DiversityNursing Blog

By Michael Martinez

A respiratory virus is sending hundreds of children to hospitals in Missouri and possibly throughout the Midwest and beyond, officials say.

The unusually high number of hospitalizations reported now could be "just the tip of the iceberg in terms of severe cases," said Mark Pallansch, a virologist and director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Division of Viral Diseases.

"We're in the middle of looking into this," he told CNN on Sunday. "We don't have all the answers yet."

Ten states have contacted the CDC for assistance in investigating clusters of enterovirus: Colorado, North Carolina, Georgia, Ohio, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and Kentucky.

What is Enterovirus EV-D68?

Enteroviruses, which bring on symptoms like a very intense cold, aren't unusual. They're actually common. When you have a bad summer cold, often what you have is an enterovirus, he said. The season often hits its peak in September.

The unusual situation now is that there have been so many hospitalizations.

The virus has sent more than 30 children a day to a Kansas City, Missouri, hospital, where about 15% of the youngsters were placed in intensive care, officials said.

In a sign of a possible regional outbreak, Colorado, Illinois and Ohio are reporting cases with similar symptoms and are awaiting testing results, according to officials and CNN affiliates in those states.

In Kansas City, about 475 children were recently treated at Children's Mercy Hospital, and at least 60 of them received intensive hospitalization, spokesman Jake Jacobson said.

"It's worse in terms of scope of critically ill children who require intensive care. I would call it unprecedented. I've practiced for 30 years in pediatrics, and I've never seen anything quite like this," said Dr. Mary Anne Jackson, the hospital's division director for infectious diseases.

"We've had to mobilize other providers, doctors, nurses. It's big," she said.

The Kansas City hospital treats 90% of that area's ill children. Staff members noticed an initial spike on August 15, Jackson said.

"It could have taken off right after school started. Our students start back around August 17, and I think it blew up at that point," Jackson said. "Our peak appears to be between the 21st and the 30th of August. We've seen some leveling of cases at this point."

What parents should know about EV-D68

No vaccine for virus

This particular type of enterovirus -- EV-D68 -- is uncommon but not new. It was identified in the 1960s, and there have been fewer than 100 reported cases since that time. But it's possible, Pallansch said, that the relatively low number of reports might be because EV-D68 is hard to identify.

EV-D68 was seen last year in the United States and this year in various parts of the world. Over the years, clusters have been reported in Georgia, Pennsylvania, Arizona and various countries including the Philippines, Japan and the Netherlands.

An analysis by the CDC showed at least 30 of the Kansas City children tested positive for EV-D68, according to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.

Vaccines for EV-D68 aren't currently available, and there is no specific treatment for infections, the Missouri agency said.

"Many infections will be mild and self-limited, requiring only symptomatic treatment," it said. "Some people with several respiratory illness caused by EV-D68 may need to be hospitalized and receive intensive supportive therapy."

Some cases of the virus might contribute to death, but none of the Missouri cases resulted in death, and no data are available for overall morbidity and mortality from the virus in the United States, the agency said.

Symptoms include coughing, difficulty breathing and rash. Sometimes they can be accompanied by fever or wheezing.

Jackson said physicians in other Midwest states reported cases with similar symptoms.

"The full scope is yet to be known, but it would appear it's in the Midwest. In our community, meticulous hand-washing is not happening. It's just the nature of kids," Jackson said.

'Worst I've seen'

Denver also is seeing a spike in respiratory illnesses resembling the virus, and hospitals have sent specimens for testing to confirm whether it's the same virus, CNN affiliate KUSA said.

More than 900 children have gone to Children's Hospital Colorado emergency and urgent care locations since August 18 for treatment of severe respiratory illnesses, including enterovirus and viral infections, hospital spokeswoman Melissa Vizcarra said. Of those, 86 have been sick enough to be admitted to the Aurora facility.

And Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children had five children in intensive care and 20 more in the pediatric unit, KUSA said last week.

"This is the worst I've seen in my time here at Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children," Dr. Raju Meyeppan told the outlet. "We're going to have a pretty busy winter at this institution and throughout the hospitals of Denver."

Will Cornejo, 13, was among the children in intensive care at Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children after he came down with a cold last weekend and then woke up Tuesday night with an asthma attack that couldn't be controlled with his medicine albuterol. His mother, Jennifer, called 911 when her son's breathing became shallow, and her son was airlifted to the Denver hospital, she told KUSA.

