TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Noviembre es el Mes Nacional de la Enfermedad de Alzheimer y hay una nueva herramienta en línea que permite a una persona decidir si quiere que los médicos le prolonguen la vida en el caso de que, padeciendo demencia, adquieran una enfermedad terminal.

Los profesionales de la medicina están capacitados para salvar vidas ante todo, pero una encuesta de 2018 sobre demencia encontró que el 80% de los estadounidenses piensan que es un error forzar a alguien a vivir años en una condición que consideran peor que la muerte.

Kim Callinan, Presidenta y CEO del grupo Compassion & Choices (Compasión y Decisiones), dice que los pacientes no saben que no tienen por qué pasar por tratamientos ni procedimientos dolorosos.

"Hay otra opción. Podrías mantener a la persona cómoda, permitirle que se libere de los sÍntomas para que no sufra, y permitir que esa otra enfermedad termine con su dolor y reduzca el tiempo que vivan en un estado de demencia avanzada."

Las estadísticas muestran que Florida tiene la 4a mayor tasa de enfermedad de Alzheimer en el país. La herramienta "Valores y Prioridades de la Demencia" (Dementia Values and Priorities), que se encuentra en el sitio Web Compassion & Choices, le ayuda a la gente a decidir cuál tratamiento quiere, o cuál no quiere, en cada etapa de la enfermedad.

Y una herramienta llamada "Decodificador de la Demencia" (Dementia Decoder), ayuda a la gente a determinar hasta qué punto ha progresado su enfermedad.

Callinan dice que es importante que la gente tome decisiones sobre estos problemas por sí misma, cuando todavía pueden. Y además les facilitan mucho el trabajo a sus cuidadores.

"Y separan la culpa y las conjeturas de los cuidados, porque esa persona no tiene que pensar: '¿Que querría esta persona en este caso?' Pueden usar la herramienta para guiar sus decisiones de cuidados."

El grupo también publica dos videos hoy, en su sitio Web; uno explica cómo usar la herramienta en línea y el otro registra el recorrido del paciente mientras usa la herramienta, para tomar decisiones importantes relativas a su cuidado.


get more stories like this via email

Farmworkers in South Carolina and across the U.S. face scorching heat with little protection at the federal and state level. However, the Farm Labor Organizing Committee is taking steps to enhance worker safety.

The group is ramping up heat protection guidelines for migrant workers in the South through an existing rule. Originally negotiated in 2006 with the North Carolina Growers Association, the rule aimed to address heat-related incidents. Now, it is being strengthened to improve conditions for more than 9,000 farmworkers.

Baldemar Velasquez, president of the committee, believes the efforts are key in safeguarding workers where legal measures do not.

"The problem with legislation, whether it's the federal or state, it takes forever," Velasquez asserted. "Enforcement is always an issue because we're not talking about big factories with a lot of workers. We're talking very remote labor camps, isolated, and so it's important that workers know how to take action on their own."

He noted under the new guidelines, workers who are a part of their union take heat safety into their own hands. The rules say if it is getting close to 85 degrees and workers have symptoms such as dizziness or nausea, they should take a break in the shade and drink water, no matter what the boss said. When it hits 95 degrees or more, breaks are supposed to happen every couple of hours.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 67 people died from heat-related deaths from 2016 through 2020 in South Carolina.

Mario Vargas, lead organizing development coordinator at the Campaign for Migrant Worker Justice, shared his 15 years of firsthand experience. He vividly depicted the challenges faced by workers, such as tall crops blocking the wind and constant pressure from employers.

Recognizing the urgent need for change, Vargas and his organization are teaming up with the committee to go beyond guidelines. They are prioritizing education.

"Because if you say, 'Oh, we got another 100 feet to go so we can finish the row,' you might not make it to the end of the row," Vargas pointed out. "You need to stop and find some shade and drink some water. We let them know their rights, that they have a right."

The group will be teaching farmworkers about the new guidelines, signs of heat stress, how to stay hydrated and when to seek medical help. Vargas added they will also have support channels to report issues or pushback to ensure their well-being is not compromised.

Last week, Walmart became the latest major retailer to retreat from providing direct health-care service by announcing closures of all its health clinics and virtual health-care operations.

However, Florida's health centers say they are ready to fill the gap.

Florida is home to most of the soon-to-be-shuttered health centers - 23 of the 51 centers are now winding down operations in the Sunshine State, where they offer various services, including medical, dental, and behavioral health care.

Benjamin Browning - vice president and COO of the Florida Association of Community Health Centers - said many have tried to figure out the complexities of delivering health-care services, which doesn't always work.

He said the current concern is ensuring displaced patients, often in rural underserved areas, can still access care.

"Fortunately," said Browning, "the community health centers are positioned throughout the state to be able to welcome those patients, to encourage those patients to come and visit and receive their primary-care services."

In a statement, Walmart cited the challenging health-care reimbursement landscape and rising operating costs as reasons for the closures.

Additionally, Walgreens is closing 160 VillageMD clinics, Amazon is cutting jobs at One Medical and Amazon Pharmacy, and CVS Health plans to shutter dozens of pharmacies in Target stores.

Browning said their model of providing care is embedded in their name - building community.

When a patient enters their facility, they might also be connected to additional services. He said the model is financially challenging, but they've been working to perfect it.

"There is a level of streamlining," said Browning. "There is a level of efficiency that is maximized to the extent possible, within the health centers to provide for those patients that can and cannot afford to pay the full bill."

Walmart expects the closures to occur within three months and will now focus its health business on its nearly 4,600 pharmacies and more than 3,000 vision centers across the United States.

Community Health Centers are in all of Florida's 67 counties, serving patients in more than 800 locations - including dozens of mobile units and school-based sites statewide.

Michigan farmers are responding to the new Avian Flu "Extraordinary Emergency" order from MDARD, Michigan's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

New safety guidelines must be in place by this Wednesday that affect all dairy and poultry operations in the state.

The guidelines include the designation of a biosecurity manager, establishing a perimeter that limits access to livestock, and implementing cleaning and disinfection procedures at those access points.

Chief Medical Executive for the state of Michigan, Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, said the most severe cases of the Bird Flu seem to be in poultry.

"Poultry don't recover well from this virus," said Bagdasarian. "This is a highly pathogenic virus in poultry and the dairy cows do tend to recover, even though their milk production is slowed down."

M-DARD first detected Avian Flu in Michigan dairy cattle on March 29 of this year. The disease has since been detected in more dairy herds and commercial poultry flocks in 7 counties.

The emergency guidelines also include farms maintaining a record of vehicles and people who cross access points.

Regarding the health risks for humans, Bagdasarian said there is some positive news amidst the crisis.

"We had a number of workers who had been exposed, but very few have been symptomatic," said Bagdasarian. "And no one who has been symptomatic and tested for the virus, had tested positive. So, that's really good news. "

The Food and Drug Administation continues to advise against drinking raw milk and recommends that the dairy industry does not manufacture or sell raw milk or raw milk products.



get more stories like this via email