A recent article on the ScienceDaily website quotes research from the August 25, 2009, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology that suggests “that people with high diastolic blood pressure, which is the bottom number of a blood pressure reading, were more likely to have cognitive impairment, or problems with their memory and thinking skills, than people with normal diastolic readings...High blood pressure is defined as a reading equal to or higher than 140/90 or taking medication for high blood pressure.”
Here’s the website for the full article:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090824182430.htm
As my book, “Dementia Diary,” points out, my mother’s disease was a mult-infarct (or vascular) dementia. She had a history of high blood pressure and was not reliable about taking her medications to control it. Did this lapse lead to her cognitive decline. We’ll never know for sure, of course, but the likelihood is that it did.
I seem to have inherited her HBP problem but am compulsive about checking my pressure morning and night at home, and about taking my meds. Better safe than sorry.
Bob Tell
Author, "Dementia-Diary, A Caregiver's Journal"
http://www.dementia-diary.com
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Frustrated by Medicare Rejections?
About a year ago, I published a popular article on this blog entitled "How To Win A Medicare/HMO Appeal." I was recently asked to repeat it for those readers that might have missed it. Here it is:
"These days, almost every senior has experienced denial of Medicare payment for a legitimate health service by an HMO or other insurer—but you don’t have to passively accept the denial. I didn’t. It was time consuming but persistence usually paid off in reversals of these denials.
When my mother was enrolled in one of those so-called comprehensive health plans for seniors, it seemed as though every doctor she saw and every procedure or treatment provided produced an immediate letter of rejection.
As a result, I had a chance to hone my skills at appealing these actions. I believe that the appeals process may deliberately use cumbersome and bureaucratic procedures with intent to discourage appeals. Faced with this hassle, many folks just give up in disgust and pay the bills out of pocket. This is unfortunate.
My take is that you can get many of these rejections reversed with persistence and a little bit of knowledge. As just one example, how many of you know the following Medicare rule?
The HMO/CMP Manual #2116 states that it is the Health Plan's responsibility to ensure that physicians or providers know whether services are covered by Medicare or by the Plan as an additional or supplemental benefit and that they properly use the authorization system. If the Medicare beneficiary receives services under the direction or authorization of a plan physician and the beneficiary has not been informed that he or she is liable for the costs of such services, then the Health Plan must pay for such services."
This rule can be one of the most important arrows in your quiver. In most cases, a physician orders the medical service being denied without specifically informing the patient (or representative payee) that he or she might have to pay for the service. If they don’t tell you, you don’t have to pay!
This is especially true in senior housing settings where patients may not have the cognitive awareness to understand complex Medicare and insurance rules anyway.
Another truism is that organizations such as health insurers must follow their own procedures to prevail. If they fail to do so for any reason it significantly weakens their case. The good news is that they are often victims of their own complexity and, if you watch carefully, you may catch them diverging from their own procedures. Document this and call them on their failures. Examples of successful letters I have used are available on request. Try it! You’ll be pleased at the results."
Bob Tell
Author, "Dementia-Diary, A Caregiver's Journal"
http://www.dementia-diary.com
"These days, almost every senior has experienced denial of Medicare payment for a legitimate health service by an HMO or other insurer—but you don’t have to passively accept the denial. I didn’t. It was time consuming but persistence usually paid off in reversals of these denials.
When my mother was enrolled in one of those so-called comprehensive health plans for seniors, it seemed as though every doctor she saw and every procedure or treatment provided produced an immediate letter of rejection.
As a result, I had a chance to hone my skills at appealing these actions. I believe that the appeals process may deliberately use cumbersome and bureaucratic procedures with intent to discourage appeals. Faced with this hassle, many folks just give up in disgust and pay the bills out of pocket. This is unfortunate.
My take is that you can get many of these rejections reversed with persistence and a little bit of knowledge. As just one example, how many of you know the following Medicare rule?
The HMO/CMP Manual #2116 states that it is the Health Plan's responsibility to ensure that physicians or providers know whether services are covered by Medicare or by the Plan as an additional or supplemental benefit and that they properly use the authorization system. If the Medicare beneficiary receives services under the direction or authorization of a plan physician and the beneficiary has not been informed that he or she is liable for the costs of such services, then the Health Plan must pay for such services."
This rule can be one of the most important arrows in your quiver. In most cases, a physician orders the medical service being denied without specifically informing the patient (or representative payee) that he or she might have to pay for the service. If they don’t tell you, you don’t have to pay!
This is especially true in senior housing settings where patients may not have the cognitive awareness to understand complex Medicare and insurance rules anyway.
Another truism is that organizations such as health insurers must follow their own procedures to prevail. If they fail to do so for any reason it significantly weakens their case. The good news is that they are often victims of their own complexity and, if you watch carefully, you may catch them diverging from their own procedures. Document this and call them on their failures. Examples of successful letters I have used are available on request. Try it! You’ll be pleased at the results."
Bob Tell
Author, "Dementia-Diary, A Caregiver's Journal"
http://www.dementia-diary.com
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Will you forgive a bit of shameless commerce?
As you know, my book "Dementia Diary, A Caregivers Journal" is available on Amazon and Kindle. Many caregivers have purchased it and have written to me about it's help in easing their difficult and heart wrenching burdens. This is very satisfying to me and, of course, my mother would be thrilled (if she were alive and cognitively sound) to know that her own suffering has eased the suffering of others.
Now, a new website sponsored by Scribd (http://www.scribd.com), has made a version of Dementia Diary available for LESS THAN ONE THIRD OF THE PAPERBACK PRICE. I believe that Scribd has the potential to revolutionize the book publishing industry—to do for publishing what iTunes has done for music—and I am excited to have Dementia Diary featured by Scribd.
Many more caregivers can now have access to Dementia Diary. If you are one of these new readers, please let me know how it has helped you with your own caregiving situation. Here's the website:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/16422188/
You can click the link to the right under "Bob Tell's Websites."
Best wishes,
Bob Tell
http://bobtell.com
Now, a new website sponsored by Scribd (http://www.scribd.com), has made a version of Dementia Diary available for LESS THAN ONE THIRD OF THE PAPERBACK PRICE. I believe that Scribd has the potential to revolutionize the book publishing industry—to do for publishing what iTunes has done for music—and I am excited to have Dementia Diary featured by Scribd.
Many more caregivers can now have access to Dementia Diary. If you are one of these new readers, please let me know how it has helped you with your own caregiving situation. Here's the website:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/16422188/
You can click the link to the right under "Bob Tell's Websites."
Best wishes,
Bob Tell
http://bobtell.com
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Can Statins Help Prevent Dementia?
We all think of statin drugs (like Lovastatin, Crestor, Zocor, Pravachol, etc.) as protecting folks with high cholesterol against heart disease by lowering cholesterol. But what if statins have other good properties? According to an article in the June issue of the "Journal of Alzheimer's Disease," and reported in "Medical News Today," a current study demonstrates "that statins can protect nerve cells against damage which we know to occur in the brain of Alzheimer's disease patients." For more details, see the following website:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155083.php
So far, the results have been in animal studies, but it is a hopeful finding that may help in the fight against Alzheimer's and other dementias.
Bob Tell
Author, "Dementia-Diary, A Caregiver's Journal"
http://www.dementia-diary.com
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155083.php
So far, the results have been in animal studies, but it is a hopeful finding that may help in the fight against Alzheimer's and other dementias.
Bob Tell
Author, "Dementia-Diary, A Caregiver's Journal"
http://www.dementia-diary.com
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Foundation Announces “Turn Up the Heat on Alzheimer’s” Campaign
The following post is taken from a press release prepared by The Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation which announced it is moving forward with an online campaign to help fund new discoveries into Alzheimer’s disease:
The campaign, titled, “Turn Up the Heat on Alzheimer’s” has a set goal to raise funds and awareness for Nobel laureate Dr. Paul Greengard’s research laboratory in The Rockefeller University, during summer 2009 to help fund Alzheimer’s disease research. This fundraising campaign initiative is being headed by Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation’s President and CEO, Kent Karosen.
“The scientists we fund under the direction of Nobel laureate Dr. Paul Greengard are on the brink of exciting new discoveries. Dr. Greengard has authored almost 1,000 scientific publications. And when he gets excited about a new discovery – so do we. Alzheimer’s is a terrible disease. It robs it victims of their memories in what should be the golden years of their life. The time to act is now,” says Mr. Karosen.
Mr. Karosen has pledged that every dollar raised during the campaign will go directly to Alzheimer’s research.
The “Turn Up the Heat on Alzheimer’s” campaign is a nation-wide Alzheimer’s disease fundraiser reaching out to residents, companies, associations, and the online social network community to pledge their financial support. Opportunities to give to the campaign are available through the website: www.ALZinfo.org/team. Fundraiser’s can upload their own photos, personal message, and set their goal amounts. Users of Facebook Causes and MySpace will be able to add donation badges to their profiles. Preserving Your Memory: The Magazine of Health and Hope will feature the top fundraiser in their fall 2009 issue.
About the Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation:
The Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation is a leading source of funding for Alzheimer’s research. It serves Alzheimer’s patients and their families to understand the causes of Alzheimer’s, to discover a cure, and to improve the lives of people with the disease. Nobel laureate Dr. Paul Greengard directs the Foundation’s team of internationally renowned scientists, who have been at the forefront of research providing the conceptual framework for understanding Alzheimer’s disease. Information about the Foundation is available at www.ALZinfo.org
For more information about the “Turn Up the Heat on Alzheimer’s” Campaign through the Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation and www.ALZinfo.org, please contact Betsey Odell, Vice President for Development, at 646-381-5148 and betsey@alzinfo.org
Bob Tell
Author, "Dementia-Diary, A Caregiver's Journal"
http://www.dementia-diary.com
The campaign, titled, “Turn Up the Heat on Alzheimer’s” has a set goal to raise funds and awareness for Nobel laureate Dr. Paul Greengard’s research laboratory in The Rockefeller University, during summer 2009 to help fund Alzheimer’s disease research. This fundraising campaign initiative is being headed by Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation’s President and CEO, Kent Karosen.
“The scientists we fund under the direction of Nobel laureate Dr. Paul Greengard are on the brink of exciting new discoveries. Dr. Greengard has authored almost 1,000 scientific publications. And when he gets excited about a new discovery – so do we. Alzheimer’s is a terrible disease. It robs it victims of their memories in what should be the golden years of their life. The time to act is now,” says Mr. Karosen.
Mr. Karosen has pledged that every dollar raised during the campaign will go directly to Alzheimer’s research.
The “Turn Up the Heat on Alzheimer’s” campaign is a nation-wide Alzheimer’s disease fundraiser reaching out to residents, companies, associations, and the online social network community to pledge their financial support. Opportunities to give to the campaign are available through the website: www.ALZinfo.org/team. Fundraiser’s can upload their own photos, personal message, and set their goal amounts. Users of Facebook Causes and MySpace will be able to add donation badges to their profiles. Preserving Your Memory: The Magazine of Health and Hope will feature the top fundraiser in their fall 2009 issue.
