Category Archives: Health

A few more thoughts

Posted on January 11, 2017 by Jim deMaine

Let go of certainty. The opposite isn’t uncertainty. It’s openness, curiosity and a willingness to embrace paradox. — Tony Schwartz The Truth is rarely pure and never Simple  –  Oscar Wilde  You are on Heaven’s Most Wanted List (Church) And … Continue reading →

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Avoid fake news — find accurate health policy information here

Posted on January 5, 2017 by Jim deMaine

Dr. Diana Buist knows that national health policy is complex and won’t get easier in 2017. Here’s how she keeps up with news and strategy. From Group Health Research Institute’s Dr. Diana Buist: Since November 8, like many people, I’ve … Continue reading →

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What really matters at the end of life – imagination!

Posted on January 3, 2017 by Jim deMaine

B.J. Miller talks about his transition from a triple amputee to an MD focused on person centered care at his unique Zen Hospice in San Francisco. Just to let you know, Klein Galland will give a presentation about Hospice care … Continue reading →

Posted in Health | 1 Comment

The Latest Trends in Income, Assets, and Personal Health Care Spending Among People on Medicare

Posted on January 1, 2017 by Jim deMaine

Most people on Medicare are of very modest means. The slide show below shows that the 50% of the Medicare population had incomes below $24,000; whereas 5% had incomes above $93,000 and only 1% above $163,000. Click on the slides … Continue reading →

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Therapy Cats for Dementia Patients, Batteries Included

Posted on December 30, 2016 by Jim deMaine

From the NYT: “The robotic cats, called Joy for All Companion Pets, are made by Hasbro. They hit the market last year and cost $99 — considerably less than previous generations of robotic therapy animals, which have been around since … Continue reading →

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It’s not the fat, the toxin is sugar!

Posted on December 30, 2016 by Jim deMaine

From Aeon: “Researchers in harder sciences have a name for such situations: ‘pathological science’, defined by the Nobel Laureate chemist Irving Langmuir in 1953 as ‘the science of things that aren’t so’. Where experimental investigation is prohibitively expensive or impossible to … Continue reading →

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Brain Training Programs – a critique

Posted on December 28, 2016 by Jim deMaine

There continues to be hope that the use of technology can somehow improve the functioning of the brain, perhaps slowing or preventing the onset of dementia. There are many studies, but a recent peer reviewed literature review in a scientific … Continue reading →

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Healthcare and the Human Spirit: Walt Whitman on the Most Important Priority in Healing the Body and the Soul

Posted on December 26, 2016 by Jim deMaine

There’s a lot (most everything) about Walt Whitman that I don’t know. Recently I’ve been introduced to a wonderful web site called brainpickings, delightfully filled with essays such as this one about Walt Whitman’s views on health care and the … Continue reading →

Posted in Health, History | 1 Comment

The lost art of lying down

Posted on December 23, 2016 by Jim deMaine

Winston Churchill was famous for napping which is supported by his answering this question: “Mr Churchill, to what do you attribute your success in life?’ He responds, “Conservation of energy. Never stand up when you can sit down. And never … Continue reading →

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Care for the Vulnerable vs. Cash for the Powerful — Trump’s Pick for HHS

Posted on December 23, 2016 by Jim deMaine

The prestigious and venerable New England Journal of Medicine has spoken up strongly on the prospective drastic changes proposed in health policy: “Representative Tom Price of Georgia, an orthopedic surgeon, will be President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of health and … Continue reading →

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smart911

Posted on December 21, 2016 by Jim deMaine

I just got reminded by smart911.com to update my information. This was easy. Just verify my phone numbers, so if/when I call 911 on my verified phone my information will pop up on the dispatcher’s screen. So consider logging onto … Continue reading →

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Alert from the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care

Posted on December 20, 2016 by Jim deMaine

Residents in Long Term Care are in for some difficult times if there is a drastic change in the way our Medicaid system is funded and managed. The following is an ‘alert’ from  National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care. … Continue reading →

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Why the hype around medical genetics is producing promise fatigue

Posted on December 12, 2016 by Jim deMaine

Knowledge of genetics can cure cancer, right – well, wrong. Predictions about living to 1000, curing aging, wiping out cancer – all of these are in the scrap-pile of medical promises. Click here to read an essay of “Why the … Continue reading →

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What is a long-term care ombudsman?

