#Hospitals in Tomball

[newsandgamess]

Primary Care Physician Tomball and Houston -EPIC Medical Associates

EPIC Medical Associates offers compassionate and comprehensive primary care in both Tomball and Houston. As your trusted Primary Care Physician in Tomball and Primary Care Physician in Houston, we are dedicated to providing the highest quality healthcare for you and your loved ones. Specializing in adult and family medicine, our team ensures that every patient receives personalized and attentive care.

Schedule your visit with Dr. Heena Khan today by calling (832) 645-8984 for Richmond and Houston, or (832) 400-2738 for Tomball. Visit us at www.pcpforall.com for more details.

[qlmddpc]

Walk-In Clinics: A Convenient and Cost-Effective Healthcare Solution

In today's fast-paced world, getting accessible and inexpensive healthcare is more important than ever. Walk-in clinics have arisen as a quick and cost-effective choice for people who need immediate medical assistance but don't want to deal with the hassles of appointment scheduling or the high costs of emergency department visits. This article will look at the benefits of walk-in clinics, providing light on their function as a viable healthcare option. We'll also look into QLMD Direct Primary Care, a local solution in Tomball that exemplifies the benefits of such direct and accessible healthcare services.

The Rise of Walk-In Clinics:

Because of their convenience and flexibility, walk-in clinics, also known as urgent care centers or immediate care facilities, have grown in popularity. Walk-in clinics, unlike typical healthcare settings, provide longer hours, frequently including evenings and weekends, giving them a dependable choice for those with hectic schedules or non-life-threatening medical concerns.

One of the primary benefits of walk-in clinics is their capacity to quickly manage a wide range of medical conditions. These clinics provide complete care without the need for appointments for minor injuries and illnesses, immunizations, or routine check-ups. This on-demand approach to healthcare resonates with many people's fast-paced lifestyles, ensuring that medical attention is available when it is most required.

Accessibility and Convenience:

The accessibility of walk-in clinics demonstrates their convenience. Individuals can easily discover a clinic close to their homes or jobs due to the clinic's multiple sites in urban and suburban areas. This ease of access reduces travel time, allowing people to address their health concerns more quickly.

Furthermore, when compared to emergency departments, walk-in clinics frequently have reduced wait times. This is especially useful for those seeking non-emergency medical assistance, as it reduces the demand on hospital resources and allows emergency rooms to focus on essential situations.

Cost-Effective Healthcare:

When it comes to healthcare decisions, cost is a major consideration. Typically, walk-in clinics have transparent pricing, allowing patients to know the cost of services upfront. This openness is a breath of fresh air for those who are tired of negotiating complicated insurance systems or receiving unexpected costs after a visit.

Furthermore, walk-in clinics frequently have lower overhead expenses than typical hospitals, allowing them to deliver quality care at reduced prices. The growing popularity of walk-in clinics as a viable healthcare service is due to their cost-effectiveness.

QLMD Direct Primary Care: A Local Solution in Tomball:

QLMD Direct Primary Care, located in the center of Tomball, Texas, is a shining example of a local healthcare solution that respects the ideals of convenience and cost. QLMD, which stands for Quality Life MD, is dedicated to providing individuals and families in the community with tailored and accessible healthcare.

QLMD, as a direct primary care provider, provides a membership-based strategy that avoids the need for insurance complications. Members pay a monthly flat fee and have unrestricted access to primary care services such as same-day or next-day appointments, extended office visits, and virtual consultations. This novel strategy refocuses attention on the patient and the doctor, promoting a direct and trustworthy relationship free of third-party payer involvement.

QLMD's convenience extends beyond regular office hours. Members can immediately contact their healthcare professional, enabling open communication and prompt replies to health problems. This level of accessibility is especially beneficial for resolving acute concerns quickly and preventing the progression of health problems.

The commitment of QLMD to cost-effective healthcare is reflected in its open pricing and absence of hidden expenses. QLMD Direct Primary Care eliminates the intermediary, allowing consumers to take responsibility for their health without the financial risks associated with traditional healthcare models.

Finally, walk-in clinics have become an important part of providing accessible and cost-effective healthcare. Their role in offering immediate medical attention without the necessity for appointments corresponds to the needs of modern lifestyles. Furthermore, the transparency and affordability of walk-in clinics make them an appealing option to established healthcare facilities.

QLMD Direct Primary Care stands out as a model of individualized and accessible healthcare in Tomball. QLMD exhibits the benefits of direct primary care by using a membership-based approach that focuses on the patient-provider relationship. As the healthcare landscape evolves, solutions like QLMD demonstrate the promise of a more patient-centered and cost-effective approach to wellness. If you live in Tomball and are seeking a healthcare option that combines convenience, accessibility, and cost, QLMD Direct Primary Care may be the answer you've been waiting for—a local ally on your path to greater health and quality of life.

[recentlyheardcom]

Texas deputy hospitalized after alleged speeding, drunk driver crashed into patrol vehicle

Texas deputy hospitalized after alleged speeding, drunk driver crashed into patrol vehicle

A crash involving a speeding drunk driver landed two people, including a deputy, in a Southeast Texas Hospital over the weekend. An on-duty Harris County deputy was driving north on Tomball Parkway shortly after 11 p.m. Friday when the patrol vehicle ended up in the back, FOX 26 Houston reports. The deputy, who has not been identified, was not answering any calls at the time of the crash, the…

[gungieblog]

Neighbors called police in past on mom Melissa Towne, who's accused of killing daughter in Tomball

The 37-year-old murder suspect has three other children and prior CPS history.

Tuesday, October 18, 2022 8:12AM

TOMBALL, Texas (KTRK) -- The 5-year-old girl known as Nichole is seen in pictures always smiling, but the horror she endured is unimaginable.

Her mother, Melissa Towne, is accused of taking her into the woods at Spring Creek Park on Sunday, cutting her neck with a knife, and suffocating her.

In court, it was revealed that when she realized the knife didn't kill Nichole, she strangled her for more than a half hour.

Nichole put up a fight, and at one point, even pleaded with her mom, saying, "I've been good."

The mother replied, "Stop fighting it," according to records.

Towne then said she sat on top of her daughter, covered her mouth with her hand, and placed a trash bag over her head. Deputies say she took her to the hospital because she wanted to dispose of her.

According to records, Towne confessed to killing her daughter because she was "evil and didn't want to deal with her anymore."

According to family members, Nichole's father had custody of her.

[truecrimecrystals]

Elizabeth 'Liz' Barraza was murdered in the driveway of her Tomball, Texas home on January 25th, 2019. The 29-year-old woman was preparing for a garage sale on the morning of her murder. Elizabeth was holding this garage sale in hopes of making some money to help fund a five-year anniversary trip to Florida with her husband, Sergio. She put together the sale on short notice, so very few people were aware it was happening. Sergio left for work just minutes before Elizabeth was killed. He reportedly left the home around 6:48 AM, as Elizabeth was setting up for the garage sale. Shortly after Sergio left, a black Nissan Frontier Pro-4X pulled up near the Barraza's driveway. The driver of the car then exited the vehicle and approached Elizabeth. Neighbors reportedly heard Elizabeth say "good morning" to this person before the person pulled out a gun and shot Elizabeth four times at point-blank range. The suspect then ran back to the Nissan, which was still running, and drove off.

Elizabeth was rushed to the Memorial Hermann Hospital, where she died a few hours later. Police then immediately began to investigate her murder. Elizabeth loved ones have struggled to find a motive for her killing. She is described as a kind young woman who loved Star Wars and Harry Potter. Elizabeth reportedly had no known enemies or any known issues with others. Throughout the investigation, detectives learned that Elizabeth's murder was caught on surveillance footage from a resident's security camera. The footage shows a person driving a Nissan Frontier Pro-4X around the street more than once before finally pulling up near the Barraza's driveway after Sergio left the house. This suggests that the assailant was waiting for Sergio to leave before approaching Elizabeth. The footage then shows the suspect walking up to Elizabeth. The two briefly spoke before the suspect lifted the gun and shot Elizabeth four times--three times in the chest and once in the head. The suspect then ran back to the car and drove away. However, the surveillance footage shows the vehicle returning to the scene just a few minutes later--seemingly to confirm that Elizabeth was, in fact, dead.

