Food, Health, and Economy: Local and Organic Options

Can you eat both well and economically? This is one of those quintessential questions, and we’re here to say - yes. Local, organic, healthy - these are all phrases that refer to foods that are good for you, but not necessarily your pocket book. At MedTrainer, we believe you can have it all - an enhanced quality of life, good food, and change in your pocket.



The cost savings available if you want to eat healthy, organic food, and choose locally sourced fresh food items, may not be visible year ‘round, unless you’re lucky enough to live where seasonal produce is always available.  But in regard to quality of life, supporting local vendors and purchasing organic, sustainable foods benefits you so much that healthcare costs are likely to be diminished - which will save you down the line. A healthy life style change eliminating fast food and reducing consumption of fatty foods and preservative filled grocery products may just save you so much money in healthcare costs that you won’t even wince when out of season grapes cost a lot more than that burger! Bidding farewell to high levels of sodium or sugar really can result in far less spent on medical and dental care in the future.


So what’s important to include in your diet? For us, purchasing fresh fish and organic veggies at a local farmer’s market beats having access to convenience foods like bottled water or individually packaged snacks. If you need to make a choice on what to spend your grocery funds on, then getting rid of convenience items, even healthy ones, can help you decide. And of course, if you are also eliminating candy and sodas from your diet - and your spending - then paying extra for fresh, sweet, organically grown berries makes better sense.

Cut meat from your diet, and it will add years of health, or so recent studies proclaim. It will also help the environment - according to Scientific American, meat production currently contributes  between 14 and 22 percent of the 36 billion tons of "CO2-equivalent" greenhouse gases produced worldwide, yearly! Assuming you’re alright with wheat, seitan contains about 31 grams of protein for every 4 ounces, contains no cholesterol or saturated fat, and is a good source of iron. One small 3 ounce portion of seitan offers about 118 calories and less than 1% unsaturated fat while the same amount of beef has 207 calories and 15-27% fats - and these days you can find many a faux chicken or beef product that you truly can’t tell isn’t the “real thing,” created from a microprotein, seitan, or gardein, the latter being a soy derivitive.



Now you might be someone who only buys organic grass fed beef, but that still doesn’t make meat green or sustainable. And livestock waste isn’t processed for sanitation - which harms our water supply and oceans. If you’re still a skeptic, think of the hungry, worldwide. About half of the world’s crops are now grown to feed livestock! If it wasn’t, the U.S. alone could feed, get this, 800 million hungry individuals. For farmers to produce just one pound of beef, they have to use an average of 2,400 gallons of water and 7 pounds of grain  - so, as the average American eats about 273 pounds of meat every year, even a moderate cut-backs in meat consumption could help the planet tremendously as well as your health.

Certainly going meatless will also save money, allowing you to purchase fresh caught sustainable fish or artisan cheeses with impunity.

So where do you buy those goodies? Are Farmers Markets important resources? Another strong affirmative. Although some items may cost more than grocery store or big box store produce, seasonally a lot of  products will be less expensive, based on where you live. For example, in California come strawberry season, you’ll find three packs of those berries for a lot less than grocery chains sell them for. The trick is to only purchase in-season produce whenever possible. Become a vegetable and fresh fruit adventurer! Would you really rather buy waxy, non-organic apples that are likely a year old at the grocery store? Or would you prefer sweet and fresh in-season nectarines, for less?

Another tip to cut prices and eat healthy is the use of bulk bins - and we don’t mean bulk bins full of gummy bears or candy! Nuts, hemp seeds, quinoa? Yes, much cheaper if they’re not pre-packaged. Just head for the bins you scoop these items from and then bag them yourself. These items are often fresher, too, as they’re not pre-packaged for a long shelf life. That’s a real win/win.

Cost savings aside and green-thinking aside, sometimes you have to do something simply for your own good! In the same way that the medical community has new compliance standards to adhere to, complying to a good-for-you diet might is just as important an adherence. MedTrainer brings efficient compliance training to the medical community - it’s up to you to bring efficient, healthy eating habits to your table.



Know the dirty dozen: if you don’t know this phrase as anything besides the title of an old Lee Marvin movie, it’s time you did. Some foods, such as bananas and avocados, whose skin you won’t eat anyway, are fine to buy in any form. But many others, like  apples and peaches, which you are going to eat skin and all,  are much less healthy. Why? Because pesticides and fertilizers will cling to the foods you eat. There’s a “seasoning” you don’t need!