Her son was put on a breathing tube for 24 hours.

"It was like nothing we've ever seen," Jennifer Cornejo told KUSA. "He was unresponsive. He was laying on the couch. He couldn't speak to me. He was turning white, and his lips turned blue.

"We're having a hard time believing that it really happened," she added. "We're much better now because he is breathing on his own. We're on the mend."

Restricting kids' visits with patients

In East Columbus, Ohio, Nationwide Children's Hospital saw a 20% increase in patients with respiratory illnesses last weekend, and Dr. Dennis Cunningham said patient samples are being tested to determine whether EV-D68 is behind the spike, CNN affiliate WTTE reported.

Elsewhere, Hannibal Regional Hospital in Hannibal, Missouri, reported "recent outbreaks of enterovirus infections in Missouri and Illinois," the facility said this week on its Facebook page.

Blessing Hospital in Quincy, Illinois, saw more than 70 children with respiratory issues last weekend, and seven of them were admitted, CNN affiliate WGEM reported. The hospital's Dr. Robert Merrick believes that the same virus that hit Kansas City is causing the rash of illnesses seen at the Quincy and Hannibal hospitals, which both imposed restrictions this week on children visiting patients, the affiliate said.

"Mostly we're concerned about them bringing it in to a vulnerable patient. We don't feel that the hospital is more dangerous to any other person at this time," Merrick told WGEM.

Blessing Hospital is working with Illinois health officials to identify the virus, the hospital said in a statement.

While there are more than 100 types of enteroviruses causing up to 15 million U.S. infections annually, EV-D68 infections occur less commonly, the Missouri health agency said. Like other enteroviruses, the respiratory illness appears to spread through close contact with infected people, the agency said.

"Unlike the majority of enteroviruses that cause a clinical disease manifesting as a mild upper respiratory illness, febrile rash illness, or neurologic illness (such as aseptic meningitis and encephalitis), EV-D68 has been associated almost exclusively with respiratory disease," the agency said.

Clusters of the virus have struck Asia, Europe and the United States from 2008 to 2010, and the infection caused relatively mild to severe illness, with some intensive care and mechanical ventilation, the health agency said.

To reduce the risk of infection, individuals should wash hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds, especially after changing diapers; avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands; avoid kissing, hugging and sharing cups or eating utensils with people who are sick; disinfect frequently touched surfaces such as toys and doorknobs; and stay home when feeling sick, the Missouri agency said.

Source: http://www.cnn.com

By Marijke Durning

THE BASICS

Higher education is a key requirement for nurses as the U.S. healthcare environment grows ever-more reliant on technology and specialized skills. There are three common academic pathways toward becoming a registered nurse (RN): the nursing diploma, associate degree (ADN) and bachelor’s degree (BSN).

Following completion of one of these programs, graduates must pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) and satisfy state licensing requirements to begin work as an RN. Bridge programs, such as LPN-to-RN and ADN-to-BSN, allow nurses to move ahead in their nursing careers.

Each choice of training program is distinct and offers levels of education to qualify graduates for increasingly responsible roles in nursing practice. This guide is designed to break down the step-by-step process for becoming an RN, including the various routes possible on this career roadmap. Included is an overview of potential specializations and certifications for those interested in moving beyond basic nursing duties. Below are estimates for RN salaries and job growth as well as tools to help prospective nurses search for online and traditional educational programs.

WHAT DOES A REGISTERED NURSE DO?

More than 2.7 million registered nurses are employed in the United States, and nearly 30 percent work in hospitals, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Other RNs work in clinics, physicians’ offices, home health care settings, critical and long-term care facilities, governmental organizations, the military, schools and rehabilitation agencies.

Duties include administering direct care to patients, assisting physicians in medical procedures, providing guidance to family members and leading public health educational efforts. Depending on assignment and education, an RN may also operate medical monitoring or treatment equipment and administer medications. With specialized training or certifications, RNs may focus on a medical specialty, such as geriatric, pediatric, neonatal, surgical or emergency care. Registered nurses work in shifts that run around the clock, on rotating or permanent schedules, and overtime and emergency hours can be unpredictable. Registered nurses are required to complete ongoing education to maintain licensing, and they may choose to return to college to complete a bachelor’s degree or master’s degree with the goal of moving into advanced nursing practice roles or health care administration.