Despite having footage of the suspect, police have yet to make an arrest in Elizabeth's case. While there have reportedly been several leads, police still have not publicly named a suspect or person-of-interest. Additionally, there is unfortunately a lack of additional physical evidence that might lead to a suspect. Police were unable to find any shell casings on the scene, making it very difficult for them to identify the gun that was used to kill Elizabeth. The low quality of the surveillance footage has made it difficult for investigators to get a clear picture of the suspect. Some believe the stature and gait of the suspect resembles a woman, but this has not been confirmed. Some believe that the suspect was wearing a wig as a disguise. Elizabeth's parents are currently offering $50,000 for anyone with information that leads to the arrest of Elizabeth's killer. If you have any information that could help the investigation, please call 713-222-TIPS (8477).

[yourpicasso25]

This parrot has passed away…

It was quite a dreary day in Fouilly Lesoyes today… And quite a fitting weather for this house:

This is the home, and business, of the Tombal family, who have been the town undertakers for generations now.

Conveniently situated near the graveyard…

It is also one of the nicest house in town! As dad Pierre Tombal says: “You always have customers.”

So the Tombals, dad Pierre, wife Marie, teen daughter Anne and nerdy little brother junior live in this nice bourgeois house, what we would call a “Maison de Maitre”

They also do own a parrot… Still alive for the time being, but this may change if Luz the cat has his way (yes, it is a short for Lucifer, why do you ask?)

The family do enjoy their art and their travel (which is not often, since it’s hard to find replacement in this line of work). Daughter Anne just CAN’T WAIT to finally get away from nerdy little brother and finally get to UNI to study art.

Pierre is a bit worried about this, especially considering the number of boys band pictures his beloved daughter has in her room.

If you ask me, he should be more concerned about his eldest forays in agriculture, especially a certain potted plant...

Guess I better build a Hospital soon!

[unaugmentedmonkeyscantfly]

FIFTEEN QUESTIONS, FIFTEEN MUTUALS

tagged by @imxthexhandler

① ARE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE ? Well my first name was named after Mira aka Omicron Seti the star, but my middle name was for my dad’s grandmother Clara but Mira Clara sounded bad so I’m Mira Clare

② WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED ? Last night when I was watching clips from the readthrough of the Agents of SHIELD finale epilogue scene

③ DO YOU HAVE KIDS ? hell to the no, but I enjoy RPing as a father

④ DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT ? it’s one of my hallmarks

⑤ WHAT’S THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE ? eye color

⑥ WHAT’S YOUR EYE COLOR ? silvery with a couple of gold flecks (I refer to this color as Silmaril)

⑦ SCARY MOVIE OR HAPPY ENDING ? happy ending with scares along the way

⑧ ANY SPECIAL TALENTS ? I’m a hella fast reader, and I made my blog theme from  a template which is now basically unrecognizably different by self-taught CSS and HTML coding (I’m working on a site for my D&D group to have a compendium of our homebrew but it’s a little too noob-friendly and I’m like NO I NEED TO CHANGE THIS CSS VARIABLE AND IT WILL NOT LET ME), also I like to think I’m a pretty good worldbuilder

⑨ WHERE WERE YOU BORN ? a hospital in Tomball, Texas

⑩ WHAT ARE YOUR HOBBIES ? video games, D&D, I’ve recently gotten into dip painting, Magic: the Gathering, 3D character modeling (although as is true of any art project I pursue, I suck at doing it from scratch but I’m great at modding existing stuff), putting together flat-pack furniture (a functional 3D puzzle!)

⑪ DO YOU HAVE ANY PETS ? My sweet kitty Seylin

⑫ WHAT SPORTS DO YOU PLAY/HAVE YOU PLAYED ? I played softball little league, I was on the junior high soccer team, and I want to try out cricket and fencing.  And do esports count because I miss playing Overwatch and got to play alongside Muma my fav pro at Pax South which was dope

⑬ HOW TALL ARE YOU ? 5′2″, I am a smol

⑭ DREAM JOB ? forensic specialist a la Abby Sciuto from NCIS.  I know it’s not anything like presented on TV, but the whole field looks incredibly fascinating to me, from the mundane analyses of paint scrapes to the ballistics analysis

⑮ FAVORITE SUBJECT AT SCHOOL ? Chemistry although we didn’t do nearly enough experiments, but honestly I love what I’ve learned of ochem from researching stuff for @sippingteafromabeaker and various Sherlock RPs.  I want to go to college for biotech, but I’m 31 and with no proper internet, the dream is getting further away

[newsandgamess]

Top Cardiologist Near Me in Houston

At Epic Heart and Vascular Center, we offer comprehensive care for all heart-related conditions. If you're looking for a cardiologist near me, our qualified team of cardiologists in Houston provides advanced diagnostic and therapeutic interventions. Alongside treatment, we provide valuable advice and educational resources to help you prevent heart ailments. Our dedicated physicians guide you in making positive lifestyle changes, such as improving your diet, exercising, and quitting smoking, to enhance your overall health.

