mental-health and substance use providers and data requirements in funding, design work, and infrastructure development. Provider organizations will need to be able to implement electronic health records and patient registries and connect these systems to community health information networks and health information exchanges.
10. Healthcare Payment Reform: Payers and health plans will need to design and implement new payment mechanisms including case rates and capitation that contain value-based purchasing and value-based insurance design strategies that are appropriate for persons with mental health and substance use disorders. Providers will need to adapt their practice management and billing systems and work processes in order to work with these new mechanisms.
11. Workforce Development: Major efforts including work of the new Workforce Advisory Committee will be needed to develop a national workforce strategy to meet the needs of persons with mental health and substance use disorder including expansion of peer counselors. Provider organizations will need to participate in these efforts and be ready to ramp up their workforce to meet unfolding demand.
Linda Rosenberg is the president and CEO of the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare. TNC specializes in lobbying for research toward the diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses. Lean more at http://www.thenationalcouncil.org.
CSAP Director Frances Harding discusses with SAMHSA’s CAPT Principal Investigator Wayne Harding the agency’s vision for delivering prevention services in the context of behavioral health.
good4ukid.com alcohol abuse prevention alcohol addiction alcohol awareness alcohol drug abuse prevention alcohol education alcohol effects drug and alcohol prevention drug prevention marijuana alcohol
The need for trained professionals in health care administration is staggering. The Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2011 reported that health care will generate $ 3.2 million in new wage and salary jobs in the decade from 2008 to 2018, more than any other industry, primarily due to the rapid growth among Americas elderly population. Half of the fastest growing occupations today are related to health care. The growth of this sector is projected to grow 22 percent through 2018, compared to 11 percent for all other industries combined.
LETUs new Health Care Management and Administration degrees are offered completely online with a curriculum that blends Christ-centered, professional ethics with a strong understanding of the health care industrys systems and practices. Rigorous academic work will prepare graduates with the knowledge, skills and decision-making ability they need to succeed and have a positive, compassionate impact on the lives of others.
These programs are a perfect fit for professionals who want to bring a Christian worldview into their health management careers and for students who want a class schedule that accommodates their work, family and other obligations and who want to start immediately, said Carol Green, vice president for LETUs School of Graduate and Professional Studies. The program is affordable and attainable, and it focuses on not only physical and mental health, but also spiritual health. At traditional programs, this component is not always integrated into the course work.
The Associate of Science in Health Care Management degree provides students with entry-level skills to start in this growing industry.
The Bachelor of Science in Health Care Management prepares students to be effective leaders in health administration.
The Master of Science in Health Care Administration is designed for professionals who want to move into administration, expand their knowledge base, improve organizational effectiveness or manage their own health-related business. Graduate-level business and leadership courses prepare students for increasing responsibility within their organizations.
Classes will be taught by expert faculty with experience in the health care field and with a worldview that reflects the Christian faith in issues of ethics, integrity and call to service in the lives of the patients they will assist. The new degrees also will be offered on-ground in Fall 2012 at LeTourneaus Dallas education center.
LeTourneau works with students to transfer their previously earned credits toward these degrees, which can accelerate degree completion and reduce the overall cost of education.
LETUs three new health management degrees are accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. They are designed to be affordably priced to help students attain their career goals. Federal financial aid is available for those who qualify. The graduate program does not require the GRE or GMAT exam for admission to the program for students with a college grade point average of 2.8 or higher.
LeTourneau University is an interdenominational, evangelical Christian university that offers academic majors in aviation, business, criminal justice, education, engineering, health science-nursing, human services, liberal arts, science and psychology. LETU was recently named the #2 Online Christian College & University of 2011 as ranked by The Best Colleges. LETU classes are held both online and at its main campus in Longview, Texas, and at educational locations in Austin, Bedford, Dallas, Houston, Athens, Harlingen and Tyler.
For more information on the three new health care administration degrees at LeTourneau University, go to http://www.adults.letu.edu or call toll free 1-866-430-5388.
This digital document is an article from Family Practice News, published by International Medical News Group on April 15, 2011. The length of the article is 7796 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details Title: Major depressive disorder in primary care: best practices for achieving and maintaining remission.(PSYCH Clinician REPORT) Author: Rakesh Jain Publication:Family Practice News (Magazine/Journal) Date: April 15, 2011 Publisher: International Medical News Group Volume: 41 Issue: 7 Page: S1(8)
Home Care Assistance, the leading provider of in-home care for seniors, is proud to announce the launch of AlzheimersHomeCare.com. Created for families evaluating care solutions for a loved one with Alzheimers disease, the AlzheimersHomeCare.com website provides a more in-depth understanding of what in-home care is and how caregivers can provide assistance at any stage of the disease, thus enabling people with Alzheimer’s to continue living in the comfortable environment of home. By filling out the form on the website, individuals will automatically receive the What is Home Care Guide, a 19-page guide designed to answer questions that routinely come up regarding in-home care. The guide also provides tools to help families choose an appropriate home care agency and well-matched caregiver.
AlzheimersHomeCare.com is one of many consumer educational initiatives we are launching to inform families about care options and solutions, said Kathryn Zakskorn, Public Relations and Marketing Manager of Home Care Assistance. With over 15 million family members providing some level of Alzheimers or dementia care, it is important that we make educational tools easily available to those looking into in-home care as a way to provide high quality care for their loved ones and respite for themselves.
Understanding Alzheimers and creating a care plan early on can help promote a higher quality of life for individuals with Alzheimers and help family members more effectively cope with the challenges of the condition as it progresses. There is often a great deal of anxiety associated with managing a chronic condition in a loved one; in-home care can be an invaluable resource in providing relief for the family caregiver, peace of mind for the family and consistency for the individual living with Alzheimers.
As an Alzheimers Early Detection Alliance (AEDA) Champion and the leading experts in live-in care, we understand the needs of individuals who require around-the-clock assistance, said Shadi Gholizadeh, Business Operations Manager of Home Care Assistance. We have been able to help countless families who have a loved one with Alzheimers and now can transfer that expertise into informative resources for the public. As a company, we are committed to providing education and resources to individuals suffering from Alzheimers and the family members who care for them.
For more information about Home Care Assistance please visit [http://www.homecareassistance.com or call 1-866-454-8346.
ABOUT HOME CARE ASSISTANCE
Home Care Assistance is the leading provider of home care for seniors across the United States and Canada. Our mission is to change the way the world ages. We provide older adults with quality care that enables them to live happier, healthier lives at home. Our services are distinguished by the caliber of our caregivers, the responsiveness of our staff and our expertise in Live-In care. We embrace a positive, balanced approach to aging centered on the evolving needs of older adults. A 2012 Franchise500
Until the end of January, 2012, the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is accepting public comment regarding its approach to establishing essential health benefits (EHB) that will be covered under the new health care system being developed as a result of the Affordable Health Care Act. The American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine (ACTCM) is asking members of the public to show their support for making acupuncture an EHB by sending an email to HHS.
A strong public show of public support for acupuncture as an essential health benefit will draw the attention of policymakers and set the stage for further federal acupuncture initiatives. Alissa Cohan, Director of Communications at ACTCM says the easiest way to voice support is by sending email to EssentialHealthBenefits(at)cms(dot)hhs(dot)govand be sure to include name and address.
Americans are increasingly finding optimal health care is not in Western medicine or Eastern medicinebut in integrative medicine with treatments that draw from the best of both traditional and contemporary ideas and treatments, said Cohan. This is an opportunity for us to make access to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) treatment universal, so that more can benefit from its well-documented benefits.
Cohan says that personal messages are much more effective than chain messages, and provides tips for what to write. They include:
