Monday, August 10, 2015

Introducing Nestle Boost Compact Oral Nutrition in 4 Ounce Servings

Introducing the all new Nestle Boost Compact Oral Nutrition beverage that packs 240 calories and 10g of high quality protein in each 4 ounce bottle! This is the perfect solution for individuals that want the nutritional benefits of Boost Original, but have a challenge drinking an 8 ounce serving.

Boost Compact Beverage is available in two delicious flavors - Rich Chocolate or Very Vanilla. It tastes good and includes 26 essential vitamins and minerals to meet daily needs including Vitamin D and Calcium.

Boost Compact is low in fat with just 6g of total fat (with just 1g of saturated fat) and 10 mg cholesterol per serving.

Boost Original in 8 ounce containers is still available, but now there is an tasty new 4 ounce Boost Compact. Nestle products are available in a wide range of products for every nutritional need.



Tuesday, May 19, 2015

FTC Charges Four Cancer Charities with Bilking over $187 Million from Consumers

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) alleges that four charities bilked consumers out of over $187 million falsely claiming that the donations would help pay for pain medicines, hospice care and other services. Unfortunately, these donations were spent on cars, trips, sports tickets and professional fund raisers. This story is currently the largest graphical banner on the FTC homepage. You can read the full article on the FTC website by clicking here.

The four charities named in the federal court complaint are:
  • Cancer Support Services, Inc
  • Cancer Support Services, Inc
  • Children’s Cancer Fund of America, Inc
  • The Breast Cancer Society, Inc

The so called “charities” raised millions of dollars by the use of telemarketing calls, direct mail, websites, and materials distributed by the Combined Federal Campaign (which raises money from federal employees for non-profit organizations). Please do not confuse these organizations with other great organizations that may have similar sounding names.

The sad thing here is that people were donating money out of the goodness of their own heart and this money was used by a few people for personal gain. This negatively impacts the good nature of people who genuinely want to help, but don’t want to get ripped off by con artists.

When my wife went through treatment for breast cancer last year that included surgery and chemotherapy we saw good organizations doing great things to support her and the other patients. These organizations included the American Cancer Society (www.Cancer.org) and Face in the Mirror (www.FaceInTheMirror.org). The American Cancer Society was very familiar by name, but I had no idea until we went through this process how much they actually do to support people going through issues with cancer. Face in The Mirror was completely unknown to me until this experience and they were so kind and actually pampered my wife during these difficult treatments that I cannot say enough good things about their program.

The message here is that there are good charitable organizations out there that really do help. If you are thinking about donating money there are resources such as Charity Navigator (www.CharityNavigator.org) that tracks and rates charities on a number of criteria including their goals, mission and use of funds. This site might help clear up concerns or at least help you understand if your money is going to help in the way that you prefer. Don’t let bad people slow you down and stop donating, just take a few minutes to educate yourself about the organization and move forward when you are ready.

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Why it is important to get enough fluids if you have urinary incontinence

Urinary incontinence can be inconvenient, uncomfortable and embarrassing for both the patient and family and friends. Often times people will reduce the amount of fluid intake to help control incontinence leakage. It might seem logival to prevent accidents, but it doesn't.

When a person does not get enough fluids it can actually cause urine odor to increase and get stronger. I was recently speaking with my friend about her mothers "unspoken about issue" and she was commenting on the strong smell like ammonia that was always present. She was worried that it was fecal or bowel incontinence and didn't realize that that was a strong and offensive urine related odor. We discussed two factors: 
  1. Choosing the right incontinence protection item is important. My friend was fairly certain her mother was using a feminine hygiene pad rather than an incontinence garment.
  2. She didn't think that her mother was drinking much other than her morning cups of coffee and as little as possible the rest of the day. 

Both of these factors were probably contributing to the odor and probably not helping. Also, the reduction in fluid intake was not helping control the incontinence leakage.

Generally speaking, drinking plenty of water in small amounts during the day can actually help leakage and improve bladder control as well as help reduce odors. 8 ounces with meals, sipping water between meals, and limiting liquids a couple of hours before bedtime can help. Avoiding or reducing caffeinated beverages, citric juices and carbonated beverages can also help. 

All of this is general information to help ensure a person is getting enough fluids and not avoiding it to reduce urinary incontinence. My mothers friend, as well as anybody reading this that is experiencing urinary incontinence, should talk to their doctor or healthcare provider. Information like this is very generally and should never be construed as medical advice. Click here to go to a previous article regarding how to speak with your doctor or healthcare provider about incontinence.

There are many actions and steps individuals dealing with urinary incontinence can improve their situation.

Monday, April 27, 2015

Incontinence pads or feminine hygiene pads?

Many people may be incorrectly using feminine hygiene menstrual pads for urinary incontinence protection. While these pads may look very similar and provide area coverage that is similar, they do in fact provide very different types of protection and serve a different purpose. The question is which is best or simply put - incontinence pads vs menstrual pads?

Incontinence pads are also commonly known by many different names including bladder control pads, liners, urinary pads, and incontinence shields. These pads are designed with varying degrees of fluid absorption capabilities. The protection level is provided by the materials and fabrics used in the manufacturing of the pads as well as the size of the pad. Technology has improved in many of these areas that allow the use of materials such as superabsobent microbeads that provide superior absorbency while minimizing pad thickness and size.

Feminine menstrual pads, or sanitary napkins, are designed specifically to absorb blood that is slow or in a trickle. Incontinence pads are designed specifically to absorb and provide protection and peace of mind with involuntary loss of urine. They are simply not designed to handle the chemical make up and composition of urine.

Incontinence pads also are designed absorb and disperse urine quickly. They also help provide odor control associated with urine as well as the fluid absorbency. The structure of the pads helps keep skin dry and healthy by pulling the urine away from the skin into the pad core.

There are pads available specifically for men, women or either. Some pads have adhesive strips or patches to held the pads in place where protection is needed most and some do not have adhesive and are held in place simply by special undergarments or underwear. There are even pads known as booster pads that are designed to be used with other incontinence products to increase their absorbency and reduce changing of protective underwear or adult diapers.

In conclusion, feminine pads are designed specifically for use in the absorption of a slow trickle of blood for the female menstrual cycle. Incontinence pads are designed to accommodate the faster flow and absorption, as well as the chemical composition, of urine. Both are designed for unique purposes and specific kinds of protection. Your best option for urinary incontinence protection is an incontinence pad is designed specifically for this need. 

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

What is the name of specific Vitamins?

Vitamins are organic substances made by animals or plants that are an essential part of nutrition for a healthy body. Vitamins are required by the body to grow and develop normally. Normally a person consumes vitamins by consuming a variety of foods. If the body is deficient of these vitamins it may be necessary to supplement foods with vitamins in a pill form.

Please note that you should always check with your doctor before taking any product - including vitamins and minerals.

So what is Vitamin B, C Retinol, Riboflavin, etc. There are many names bouncing around out there and here is a chart to help simplify and identify what Vitamin matches its other name. We have broken this down into two sections: Water-Soluble Vitamins and Fat-Soluble Vitamins.

Water Soluble Vitamins:

Vitamin B1
  • Thamine
  • Thiamin
  • Aneruine

Vitamin B2
  • Riboflavin

Vitamin B3
  • Niacin
  • Niacinamide
  • Nicotinamide
  • Nicotinic Acid

Vitamin B5
  • Pantothenic Acid

Vitamin B6
  • Pyridoxine
  • Pyridoxal
  • Pyridoxamine

Vitamin B7
  • Biotin
Vitamin B9
  • Folic Acid

Vitamin B12
  • Cobalamin
  • Cyanocobalamin
  • Cobamide

Vitamin C
  • Absorb Acid

Fat Soluble Vitamins:

Vitamin A
  • Beta Carotene

Vitamin D
  • Cholecalciferol

Vitamin E
  • Tocopherols
  • Tocotrienols
Vitamin K
  • Phylloquinone
  • Menaquinones
Many people get enough of their daily vitamins from their regular food intake. For people that don't or can't, Vitamin supplements are readily available in many forms to ensure you get your daily allowances.

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Kimberly Clark Healthcare is now Halyard Health

Kimberly Clark Health Care products are now Halyard Health products. The name has changed, but they are the same great products with the same dependable quality.

The transition on these products will occur over the next 24 months. These changes include new packaging and product branding, but the products will remain the same.

Products formerly Kimberly Clark Health Care that are transition to Halyard Health include:

Over the course of the transition products will begin to ship in the new packaging as existing inventories of Kimberly Clark Health Care products decline. But rest assured that products have not changed and will continue to be the high quality excellent products that were available in the past.

How to Change an Adult Diaper Step by Step

Changing an adult diaper for the first time may be a bit uncomfortable for all involved. The key is to remain calm and respectful and ensure that the patient is provided with dignity, comfort, and the best possible care.

There are several situations to consider when changing an adult diaper. The first thing to do is to determine how the patient will be positioned during the diaper change. Will they be lying down, sitting, or standing up. We will provide a basic outline for each position below. It will probably seem naturally uncomfortable to perform this task at first - for both caregiver and patient, but over time it should become easier for all involved.

An adult diaper is also known as a brief. For simple clarification we will use the term diaper to describe the garment in this how-to change an adult diaper guide. This is a general guide to assist those confronted with adult diaper change for the first time. Slight product variations and types may require slight modifications to the process.

Steps to change an adult diaper for patient that is lying down:
  1. Roll person gently onto their side. Place diaper with the flap folded under nearest to the body.
  2. Roll the person gently back and unfold flap.
  3. Go to final steps for all positions listed below.

Steps to change an adult diaper for patient that is sitting down:
  1. Open diaper and place backing/ plastic cover against the back of the chair
  2. Position person onto the diaper.
  3. Go to final steps for all positions listed below.

Steps to change an adult diaper for patient that is standing up:
  1. While person is standing have them hold onto something for support to ensure they don’t fall.
  2. Place a clean diaper between the persons legs from front to back.
  3. Go to final steps for all positions listed below.
Final Steps for all Positions
  1. Pull diaper firmly, pulling it out and then up. The diaper should fit snugly in the groin. Gently smooth the front.
  2. Fasten bottom tabs first, angled up. (if using a single tab diaper then pull across and up)
  3. Fasten top tabs pointing down for best fit.
  4. If diaper has hook and loop tabs you will want to give a slight tug to the anchor hooks in the back cover fibers.
  5. Adjust the diaper by pulling the folds of the inner thigh down and fitting the brief into the groin.
  6. Adjust the outer garments.

It may take a few tries to get your diaper changing system down for the individual patient. The key is to make sure the diaper is snug without any bunching or gaps that will allow leakage.