10 Tips for Brain Fitness

Like the rest of your body, your brain requires exercise to stay fit. Fortunately, Botsford Hospital in Farmington Hills, MI provides us with 10 easy daily activities we can all do to maintain our brains. These tips are especially important for seniors!

1. Play games for 15 minutes
2. Meditate daily for relaxation
3. Eat healthy fats for better brain function: fish oils, olive oil, flaxseed and walnuts
4. Tell detailed stories - the details help you solidify memories
5. Turn off your TV!
6. Exercise your body to increase oxygen to your brain
7. Branch out and read something different
8. Learn a new skill
9. Make simple changes - the more something is second nature, the less your brain has to work to do it
10. Train your brain by focusing on fun activities that promote memory, visualization and reasoning

Nursing Homes: What are Special Focus Facilities?

One important thing to look out for when searching for a nursing home is whether a particular facility has been designated as a Special Focus Facility (SFF). States and the CMS (Medicare and Medicaid) identify nursing homes as special focus facilities when they have a history of "poor compliance."

As an example, I checked with the state of Michigan and as of 12/10/09, only four nursing homes made it's list of Special Focus Facilities:

• Heartland Healthcare Center of Kalamazoo, MI (CMS says this facility has shown improvement, but strangely enough a WhereToFindCare.com member disagrees)
  
• Riverview Manor in Three Rivers, MI (newly added)
  
• Royalton Manor in St. Joseph, MI (have not improved)
  
• South Haven Nursing & Rehabilitation Community in South Haven, MI (have shown improvement)

As a Special Focus Facility, each of these are inspected by the state of Michigan every six months. If they do not show "significant" improvement, they will no longer be allowed to participate in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Usually nursing homes have 18-24 months to improve but special circumstances (like a sale to new owners) can earn an extension.

Whether you were a patient, visitor or caregiver, it is important to rate your nursing home so others have the information they need to find the best one for them. If you have an experience, we want to know what you think of these nursing homes. Do you agree with CMS?

Here's the state of Michigan's list of Special Focus Facilities and here is more information from CMS about the Special Focus Facility program, including a national facility list. Read more about choosing a nursing home or start your search.

What Do You Do If You Can't Afford Your Medication?

These days, many people are finding themselves unable to afford their prescriptions. What do you do if you can't afford your medication?

We found a few free prescription assistance programs and resources available to help:

Together Rx Access
RxAssist
NeedyMeds
Partnership for Prescription Assistance

Many drug companies also have assistance programs for patients using their medicines. Find out what company makes your prescription medication and visit their website to see if they offer help. A few of the major drug makers are below:

GlaxoSmithKline
AstraZeneca
Merck
Pfizer
Abbott

Talk to your doctor for more resources that may be able to help. If you can't afford to see a doctor, you should try a free clinic or federally qualified health center (FQHC) in your area. They provide free or low-cost care to those who qualify, and are often able to assist with medication.

If you know of any other prescription assistance programs, please share them by commenting below.

Obama Addresses Health Care Reform at Town Hall

On Thursday 6/11/09, President Obama addressed U.S. health care reform at a town hall in Green Bay, WI. He outlined his goals and stressed the need for swift change. He also emphasized strongly that he is not proposing "socialized medicine" and that he is not interested in government running the US health care system. While he clarified some points, several questions still remain.

Among the reasons for swift change:

1. The US spends 50% more than other countries, yet receives no better quality


2. The cost of health care increased three times faster than the cost of labor in recent years


3. The cost of doing nothing will be much higher in years to come

Obama's goal: Quality health care for every American at an affordable cost.

What Obama proposes:

1. Invest in wellness programs


2. Allow those who like their doctors or health care plans to keep them


3. Change provider incentives so they are not rewarded for performing unnecessary tests and procedures, or those that result in mistakes. He says the current system "equates expensive care with better care" and pays based on the number of tests and procedures performed.


4. Provide more affordable health insurance options


5. Create a "health insurance exchange" for health insurance one-stop-shopping. Consumers will be able to compare plans and choose what's best for them.


6. Require that no plans be able to deny coverage based on pre-existing conditions


7. Provide assistance to consumers who cannot afford a basic benefits package

President Obama also announced that more information will be revealed in the coming days about his cost savings plans that will help pay for health care reforms. He hopes Congress will submit a health care plan sometime in October.

While the President did his best to explain his goals for a public health insurance option, some important questions still remain. Like, will the healthcare system have enough capacity to serve the additional 47 million currently uninsured patients? As these patients become insured under a public health plan and utilize more health care resources, will this put a strain on the system and create treatment delays for everyone?

If a new public health insurance is implemented as suggested, why would anybody choose a private health care option? Will employers continue to offer private health insurance in benefits packages or will they encourage employees to utilize public insurance in order to save money? And what will that mean to private insurance companies and consumers' choice?

Current public health care plans such as Medicare and Medicaid traditionally do not pay much to providers and often do not cover the cost of providing care...with more patients having public insurance, what will that mean for providers' ability to cover costs and stay in business?

It sounds like a grand plan with great benefit; however very few details are available that would allow anyone to determine if it is actually feasible. As the saying goes, "the devil is in the details." We'll all just have to wait to learn more.

In the meantime, if you're uninsured and cannot afford health care you still have options. Free clinics and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) exist nationwide to provide free or low-cost basic health care to those in need. Go to WhereToFindCare.com to find and rate these providers in your area.

Premium Home Page Marketing Tip #1: Update the Communication Section

We're kicking off a series of tips to help you improve your marketing presence on WhereToFindCare.com. Follow us on Twitter to get more tips and ask us questions.

This tip comes to you thanks to Enovasis Healthcare Solutions, the experienced consultants who can help you improve quality, patient satisfaction and profit.

Tip #1: Make Sure Your Communication Section is Complete and Accurate

The Communication section of your Premium Home Page is vital to obtaining the unlimited leads you're entitled to as a Premium subscriber. Here, prospects can obtain your contact information and even submit an e-lead to as many as five individuals in your organization. Without complete and accurate information, prospects will not be able to reach you and you will not know how effective your WhereToFindCare.com marketing campaign is.

To add contact information, simply locate and click on the "Update Communication" link to the far right of your screen while in edit mode (circled in the image below). Next, enter your phone number and up to five separate e-mail addresses. To get started, log in now and click Facility Editor Portal. If you have any difficulty, please contact us.

1. Click "Update Communication"













2. Enter contact information

One Memorial Day Travel Preparedness Tip

Like many Americans this Memorial Day weekend, you might be headed out of town to a remote campground, your family's cottage or to an number of fun destinations. But before you head out of town, take a minute to prepare yourself with information should an emergency or accident occur.

Locate the nearest urgent care or hospital emergency room to your vacation spot. This might be especially important in light of the current ground beef recall. Should a family member get sick or even injured, you don't want to waste time searching for help.

National Hospital Week May 10-16, 2009

The week of May 10 - 16, 2009 was designated National Hospital Week to recognize hospitals and the people who work and volunteer at hospitals.

These organizations and individuals play a vital role in our communities and of course, our health. That's why we want you to help us celebrate National Hospital Week by recognizing the good that your hospital has done for you by rating your hospital and nominating a CareStar(tm).

National Women's Health Week

The week following Mother's Day is National Women's Health Week, May 10 - 16, 2009). Coordinated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office on Women's Health, the goal is to get women to make their health a priority and take some simple steps to improve their health such as:

• Getting at least 2.5 hours of moderate physical activity, 1 hour and 15 minutes of vigorous physical activity, or a combination of both each week
• Eating a nutritious diet (for help with this, we like the resources our friends at NutriInfo put together http://www.nutriinfo.com/)
  
• Visiting a health care professional for regular checkups and preventative screenings
• Avoiding risky behaviors, like smoking and not wearing a seat belt
• Paying attention to mental health, including getting enough sleep and managing stress.
• If you're over 40, get a mammogram
  

For more information or to see events in your neighborhood, go to http://www.womenshealth.gov/.

National Volunteer Week: Your Chance to Give Back

National Volunteer Week is April 19 - 25. The week was designated to honor people who get involved, give back, take action and solve problems in their communities.

