The purpose of this descriptive study was to explore the health characteristics of elderly personal care home residents. Personal care homes are community-based facilities that provide living arrangements, assistance with basic needs and protective oversight. Personal care home providers were interviewed regarding the health status of 80 elderly residents. The most frequent ADL needs were bathing, personal hygiene and dressing. Thirty-seven per cent of the residents had some bladder incontinence. Eighty-two per cent of residents needed some help with medication management. Over half of the residents had some cognitive impairment. These findings support the proposition of increased prevalence of cognitive impairment in personal care home residents as compared to the first studies a decade ago. The combination of functional deficits and cognitive impairment indicates that these elderly residents may have unmet health needs. The role of the registered nurse in this environment is discussed.
Foodborne botulism is a potentially fatal paralytic illness caused by ingestion of neurotoxin produced by the spore-forming bacterium Clostridium botulinum. Historically, home-canned vegetables have been the most common cause of botulism outbreaks in the United States. During 2008 and 2009, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state and local health departments in Ohio and Washington State investigated three outbreaks caused by unsafe home canning of vegetables. We analyzed CDC surveillance data for background on food vehicles that caused botulism outbreaks from 1999 to 2008. For the three outbreaks described, patients and their family members were interviewed and foods were collected. Laboratory testing of clinical and food samples was done at the respective state public health laboratories. From 1999 to 2008, 116 outbreaks of foodborne botulism were reported. Of the 48 outbreaks caused by home-prepared foods from the contiguous United States, 38% (18) were from home-canned vegetables. Three outbreaks of Type A botulism occurred in Ohio and Washington in September 2008, January 2009, and June 2009. Home-canned vegetables (green beans, green bean and carrot blend, and asparagus) served at family meals were confirmed as the source of each outbreak. In each instance, home canners did not follow canning instructions, did not use pressure cookers, ignored signs of food spoilage, and were unaware of the risk of botulism from consuming improperly preserved vegetables. Home-canned vegetables remain a leading cause of foodborne botulism. These outbreaks illustrate critical areas of concern in current home canning and food preparation knowledge and practices. Similar gaps were identified in a 2005 national survey of U.S. adults. Botulism prevention efforts should include targeted educational outreach to home canners.
Educating caregivers has the potential to improve young children's nutritional status and growth, especially among less literate populations where households subsist on what they produce.
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