Rodger Mcfarlane

The Complete Bedside Companion

A No-Nonsense Guide to Caring for the Seriously Ill

• Broschiertes Buch

Produktbeschreibung

A No-Nonsense Guide to Caring for the Seriously Ill.

Produktdetails

• Verlag: Fireside
• Seitenzahl: 548
• Erscheinungstermin: 1. August 1999
• Englisch
• Abmessung: 229mm x 152mm x 32mm
• Gewicht: 879g
• ISBN-13: 9780684843193
• ISBN-10: 0684843196
• Artikelnr.: 22330849

Autorenporträt

Rodger McFarlane, one of America's most respected consumer advocates for the sick, currently directs collaborative research between the American Association of Health Plans and Lotus (IBM), evaluating experimental medical treatments on behalf of customers of the managed care industry. He is the former Executive Director of the Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC) and Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

Inhaltsangabe

Contents
Introduction
How to Use This Book
Part One: Caring for the Sick
1. The Hospital and the Medical Team: Who's Who and What's What
When It Is Most Important to Be at an Ailing Loved One's Side
The Family and Medical Leave Act
Set the Stage at Work
Preparing for a Loved One's Hospital Stay
Arranging Blood Donations
What to Bring to the Hospital (and What to Leave at Home)
First Stop: The Admitting Office
Next Stop: The Floor
The Health Care Team: Who They Are and What They Do
Doctors of Medicine (M.D.s)
Nurses
Nurse's Assistants
Other Hospital Staff
Hospital Life: "But the Doctor Who Was Just Here Already Asked Us That!,"
Personalizing the Hospital Room
Ways to Be Helpful When Visiting Patients in the Hospital
Don't Just Sit There, Do Something!
When the Quality of Hospital Care Is Lacking
What Is a Legitimate Complaint?
To Whom Do You Complain?
Sidestepping Hospital Visiting Policies
Making Pitstops Before or After Hours
Outpatient Appointments and Tests
Strategic Scheduling
Preparing for Procedures
Avoiding Long Waits
When Accompanying Loved Ones to Appointments
Preparing for Discharge from the Hospital
Postponing or Expediting Discharge Day
Safety Measures for Around the Home
Other Steps for Getting Ready
Modifying the Home
But Is It Covered?
Recommended Reading
2. Dealing with the Doctors
Choosing a Doctor
The ABC's of Getting Referrals
Points to Consider When Choosing a Doctor
Seeking a Second Opinion
How Is a Second Opinon Arranged?
When Professional Opinions Collide
Obtaining Medical Records
Care Partners, Patients, and Physicians: Ten Keys to Clear Communication
Deciphering the Language of Medicine
Tracking Down the Doctor
Be Judicious with Questions for the Doctor
Dissatisfied with the Doctor?
When It Is Appropriate to Change Doctors?
The Smart Way to Make the Switch
A Final Thought: Dissatisfaction or Denial?
3. The Everyday Angel's Cram Course in Essential Nursing Skills
A Caregiver's Basic Daily Skills
Keeping Patients Hydrated
Safeguarding Patients Against Infection
Types of Infections and How to Prevent Transmission
Special Care: Increased Susceptibility to Infection
How Infections Are Treated
Daily Hygiene
Bathing
How to Give a Four-Star Bed Bath
Giving a Basin Bath
Special Care: Bathing a Loved One Who Suffers from Memory Loss, Confusion,
or Intellectual Impairment
Skin Care
Moisturize!
Keep Skin Dry
Itching
Symptoms of Pressure Ulcers
How to Prevent Pressure Ulcers
How Pressure Ulcers Are Treated
Wound Care
Three Steps to Sterile Technique
How to Change a Dressing
Oral Hygiene
Toileting
When Patients Are Confined to Bed
When Patients Are Able to Get Out of Bed
Special Care: Toileting a Loved One Who Suffers from Memory Loss,
Confusion, or Intellectual Impairment
Cleaning Patients After a Bowel Movement or Urination
Caring for an Ostomy
Grooming and Dressing
Hair Care
Nail and Cuticle Care
Shaving
Dressing Patients
Turning, Maneuvering, and Lifting
How to Make an Occupied Bed
Lifting Patients by Yourself
Transferring from a Bed to a Chair or Wheelchair
Mechanical Lifting Devices
