how to treat cancer patients at home

How to Treat Cancer Patients at Home

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Every year almost 2 million new cases of cancer are diagnosed in the US, while 17 million Americans live with cancer daily. Although cancer rates remain high, thanks to advances in cancer treatment, much of oncology care can now be carried out in outpatient clinics and treatment centers, reducing the need for multiple hospital readmissions. These advances in treatment have led to more people with cancer having the option to remain at home instead of facing repeated hospitalizations.

Can Cancer Patients Stay at Home?

With the right support, many cancer patients can stay in the privacy, comfort, and security of their homes while they undergo or recover from cancer treatment. That’s particularly the case when cancer patients have access to in home cancer care. In home cancer care allows you to take care of a cancer patient at home while they receive the highest quality of cancer care available from professional nurses who are trained in oncology caregiving.

How Can I Help a Cancer Patient at Home?

Caring for a cancer patient at home involves making sure they are comfortable, but there are other ways you can care for a cancer patient at home.

You can help a cancer patient feel better by helping their household continue to run smoothly. That includes tasks like:

  • Helping them with house cleaning, shopping and meal preparation
  • Making sure outside tasks like yard care are done
  • Running errands for them

Another way to help a cancer patient at home is by seeking premium cancer care from Kinkaid Private Nursing Care. Our care is provided by Kinkaid’s team of in-home nurses with decades of experience caring for the elderly. Our nurses are trained to provide high-quality care in a kind and professional manner, while also ensuring excellent communication with families.

Kinkaid Private Care helps with:

  • managing symptoms
  • in-home lab work
  • proper nutrition plan
  • healthy exercise regimen
  • prioritizing communication
  • coordination of supporting services
  • coordinating doctor’s appointments
  • proactive care by vigilant oversight

How Do You Make a Cancer Patient Feel Better?

There are many ways to help a cancer patient feel better. Here are some ways to help a cancer patient feel better emotionally:

  • Listening without judging. Often, people who are facing life-changing situations need to talk about it without receiving advice or judgment. Simply listening to them is an important way to make a cancer patient feel better.
  • Avoid being a cheerleader. It’s great to encourage someone, but superficial slogans like “you got this” or “everything will be ok” only make people feel worse.
  • Stay interested in the person. It’s easy to allow a relationship with a person with cancer to become all about the disease, but remain focused on the person, including their likes, dislikes, preferred activities, and their interests.
  • Help their caregiver. If you can help a cancer patient’s caregiver get some basic tasks accomplished, you’ll be giving them more time to spend with their loved one. Helping out on household tasks can give a caregiver some respite while assisting the household in staying on track.

Why Choose Kinkaid?

Kinkaid Private Care provides premium cancer care in the comfort of our patients’ homes. Our highly trained and experienced nurses customize our care plans to fit the specific needs of each patient. We only take on a few clients at a time, so we always provide luxury specialized care to meet the needs of each client.

Overall, we create a concierge medical experience for each of our clients. Our approach starts with building relationships with each of our clients and their families; we get to know you in the comfort and privacy of your home to understand your exact needs. We then create a personal oncology care team for you consisting of at least a clinical nurse specialist, clinical case manager, and care coordinator. Our compassionate teams are clinician-led and available to you 24/7 to provide unparalleled service and attention to detail.

For more information, please call us at 866-337-4596 or fill out our contact form.

References

Cancer facts & figures 2021. American Cancer Society. (n.d.). Retrieved October 18, 2022, from https://www.cancer.org/research/cancer-facts-statistics/all-cancer-facts-figures/cancer-facts-figures-2021.html

Tralongo P, Ferraù F, Borsellino N, Verderame F, Caruso M, Giuffrida D, Butera A, Gebbia V. Cancer patient-centered home care: a new model for health care in oncology. Ther Clin Risk Manag. 2011;7:387-92. doi: 10.2147/TCRM.S22119. Epub 2011 Sep 9. PMID: 21941445; PMCID: PMC3176172.

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why do seniors fall so much

Why Do Seniors Fall So Much?

Are Falls a Normal Part of Aging?

People think of falls as an expected part of aging, and it’s true that seniors do experience falls more often than other age ranges. However, falls should not be a part of aging, normal or otherwise. When a senior citizen falls, their chances of suffering a significant health trauma, like breaking a large bone are much higher than for younger people.  

The good news is that by and large, falls are preventable.

When Do Seniors Start Falling?

There’s no sharp delineation to mark when seniors start falling, but reliable statistics indicate that falls increase on average by 25% after a person reaches age 65. At 75 and above, one-third of all deaths are attributable to falls and the injuries caused by falls.

What Causes Frequent Falling in the Elderly?

People normally have more than one of the following risk factors in their homes, which elevates the likelihood of a fall.