Be aware of sodium - it’s not just the salt on the table, it’s in many pre-packaged foods, like bread, as a preservative. Check out local bakers that bake fresh bread - when products are designed to be eaten quickly or stored safely in your freezer until you need to use them, you won’t find anywhere near the same amount of salt and sugar that’s in commercially packaged bread. Guess what? Local bakeries will save you money too. And the difference between fresh baked bread and the stuff that came off the assembly line weeks ago - you can absolutely taste it.
When you buy smaller, and locally, there’s an extra bonus - get to know your vendors and you may find yourself getting that extra roll, or half-loaf.

Another tip - produce collectives. Sounds like something from the 60's involving tie-dye, but it is most assuredly of the moment. Farm collectives grow or buy seasonal fruits and veggies in bulk and distribute them at schools and community centers - or sometimes to your door - for a fee. There are some great bargains here if you’re willing to take the chance on what those items will be - could be basil, could be brussel sprouts.

So you’re thinking maybe, just maybe you can and should eat “better,” save costs, help save the planet, decrease your waistline? Good. Eating well can also make you simply feel better, too.

Feeling a little stressed out? Try a glass of half grapefruit, half cranberry juice. Grapefruit relaxes and stimulates, cranberry helps prevent a host of infections by actually changing your body’s acidity levels.

Need energy fast? It’s probably a protein crash. But before you reach for one of those heavy-on-the-sugar protein bars, try plain yogurt or cottage cheese with a tablespoon of sweet apple butter. You get the protein and the sweet, with less calories and less sugar. The pectin in the apple butter is good for your bones, too.

Feeling under the weather? Time for some vitamin C and the youth enhancing enzymes found only in - blueberries and blackberries. They make a good snack, too.

And if a sweet tooth is really biting you, give in. Try almonds, dark chocolate chips, dried banana slices  and dried cranberries or raisins. Go light as you can on the chocolate, and it’s a preservative-free, fruit-rich way to deal with those sugar cravings.

In short - you’ll help your health and your family’s, save costs, find great ideas to help your energy and weight - all by cutting out junk food, cutting back on meat, and avoiding convenience foods. You heard it here, from MedTrainer!

Allergic Reactions to Latex Gloves

Allergic reactions to latex gloves...just how common is this issue? What can you do when this situation occurs? You’ve heard about it, but what does it mean? Medtrainer can help you sort out how to handle this allergy and the compliance requirements associated with it.

Latex allergy refers to a wide range of allergic reactions to substances contained in natural latex. Allergic reactions to any substance will appear when a person's immune system reacts to nontoxic environmental situations or substances such as latex.



Latex can be found in two forms: natural or synthetic. It’s a complex emulsion, that when natural, is used by the plants it contains as a defense against insects. Ah, but you’re not an insect. You’re a human, and chances are that at some point in your life in the medical profession, you’ve found that rubber gloves are the main source of allergic latex reactions. But it’s also used in over 400,000 products from Band-Aids to blood pressure cuffs, catheters to dental dams, IV tubes and ventilator tubing to other medical devices.

If you have or have experienced allergic reactions to latex, you need to verify whether latex is contained in the items you’re in contact with, and if you don’t know - talk to manufacturers.


Beginning in the late 1980s there’s appeared to be has been a dramatic rise in latex allergy. Why? Due logically to the universal precautions for preventing infectious diseases from spreading, diseases such as the AIDS virus or MERS. Because of this the use of latex gloves is very widespread. Exposures to latex and rubber products are common and the end result: health care workers are more at risk for latex allergy.

So, to answer our first question, how common is that allergy? Over 10% of healthcare workers apparently have a latex allergy, with an average of 1% to 6% of the general population allergic, too.

These allergic individuals identify latex as a pathogen. The immune system the triggers the ells in the body to produce IgE  - that’s immunoglobulin E. Those are antibodies designed to fight the latex. When you come into contact with latex, the IgE antibodies signal the immune system to release chemicals, such as histamine, in the bloodstream.

And what sort of a reaction does this cause? Well, the more a person is exposed to latex, the greater their immune system experiences sensitization. And the larger and more violent the reaction to this exposure.

The powder used in surgical gloves is a major immune problem. Latex easily sticks to the powder, the gloves often will snap when put on or taken off, which sends the powder into the air - powder that has latex adhering to it. This creates maximum exposure and a maximum reaction.




Reactions include three different types of latex sensitivity.

First: Irritant contact dermatitis.