Posted on December 9, 2016 by Jim deMaine

    Did you know that Washington and King County have a robust Ombudsman program utilizing volunteers? They help by being an advocate and interfacing with staff in problem solving – giving you a stronger voice. The King County contact … Continue reading →

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Dementia is developing in a smaller proportion of older Americans over time

Posted on December 8, 2016 by Jim deMaine

ANN ARBOR, Mich.—In a hopeful sign for the health of the nation’s brains, the percentage of American seniors with dementia is dropping, a new study finds: “A Comparison of the Prevalence of Dementia in the United States in 2000 and … Continue reading →

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Can we “solve” the obesity epidemic with medical devices?

Posted on December 5, 2016 by Jim deMaine

The above device, called AspireAssist was recently approved by the FDA for qualifying individuals with morbid obesity (a BMI of 35 to 55). With obesity reaching epidemic proportions in developing countries, multiple solutions have been sought. The physiology of weight gain … Continue reading →

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Human population through time

Posted on December 2, 2016 by Jim deMaine

From Aeon: “From our origins in Africa, humans began migrating around the globe roughly 100,000 years ago. But it was only with the advent of agriculture about 12,000 years ago that our population started to swell to more than a million. This data … Continue reading →

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To Die of Having Lived

Posted on December 1, 2016 by Jim deMaine

Published author Rick Rapport has written about his personal experiences with patients, doctors and families in crisis when near death. Dr. Rapport is a colleague and Clinical Professor of Neurosurgery at nearby Harborview Hospital. He has given permission to link … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Essays, Health | 2 Comments

Can there be anything good in illness?

Posted on November 8, 2016 by Jim deMaine

“Surely not, well maybe not.” What is your answer to the “value” of illness. Is there any good in it? Does it in any way benefit us or those around us? This article in Aeon has some interesting commentary. “But … Continue reading →

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A Neurosurgeon’s Crisis

Posted on November 6, 2016 by Jim deMaine

What would you do if you were a 36 year old Neurosurgeon finishing a grueling 6 year training program at Stanford, a rising superstar, married, but just diagnosed with a rare form of lung cancer? The cancer is treatable but … Continue reading →

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Elderwise has moved across the street!

Posted on November 6, 2016 by Jim deMaine

Elderwise, a community-supported leader in enrichment programming forpeople living with memory loss, has moved to Trinity Episcopal Church. Elderwise radically embraces creating space for those living with memory loss, delves into the present moment in a group setting, provides spirit-centered … Continue reading →

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Where’s my memory – by AARP

Posted on November 2, 2016 by Jim deMaine

This one’s from Dorothy W. (and AARP) and oh. too true!  

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Mentally ill – a death with dignity in Holland

Posted on November 2, 2016 by Jim deMaine

“Doctor-assisted suicide for the chronically mentally ill is currently legal in the Netherlands, Belgium and Switzerland, despite being one of the most contentious points in the ongoing right-to-die debate. Letting You Go follows one such Dutch patient, 27-year-old Sanne, who, … Continue reading →

Posted in Health | 3 Comments

Man suing assisted-living facility over unanswered call for help

Posted on October 29, 2016 by Jim deMaine

A Mercer Island assisted care facility has been in the news in an unfavorable manner. Apparently their call light system didn’t function properly. A resident was down in his bathroom for the whole day! It appears timely that Skyline has … Continue reading →

Posted in Aging Sites, Health | 2 Comments

One reason for “health care” inflation

Posted on October 29, 2016 by Jim deMaine

How can this happen? Well for one, Medicare is forbidden by law to negotiate with big pharma! Thanks to the lobbyists and big pharma. Click here for Bernie Sanders Takes on Big Pharma as California Eyes Drug Price Limits

Posted in Health | 3 Comments