About the Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation:
The Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation is a leading source of funding for Alzheimer’s research. It serves Alzheimer’s patients and their families to understand the causes of Alzheimer’s, to discover a cure, and to improve the lives of people with the disease. Nobel laureate Dr. Paul Greengard directs the Foundation’s team of internationally renowned scientists, who have been at the forefront of research providing the conceptual framework for understanding Alzheimer’s disease. Information about the Foundation is available at www.ALZinfo.org
For more information about the “Turn Up the Heat on Alzheimer’s” Campaign through the Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation and www.ALZinfo.org, please contact Betsey Odell, Vice President for Development, at 646-381-5148 and betsey@alzinfo.org
Bob Tell
Author, "Dementia-Diary, A Caregiver's Journal"
http://www.dementia-diary.com
Monday, June 15, 2009
Take Your Oxygen First
I just came across a new book called "Take Your Oxygen First" that I think will be helpful to caregivers. It is co-authored by Leeza Gibbons, James Huysman, and Rosemary DeAngelis Laird.
The press release states that the book: "contains timely medical and scientific information about memory loss disorders, provides practical information and advice for caregivers and shares the experiences of families of caregivers across the country."
The bible of practical information for dementia caregivers is, of course, "The 36 Hour Day," by Nancy Mace and Peter Rabins. "Take Your Oxygen First" is a good supplement to the Mace/Rabins book but cannot be a substitute for it.
You probably need both in your library, next to your dogeared copy of "Dementia Diary" by yours truly :-)
Bob Tell
Author, "Dementia-Diary, A Caregiver's Journal"
http://www.dementia-diary.com
The press release states that the book: "contains timely medical and scientific information about memory loss disorders, provides practical information and advice for caregivers and shares the experiences of families of caregivers across the country."
The bible of practical information for dementia caregivers is, of course, "The 36 Hour Day," by Nancy Mace and Peter Rabins. "Take Your Oxygen First" is a good supplement to the Mace/Rabins book but cannot be a substitute for it.
You probably need both in your library, next to your dogeared copy of "Dementia Diary" by yours truly :-)
Bob Tell
Author, "Dementia-Diary, A Caregiver's Journal"
http://www.dementia-diary.com
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Can Power Lines Cause Dementia?
I don't have the expertise to say one way or another. However, the following study was reported in April by Natural News.com:
"LIVING NEAR POWER LINES LINKED TO ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE: NEW RESEARCH"
"Living near power lines may significantly increase a person's risk of death from Alzheimer's disease or senile dementia, according to a new study conducted by researchers from the University of Bern, Switzerland, and published in the American Journal of Epidemiology. The study is the first to definitively link exposure to low-frequency electromagnetic fields to elevated mortality from dementia."
The full report can be found at this website:
http://www.naturalnews.com/026008_power_lines_Alzheimers_disease.html
Can this be true?
My own view about such studies is to wait until the findings are replicated by other scientists before rushing off to make major changes in lifestyle or living arrangements. Don't we keep hearing about cell phones and brain cancer, with not much in definitive proof as of yet?
So if you or a loved one lives near power lines, don't panic—but it may be worth keeping an eye out and an ear tuned for more on this topic.
Bob Tell
Author, "Dementia-Diary, A Caregiver's Journal"
http://www.dementia-diary.com
"LIVING NEAR POWER LINES LINKED TO ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE: NEW RESEARCH"
"Living near power lines may significantly increase a person's risk of death from Alzheimer's disease or senile dementia, according to a new study conducted by researchers from the University of Bern, Switzerland, and published in the American Journal of Epidemiology. The study is the first to definitively link exposure to low-frequency electromagnetic fields to elevated mortality from dementia."
The full report can be found at this website:
http://www.naturalnews.com/026008_power_lines_Alzheimers_disease.html
Can this be true?
My own view about such studies is to wait until the findings are replicated by other scientists before rushing off to make major changes in lifestyle or living arrangements. Don't we keep hearing about cell phones and brain cancer, with not much in definitive proof as of yet?
So if you or a loved one lives near power lines, don't panic—but it may be worth keeping an eye out and an ear tuned for more on this topic.
Bob Tell
Author, "Dementia-Diary, A Caregiver's Journal"
http://www.dementia-diary.com
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