Senior News-- April 2013 Column

For some time now I have been writing a monthly book review column for the Senior News newspaper. The Senior News is aimed to the 50 and over crowd with news relevant to seniors regarding various issues, humor pieces, and my review column among other things. The newspaper is a giveaway at doctor offices, stores, etc. and can be received by mail via a paid subscription. There are multiple editions across the state of Texas and therefore there is some fluctuation in content in each edition.

My column every month focuses on books of interest to the Texas audience. Therefore the books selected for the column, fiction or non-fiction, are written by Texas residents, feature Texans in some way, or would have some other connection to the Texas based readership. At least two books are covered each month in the short space I am given.

Below is/was my April 2013 column with the addition here of the relevant book covers……

Caddo Cold: A Bill Travis Mystery

George Wier

Flagstone Books

2012

E-Book

ASIN: B007Z9IVUU

Estimated print length 167 pages

The seventh in the series finds Bill Travis once again trying to help a client who has also become a friend. When Holt Gatlin went off the roof of the defunct theater in Karnack, Texas he hit the ground hard.  Everyone knows he was lucky to not break his neck. He did break his arm, wrist, leg, and several ribs. That does not explain why he is so upset about something that happened at Caddo Lake decades ago so Travis tries to find answers.

Caddo Cold  is the latest in a series that is part mystery, part thriller, and all adventure. Like in Slow Falling there is a definite pulp angle to the tale and a clear appreciation of them by author George Weir. As a result this is a book that is filled with missing bodies, secret scientific research, and secret military experiments. That along with a complicated mystery makes this another very good one in the series. While it certainly could be read as a stand alone, it is much better to read these books in series order starting with The Last Call.

From Hospital to Home Care: A Step by Step Guide to Providing Care to Patients Post Hospitalization

Kathy N. Johnson, James H. Johnson, and Lily Sarafan

Home Care Assistance, Inc. (Home Care Press)

2012

ISBN# 978-1-4675-0180-4

Paperback (also available as e-book)

166 Pages

Published by Home Care Assistance, Inc., From Hospital to Home Care: A Step by Step Guide to Providing Care to Patients Post Hospitalization is designed to provide readers the information they need for a variety of situations when a loved one needs help to stay in his or her home. This book is designed for readers who are totally unfamiliar at any level with the discharge and home health care process so readers with this knowledge will find little in the book to assist them. The book is in sections that relate to those involved in the discharge process, dealing with various diseases, and resources available to you from the company publishing the book.

Written in very general terms From Hospital to Home Care: A Step by Step Guide to Providing Care to Patients Post Hospitalization features chapters that are short and very general in nature thus barely scratching the surface in most cases. Readers who have a need for deeper knowledge, especially in terms of the various chronic disease situations covered in the book, will need to look elsewhere.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2013

Review: "From Hospital to Home Care: A Step by Step Guide to Providing Care to Patients Post Hospitalization"

Published by Home Care Assistance, Inc., From Hospital to Home Care: A Step by Step Guide to Providing Care to Patients Post Hospitalization is designed to provide readers the information they need for a variety of situations when a loved one needs help to stay in his or her home. This book is designed for readers who are totally unfamiliar at any level with the process so readers with this knowledge will find little in the book to assist them. The book is in sections that relate to those involved in the discharge process, dealing with various diseases, and resources available to you from the company publishing the book.

After an opening chapter outlining a typical scenario involving an elderly man and his fall requiring hospitalization, it is on to Chapter 2 where the various people who play a role in what happens next are discussed. Whether it be the patient, family members, doctors, nurses, discharge planner, social worker, therapist, etc. everyone has a role and the various roles are covered here.

A key competent of this is the discharge planner who is the subject of “Chapter Three: Helping the Discharge Planner.” The need for communication by all is stressed as is the need to verify everything with the discharge planner.

“Chapter Four:  Where Do Discharge Patient Go?” follows with brief explanations of what is a skilled nursing facility, hospice, etc.

Chapters Five through Ten cover various situations and concerns “Post-Discharge.” This can be pain for the patient, safety issues such as falls, burns, etc. or mental health issues such as depression, anger, anxiety, etc.  Dealing with these issues as well as exercise and mobility and personal hygiene are covered here in simple to read short chapters. Like the entire book, a lot of what is in these chapters reflects various situations where the names have been changed to prove anonymity for the patient being discussed.

“Chapter Eleven: Acute Medical Problems” begins on page 74 and covers such issues as Pneumonia, shingles, dehydration, bowel-related problems, among others.  Each situation is explained in detail before advice is rendered in short sub-sections titled “Home Care Considerations” and “Emotional Considerations.”

Things can just happen and that is the theme of “Chapter Twelve: Accidents and Surgeries.”  Soft tissue injuries, fractures, knee replacement, and abdominal surgery, are covered here.

Chapters Thirteen through Twenty-Three (pages 94-154) go through various specific diseases and their unique situations. Whether it be Cancer (Chapter 14, pages 99-104), Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (Chapter 17, pages 115-123), Kidney Disease (Chapter twenty-One, pages 140-145) and others are covered here. Like the other chapters the information presented is of a general nature giving readers a wide overview of the situation.

“Chapter Twenty-Four: Transition from Hospital to Home” returns to the early pages of the book by outlining 7 steps to make things as successful as possible. Communication with everyone, preparing your home, having medical equipment delivered, etc., are just a few of the helpful suggestions in this chapter.

“Chapter Twenty-Five: Summary” is a two page chapter that follows with a strong point made throughout the book. The home care giver must take some time for him or her. Taking care of yourself is vitally important and some suggestions as to how to do so are included here. As this reviewer well knows from direct personal experience on multiple occasions, this is way easier said than done. But, vitally important, especially in long term situations.

The book closes with a one page ad for the company that had the book published and brief bios of the three company members who wrote this book. There are also six blank pages for “Notes” at the very end.

Written in very general terms From Hospital to Home Care: A Step by Step Guide to Providing Care to Patients Post Hospitalization prepares those who have never gone through any situation like this for what will happen when it is time to discharge the patient who still needs help.  Chapters are short and general in nature designed for readers who have never been through any of this experience. Readers who have a need for deeper knowledge will need to look elsewhere.

From Hospital to Home Care: A Step by Step Guide to Providing Care to Patients Post Hospitalization

Kathy N. Johnson, James H. Johnson, and Lily Sarafan

Home Care Assistance, Inc. (Home Care Press)

http://www.hospitaltohomecare.com

January 2012

ISBN# 978-1-4675-0180-4

Paperback (also available as e-book)

166 Pages

$17.95

Material supplied by the publisher in exchange for my objective review.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2012

Author of the e-book short story collection Mind Slices available at Amazon and Smashwords in a variety of formats. Contributor to the Carpathian Shadows, Volume II anthology available in print and e-book.