Find us at Epic Heart and Vascular Center for trusted care. Visit our website www.epicheartandvascular.com or call 📞 (832) 432-1951 for Houston, 📞 (832) 645-8992 for Richmond, and 📞 (832) 304-2070 for Tomball/Willowbrook.

[gungieblog]

Mother Stabs Daughter to Death in Texas Park: Police

BY ANDERS ANGLESEY ON 10/17/22 AT 4:12 AM EDT

A mother is alleged to have stabbed her daughter to death at a Texas park, according to police.

The Harris County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) said a mother claimed to have killed her child at Spring Creek Park in Tomball on Sunday.

According to Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, preliminary information suggested the child—possibly 5 or 6 years old—was stabbed by her mother and that the victim was transported to a nearby hospital shortly afterward.

[jayenassociates]

Amira – Beautiful Community in Tomball

Amira – Beautiful Community in Tomball

Amira – Beautiful Community in Tomball Over the past few years, I’ve witnessed tremendous growth in the Houston housing market.  One city that has my attention is Tomball.  The Tomball I once knew was a city of nostalgia, charm, and southern hospitality.  Land developers’ and builders’ interest piqued over the decade and honed into this beautiful area of Houston. Johnson Development seeks prime…

[usspegasus-ncc53847]

 COPY, PASTE, SHARE - TEXAS NEEDS YOUR HELP

Entire state National Guard has been mobilized in Texas. This is how you can help. I can’t imagine anyone in Houston or affected areas being on tumblr during this, but please spread this around.

IF YOUR HOUSE IS TAKING ON WATER:

Turn off power via the breaker box. Don’t let the water reach the power outlets before you do this. If the water has already reached the power outlets, stay out of the water on your way to the breaker box - you can be electrocuted.

Move to higher ground. DO NOT GO INTO THE ATTIC, water can fill the attic and drown you. Grab a flash light and go to the roof instead.

ONLY IF YOUR LIFE IS IN IMMEDIATE DANGER should you call 911. Because the emergency line is so swamped right now, you will be put in a queue. STAY ON THE LINE so you are not removed from the queue.

At this point, you have a better chance of being rescued by people passing on boats than first responders because of how swamped the emergency line is. Use any kind of lights you have and start flashing them from the roof.

LIST OF SHELTERS IN THE HOUSTON AREA - AS OF 8/28/2017 [SOURCE]

KATY

Katy ISD open Morton Ranch HS and Cinco Ranch HS

FRIENDSWOOD

The City Activities Building: 416 Morningside Drive, Friendswood, TX

BASTROP COUNTY

First United Methodist Church Shelter: 1201 Main St., Bastrop City, TX

BRAZORIA COUNTY

Angleton ISD: 1900 N. Downing, Angleton, TX

Red Cross Shelter at Living Stone Church: 1401 Victory Lane, Alvin, TX

HARRIS COUNTY

MO Campbell Center Shelter: 1865 Aldine Bender in District 2

SAN JACINTO COUNTY

Coldspring I.S.D Jones Campus: 125 FM 1514, Coldspring, Tx 77331

Shepherd Community Center: 1025 FM 150 East, Sherpherd, Tx 77371

RED CROSS LOCATIONS

Walker County Storm Shelter: 455 State Highway 75 N, Huntsville, TX 77320

Bay Harbor Methodist Church: 3459 Deke Slayton Expressway, Galveston, TX 7757

Huntsville High School: 515 FM 2821 E Huntsville, TX 7732

Knights of Columbus: 1310 Hwy 90 West, Sealy 77474

MO Campbell Education Center: 1865 Aldine Bender Rd, Houston, TX 77032

Sacred Heart Catholic Church: 507 S 4th St, Richmond, TX

Golden Acres Baptist Church CLC: 2812 Pansy Street PASADENA, TX 77503

First Baptist Church Tomball: 401 Oxford Street TOMBALL, TX 77375

OTHER BUSINESSES

Gallery Furniture: 6006 North Fwy (Between Tidwell & Parker), Houston. The business will be stocked with food, water, and plenty of mattresses. (Pets must be Kenneled)

IF YOU LIVE IN TEXAS, HAVE A BOAT, AND WANT TO HELP: Houston and surrounding communities are asking people with boats to get out and help. PLEASE, come out if you can, more people are being rescued by neighbors and strangers than first responders right now because first responders are swamped with calls.