THE STEPS: BECOMING A REGISTERED NURSE

Step 1: COMPLETE AN APPROVED NURSING PROGRAM

Anyone who wants to be an RN must finish a nurse training program. Options include programs that award nursing diplomas, associate and bachelor’s degrees. An associate degree in nursing (ADN) typically takes from two to three years to complete. Accelerated nursing degree programs could potentially shorten the time required. A bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN) takes about four years of full-time study to complete, or two years for those in an ADN-to-BSN program. While the structure and content of these training programs differs, they should feature the opportunity to gain supervised clinical experience.

Students may initially only have the time and money to complete a two-year program, but they might later decide to convert their ADN to a BSN degree. Or, students may leap directly into a four-year BSN program if they plan on moving into roles in administration, advanced nursing, nursing consulting, teaching or research. Nursing students complete courses such as the following:

• Anatomy
• Biochemistry
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Computer literacy
• Health care law and ethics
• Mathematics
• Microbiology
• Nutrition
• Patient care
• Psychology

A bachelor’s degree program may also include courses on specific health populations, leadership, health education and an overview of potential specializations. A four-year bachelor’s degree program could require liberal arts courses and training in critical thinking and communication to complete the curriculum. Bachelor’s programs can broaden nursing experience beyond the hospital setting. According to the BLS, some employers require newly appointed RNs to hold a bachelor’s degree.

Step 2: PASS THE NCLEX-RN

Accredited undergraduate nursing degree or diploma programs alike are designed to prepare students to sit for the NCLEX examination. Upon graduation, aspiring RNs should register with the National Council of State Boards of Nursing to sign up for the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses. Candidates receive an Authorization to Test notification before the exam. At the exam, rigorous verification of candidates' identity may include biometric scanning.

This computerized exam has an average of 119 test items to be completed within a six-hour time limit. Examinees who do not pass must wait from 45 days to three months to re-take the exam. According to the California Board of Registered Nursing, students who take the exam right after graduation have a higher chance of passing.

Step 3: OBTAIN A STATE LICENSE

Every state and the District of Columbia require that employed registered nurses hold current licenses. However, requirements vary by state, so students should contact their state board of nursing or nurse licensing to determine exact procedures. In some states, RNs need to complete the NCLEX-RN, meet state educational requirements and pass a criminal background check. The National Council of State Boards of Nursing maintains a listing of licensing requirements on its website.

Step 4: PURSUE ADDITIONAL TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION (OPTIONAL)

For professionals who decide to become advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), a BSN degree provides an academic stepping-stone to master’s degree programs. There are also bridge programs for students who only hold a two-year nursing degree and RN licensure but wish to enroll in graduate programs.

Those with master's degrees may qualify for positions such as certified nurse specialists, nurse anesthetists, nurse practitioners (NPs) and nurse midwives. It's important to research evolving professional requirements. For example, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing proposes that NPs should earn a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree. A DNP or a PhD degree may appeal to nursing professionals who seek positions as scientific researchers or university professors in the nursing sciences. RNs may also seek certifications in a medical specialty such as oncology. Certifications are offered by non-governmental organizations attesting to nurses' qualifications in fields such as critical care, acute care, nursing management or other advanced areas.

To learn more about RN statistics, jobs, salary and other information CLICK HERE. 

Source: www.learnhowtobecome.org

By Marijke Durning

AN INTRODUCTION TO NURSING CAREERS

By PATTY WIGHT

Some of us are lucky enough to stumble into a job that we love. That was the case for Gabrielle Nuki. The 16-year-old had never heard of standardized patients until her advisor at school told her she should check it out.

"I was kind of shocked, and I was kind of like, 'Oh, is there actually something like this in the world?' "

Since Nuki wants to be a doctor, the chance to earn $15 to $20 an hour training medical students as a pretend patient was kind of a dream come true. Every six weeks or so, Nuki comes to Maine Medical Center in her home town of Portland, Maine, slips on a johnny, sits in an exam room and takes on a new persona.

Third-year medical student Allie Tetreault knows Nuki by her fictional patient name, Emma. A lot of teens avoid the doctor, so it's important for Tetreault to learn how to make them feel comfortable.

