What is Cerebral Palsy?


In this week’s blog we will be discussing Cerebral Palsy. Every so often we meet an array of people who are branded with this disability, each of them reflect different physical conditions and even different levels of understanding. So much so that at times it makes you wonder what this diagnosis really means. And most importantly, how exactly does it affect the quality of life of the patient and the family? According to the U.S. National library of medicine, Cerebral palsy is a group of disorders that can involve brain and nervous system functions, such as: movement, learning, hearing, seeing and thinking. There are several different types of cerebral palsy, including: spastic, dyskinetic, ataxic, hypotonic, and mixed.

Cerebral palsy is caused by injuries or abnormalities of the brain, which are related to problems that occur during pregnancy. However, the child is still at risk of developing this illness within the first two years of his/her life. In fact, cerebral palsy can be diagnosed before a child reaches the age of two. In some cases the brain is injured due to loss of oxygen, there is no known reason as to why this occurs. It is believed that premature infants are at a higher risk of developing cerebral palsy. It can be caused by bleeding in the brain, brain infections, head injuries, infections in the mother during pregnancy and severe jaundice. Because there are so many variables, cerebral palsy affects people in many different ways. It can range from almost unnoticeable to very severe. Some of the symptoms include abnormal movements like twisting or jerking of the hands, feet, or arms. As well as tremors, unsteady gait, speech and hearing problems.

To learn more about the symptoms of cerebral palsy visit:

www.cerebralpalsysource.com.

Although, there is no real treatment for cerebral palsy, there are things you can do to improve the patients’ quality of life. The goal in each case is to make the person as independent as possible. This requires a lot of effort from both the family and a team of medical professionals. In most cases patients receive physical, speech, and occupational therapy. Cerebral palsy is a lifelong disorder. Long-term care may be required. The disorder does not affect expected length of life. Many adults are able to live in the community, either independently or with different levels of help. In severe cases, the person may need to be placed in an institution.

First Care of New York is a licensed homecare service agency that can help individuals that are having difficulties with activities of daily living. Our HHA’s and PCA’s can help with bathing, cooking, cleaning and even medication reminders, as well as other assistance, depending on one’s needs. One very important factor is that our HHA’s or PCA’s can accompany our clients to their doctor’s appointment to help our clients get the medical attention that they would need. Please feel free to contact us and find out how we can help. You can find out more about First Care of New York Inc. by visiting us on the web at www.1st-care.org or you can call us at (718) 741-5956.

The 1-2-3’s about diabetes

Many people might be a little unfamiliar with what exactly it means to have diabetes! Generally when one eats a meal, the sugar (glucose) in that meal stimulates the pancreas to release insulin in an amount that is proportional to the meal that one ate. The reason this must occur in our body is because cells use sugar and other nutrients to function properly. When one has diabetes, this process does not function as it should. So we are going to break it down so you can know the difference and how they affect the human body. First off, it is actually called Diabetes Mellitus (DM); of which Diabetes comes from the Greek word (diabainein), meaning "to pass through," and Mellitus comes from the Latin word meaning “honey-sweet”; this refers to the fact that the urine of a diabetic has a sweet taste.
Type 1 Diabetes (Sometimes called Juvenile Diabetes because it usually occurs in people under 20 years old) Type 1 Diabetes is also found in 5%-10% of all diabetes cases – It is when your own body’s immune system attacks and destroys the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas (called beta cells)

Secondary Diabetes (Not to be confused with Type 2) – Is different from Type 1 because the cause of the destruction of the beta cells is by something other than the immune system, such as: pancreatic surgery or cystic fibrosis but none-the-less one ends up with the same results as type 1 diabetes.

Type 2 Diabetes (Is found in 90%-95% of all diabetes cases) – People with Type 2 produce insulin, but it is either not enough insulin or the body cannot use the insulin as it is supposed to.
Gestational Diabetes – Occurs in pregnant women, who never had diabetes before but during pregnancy develop high blood sugar levels and sometimes develops into type 2 diabetes.

The sad part is that there is really no way to prevent diabetes for the most part. Type 2 diabetes can be detected early and possibly treated with medication. If one feels that diabetes might be something you think you have or have a family history of, be sure to have yourself checked out by your doctor.

Some of the common consequences of not properly monitoring and treating your diabetes would be:

• It takes longer to heal from wounds
• Retinopathy – A condition that causes you to have eye problems and can lead to blindness
• Kidney Damage – Note: You need your kidneys to live
• Poor blood circulation – This will increase your chances of having a stroke and heart attack. It can also cause nerve damage because your body is not getting what it needs. This is usually the cause for amputations of the limbs.
• You can go into a diabetic coma

Diabetes is a very serious issue, which can lead to some serious complications and one should always be sure to monitor and keep their diabetes as under control as possible. Taking proper care of one’s diabetes condition is critical to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Once illness gets out of control, it can become quite serious. First Care of New York provides the proper care for our clients affected by diabetes by helping our clients visit their doctors regularly and assisting them with medication reminders as well as other great services. If you or a loved one can no longer manage your diabetes or are having health issues due to medical conditions, do not hesitate to give us a call to find out how we may be able to help you. Our number is 718-364-7251.

Diabetes – To keep OR lose your feet

According to the American Podiatric Medical Association, there are over 26 million people with diabetes and 7 million more people who do not even know they have diabetes yet. First off, diabetes is a disease that affects many parts of your body and in a very negative way.

What is diabetes? According to the Diabetes Research Wellness Foundation (DRWF)
Diabetes is a defect in the body’s ability to convert glucose (sugar) to energy.
Glucose is the main source of fuel for our body. Glucose is then transferred to the blood and is used by the cells for energy. In order for glucose to be transferred from the blood into the cells, the hormone - insulin is needed. Insulin is produced by the beta cells in the pancreas (the organ that produces insulin). In individuals with diabetes, this process is impaired.

How does one develop diabetes? According to DRWF
Diabetes develops when the pancreas fails to produce sufficient quantities of insulin

• Type 1 diabetes or the insulin produced is defective and cannot move glucose into the cells
• Type 2 diabetes - Either insulin is not produced in sufficient quantities or the insulin produced is defective and cannot move the glucose into the cells.

How are your feet affected?
High Blood sugar can damage the nerves in your feet and cause blood flow problems. Once you develop blood flow problems your feet can feel like it has “pins and needles” in them and you can start to lose feeling and not be able to feel heat, cold, pressure or pain. This lack of feeling can be dangerous because you might not be able to feel an injury, blister or sore and if it becomes infected, add that to poor blood flow and it can lead to losing your toes, foot or leg.

How many people have lost parts of their leg due to diabetes? According to the American Podiatric Medical Association

• More than 65,000 lower limbs are amputated annually due to complications from diabetes.
• After an amputation, the chance of another amputation within three to five years is as high as 50 percent

You should visit your primary care physician or a podiatrist to make sure your feet are healthy and in good shape otherwise run the risk of possibly losing your leg or parts of your leg.

First Care is the licensed home care service agency that provides top quality aides to all our clients. Our certified home health aides can help with bathing, dressing, grooming, cooking, cleaning and assist taking you or your loved one to doctor’s appointment. We are regulated by the NYS department of Health and are accredited by The Joint Commission. We provide services in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens. For your convenience, we may even schedule a nurse to visit you or your loved ones at home to evaluate the level of care that is needed at no cost to you. This will help clarify some questions you or your loved ones may have. If you would like to have more information, please feel free to contact us by phone at 718-741-5950 or on our website at http://www.1st-care.org/