This is the least significant type of latex reaction, and is basically a non-allergenic skin reaction. Repeated exposure to chemicals in latex gloves results in dryness, as well as skin itching, burning, scaling, and lesions.       
Second: Allergic contact dermatitis.

This is seen as a delayed reaction to additives used in latex processing, creating similar reactions as irritant contact dermatitis, but it is more severe. It usually spreads throughout the body, and lasts for a longer time.

Third: Immediate allergic reaction, also known as latex hypersensitivity.

This is the most serious reaction to latex. Symptoms include rhinitis, conjunctivitis, cramps, hives, and extreme itching. Symptoms can also become more severe, resulting in tremors, chest pain, blood pressure lowering, even anaphylactic shock, or if untreated, death.

 
While these serious allergic reactions to latex can range from skin redness and itching to more profound symptoms, allergic reactions to latex rarely become life-threatening conditions indicated by symptoms like low blood pressure, difficulty in breathing or with a rapid heart rate. But if they do progress into severity, emergency measures should be taken immediately.

So in short, latex allergies are no laughing matter.

What can you do?

The short but unlikely to be simple answer is to avoid latex. Those who are extremely allergic to latex can have a reaction from clothes, shoes, and elastic bands, condoms, pacifiers, baby-bottle nipples, even balloons, as well as the latex products used in the medical industry.

Type 1 allergic reactions to latex can even be triggered by airborne particles and may exhibit symptoms that include scaliness of the skin, burning, blistering or oozing. Irritant contact dermatitis is the mildest and most common reaction usually causing dry and itchy skin after using latex gloves.

What if you don’t know if you’re at risk? Here’s the thing, for people who genetically predisposed toward latex allergy, the allergy may take awhile to occur, due to the build up of use of latex products. Repeated exposure is what causes an allergy to develop for those who are predisposed, such as health care workers from nurses to dental hygienists and operating room staff. Also extremely susceptible: those with multiple surgical experiences, bone marrow cell defects, regular urinary catheter users - as many catheters have a rubber tip, spinal surgery patients, asthma or eczema sufferers, and those whoa re already allergic to plant foods.


Some individuals already allergic to latex may also be allergic to certain food items due to a so-called cross reaction. This means that your immune system will produce the same allergic symptoms as it would when exposed to latex. A variety of foods are commonly associate with cross transactions, such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, and grains. Common allergens include tomatoes, chestnuts, wheat and rye. If you’re allergic to any of these types of foods, your doctor should be told as this can contribute very definitely to allergy to latex.


What happens if you suspect you may have an allergy to latex, but it hasn’t been positively determined? Your doctor may order an allergy patch test. This test will reveal if a patient is latex sensitive or sensitive to similar types of substances. It must be administered very carefully as patients can have a severe reaction to the test itself. Alternatively or in conjunction with a patch test, your doctor may ask for a blood test to determine allergies.

Can latex allergies by cured, or at least treated? Unfortunately there’s presently no way to prevent allergic reaction to latex. Should symptoms occur, allergic reactions are usually deflected with the use of antihistamines, or adrenaline, or steroids. But the best plan is to just avoid products with latex in them. Substances can be used as a substitute for latex, like neoprene or polymer agents.

A recent Medical College of Wisconsin study noted that the best way to prevent sensitization to latex that leads to allergic reaction is to simply stop using powdered latex gloves. If this is done, allergens in the air and air ducts is reduced greatly and helps to prevent sensitization.

While there is no legal requirement at present that forces manufacturers of products that contain latex to state this component in their labeling, researching products will often turn up the information needed to prevent the use of products involving latex. Choosing products which are created from natural rubber can result in dramatically decreased sensitization.

But for those who are sensitized, and come into contact with Latex? With sensitivity over stimulated and heightened, sometimes replacing Latex coated products with products that aren’t coated can still cause a reaction. How is this possible? Latex free products are often manufactured in the same setting as products that contain latex, and small traces of latex can still be present - and that can be enough.

Let Medtrainer help you to navigate the perilous waters of latex compliance, as the latex allergy concerns continue to be an issue for the medical profession.

DOT Hazardous Material Transportation Regulations

Rules and Regulations

How do DOT hazardous material transport regulations affect you? Well, simply as a member of the public, the regulations designed to keep the U.S. up to par with international HazMat laws are a necessity. As a member of the medical profession, the changes that have occurred over the last several years affects your transport and disposal of medical waste products.