"What kinds of things do you like to do outside of school?" Tetreault asks.

"Um, I play soccer, so preseason is coming up soon."

Nuki preps weeks ahead of time for her patient roles. She memorizes a case history of family details, lifestyle habits and the tone she should present. "I've had one case where I was concerned about being pregnant. That was kind of like the most harsh one, I guess."

As Emma, Nuki's playing just a shy, healthy teen.

"How did school finish up for you this year?" Tetreault asks.

"Um, it was good. Yeah, school's been good. Um, yeah."

Emma's an easy role, Nuki says, but she ups the shyness factor because it poses a classic challenge to the medical student: how to get a teen to open up?

"Each case kind of has what's on paper, but then you can come in and kind of add another level," Nuki says. "Depending on how complex it is, you can add your own twist to it."

After asking Emma about her personal history, Tetreault moves on to the physical exam and listens as Emma takes deep breaths.

Tetreault gives Emma a clean bill of health and the practice appointment is over. But the most important part of Gabrielle Nuki's job is about to begin.

The 16-year old now has to evaluate the adult professional. She's smooth and tactful after lots of training on how to deliver feedback. Nuki tells Tetreault she did a good job making her feel comfortable.

"I also liked how you mentioned confidentiality, because for my age group, that's important to touch on," Nuki says. "And I think that maybe you could have had a couple more times where you asked me if I had any questions, but other than that I think you did a really great job."

It's communication skills versus acting skills that really qualify someone to be a standardized patient, says Dr. Pat Patterson, the director of pediatric training at Maine Medical Center.

"A lot of patients want to please their physician," Patterson says. "It's not easy for a patient to say 'That didn't feel right', or 'The way you asked that made me feel bad.' "

Gabrielle Nuki says working with medical students and being forthright about their performance has given her more confidence. In the future, she hopes to take on more complex roles — maybe someone with depression.

But she knows no matter what kind of patient she portrays, this job will prepare her well for when she reverses roles and one day becomes a doctor.

Source: http://www.npr.org

By LAURA GEGGEL

For health care workers and researchers, wearing pressurized, full-body suits around Ebola patients may be counterproductive to treating the disease, say three Spanish researchers in a new letter published in the journal The Lancet. But other health experts, wary of wearing less protective gear, disagree.

Health agencies often require that health care workers caring for Ebola patients wear hazardous material (hazmat) suits that protect against airborne diseases. But the Ebola virus rarely spreads through the air, according to the researchers at the University of Valencia and Hospital La Paz-Carlos III, in Madrid.

Ebola is transmitted through contact with infected patients' secretions (such as blood, vomit or feces), and such contact can be prevented by wearing gloves and masks, the researchers wrote.

Wearing full-body protection gear is "expensive, uncomfortable, and unaffordable for countries that are the most affected," they said. It may also send the message that such protection against the virus is being preferentially given to health care workers and is out of reach to the general public, they wrote in their article. [Ebola Virus: 5 Things You Should Know].

Moreover, the image of health care workers in hazmat suits could lead to panic, causing people to flee the area and possibly spread the virus elsewhere, they added.

Instead, protective gear such as gloves, waterproof smocks, goggles, masks and isolated rooms may be enough to manage infected patients, so long as they are not hemorrhaging or vomiting, the letter said. "In control of infectious diseases, more is not necessarily better and, very often, the simplest answer is the best," the researchers wrote.

The current Ebola virus outbreak is the worst in history. It began in February 2014 in Guinea and has since infected people in Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone, killing more than 1,500 people. Just 47 percent of infected patients have survived.

But other experts disagree with the researchers, saying a high level of protection against the virus is needed in places with struggling health care systems, including the countries in West Africa where the outbreak is raging.

"The authors have a point, but I don't think a very strong one," said Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of preventive medicine and an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, who was not involved with the letter.

"It must indeed be unsettling for people to see folks in hazmat suits come into their communities," Schaffner told Live Science. "It's very foreign, and often increases their anxiety about events."

But it's better to err on the side of safety, he said. Because the Ebola virus does spread through contact with infected bodily fluids, if health care workers don't immediately clean up such excretions, it's possible these fluids could infect others not wearing appropriate protective gear.

Patients may also start vomiting or bleeding at any time, increasing the risk of infection for health care workers who are not wearing protective suits, he said.