HOW YOU CAN DONATE

Greater Houston Community Foundation - founded by Mayor of Houston

JJ Watt’s Houston Flood Relief Fund - JJ Watts has already donated $100k

Houston Methodist Hospital

Houston Food Bank

Houston ASPCA

Salvation Army (We all know they are shitty, but please, we are desperate and they are helping us)

Red Cross 

[dexterousvalet]

event at #tomballtx #thewoodlandstx #houstontx #dexterousvaletparking #riveroaksdistrict #photooftheday #houston #heightshouston #ricevillage #montrosehouston #sugarlandtx #galvestontx #downtownhouston #memorialhouston #valetparkinghouston #professional #vehicle #hospitality #houstonrestaurants #business #medicalcenter #houstonmedicalcenter #hospital #university #universityofhouston #privateevent #corporateevent #jerseyvillagetx #thewoodlandstx (at Tomball, Texas) https://www.instagram.com/p/CPMzA4VpEvP/?utm_medium=tumblr

[esmaeelalsafeenposts]

📷 > About Houston > Education

📷 > About Houston > Education

Educational opportunities play a key role in Houston's quality of life. Houston is a City known to be rich with distinguished school districts and prominent colleges and universities.

Newcomers with families and those wishing to pursue higher education are amazed at the City's countless educational opportunities.

Houston-area independent school districts operate with the basic premise that every child can and should learn.

Houston educators and the community as a whole are working toward creating a high-quality educational environment to serve the needs of an increasingly diverse student population.

The Houston Independent School District (HISD) is the largest school district in the Houston area. Ranked as the nation's seventh largest district, HISD serves 312 square miles with 288 schools, 13,000 teachers and more than 210,000 students.

HISD serves a dynamic, highly diversified community and is one of Houston's largest business enterprises.

Other educational options in Houston include a diverse selection of private schools.

Other Area Independent School Districts

Aldine

Alief

Channelview

Clear Creek

Conroe

Katy

Klein

Sheldon

Tomball

Crosby

Cypress - Fairbanks

Deer Park

Fort Bend

Galena Park

Galveston

Goose Creek

Houston

Huffman

Humble

La Porte

Lamar

North Forest

Pasadena

Spring

Spring Branch

The City of Houston Public Library, a department of the City of Houston, consists of a Central Library complex in downtown Houston, and a genealogical research library. It also offers 35 neighborhood branches, services for children and parents at the Children's Museum of Houston and for patients at M.D. Anderson Hospital, and a book-by-mail service for the homebound. It serves the seventh largest service population in the country and has more than 300 public computer terminals. These terminals offer access to the library's catalog, the Internet, and extensive electronic databases.

Houston boasts more than 40 colleges, university and institutions - offering higher education options to suit all interests.

Higher Education in Houston

Houston Baptist Univ.

Houston Community College System

Lone Star College System

Rice Univ.

San Jacinto Community College

Texas Southern Univ.

Univ. of Houston

Univ. of St. Thomas

The best furnished apartments for rent - housing100 • !

[gordonwilliamsweb]

Family Caregivers, Routinely Left Off Vaccine Lists, Worry What Would Happen ‘If I Get Sick’

Robin Davidson entered the lobby of Houston Methodist Hospital, where her 89-year-old father, Joe, was being treated for a flare-up of congestive heart failure.

This story also ran on CNN. It can be republished for free.

Before her stretched a line of people waiting to get covid-19 vaccines. “It was agonizing to know that I couldn’t get in that line,” said Davidson, 50, who is devoted to her father and usually cares for him full time. “If I get sick, what would happen to him?”

Tens of thousands of middle-aged sons and daughters caring for older relatives with serious ailments but too young to qualify for a vaccine themselves are similarly terrified of becoming ill and wondering when they can get protected against the coronavirus.

