Celebrating 11 years as a Medicare Specialist, October 2019 |
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Hi there!
In this newsletter: Medicare doesn't cover long term care.
In the health section, I share symptoms of heat stroke and exhaustion.
Keep reading!
Theresa Cangemi CSA, CLTC
"The Medicare Lady™"
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Did You Know: Medicare Doesn’t Cover Long Term Care (LTC) needs? |
Medicare was never intended for coverage with Long Term Care needs. Medicare is just for Acute care.
Acute defined as a level of health care in which a patient is treated for a brief but severe episode of illness for conditions that are the result of disease or trauma and during recovery from surgery. Patients will then return home to recover.
Long Term Care covers the needs when someone needs help with dressing, bathing, eating, transferring, and toileting, continence.
A patient may need or get some short term care and coverage to rehabilitate after an in-hospital stay and/or at a skilled nursing facility for help with dressing, bathing, eating, transferring, and toileting, continence. Once a patient reaches a plateau, then the patient is discharged to home and that care ends.
There is a product that can help give assistance at home with the basics and more. This product offers help with bathing, dressing, medication management, will take you to doctor appointments, place of worship, and shopping if needed. The product also offers some light housekeeping.
Sign me up now, right?!
“True Freedom” unlike Long Term Care insurance, you don’t need to qualify medically to be eligible to buy this plan and the prices could go down for the first four years.
Call or email (click below) to find out more and get a quote:
cell: 315.727.4933
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When contacting or emailing me, please give or notate Password: “When Life Changes” |
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Summer Months: What are some of the signs of heatstroke and heat exhaustion? |
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The dangers of a hot day can sneak up on your if you’re not careful and can even potentially be fatal. Two extremely dangerous heat-related conditions are heat exhaustion and heatstroke. Preventing both are critical to your health and knowing the signs.
Heat Exhaustion
Heat exhaustion is one of three conditions (heat cramps being the mildest and heatstroke being the worst) that is caused by exposure to high heat. There are two types of heat exhaustion dehydration and salt depletion. If you don’t remedy the situation, heat exhaustion can become serious enough that you may need immediate medical attention, especially if certain symptoms arise.
Symptoms
One of the reasons heat exhaustion can be so difficult to spot is because the symptoms can be mild and point to a few different conditions.
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- Headache
- Muscle or abdominal cramps
- Pale skin
- Heavy sweating
- Rapid heartbeat
- Dark-colored urine
- Confusion
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Fainting
What Should You Do?
If you notice that you have developed a mild case of heat exhaustion (e.g., headache, dark-colored urine), you may be able to treat your symptoms at home. When you first start noticing general symptoms of heat exhaustion, stop what you’re doing and start cooling down immediately. Head inside, jump in the pool, or have a cool, hydrating drink. If your symptoms worsen or last for over an hour, you should get medical help immediately. You should also contact emergency medical services if you experience more serious symptoms (e.g., vomiting, fainting).
Heatstroke
Heatstroke is the most severe heat-related condition and requires immediate medical attention. Sometimes called “sunstroke,” heatstroke can be fatal or cause brain damage, if severe enough.
There are two types of heatstroke — exertional heatstroke and non-exertional heatstroke.
Exertional heatstroke refers to sunstroke caused by physical activity in a hot environment.
Non-exertional is more often found in those with diminished abilities to regulate their body temperature, like seniors, those with certain medical conditions, and babies. This could be the result of a medical issue or inability to control their environment (e.g., someone in a home without air conditioning or someone stuck inside a hot car).
Symptoms
Many of the symptoms that point toward heatstroke are also symptoms of heat exhaustion; however, with heatstroke, they are much more severe. These symptoms may include:
- An internal temperature of 104° or more
- An intense, throbbing headache
- Muscle weakness or cramps
- Hot, dry, red skin
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Rapid heartbeat with a weak or strong pulse
- Shallow, quickened breathing
- Lack of sweating
- Dizziness
There are also a number of neurological symptoms that worryingly point toward an escalating problem. These would include:
- Seizures
- Odd changes in behavior
- Irritability
- Delusions or hallucinations
- Fainting
- Coma
What Should You Do?
If you or someone you know is showing symptoms of a heatstroke, call 9-1-1 immediately. While you may be able to administer some degree of first aid, medical professionals will be needed to fully treat the issue. Once you have called emergency medical services, get the sufferer to a colder area quickly (but safely). From here, do what you can to lower their body temperature. The 9-1-1 professional will likely be instructing you on first aid measures you can take while you await the ambulance. Some of the treatment options may include things like:
- Apply a cool, damp cloth to the skin
- Immerse the individual in a cool (but not ice-cold) shower or bath
- Try an ice bath, if the sufferer is young
- Bring them into a cool, air-conditioned area
That said, the Mayo Clinic believes drinking cool water for rehydration can be important, though states that you should avoid very cold water. In this case, talk to the 9-1-1 operator to decide whether you should be giving them cool fluids or not.
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Heatstroke and heat exhaustion can be very scary in the best of cases and fatal in the worst. This is why staying cool and hydrated in the summer are so important. To help yourself and others from potentially suffering from these two conditions, you need to be able to spot their signs early and react appropriately. If you’re dealing with heat exhaustion, you may be able to prevent it from becoming even worse. If it’s heatstroke, taking the right steps may even save a life.
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Just like you, your health is one of a kind. What works for one person may not for another, so the information in these articles should not take the place of an expert opinion. Before making significant lifestyle or diet changes, please consult your primary care physician or nutritionist. Your doctor will know your own health best.
ARTICLE Taken from: Medicareful Living newsletter 07.29.20
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* This article is for information purposes only. I don’t recommend, support, or diagnose any featured writer or article. I am not a doctor. Your health is one of a kind. What works for one person may not for another, so the information in these articles should not take the place of an expert opinion. Before making significant lifestyle or diet changes, please consult your primary care physician or nutritionist. Your doctor will know your own health best. |
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