"I would remind us that there are any number of health care workers, including Dr. [Kent] Brantly and Ms. [Nancy] Writebol, were using elaborate equipment in Africa and nonetheless became infected," Schaffner said. (Brantly and Writebol have both since recovered.)

In hospitals with cutting-edge technologies, such as Emory University Hospital, health care workers may not have to wear full-body suits for all Ebola patients, if the patients are on the mend, he said. If they are not displaying symptoms such as vomiting or bleeding, health care workers may be able to scale down their uniforms and use goggles and gloves in lieu of wearing hazmat suits, Schaffner said.

But "when you have a circumstance as hazardous as Ebola, it's important to be secure," Schaffner said.

Source: http://www.cbsnews.com

By Michelle Healy

Let them sleep!

That's the message from the nation's largest pediatrician group, which, in a new policy statement, says delaying the start of high school and middle school classes to 8:30 a.m. or later is "an effective countermeasure to chronic sleep loss" and the "epidemic" of delayed, insufficient, and erratic sleep patterns among the nation's teens.

Multiple factors, "including biological changes in sleep associated with puberty, lifestyle choices, and academic demands," negatively impact teens' ability to get enough sleep, and pushing back school start times is key to helping them achieve optimal levels of sleep – 8½ to 9½ hours a night, says the American Academy of Pediatrics statement, released Monday and published online in Pediatrics.

Just 1 in 5 adolescents get nine hours of sleep on school nights, and 45% sleep less than eight hours, according to a 2006 poll by the National Sleep Foundation (NSF).

"As adolescents go up in grade, they're less likely with each passing year to get anything resembling sufficient sleep," says Judith Owens, director of sleep medicine at Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., and lead author of the AAP statement. "By the time they're high school seniors, the NSF data showed they were getting less than seven hours of sleep on average."

Chronic sleep loss in children and adolescents "can, without hyperbole, really be called a public health crisis," Owens says.

Among the consequences of insufficient sleep for teens, according to the statement:

Napping, extending sleep on weekends and caffeine consumption can temporarily counteract sleepiness, but they do not restore optimal alertness and are not a substitute for regular, sufficient sleep, the AAP says.

Delaying school start time is a necessary step, but not the only step needed to help adolescents get enough sleep, Owens says. "Other competing priorities in most teenagers' lives are also components of this problem," she says, including homework, after-school jobs, extracurricular activities and electronic media use. Computers and television screens, she adds, "produce enough light to suppress melatonin levels and make it more difficult to fall asleep."

"The bottom line is if school starts at 7:20 there is no way for the average adolescent to get the 8½ to 9½ hours of sleep they need," Owens says

Research on student performance in schools that have reset the start clock, including Minneapolis Public Schools, "shows benefits across the board," says Kyla Wahlstrom, director of the Center for Applied Research and Education Improvement at the University of Minnesota.

"We've found statistically significant evidence that attendance is improved, tardiness is decreased and academic performance on core subjects, English, math, social studies and science, is improved. And now we have evidence that on national standardized tests such as the ACT, there's improvement there, too," Wahlstrom says.

Obstacles commonly cited to changing school start schedules, include curtailed time for athletic practices and games, reduced after-school employment hours for students and significant impact on bus scheduling and other transportation arrangements, she says, adding, "This is a major policy change that schools have to grapple with if they want to embrace the research about what we know about teens."

According to U.S. Department of Education statistics approximately 43% of the more than 18,000 public high schools in the U.S. have a start time before 8 a.m.; just 15% started at 8:30 a.m. or later.

In some school districts that transport students great distances, buses are picking up students as early as 5:45 a.m., "so there's also a safety element" to early start times, says Terra Ziporyn Snider, executive director of the advocacy group Start School Later.

Other major health organizations, including the American Medical Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, have all highlighted insufficient sleep in adolescents as a serious health risk, as has U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan, Snider says.

"What's unique about the American Academy of Pediatrics' statement is that it's very specific," she says. "It says very clearly that high school and middle schools should not start before 8:30 a.m. for the sake of the health and sleep of our children. They draw the red line."

Source: http://www.usatoday.com

By Devetta Blount

A baby is already a viral sensation and hasn't even born yet. And It's all because of a gesture in an ultrasound photo.

The fetus was captured flashing what looks like the thumbs-up sign in an ultrasound picture taken last week.

