Newsletter





	February 2012


	"ADVANCED CARE DIRECTIVES" By- Paula Harrington-Hill "Do your family members know what you want, if you are unable to speak for yourself?" On the front page of a recent Star Advertiser, I read where a 93 year old man fell and was in a coma for some time. He never regained his ability to speak. However, he did regain consciousness and was able to mouth the words - "Let me go". The doctors were then, and only then, able to remove his breathing tube and he passed away quietly. What might happen to you or a loved one if you were unable to make your wishes known? Medical technology makes it possible for a person with little or NO HOPE OF RECOVERY to be kept alive for years. Is that what you think people want? There is a legal document, which you can obtain for free called an ADVANCED HEALTH CARE DIRECTIVE. This form needs to be filled out, signed and witnessed. Filling it out allows you to tell the people in your life what's important to you. If you don't have one, and even one person interested in your care disagrees, your physician may not be able to honor your wishes for end-of-life care. You may obtain a copy of this very important document or apply online by going to: www.myhealthdirective.com. You may then type in "Advanced Care Directive" into their search engine, this will take you to a site where you can print a free Advanced Care Directive and get other valuable advice about what you need to do, who you need to tell and where you need to store this document. Mastercare cares about you and your loved ones and we are only a phone call away. Mastercare is available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Why not employ the services of a professional home care service to assist you with your home care needs? Their friendly professional staff will do a thorough assessment of your family's needs and even provide you with ideas you hadn't thought of to keep your family safe. Mastercare employees are carefully screened, bonded and insured and all of their credentials are up-to-date. Our employees are care-givers not just care-takers and they work under the supervision of a Registered Nurse. We even do the best we can to match personalities and provide a "Mastercare Match." Thinking about Advanced Health Care Directives By Becky Miller Americans love to plan. We plan vacations, school trips, even our daily route to work. But one of the most important decisions of our life (literally) is often put aside and left to be dealt with only when the important decision needs to be made: how do we want to be treated in the last days of our lives? No one wants to think about dying; it is often depressing or just not something we want to think about. With the right planning, you can ease the transition for yourself and for your family. By planning ahead and letting those you love, and those who care for you,know what you want in your final days, it can make the transition an easier and more peaceful experience. If you are incapacitated, and cannot make your own decisions, how do you want your health handled? Who would you want to make the final decisions if doctors needed answers? These are all questions that you need to think about and can be easily answered if you plan ahead and write you own Advanced Care Directives. "Advanced Health Care Directives, also known as living will, personal directive, advance directive, or advance decision, are instructions given by individuals specifying what actions should be taken for their health in the event that they are no longer able to make decisions due to illness or incapacity, and appoints a person to make such decisions on their behalf" (Wikipedia). Some key points to think about when writing your Care Directives are: What can be expected as your possible illness progresses? Should resuscitation be attempted if the heart or breathing stops? What are the benefits and burdens of different treatment options? Would you want to use some treatments like ventilators, feeding tubes, antibiotics, dialysis and chemotherapy? How should you control pain, anxiety and other symptoms? How does expense effect making decisions? Should you donate organs and tissue after death has occurred? Besides these specific questions, you may also want to think about: Who should make these decisions if I am not able to? Who would I want to (and who would be willing to) control my health and financial decisions if I am unable to? (often these are not the same person) By thinking about these options ahead of time and writing down what you want, you can save your family, and caregivers, a lot of difficult decisions, as well as ensure you receive the care and respect you want in your last days. Recipes for Health Jambalaya Bake We all need a simple one pan dish that will freeze and keep for leftovers that is healthy and yummy. This Jambalaya is just that! Ingredients (6 servings) 1 tbsp Olive oil 1 lb beef (ground or small chunks) 1 yellow onion, diced 1 garlic clove, minced 28 oz can of diced tomatoes with juice 1/4 cup tomato paste 1 large green pepper, diced 3 stalks celery, diced 3/4 cup long grain brown rice 1 tbsp fresh parsley 1 tsp paprika 1 tsp soy sauce 1.5 cups water 1/2 tsp chili powder (use more or less to preference) 1 bay leaf 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper Instructions Preheat oven to 400F In a large frying pan, combine olive oil, beef, onion, and garlic. Cook on medium heat until meat is no longer pink, then stir into casserole dish. Combine all remaining ingredients in a 2.3L casserole dish. Cover and cook for 75-80 minutes, or until rice is cooked and water is absorbed. ENJOY! Laughter's the Best Medicine One afternoon, a man went to his doctor and told him that he hasn't been feeling well lately. The doctor examined the man, left the room, and came back with three different bottles of pills. The doctor said, "Take the green pill with a big glass of water when you wake up. Take the blue pill with a big glass of water after you eat lunch. Then just before going to bed, take the red pill with another big glass of water." Startled to be put on so much medicine, the man stammered, "Jeez Doc, exactly what is my problem?" The doctor replied, "You're not drinking enough water."