Thursday, July 8, 2010

1 in 4 Chronically Ill Elderly Lives Alone

Almost four out of every 10 chronically ill older people in the United States live alone, a finding that highlights the need to teach family members how to take care of their parents and relatives, a new study says.

"Family members have the potential to significantly help many patients with chronic illness manage their health conditions," study co-author Dr. Ann-Marie Rosland, clinical lecturer at the University of Michigan Medical School, said in a news release. "However, those family members need more than just information to be successful. We need to teach family members communication skills and provide the tools that they can use to encourage patients to stick to their health regimen."

The study authors examined the results of a national health survey from 2006. They found that 93 percent of chronically ill adults aged 51 and older had adult children. But half of them had kids living more than 10 miles away.

"Even when a spouse is available, the vast majority struggle with their own chronic medical needs and functional limitations," John D. Piette, professor of internal medicine at the Veterans Affairs Ann Arbor Healthcare System, said in the release.

"Fortunately, most of these people had adult children who could be another source of support for their chronic illness care," he added. "But these relationships are increasingly strained as adult children move farther away from their parents to seek employment or find a more affordable living situation. Distances pose a barrier to the monitoring and frequent support for behavior change that many chronically ill patients need."

The study was published issue of the journal Chronic Illness.


SOURCE: University of Michigan, news release.

Thursday, February 18, 2010

ABOUT AMBIEN

Ambien (Zolpidem) was presented in European Union in 1988, and in the U.S. 5 years after. Since its debut in the United States Ambien has turned the most regular ordered sleep drug in America.

Ambien (Zolpidem) is applied to handle sleep troubles (called insomnia). It can assist patients fall asleep quicker, remain at rest longer, and cut the amount of times you wake up in the nighttime. Ambien (Zolpidem) lies in a category of medications named sedative/hypnotics. It impacts chemicals within your brain that can go imbalanced and creates ease to assist you drop off.