The ultrasound image on Reddit was posted on August 28 under the username meancloth, saying "ultrasound result looks good."

Some have nicknamed the baby the "Fonzie fetus," after the iconic cool guy character in the classic television series Happy Days, according to AOL.com.

The father, Brandon Hopkins, told HLN-TV that his wife is expecting twins and the babies are due to arrive in January. The couple will find out the sex of the babies soon. Hopkins said his brother called and told him, 'Your babies are famous'!

Source: http://www.usatoday.com

Mary Lou doesn't know that she's being tracked.

The 77-year-old is in the middle stages of Alzheimer's and though she lives on her own, her family keeps close tabs on her. If she leaves her Washington D.C. home between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m., a silent sensor on her front door texts her daughter an alert.

There is a sensor on each of Mary Lou's two key chains that detects when she goes outside her condo's grounds. A motion sensor in the kitchen helps monitor her eating habits, and another in the bedroom notes when she wakes up in the morning and catches any sleeping issues. There is even a flood sensor in the laundry room.

All the sensors are made by SmartThings and relay the information back to a small wireless hub. Her two daughters, who act as her caretakers, can monitor it all on a smartphone app and set up special notifications.

"It's kept her to the point where we haven't even had to have in-home care yet. Our goal is to keep her in her home for as long as possible," said her daughter Cathy Johnson.

Caregivers like Johnson are increasingly turning to smart-home technology and wearable devices to monitor family members with Alzheimer's and dementia, helping them live independently longer. One of the first things Alzheimer's patients lose is the ability to learn new things. It makes getting their bearings and adjusting to a new residence especially difficult. But living alone can pose its own dangers, such as leaving a stove on, wandering off or forgetting to take medication.

"Often, decisions about care are made when safety becomes an issue" said said Beth Kallmyer, vice president of constituent services for the Alzheimer's Association. Tools like these sensors "can allow people to feel more comfortable" and ease the transition.

Finding the right system

SmartThings is a DIY home automation system that connects sensors and smart devices with a wireless hub. In addition to sensors like those in Mary Lou's home, the system can loop in smart thermostats, smart plugs, door locks and surveillance cameras.

SmartThings is highly customizable and works easily with third-party sensors, which makes it appealing to people like Cathy Johnson. It also doesn't require a monthly fee, unlike many other systems. (Samsung recently purchased the company for $200 million.)

The elder care tech industry is still young, but Laurie Orlov, an industry analyst, predicts it could be a $20 billion business by 2020. This means that both startups and big-name brands are getting in on the action.

Lowe's, Home Depot, Best Buy, AT&T and Staples all have their own connected home systems and sell starter kits that you can expand by purchasing sensors à la carte.

Systems Lively and BeClose offer senior-specific accessories such as bed, toilet and pillbox sensors. GrandCare offers connected blood pressure, weight and glucose monitoring devices.

Wearable devices can also track health and behaviors, and built-in accelerometers can pick up on physical changes or tell when a wearer has fallen. Tempo is a wristband for seniors that picks up on lapses in routine or changes in gait that might indicate mental or physical deterioration. The device is due out this winter.

"Pet doors, water heaters, you name it we've either got it connected right now or we're in the process of connecting it," said Kevin Meagher, the vice president and general manager of Lowe's smart-home system, IRIS.

Watching without invading privacy

With any device that collects data, privacy can become an issue.

"We want to respect people's autonomy, respect their desire for how they want their care to go. One of the reasons we think people should get diagnosed early is so they can be a part of the conversation," said Kallmyer.

Phil D'Eramo chose to tell his parents about the Lively system he set up in their senior housing. He uses sensors to make sure they take their pills and tracks how many times his father goes to the bathroom at night, information that gets passed on to his doctor. His father, who has Alzheimer's, said it makes him feel more comfortable to know his son is monitoring him.

It helps that Lively includes a social element that appeals to seniors. Caregivers can upload photos, texts and notes to the Lively app from their phones, and once a month Lively will print out and mail the messages and photos to the seniors in a bright orange envelope.

"I compare it to the analog version of Facebook for seniors," said D'Eramo. "It helps them be connected to the digital social world."

The future of memory care

Connected home and wearable technology isn't enough to replace professional care or personal attention from family members. However, it can extend the amount of time a person is able to live independently, and the technology is constantly improving.