Tips for Preventing Falls
Basic Home Safety
Basic Walking Safety
To Prevent Falls from Bed
What to Do if a Patient Falls
Preventing Muscle Contracture and Foot Drop
How to Perform Passive Range-of-Motion Exercises
What Is Foot Drop?
Measuring Vital Signs
How to Take a Temperature
Managing Fever
How to Take a Pulse
How to Measure Blood Pressure
How to Monitor Respirations
Administering Medications Safely
Before Filling a New Prescription
At the Pharmacy
Keeping Track of Medications and Dosing Schedules
Routes of Drug Administration
Allergic Reactions and Anaphylactic Shock
Managing an Allergic Reaction
Managing Pain
Attitudes Toward Pain Relief
Fundamentals of Pain Management
Types of Pain Medications
Other Methods of Administering Pain Medications
Nonpharmaceutical Pain Management
What to Do When Pain Is Poorly Controlled
Essential Skills for Preventing and Managing Specific Complications
Digestive Complications
Appetite Loss and Anorexia
Complications That Inferfere with Eating
Indigestion and Nausea
Difficulty Swallowing (Dysphagia)
Constipation and Gas
Diarrhea
Urinary Tract Complications
Incontinence
Urinary-Tract Infections
Insomnia and Other Sleep Disorders
Respiratory Complications
Difficulty Breathing (Dyspnea)
Difficulty Expelling Secretions
Chronic Coughing
Circulatory Complications
Edema, Blood Clots, Phlebitis, Orthostatic Hypotension
Bleeding and Bruising
Basic First Aid
Managing Seizures and Convulsions
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
The Heimlich Maneuver
When Should You Call an Ambulance?
4. Matters of the Heart
The So-Called Five Stages of Coping
Denial
Anger
rdBargaining
Depression
Acceptance
The Fundamentals of Caregiving
How to Be Supportive (Without Becoming a Pain in the Neck)
Learning to Listen
Other Sources of Patient Support
Patient Support Groups
Finding Hope and Comfort in Faith
Long-Standing Conflicts
Caring for People with Special Needs
When a Loved One Is Not Conscious
When a Loved One Suffers from Brain Function Impairment
Memory Loss
Delusional or Hallucinatory Behavior
Agitated or Paranoid Behavior
Combative Behavior
Restraints
Wandering
When a Loved One Has Impaired Communications Skills
5. Mustering the Troops
Spreading the Work Around
The Family Conference
"If There's Anything I Can Do,"
Getting Men Involved
The Ready Reserves: Teenagers and Children
Long-Distance Angels
When Friends and Family Disappoint
How to Handle Weepers and Wailer
Cheap Shots and Target Practice
A Memo to Family and Friends Who Want to Help
Community Support Services
How to Find Support Services in Your Area
Professional Case Management
6. The Caregiver as Consumer Activist
What Are Clinical Trials?
Who Pays for Clinical Trials
From Laboratory to Marketplace
How Do You Find Out About Clinical Trials?
The Pros and Cons of Participating in a Clinical Trial
Questions to Ask the Physician When Considering Participation in a Clinical
Trial
A Rational Approach to Unconventional Treatments
How Do You Find Out About Alternative Therapies?
When Is Enough Enough? Changing Course from Cure to Comfort
Making Other Arrangements: Home Care, Hospice Care, and Nursing Home Care
Why Home Care?
Home Health Care Personnel
Home Hospice Care
When Cultures Collide: Building Rapport Across Class, Race, and Gender
Nursing Homes and Residential Care
7. Care for the Caregivers
Maintaining Your Physical Stamina
Tricks for Keeping Your Body Running
Resolve to Rest; Steal Some Sleep
Eat and Drink Sensibly and Conscientiously
Take Steps to Prevent Infection
Exercise
Don't Postpone Your Own Doctor and Dental Appointments
Don't Try Doing It All
Consider Respite Care or Adult Day Care Services
Slow Down, Pace Yourself
Finding the Emotional Strength
Emotions Common to Caregivers
"I Feel as if I'm in a State of Shock"
"I Feel So Angry and Resentful"
"I Feel So Guilty"
"I Feel So Isolated and Alone"
"I Worry All the Time"
"I Feel So Helpless"
"I Feel as if He's Already Gone"
Techniques for Managing Stress and Anxiety