What better way to get involved and give back to your community than to volunteer for a free clinic in your area? Or find other volunteer opportunities that interest you. Whatever you decide to do, WhereToFindCare.com thanks you!

What's the Difference? Federally Qualified Health Center vs Rural Health Clinic

A common question we receive is "what is the difference between a federally qualified health center(FQHC) and a rural health clinic(RHC)?" Here's the answer:

Basically, they differ in location, services they’re required by the federal government to provide, and how they are paid by the federal government.

Specifically:

1. FQHCs are typically located in urban areas; RHCs are in rural areas (the government defines the areas that constitute rural)
2. FQHCs must be non-profit; RHCs can be for-profit
3. FQHCs must provide preventive services; RHCs only need to offer primary care and lab services
4. FQHCs must offer services at a reduced fee schedule for patients (based on patients’ income); RHCs do not have this requirement

Do you have a question about health care providers? Ask us and we'll post answers here.

Arizona Helps Residents Choose Quality Nursing Homes

I recently had the pleasure of traveling to beautiful city of Phoenix, AZ to film a news story about WhereToFindCare.com. While I was there I learned something interesting.

The state of Arizona has made great efforts to inform its residents about nursing home quality. As a result Arizona residents are more knowledgeable about government quality measures and what steps to take in finding the best nursing home for loved ones.

I commend Arizona for taking these steps and I hope more states will follow its lead. Its residents are better equipped to make such an important decision. As for the rest of us, WhereToFindCare.com can help. Our nursing home search will list facilities in your area as well as government quality scores (simplified for easy comparison), and consumer ratings when available.

I enjoyed my stay in Phoenix and I can't wait to go back. Thanks to the Piper Free Clinic, KNXV-TV and all the friendly people I met along the way!

Barbara
co-Founder, WhereToFindCare.com

Would You Want to Know if Your Nursing Home Almost Killed Someone?

If you're searching for nursing homes for a loved one, would it interest you to know that one of your contenders nearly killed someone? We recently received a comment about a nursing home that apparently provided poor care:

"STAY AWAY from this nursing home!!! They almost killed our relative!! The CNA's took absoloutely [sic] no care of her, and literally left her in bed to die. They gave her medications for a different resident...." Read the full comment on this nursing home (follow the link and click the Survey Results Tab). *

This isn't the kind of feedback you'll ever receive by looking only at quality data, inspection reports or even by taking a tour. Consumer ratings of nursing homes are growing increasingly important because not all of the horror stories make it on the news. WhereToFindCare.com compiles consumer nursing home ratings to help you make a better decision. If you have an experience, please help others make an informed decision - rate your nursing home today. It only takes a minute and you'll help ensure our elderly are well cared for.


*WhereToFindCare.com makes no claims regarding the accuracy of this statement and is not affiliated with any of the parties involved. When choosing a nursing home, we advise you to take multiple factors into consideration including quality, satisfaction and ratings data. All of these may be found on WhereToFindCare.com. This case may be an isolated incident and if you've had a different experience with this nursing home we encourage you to rate your experience.

Beware of Goverment Nursing Home Ratings

Medicare just released a more simplified "star" system for nursing home ratings. At first glance, it seems like a great idea, but we have a word of caution: Do not choose a nursing home based solely on these ratings.

1. Get resident and family opinions as well as recommendations. Check online nursing home ratings given by consumers.
2. Ask lots of questions about the things that are important to you and the prospective resident.
3. Tour the nursing home while looking for specific things.

Get more tips on finding the best nursing home.

Once you've found the perfect nursing home, help the rest of us out by rating your experience. Your review will give us valuable information about the quality of care given by your nursing home.

Layoffs Won't Help Satisfy Patients

Many hospitals these days are finding themselves in serious financial situations. Poor economic conditions are resulting in fewer patients and/or lower payments that just don't cover costs. Unfortunately, the first thing hospitals tend to do is cut staff.

Please don't.