"We're just touching the surface of the technology," said D'Eramo. "I think in the future, the Lively base unit could interact with the person, almost like an electronic caregiver."

Source: http://www.cnn.com

By Jeffrey Donovan

Nicknamed “The Flying Squirrel," 6-year-old Quincy Symonds is making waves not only for her incredible surfing skills, but also for her courage while coping with a genetic condition called congenital adrenal hyperplasia.

With a growing social-media following both on Instagram and YouTube, the Australian phenom might just be the best 6-year-old surfer in the world.

“I have never seen a surfer male or female this good at such an early age — and I’ve taught thousands of kids to surf,” her coach, Anthony Pope, told TODAY.com.

In March 2013, when Quincy was 4, she became fascinated by her father's love of surfing, and insisted on doing some of her own. Her mother, Kim Symonds, told TODAY.com it didn't take long for Quincy to find her balance on a surfboard.

“It was just the second or third wave she stood up on, which is apparently quite phenomenal,” she added. “Within a week, she was going across the waves and looking to make turns.”

From a coaching perspective, Pope admitted he had his doubts at the start of their first session, when they swam to 3-foot waves at the surf break known as Currumbin Alley.

"There were a lot of surfers looking at me like, 'You shouldn’t be out here with that tiny kid,'" he said. "However, after pushing her into a perfect 3-foot wave, she took off down the line, tearing the wave up. I was shocked, speechless and super excited. I knew immediately she was something very special."

Pope credits Quincy's success to her fearless nature, exceptional balance and a drive to catch the best wave.

Quincy started making international headlines this month, when Australian media outlet ABC Open featured her serious skills in a Vimeo video that's racked up almost 1 million views. In that video, her father, Jake Symonds, says he still can't believe what he's seeing. "I'm amazed by it," he said. "I'm really proud of it. But, to be honest, I can't comprehend how she does it, and how she's done it so quickly."

It's especially impressive given Quincy's medical condition. According to the Mayo Clinic, congenital adrenal hyperplasia limits adrenal glands' ability to make certain vital hormones. 

When Quincy was born, she spent many stints in the intensive-care unit of various hospitals. "On and off, we spent more time in a hospital than we spent at home," Kim Symonds told ABC Open.

The young surfer's health is more stable these days, but because her body doesn’t produce cortisone, she depends on three daily doses of steroids.

Because her illness means she'd require immediate medical care in the event of injury, “We keep emergency medication on hand always,” her mother told TODAY.com.

Despite her condition, Quincy seems fearless when she surfs or skateboards in her family’s hometown on Australia’s Gold Coast, north of Sydney.

That fearlessness led to her nickname, too.

According to ABC Open, when she was younger, she spotted a squirrel in a tree near her house and hopped off her father's SUV to mimic it. "The Flying Squirrel" was born.

As someone who's worked with pro surfers Owen Wright, Dion Agius and Stephanie Gilmore, Pope told TODAY.com he feels "privileged" to work with his young protégée.

"I feel like a better person just knowing Quincy," he said.

Source: http://www.today.com

By Eun Kyung Kim

Four students at North Carolina State University hope to tackle a problem on many campuses by developing a nail polish that can detect so-called date rape drugs by changing colors when it comes into contact with them.

Women who wear the polish can simply swirl their fingers in a drink to test it for any colorless, odorless compound that may have been slipped in.

The four male entrepreneurs behind the product, which they call Undercover Colors, have received mainly positive responses. They won an $11,000 prize from a contest on campus, where they also have met with a potential investor. 

A White House report estimates one in five women has been sexually assaulted while at college, but only 12 percent of those student victims ever report the crime.

“As a rape victim, and a mother of 3 daughters, I can not thank you enough,” one fan said in a post on the group's Facebook page, which has been “liked” by more than 26,000 users.

But some have expressed skepticism about the product, however well-intentioned it may be.

"I think it reflects the cultural reality where we actually put the blame on women,” often when they are the victims of rape,” said Elizabeth Plank, a senior editor at Mic. “We put the onus on them, to prevent rape, when we very well know that this is not an effective way of actually reducing sexual assault."

North Carolina State has encouraged the students to continue pursuing their project, providing them with lab space to experiment. It’s not clear when the nail polish will be available on the market.

Source: http://www.today.com