Like aides and other workers in nursing homes, these family caregivers routinely administer medications, monitor blood pressure, cook, clean and help relatives wash, get dressed and use the toilet, among many other responsibilities. But they do so in apartments and houses, not in long-term care institutions — and they’re not paid.

“In all but name, they’re essential health care workers, taking care of patients who are very sick, many of whom are completely reliant upon them, some of whom are dying,” said Katherine Ornstein, a caregiving expert and associate professor of geriatrics and palliative medicine at Mount Sinai’s medical school in New York City. “Yet, we don’t recognize or support them as such, and that’s a tragedy.”

The distinction is critically important because health care workers have been prioritized to get covid vaccines, along with vulnerable older adults in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. But family members caring for equally vulnerable seniors living in the community are grouped with the general population in most states and may not get vaccines for months.

The exception: Older caregivers can qualify for vaccines by virtue of their age as states approve vaccines for adults ages 65, 70 or 75 and above. A few states have moved family caregivers into phase 1a of their vaccine rollouts, the top priority tier. Notably, South Carolina has done so for families caring for medically fragile children, and Illinois has given that designation to families caring for relatives of all ages with significant disabilities.

Arizona is also trying to accommodate caregivers who accompany older residents to vaccination sites, Dr. Cara Christ, director of the state’s Department of Health Services, said Monday during a Zoom briefing for President Joe Biden. Comprehensive data about which states are granting priority status to family caregivers is not available.

Meanwhile, the Department of Veterans Affairs recently announced plans to offer vaccines to people participating in its Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers. That initiative gives financial stipends to family members caring for veterans with serious injuries; 21,612 veterans are enrolled, including 2,310 age 65 or older, according to the VA. Family members can be vaccinated when the veterans they look after become eligible, a spokesperson said.

“The current pandemic has amplified the importance of our caregivers whom we recognize as valuable members of Veterans’ health care teams,” Dr. Richard Stone, VA acting undersecretary for health, said in the announcement.

An estimated 53 million Americans are caregivers, according to a 2020 report. Nearly one-third spend 21 hours or more each week helping older adults and people with disabilities with personal care, household tasks and nursing-style care (giving injections, tending wounds, administering oxygen and more). An estimated 40% are providing high-intensity care, a measure of complicated, time-consuming caregiving demands.

This is the group that should be getting vaccines, not caregivers who live at a distance or who don’t provide direct, hands-on care, said Carol Levine, a senior fellow and former director of the Families and Health Care Project at the United Hospital Fund in New York City.

Rosanne Corcoran, 53, is among them. Her 92-year-old mother, Rose, who has advanced dementia, lives with Corcoran and her family in Collegeville, Pennsylvania, on the second floor of their house. She hasn’t come down the stairs in three years.

“I wouldn’t be able to take her somewhere to get the vaccine. She doesn’t have any stamina,” said Corcoran, who arranges for doctors to make house calls when her mother needs attention. When she called their medical practice recently, an administrator said they didn’t have access to the vaccines.

Corcoran said she “does everything for her mother,” including bathing her, dressing her, feeding her, giving her medications, monitoring her medical needs and responding to her emotional needs. Before the pandemic, a companion came for five hours a day, offering some relief. But last March, Corcoran let the companion go and took on all her mother’s care herself.

Corcoran wishes she could get a vaccination sooner, rather than later. “If I got sick, God forbid, my mother would wind up in a nursing home,” she said. “The thought of my mother having to leave here, where she knows she’s safe and loved, and go to a place like that makes me sick to my stomach.”

Although covid cases are dropping in nursing homes and assisted living facilities as residents and staff members receive vaccines, 36% of deaths during the pandemic have occurred in these settings.

Maggie Ornstein, 42, a caregiving expert who teaches at Sarah Lawrence College, has provided intensive care to her mother, Janet, since Janet experienced a devastating brain aneurism at age 49. For the past 20 years, her mother has lived with Ornstein and her family in Queens, New York.

In a recent opinion piece, Ornstein urged New York officials to recognize family caregivers’ contributions and reclassify them as essential workers. “We’re used to being abandoned by a system that should be helping us and our loved ones,” she told me in a phone conversation. “But the utter neglect of us during this pandemic — it’s shocking.”