Disposing, Recycling, Transporting

Disposal and recycling techniques for medical waste of all types is intrinsically dependent on the transport of hazardous materials in many cases. The types of disposal techniques available may depend on the transport of  hazardous, or anatomical waste products, and the state and federal rules and regulations governing this. Starting  with knowledge of classifications and regulations from disposal to transport and then assessing the best disposal techniques in terms of safety, efficiency, and cost are vital.

There are many  intricate details of compliance regarding transport of waste, medications, and other hazardous materials that can alter the way in which you transport these items.



Information Needed - and required

At MedTrainer, we can help you to achieve compliance with the Department of Transportation regulations, by informing, educating, and training staff. The hazardous materials regulations changes were first on the horizon with Docket HM-181, providing  hazardous material transport standards copacetic with international standards to assist with foreign trade and maintain competitiveness for U.S. goods.

The latest in regulations designed to keep the U.S. operating in conjunction with international HazMat transportation laws appeared in July, 2003. Alterations in our operating practice have occurred due to the Twelfth revised edition of the UN Transport of Dangerous Goods-Model Regulations as well as Amendment 31 to the International Maritime Organization's IMDG Code; and the International Civil Aviation Organization's 2003-2004 ICAO Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air. All of this labyrinth of rules holds many  important changes affecting U.S. shippers and carriers of hazardous materials.

HM-215E is a particularly key piece of legislation that updates shipping descriptions, a problem that many shipper have due to a lack of knowledge about the new regulations. Making changes in the way in which your shipping is handled will prevent non-compliance with current HazMat regulations, and federal and state inspectors visiting and fining you.



Of particular interest are amendments to the Hazardous Materials Table (HMT) which have added, revised and removed certain hazard classes, packing groups, provision, authorizations, and even shipping names. Bulk packaging requirements have also changed. Staff responsible for transport must review the HMT entries that are new: added, changed and also deleted. Specific attention should be paid to the new proper shipping names for materials that your staff handles regularly.

Also review revisions and additions for special provisions, such as aerosol entries classifications, and flammable items. The toxicity and fire hazard of items has also changed. The proper shipping name in many cases must now include any subsidiary hazard.

Another new addition: a requirement that necessitates the number and types of packaging on shipping documents. An alternative basic description sequence is also now allowed.

Limited quality markings and air eligibility markings are also now a requirement. Packaging requirements themselves have also changed.

Additionally, there are have been revisions to requirements for air-transported packages, liquified and non- liquified gas transport, descriptions, and categories. There have also been more revisions to and additions on both the Self-Reactive Materials Table and the Organic Peroxide Table.

Class Acts

Classes of materials have also been revised overall: Hazard Class 1 represents explosives, Hazard Class 2 compressed gasses, Hazard Class 3: Flammable Liquids, Flammable solids are represented by Hazard Class 4. Hazard Class 5: Oxidizers and Organic Peroxides, Hazard Class 6: Toxic Materials,  Hazard Class 7: Radioactive Material  with subheadings for classification purposes of  Radioactive I , Radioactive II, and Radioactive III . Hazard Class 8 pertains to Corrosive Material that can cause destruction of the human skin, while a class 9 hazard refers to miscellaneous  material that can present a shipping hazard but doesn’t meet the definitions of the other classes.

Regardless of type, if a shipment contains a hazardous material, Hazmat General Shipping Procedures must be followed.  And what are these?

First, one must determine if the chemicals being shipped or offered for shipment are listed in
Hazmat Table 49 CFR Subpart B, 172.101. In this document, all hazardous waste is defined as
“A substance or material that the Secretary of Transportation has determined is capable of posing an unreasonable risk to health, safety, and property when transported in commerce, and has designated as hazardous under section 5103 of the Federal Hazardous Materials Transportation law (49 U.S.C. 5103).”



Hazardous Material Table

Next, the task is to refer to information contained in the hazardous materials table, indicating mode of transportation, descriptions and proper shipping names, class and division, as well as UN/NA identification number. The packing group, labels, special provisions, and packaging requirements are also described. There is also information referring to air or land transportation.



Packaging systems approved by the United  Nations Transportation Board must also be used as they’re designed to prevent any hazardous material escaping during transport. And correct markings and labeling are required for hazardous material shipment. If proper packaging and labeling is not employed? Well, naturally the package may not be delivered to their destination, but there’s worse possibilities afoot, other than the obvious health hazards for those handling or transporting the packages. For example: senders could be subjected to fines or even prison sentencing. Personal liability for any health risks that occur in transport is also possible.