Here are a few reasons why:

1. It hurts morale. Poor morale hurts patient satisfaction. Poor patient satisfaction hurts admissions. Nobody wants to hear about layoffs from a stressed-out transportation aide as they're getting wheeled to the OR. Besides, we already wait long enough on hold and get lost in the hallways too many times without rescue.
2. Many areas are already understaffed, causing strains on processes that result in failures and errors.
3. Severance pay is expensive.
4. Should you need the staff back, it is costly to recruit, rehire and re-train.

We've provided some alternatives to cutting staff that hospitals may consider first. We hope staff cuts will be a last resort and only considered after careful analysis and consideration of the long-term consequences.

In the meantime, we'll monitor patient satisfaction scores on WhereToFindCare.com to see if any trends pop up from hospitals who've implemented layoffs.

No Health Insurance? A Tip to Control Health Care Costs

Keeping the cost of health care down when you're uninsured or under-insured is not easy. But learning from one common mistake and a few tips can help you avoid big costs down the road.

Avoid the Emergency Room! This is an extremely expensive place to seek treatment and should only be used when absolutely necessary - like in an "emergency." We often hear about people making the mistake of using the ER as their source of primary care. Others put off basic medical care until their condition becomes serious enough for the ER. This is dangerous, both financially and physically. In many cases it is cheaper to take your medications or have regular doctor visits than it is to go to the ER and be subsequently admitted to the hospital for treatment of a neglected chronic condition. This is the type of thing that gets people into serious financial trouble, like bankruptcy.

Instead, here are some things you can do to avoid a preventable trip the the ER:

1. Use an urgent care or walk-in clinic instead. These places may be more suited to your needs (as long as they are not life-threatening) and are much cheaper. Find an urgent care or walk-in clinic near you.

2. Take your meds. If you can't afford them, many drug companies, free clinics, pharmacies and other community organizations have programs to pay for or subsidize the cost of medications for people in need. A good place to start your research is www.needymeds.org. Also, talk to your doctor. He or she may know of more programs to help.

3. Don't skimp on your primary care, especially if you have a chronic condition that needs to be monitored. If you can no longer afford your doctor, don't be afraid to talk to him/her or to compare prices of other offices. Ask to pay the same as your insurance company used to pay. If that doesn't work, you may want to show them lower pricing of other local physicians. If your doctor refuses to work with you, start looking for another one who will.

If all else fails or you are still unable to afford discounted rates you negotiate with your doctor, find a free clinic in your area. You may qualify for free or reduced fee services. Call the clinic directly to first to see if you qualify and whether they offer the services you require.

Do you have any other tips to avoid the ER or to control health care costs? We'd love to hear them. Share them with others by commenting on this post.

WhereToFindCare.com

Thanks For Helping us Improve Health Care!

This Thanksgiving we're thankful for all the people who rated their health care on WhereToFindCare.com. Each of you have provided valuable insight that will not only help others find the best providers, but it will also help providers improve the care they give. See the survey results.

A sincere thank you and happy Thanksgiving!

Could Help Be On The Way For Our Uninsured?

President-elect Barack Obama has chosen Tom Daschle to be the new Health and Human Services secretary. Why might this be significant? Because according to this report, Daschle supports a government-funded insurance program for the nation's uninsured. And since Daschle will be responsible for helping set health care policy, perhaps real change might be on the horizon.

In the meantime, if you are uninsured and can't afford health care visit WhereToFindCare.com to search for free clinics in your area.

Get to Know WhereToFindCare.com

Come find us on Facebook and MySpace and get to know us a little better!

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/wwwWhereToFindCarecom/30313288330 (make sure you become a fan!)

MySpace: www.myspace.com/wheretofindcare (add us as a friend!)

People Putting the 'Care' in Health Care

Health care workers are some of the hardest working, most caring individuals we know. And now we have the evidence....

We developed the CareStars(TM) program on WhereToFindCare.com to recognize individuals in the health care field for going out of their way to make us feel better during our most vulnerable times - when we are sick or hospitalized. The program allows patients or their loved ones to recognize people who have made a difference by completing a short survey and describing how the individuals helped them. These CareStars are displayed anonomously on our website and will be relayed back to the organization for which the individuals work.