Ornstein estimated that if even a quarter of New York’s 2.5 million family caregivers became ill with covid and unable to carry on, the state’s nursing homes would be overwhelmed by applications from desperate families. “We don’t have the infrastructure for this, and yet we’re pretending this problem just doesn’t exist,” she said.

In Tomball, Texas, Robin Davidson’s father was independent before the pandemic, but he began declining as he stopped going out and became more sedentary. For almost a year, Davidson has driven every day to his 11-acre ranch, 5 miles from where she lives, and spent hours tending to him and the property’s upkeep.

“Every day, when I would come in, I would wonder, was I careful enough [to avoid the virus]? Could I have picked something up at the store or getting gas? Am I going to be the reason that he dies? My constant proximity to him and my care for him is terrifying,” she said.

Since her father’s hospitalization, Davidson’s goal is to stabilize him so he can enroll in a clinical trial for congestive heart failure. Medications for that condition no longer work for him, and fluid retention has become a major issue. He’s now home on the ranch after spending more than a week in the hospital and he’s gotten two doses of vaccine — “an indescribable relief,” Davidson said.

Out of the blue, she got a text from the Harris County health department earlier this month, after putting herself on a vaccine waitlist. Vaccines were available, it read, and she quickly signed up and got a shot. Davidson ended up being eligible because she has two chronic medical conditions that raise her risk of covid; Harris County doesn’t officially recognize family caregivers in its vaccine allocation plan, a spokesperson said.

Kaiser Health News (KHN) is a national health policy news service. It is an editorially independent program of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation which is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.

USE OUR CONTENT

This story can be republished for free (details).

Family Caregivers, Routinely Left Off Vaccine Lists, Worry What Would Happen ‘If I Get Sick’ published first on https://nootropicspowdersupplier.tumblr.com/

[stephenmccull]

Family Caregivers, Routinely Left Off Vaccine Lists, Worry What Would Happen ‘If I Get Sick’

Robin Davidson entered the lobby of Houston Methodist Hospital, where her 89-year-old father, Joe, was being treated for a flare-up of congestive heart failure.

This story also ran on CNN. It can be republished for free.

Before her stretched a line of people waiting to get covid-19 vaccines. “It was agonizing to know that I couldn’t get in that line,” said Davidson, 50, who is devoted to her father and usually cares for him full time. “If I get sick, what would happen to him?”

Tens of thousands of middle-aged sons and daughters caring for older relatives with serious ailments but too young to qualify for a vaccine themselves are similarly terrified of becoming ill and wondering when they can get protected against the coronavirus.

Like aides and other workers in nursing homes, these family caregivers routinely administer medications, monitor blood pressure, cook, clean and help relatives wash, get dressed and use the toilet, among many other responsibilities. But they do so in apartments and houses, not in long-term care institutions — and they’re not paid.

“In all but name, they’re essential health care workers, taking care of patients who are very sick, many of whom are completely reliant upon them, some of whom are dying,” said Katherine Ornstein, a caregiving expert and associate professor of geriatrics and palliative medicine at Mount Sinai’s medical school in New York City. “Yet, we don’t recognize or support them as such, and that’s a tragedy.”

The distinction is critically important because health care workers have been prioritized to get covid vaccines, along with vulnerable older adults in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. But family members caring for equally vulnerable seniors living in the community are grouped with the general population in most states and may not get vaccines for months.

The exception: Older caregivers can qualify for vaccines by virtue of their age as states approve vaccines for adults ages 65, 70 or 75 and above. A few states have moved family caregivers into phase 1a of their vaccine rollouts, the top priority tier. Notably, South Carolina has done so for families caring for medically fragile children, and Illinois has given that designation to families caring for relatives of all ages with significant disabilities.

Arizona is also trying to accommodate caregivers who accompany older residents to vaccination sites, Dr. Cara Christ, director of the state’s Department of Health Services, said Monday during a Zoom briefing for President Joe Biden. Comprehensive data about which states are granting priority status to family caregivers is not available.

Meanwhile, the Department of Veterans Affairs recently announced plans to offer vaccines to people participating in its Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers. That initiative gives financial stipends to family members caring for veterans with serious injuries; 21,612 veterans are enrolled, including 2,310 age 65 or older, according to the VA. Family members can be vaccinated when the veterans they look after become eligible, a spokesperson said.