Learn and Stay Safe

That’s a substantial risk for shipper to be taking, and arguably no one would undertake such a risk or create such a hazard willingly. However - that’s the risk medical shippers are taking if staff is not properly trained in compliance measures, which of course is where MedTrainer can help.

No time to instruct on numeric hazard class or packing techniques? Then MedTrainer’s proven teaching strategies can provide uniform training for all staff, and cover both compliance and safety issues in one fell swoop.

Just the correct completion of shipping papers required for hazardous shipments can take some getting used to. Certainly DOT shipping descriptions may be a given, but did you know that includes items such as dry ice? Yes, dry ice is a class 9 miscellaneous hazard that is classified by both DOT and IATA as a material that includes explosion, suffocation, and contact hazard.

As a class 9 hazard, dry ice is another material that requires a hazardous material declaration form to be attached to any shipment regardless of what else that shipment contains. And dry ice packaging must allow the release and venting of the gaseous carbon dioxide the ice contains - styrofoam box, cardboard outer cover, with a label indicating dry ice enclosed. All of this plus any required markings if the dry ice accompanies another hazardous material.

Now you may feel that some of this labeling, categorizing, packaging and more are onerous tasks, but they are designed for safety. The reason for fines and for the necessary compliance in the first place is to protect shippers, senders, handlers, and receivers from the hazards transported products may contain. In the same way, hazardous waste transporters themselves must follow their own requirements in order to be allowed to treat, recycle, store, or dispose of hazardous materials.

Safety First

Department of Transportation regulations for the transport of hazardous materials are key for safety all across the board, and stringent adherence to DOT guidelines and regulations is monitored. That means medical, dental, pharmacological, and veterinary staff members responsible for shipping hazardous materials, whether a medical product or a waste product, are also going to be carefully monitored. It's now a federal requirement that anyone preparing hazardous materials for transport must be trained before doing so and retrained every three years.




To prevent problems from health hazards to fines and monitoring, the best path is getting staff up to speed on DOT requirements and changes in regulations that have taken place in recent years. Compliance isn’t just a rote path to be followed here. It’s a necessity for safety, health - and the health and safety of your business and co-workers. Proper training is a way of life where DOT regulations are concerned.

Hospice and End of Life Care: Palliative Measures and Caregiver Assistance

The saying goes there are only two things certain in life: death, and taxes. When death becomes a certainty that’s when hospice care and end of life care options come into play for patients, caregivers and loved ones.At MedTrainer, we can offer information that will help health care workers to help their patients and loved ones make the best decisions for them. And explain the available treatment options.

Hospices provide palliative care - a way to given comfort. Palliative care can also be offered to supplement more traditional care combining medications and symptom relief in a hospital setting.



While both hospice care and palliative care programs have a different approach in regard to their location and timing, as well as a patient’s eligibility to receive this type of care, the dynamics of both hospice and palliative care are very similar: to provide comfort for patients and their loved ones .

Hospice programs greatly outnumber palliative care programs. Enrollment in a hospice care program is usually made by referral from a primary care physician. The care is usually administered in the home but overseen by professional hospice workers. The patient’s loved one is usually relied upon as a caregiver along with a hospice nurse who visits regularly.



Palliative care teams consist of a patient’s doctors, nurses, and other medical caregivers, usually employed at the facility where a patient receives treatment. While it could be administered in the home, it is usually offered in a hospital, nursing home, or an extended care facility.

The programs differ in terms of timing and approach.   To be entered into a hospice program, one is usually considered terminal - within six months of passing. There are no time restrictions for palliative care. Insurance payment should be examined as coverage can vary. Many hospice programs are covered under Medicare.

With palliative care, that is usually covered by standard medical insurance, and billed separately from other regular treatments.

And what about the treatment itself, how does that vary? Well, hospice programs usually focus on comfort rather than disease treatment. The idea is not to attempt an extension of life but to allow patients to receive the most they can out of the time they have, to concentrate more fully on emotional and practical concerns.

With palliative care, it is essentially an adjunct to disease treatment whether that disease is chronic or terminal. Life extending treatments will continue.

The point is that when reaching the final stages of many terminal illnesses, relief of pain, and relief of emotional stress becomes key.


Understanding late-stage needs, coping with loss and grief, and care and placement options should all be discussed at this time.

