Mobile Digital Health

~ by Damion Drilla

Dementia isn’t all about aging, studies show. Health in mid-life can have a marked effect on cognitive ability later on.

A British study of 10,308 people, mostly men, followed the subjects from roughly the ages of 35-55 (the study started in 1985) to about 60-75 years (the study ended in 2004).

Coronary heart disease in midlife was found to be linked to lower cognition in later years. In men, heart disease was linked to lower reason, vocabulary, and MMSE scores. In women, it corresponded additionally to lower phonemic and semantic fluency.

The longer the heart disease – meaning, the earlier it was contracted – the greater the drop in cognitive ability over the years. This suggests that heart disease creates an ongoing condition that continuously deteriorates mental function until dementia kicks in.

Many patients who require pulmonary care for chronic breathing problems such Asthma, Bronchiectasis, Emphysema and Chronic Bronchitis, Pneumonia and Pulmonary Fibrosis as well as those who have undergone lung surgery are opting to be treated at home as opposed to languishing in a hospital or  nursing facility

“Many (clients) are sick people, but home is clearly what the majority of patients would prefer rather than going into a home,”says Dr. Benjamin Rossi, Medical Director of the Visiting Nurses Association’s Home Health Care program. “If you have a good organization, you can help people with quality of life and help manage their chronic disease so they can stay at their home.”

Advances in technology are making it easier for family members to manage the home care of their loved one. Mobile Digital Imaging is one area that can serve as a great asset to home care, helping to fill the gap between the hospital and home. Just one phone call brings a technician to the bedside of your mom or dad and  a full spectrum of test  can be done on the spot. X-rays, EKGs, Sonograms, and Echocardiograms are just some of what’s available and all imaging is done digitally so results aren’t long in coming. Radiologists on call 24/7 read and evaluate all tests immediately, so your physician can follow up with the appropriate treatment.

More and more people want their care provided at home so they can feel comfortable in their own bed. Now they can rest assured, knowing that when their doctor orders an x-ray  it doesnt require the hassle of a hospital trip. They can just stay put.