“The current pandemic has amplified the importance of our caregivers whom we recognize as valuable members of Veterans’ health care teams,” Dr. Richard Stone, VA acting undersecretary for health, said in the announcement.

An estimated 53 million Americans are caregivers, according to a 2020 report. Nearly one-third spend 21 hours or more each week helping older adults and people with disabilities with personal care, household tasks and nursing-style care (giving injections, tending wounds, administering oxygen and more). An estimated 40% are providing high-intensity care, a measure of complicated, time-consuming caregiving demands.

This is the group that should be getting vaccines, not caregivers who live at a distance or who don’t provide direct, hands-on care, said Carol Levine, a senior fellow and former director of the Families and Health Care Project at the United Hospital Fund in New York City.

Rosanne Corcoran, 53, is among them. Her 92-year-old mother, Rose, who has advanced dementia, lives with Corcoran and her family in Collegeville, Pennsylvania, on the second floor of their house. She hasn’t come down the stairs in three years.

“I wouldn’t be able to take her somewhere to get the vaccine. She doesn’t have any stamina,” said Corcoran, who arranges for doctors to make house calls when her mother needs attention. When she called their medical practice recently, an administrator said they didn’t have access to the vaccines.

Corcoran said she “does everything for her mother,” including bathing her, dressing her, feeding her, giving her medications, monitoring her medical needs and responding to her emotional needs. Before the pandemic, a companion came for five hours a day, offering some relief. But last March, Corcoran let the companion go and took on all her mother’s care herself.

Corcoran wishes she could get a vaccination sooner, rather than later. “If I got sick, God forbid, my mother would wind up in a nursing home,” she said. “The thought of my mother having to leave here, where she knows she’s safe and loved, and go to a place like that makes me sick to my stomach.”

Although covid cases are dropping in nursing homes and assisted living facilities as residents and staff members receive vaccines, 36% of deaths during the pandemic have occurred in these settings.

Maggie Ornstein, 42, a caregiving expert who teaches at Sarah Lawrence College, has provided intensive care to her mother, Janet, since Janet experienced a devastating brain aneurism at age 49. For the past 20 years, her mother has lived with Ornstein and her family in Queens, New York.

In a recent opinion piece, Ornstein urged New York officials to recognize family caregivers’ contributions and reclassify them as essential workers. “We’re used to being abandoned by a system that should be helping us and our loved ones,” she told me in a phone conversation. “But the utter neglect of us during this pandemic — it’s shocking.”

Ornstein estimated that if even a quarter of New York’s 2.5 million family caregivers became ill with covid and unable to carry on, the state’s nursing homes would be overwhelmed by applications from desperate families. “We don’t have the infrastructure for this, and yet we’re pretending this problem just doesn’t exist,” she said.

In Tomball, Texas, Robin Davidson’s father was independent before the pandemic, but he began declining as he stopped going out and became more sedentary. For almost a year, Davidson has driven every day to his 11-acre ranch, 5 miles from where she lives, and spent hours tending to him and the property’s upkeep.

“Every day, when I would come in, I would wonder, was I careful enough [to avoid the virus]? Could I have picked something up at the store or getting gas? Am I going to be the reason that he dies? My constant proximity to him and my care for him is terrifying,” she said.

Since her father’s hospitalization, Davidson’s goal is to stabilize him so he can enroll in a clinical trial for congestive heart failure. Medications for that condition no longer work for him, and fluid retention has become a major issue. He’s now home on the ranch after spending more than a week in the hospital and he’s gotten two doses of vaccine — “an indescribable relief,” Davidson said.

Out of the blue, she got a text from the Harris County health department earlier this month, after putting herself on a vaccine waitlist. Vaccines were available, it read, and she quickly signed up and got a shot. Davidson ended up being eligible because she has two chronic medical conditions that raise her risk of covid; Harris County doesn’t officially recognize family caregivers in its vaccine allocation plan, a spokesperson said.

Kaiser Health News (KHN) is a national health policy news service. It is an editorially independent program of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation which is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.

USE OUR CONTENT

This story can be republished for free (details).

Family Caregivers, Routinely Left Off Vaccine Lists, Worry What Would Happen ‘If I Get Sick’ published first on https://smartdrinkingweb.weebly.com/