The program has only been up for a few months but we've already had a great response. Below are just a few of the CareStars recognitions we've already received. Congratulations, CareStars--keep up the great work!

DOWNTOWN BALTIMORE SURGERY CTR LLC (BALTIMORE, MD)Entered by a Patient

My nurse stayed past the end of her shift so I wouldn't wake up to a different face.

HENRY FORD BI-COUNTY HOSPITAL (WARREN, MI) Entered by a Patient

Nurse GiGi in the EGD suite was very attentive and made me laugh

SOUTHSHORE DIABETES SERVICES (TRENTON, MI)Entered by a Patient
Savanna,Rn is a very caring and patient person and I recommmend her 100%

MEMORIAL HEALTHCARE CENTER (OWOSSO, MI)Entered by a Patient
Vicki was very attentive to my comfort. She was constantly checking on my pain control and prompt in delivering pain meds when needed. I never had to ask or feel like I was bothering anyone.

If you know of a CareStar, tell us about him or her by completing a survey.

We're Helping the Uninsured

Sadly, there are an estimated 47 million uninsured Americans out there...many of whom cannot afford basic medical care that would prevent deadly diseases.

WhereToFindCare.com is committed to help these Americans in need. We just added a "Free Clinic Search" where visitors can find organizations providing basic medical care in their area. Read more about our free clinic search.... Or search for free clinics in your area now.

A word of caution: please contact the clinic before you visit them. Their resources are limited and often have restricted hours, services and always have income limitations.

If you're a free clinic administrator and your facility is missing from our data base, you may submit it for free. We'll also give you a free premium home page to help promote your services.

If you're not in need, please consider donating to a clinic in your area. Our favorite: the Cabrini Clinic of Detroit.

You Can Make A Difference in Health Care

With all this talk of health care reform, one might wonder..."where do we begin?"

Each of us can take a small step to reform the way health care is delivered in hospitals, nursing homes or any of the 14 other types of health care providers on WhereToFindCare.com.

How? Rate your experience. Whether you were a patient or visitor, your opinions and comments can help improve the next patient or visitor's experience. Your feedback will help your neighbors choose a provider and they may help the provider improve anything from the way they greet you to the way they process your bill. But they can't improve if they don't know there was an issue.

Hospital ratings are fast becoming the way smart consumers make choices. You get unbiased data on one of the most important decisions of your life. But there are so many other choices that are just as important: Where to go for diabetes education? home care services? hospice? WhereToFindCare.com lets you find and rate all of these providers in one place. So start making a difference in your community. Rate your health care!

How Hospitals Treat Staff Makes All the Difference

I recently had the opportunity to visit two large, well-known local hospitals within the same week. The difference was remarkable....

They both recently spent hundreds of millions of dollars on facility improvements and upgrades, and they were both visually impressive. What struck me however, was the difference in the way patients and visitors were treated at each of the hospitals. At one hospital I was treated with genuine kindness and staff went out of their way to help me. At the other staff seemed more concerned with their "tasks" than with helping people. Employees at this hospital made attempts at being friendly and helpful, but their attempts seemed hollow. It was obvious to me that they weren't genuinely interested in helping me.

How does this happen? I could tell that staff at both hospitals had similar training (i.e. ask people if they need help when they look lost), but only one of them executed that training well. So what makes the difference? My theory: how they're treated.

Your thoughts?

Hospital Ratings Beta

WhereToFindCare.com is currently in Beta!

We're getting lots of great feedback that will make the site even better. Thanks to everyone who has helped - keep it coming!

You can help build WhereToFindCare.com by taking this survey after using the site.

Visit WhereToFindCare.com to rate your experience with a hospital, nursing home, home care agency or other health care provider. A rater can be a former patient, visitor or caregiver. Enjoy!

The Launch of WhereToFindCare.com

WhereToFindCare.com will soon be launched to give you a voice in health care. It will let you find, research and rate over 60,000 health care providers nationwide including hospitals, home care agencies, hospices, outpatient surgery centers, rehabs and more!

Let us know what you would like to see on our site. What functionality and tools are you looking for? What content? What do you need to find the best health care provider?