In short,  making the patient as comfortable as possible is the goal of care. Whether you are looking at weeks, months, or years, palliative care provides pain control and the relief of adjunct symptoms such as shortness of breath or nausea.

When should palliative care, whether through a hospice situation or not, take place? There’s no specific timing involved. With Alzheimer’s disease, stages in diagnosis may dictate when such treatment should be appropriate. Other illnesses mean different choices, perhaps based on whether a condition has stabilized, current quality of life, and the number of trips to emergency rooms.



Has a patient expressed a desire to stay at home, rather than spend extensive time in a hospital? Has he or she decided against on going disease treatments? Then the time for practical care and assistance may have arrived, particularly if routine activities such as eating and bathing require support from a care giver.

Another important consideration in care is the patient’s comfort and dignity. Whether home or hospital is the location, easing discomfort and allowing connections with loved ones is of the upmost importance at this time.



Of course consideration must also be made of the caregiver's comfort as well. Perhaps what a caregiver really needs is respite care - a break from the intensity of care giving at the end of life. Granting the caregiver a few hours to his or herself can be vital. So can grief support: anticipating a loved one’s death can be in and of itself severely stressful.


Preparing for this final life passage is also of great import, and can be aided with the help of hospice or palliative care. Making decisions about assets, family conflicts, and communicating within a family can be greatly eased with treatments designed to ease circumstances rather than aggressively continue to attack a disease.

In the final stages of life, the demands of 24 hour care at home can become relentless. That is when a family’s needs should be addressed in regard to in-home hospice care or taking the patient to a hospice or other care facility for palliative treatments. While many patients prefer to remain at home with family near by, assessing the possibilities for care and making a considered decision is key to the well being of not just the patient but the caregiver.

Asking for help is never easy, and many family caregivers can feel as if they are letting the  terminally ill patient down if they ask for help. But planning ahead is important, and there is no reason for caregivers to feel inadequate for seeking assistance as necessary. Deciding as to whether a patient should enter a hospice or hospital versus receiving assistance with hospice care at home is just one aspect of end of life care, but an overall decision here affects all others down the line.



Acknowledging time and emotional demands means that a clear decision can be made as to whether or not a family member can in fact be the primary caregiver at this stage. When hospice care is given at home, this is almost always the case, although having a hospice team to work with in regard to patient assessment and personal care needs can be of enormous assistance. Hospice staff members stay on-call 24/7.



Nonetheless, caregivers need to honestly assess if they can handle end of life care for a loved one. How much support is available? Will the home be able to accommodate a hospital bed or wheelchair? What transportation services and medical care assistance are regularly available? A caregiver’s ability to handle the emotional strain of a life-limiting ailment is not to be taken lightly either.

Caregiving, whether with hospice help at home, or through a palliative system in the hospital or other care facility should address issues that often occur during end of life periods. These include sleepiness, lack of responsiveness, confusion, and loss of appetite. Working to alleviate discomfort in these instances include calm speaking to orient a patient, planning activities or visits when a patient is the most alert, and helping the patient to stay hydrated even when appetite fails are all important aspects of care. So too is keepnig the patient company by talking, reading, or simply being there, listening to the patient’s fears or reminiscences.

Another difficult aspect of end of life care giving is the imparting of difficult information such as the expected progression of illness or end of life discomfort that is to be expected. Respecting privacy, a patient’s wishes for care and for funeral arrangements or asset distribution are all a part of this end of life care. And none of it is easy.



Often, we hear about managing pain as the primary end of life care directive when hospice or palliative interventions are what has become the medical treatment. But managing pain doesn’t merely mean the use of pain relieving drugs, but rather soothing conversations, alternative techniques such as meditation or massage, or even fragrance use. Being calm and paying attention to the patient brings comfort and relief that even pain relieving medications cannot.



The choice of hospice care without further medical intervention beyond pain relief, versus palliative care that can include further intervention is a very intimate one that should be discussed with the patient as well as with the caregiver. Decisions are based not only on comfort but on what the patient wants, what end of life directives her or she has established. Whatever those are, they should be respected above all else, but caregivers must also respect their own needs for assistance, and their capability of handling patient care in the home.

All such decisions are a matter of timing, skill, patient needs, and caregiver capabilities. There is no right or wrong answer: every patient, every caregiver, every end of life scenario is as different as the individuals moving through the situation. MedTrainer can provide the kind of informative knowledge that can help medical professionals help their patients and their patient's caregiver to make the best decisions for them.