When Depression Strikes
Caring for the Other Loved Ones in Your Life
Your Romantic Partner
Children
8. Paying the Bills
Bookkeeping 101
Tricks for Maintaining Cash Flow
Financial-Assistance Programs
Government-Funded Programs
Social Security Retirement Benefits
Supplemental Security Disability Income (SSDI)
Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC)
Food Stamps
Privately Funded Programs
A Warning About Pensions
Saving Money on Prescription Drugs
Buyers' Clubs
Prescription Drug Patient-Assistance Programs
AIDS Drug Assistance Programs
Paying for Medical Care
Private Health Insurance
Government-Funded Health Insurance
How to Get the Most out of Health Insurance
9. Preparing for the Worst
Getting Started
The Paper Trail
How to Find a Good Lawyer
Last Will and Testament
Prearranging the Funeral
Legal and Financial Power of Attorney
Other Legal Instruments
Declaring Someone Incompetent
Discrimination Against the Sick and Disabled
Job Discrimination and the Caregiver
Artificial Life Support and Extraordinary Measures
Coma, Persistent Vegetative State, and Dementia
Advance Medical Directives
Living Wills and Medical Proxies
Enforcing Advance Directives
Resisting the Impulse to "Do Something"
Helping a Loved One Die
Tough Decisions: Withholding or Withdrawing Treatment
10. Journey's End
Making the Most of Your Time Together
Making Your Peace
Ways That Loved Ones Face Death
Where People Die
Creating a Comfortable Space for the Dying
Other Ways to Create a Comforting Environment for the Dying
Waiting Room Marathons and Death Watches
11. Aftermath
The Moment of Death
Phone Calls and Final Arrangements
The Funeral
Final Details
Grieving and Getting On with Life
"No Regrets"
Part Two: The Everyday's Angel's Cram Course in Adult Medicine
12. Caring for Someone with Cancer
What Is Cancer?
Symptoms of Cancer
How Cancer Is Diagnosed
What Is Staging?
How Cancer Is Treated
Surger
Radiation Therapy and Its Side Effects
What Is Internal Radiation Therapy?
Chemotherapy and Its Side Effects
Other Forms of Cancer Treatment
Potential Complications of Advanced Cancer
Recommended Reading
13. Caring for Someone with Cardiovascular Disease
Causes of Cardiovascular Disease
Types of Cardiovascular Disease
Heart Attack (Infarction)
Symptoms of a Heart Attack
What Is Angina?
How a Heart Attack Is Diagnosed
How a Heart Attack Is Treated
Arrhythmias
Causes and Symptoms of Arrhythmias
How Arrhythmias Are Diagnosed
How Arrhythmias Are Treated
Congestive Heart Failure
Pulmonary Edema and Pleural Effusion
Difficulty Breathing (Dyspnea)
How Heart Failure Is Diagnosed
How Heart Failure Is Treated
Potential Complications of Advanced Cardiovascular Disease
Recommended Reading
14. Caring for Someone with Cerebrovascular Stroke or Traumatic Brain
Injury
What Happens in a Stroke?
Ischemic Stroke
Hemorrhagic Stroke
Traumatic Brain Injury
What Happens in a Closed Head Injury
Diagnosis and Treatment of Stroke and Traumatic Brain Injury
Craniotomy
Carotid Endarterectomy
Aneurysm Surgery
Drug Therapy
Potential Acute Complications and How They Are Managed
Impaired Respiration
Heart Attack
Difficulty Swallowing (Dysphagia)
Pulmonary Embolism
Incontinence
Potential Long-Term Effects of Stroke and Severe Traumatic Brain Injury
Paralysis/Weakness
Contracture
Hemispheric Neglect
Persistent Headaches
Speech/Language Loss (Aphasia)
Changes in Behavior and Personality
Depressions
Rehabilitation
Deciding on the Proper Rehab Setting
Choosing a Rehabilitation Program
How You Can Help During Rehabilitation
Potential Life-Threatening Complications
Recommended Reading
15. Caring for Someone with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
(Emphysema and Chronic Bronchitis)
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and the Lungs
What Causes Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease?
Early Symptoms and Diagnosis
Symptoms and Complications of Advanced COPD
Shortness of Breath (Dyspnea)
Chronic Coughing
Difficulty Expelling Secretions
Appetite Loss
Insomnia
Depression
Other Potential Complications
How COPD Is Treated
Potential Life-Threatening Complications
Pulmonary Infection
Respiratory Acidosis
Secondary Polycythemia
Respiratory Failure/Ventilatory Failure
Cor Pulmonale
Recommended Reading
16. Caring for Someone with Diabetes
What Is Diabetes?
Symptoms of Diabetes
How Diabetes Is Diagnosed
How Diabetes is Treated
Acute Complications of Diabetes
Diabetic Ketoacidosis/Hyperglycemic Hyperosmolar Nonketotic Coma
Hypoglycemia
Long-Term Complications of Diabetes
Peripheral Neuropathy
Foot Ulcers
Gastroparesis
Constipation
dDiabetic Diarrhea
Incontinence
Diabetic Retinopathy
Potential Life-Threatening Complications
Recommended Reading
17. Caring for Someone with AIDS/HIV
What Is AIDS? What Is HIV?
The Illnesses of AIDS
Pneumocystis Carinii Pneumonia
Tuberculosis
Mycobacterium Avium Intracellulare Complex
Cryptosporidiosis
Toxoplasmosis
HIV Encephalopathy (HIV Dementia)
Kaposi's Sarcoma
HIV Wasting Syndrome
How HIV Is Diagnosed
How HIV/AIDS Is Treated
Antiviral Therapy
AIDS Treatment and Prevention
Clinical Trials and HIV/AIDS
Managing Symptoms and Side Effects
Recommended Reading
18. Caring for Someone with Liver Disease
The Liver
Causes of Cirrhosis
Chronic Alcoholism
Chronic Active Viral Hepatitis
Early Symptoms and Diagnosis of Liver Disease
Managing Symptoms of Liver Failure
Jaundice
Gallstones
Edema/Ascites
Life-Threatening Complications of Liver Failure
Hepatic Encephalopathy
Variceal Bleeding
How Liver Disease Is Treated
Diet
Liver Transplantation
Recommended Reading
19. Caring for Someone with Kidney Disease
The Kidneys
Causes of End-Stage Renal Disease
Diabetes
Hypertension
Kidney Diseases
Analgesic Drugs
Symptoms of Chronic Renal Failure
How Kidney Disease Is Diagnosed
Complications of End-Stage Renal Disease and Their Symptoms
Uremia
Hyperkalemia
Hypervolemia/Edema
Renal Tubular Metabolic Acidosis
Anemia
Renal Osteodystrophy
Immunosuppression
Neuropathy
Dry, Itchy Skin
Dry Mouth, Altered Taste, and Chronic Thirst
Depression
How End-Stage Renal Disease Is Treated
But Is It Covered?
What Caregivers Should Know About Hemodialysis
Caring for a Fistula or Shunt
A Typical Hemodialysis Treatment
What's in a Number?
Side Effects of Hemodialysis
Our Role as the Patient's Advocate
What Caregivers Should Know About Peritoneal Dialysis
Side Effects of Peritoneal Dialysis
The Renal Diet
Protein
Potassium
Sodium
Phosphorus
Calories
The Renal Diet and Diabetics
Kidney Transplantation
But Is It Covered?
Life Following Kidney Transplantation Surgery
Recommended Reading
20. Caring for Someone with a Progressive Neurological Disease
The Central Nervous System
Alzheimer's Disease
Early Signs of Alzheimer's Disease
Parkinson's Disease
Early Signs of Parkinson's Disease
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Early Signs of ALS
How Neurological Diseases Are Diagnosed
How Neurological Diseases Are Treated
Alzheimer's Disease
Parkinson's Disease
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Effects of Advanced Progressive Neurological Disease
Effects of End-Stage Alzheimer's Disease
Hyperactivity
Hiding Objects
Combative Behavior
Effects of End-Stage Parkinson's Disease
Impaired Mobility
Chronic Constipation
Dependent Edema
Eye Irritation
Seborrhea/Seborrheic Dermatitis
Dementia
Depression
Effects of End-Stage Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Impaired Mobility
Symptoms Common to Advanced AD, PD, and ALS
Incontinence
Contracture
Muscle Cramping
Insomnia
Speech/Language Loss (Aphasia)
Difficulty Swallowing (Dysphagia)
Appetite Loss/Wasting
Difficulty Expelling Secretions
Difficulty Breathing (Dyspnea)/Respiratory Failure
Recommended Reading
Appendix A: Recommended Resources
Appendix B: Miscellaneous Resources
Appendix C: For Referrals to Home Health Care, Hospice Care, Long-Term
Care, Adult Day Care, Respite Care, and Rehabilitation Facilities
Bibliography
Index