  1. An unsafe environment. Loose carpets, electric cords, slick floors, and even pets underfoot make navigating within the home a risky venture.
  • Poor eyesight. As a person ages, eye disease becomes more common, which makes detecting fall hazards a challenge. When a senior is unable to see a change in a floor’s height or obstacles in their path, even the healthiest and most fit seniors are at a high risk of a fall.
  1. Declines in physical fitness. As we age, many people become less active and more sedentary, especially when conditions like arthritis make exercise uncomfortable. Decreased mobility leads to impairments in balance and coordination, a loss of muscle mass, and a decrease in bone density. The impairment in a person’s balance and coordination make falls more likely combined with the thinning of bone mass causes those tumbles to be serious threats to a person’s health.
  1. Recovery from illness or surgery. Aging tends to correlate with seniors having more surgical procedures and illnesses, which can impair balance and coordination. Procedures such as joint replacement can also lead to heightened chances of falling.
  1. Medication Side Effects. Some medications can produce dizziness, vertigo, and impaired coordination. Other medicines don’t cause problems but interact with other substances to cause an increased fall risk. Over-the-counter medications, herbal supplements, and other dietary supplements can also lead to interactions with prescription medications that can make a senior a fall risk.
  1. Medical conditions. Low blood pressure, heart disease, and neuromuscular disorders like Parkinson’s disease all make a person more likely to fall. Other conditions, such as peripheral neuropathy, reduce a person’s ability to sense their extremities, which makes getting around more challenging.
  1. Psychological resistance. People often resist making the changes that would prevent falls because they don’t want to “feel old.” A good example of this is when seniors refuse to use a walker because they fear it makes them “look old,” or dread that it’s a sign of an oncoming loss of independent movement. It’s this resistance to making changes in one’s environment that prevents people from making safety improvements in their lives.

How to Prevent Falls

Fall prevention doesn’t take a lot of time, requires no complex or expensive home renovations, and has immeasurable benefits, including longer, healthier lives. Having a safe home environment is the first step in eliminating a person’s fall risk, as sixty percent of all falls happen at home.

  • Remove or secure all trip hazards. This includes items like loose carpets, rugs, and electric cords.
  • Get rid of clutter.
  • Wear shoes with non-slip soles.
  • Use non-skid wax or no wax at all on wood flooring.
  • Place slip-preventing mats in slick bathtubs and shower stalls.
  • Add grab bars in the bathroom and in other rooms where a person may need help rising, such as the bedroom.
  • Know the side effects of any medication you are taking. Many medications cause dizziness or drowsiness, which can both make a person unsteady on their feet.
  • Add and use nightlights.
  • Use stability supports, like canes and walkers, consistently.

Why You Should Choose Home Care

Choosing luxury in-home senior care allows your elderly parent to receive individualized, customized care based on their unique needs. Kinkaid Private Nursing Care offers premium in-home services to patients looking for the best and most intensive in-home care on the market.

We only take on a few clients at a time, so we always provide specialized care to meet the needs of each client. Additionally, not only do we specialize in premium home nursing care, but we also practice proper management techniques to ensure your loved one’s care is organized, efficient, and best for you.

Overall, we create a concierge medical experience for each of our clients. Our approach starts with building relationships with each of our clients and their families; we get to know you in the comfort and privacy of your home to understand your exact needs. We then create a personal care team for you consisting of at least a clinical nurse specialist, clinical case manager, and care coordinator. Our compassionate teams are clinician-led and available to you 24/7 to provide unparalleled service and attention to detail.

Contact one of our nurse specialists by calling 866-337-4596 or filling out our confidential online form.

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what is senior home care

What is Senior Care?

Understanding Home Care for Your Senior Parent

Research has shown that most people want to remain in their own homes rather than move to a nursing home as they transition into their senior years. At home, we have emotional ties and personal touchstones that help keep us oriented and engaged. There’s also a degree of privacy, security, and comfort that’s not always available in a nursing facility.

However, aging brings with it chronic health issues, problems staying mobile, and challenges in taking care of our activities of daily living. This is where senior home care enters the picture and helps people age in place while maintaining the highest quality of life possible.

Senior home care, also called elder care, provides professional caregiving and assistance with a wide variety of tasks that helps a senior remain independent in their own home. Note that senior home care is not the same service as home healthcare. Home health care refers to short-term in-home medical care that is intended to help a person recover from a medical procedure or illness.

In contrast, senior home care is aimed at any senior who wants to live at home and needs help with any of the following services.

This post is the 3rd article in our guide to transitioning your loved one out of a skilled nursing facility and into their homes (or yours). You can find more information in this guide by visiting these links:

  1. The Ultimate Guide to Leaving a Skilled Nursing Facility & Going Home
  2. Why Your Elderly Parents Wants to Leave the Nursing Home
  3. What is Senior Home Care?
  4. How to Find the Best Senior Home Care Services

What Services Are Offered Under Senior Home Care?

Everyone’s needs are unique, and many seniors won’t need all the services a senior home care provider offers.

Some of the services offered by most senior home caregivers include:

  • Help bathing, toileting, and dressing
  • Medication administration
  • Medication reminders
  • Home cleaning
  • In-home nursing care
  • Nutrition planning and meal preparation
  • Assistance with shopping
  • Companionship

At Kinkaid Private Care, our in-home care specialists customize each aspect of our senior care plans for each patient. That being said, we prioritize the following for all patients:

  • Constant Patient Inspection: We make sure to check in on your loved one frequently and whenever needed to ensure he or she is receiving the care needed.
  • Administering Medication Appropriately: Ensuring that our patients receive the medication they need and at the right time is crucial for their health and comfort. Because of this, our nurses are trained in administering medication safely and effectively.
  • Clean Home: Maintaining a clean home is critical for recovery and the health of the elderly. Because of this, we clean our care space frequently and ensure your loved one can avoid germs and stay as healthy as possible.
  • Bathing and Grooming: If your loved one has trouble bathing or grooming, our nurses can assist him or her whenever necessary.
  • Health and Exercise: Staying healthy must be a top priority for any senior citizen looking to recover or maintain general health. Eating healthy and receiving the proper nutrients and vitamins will ensure seniors boost their immune system and exercising frequently will improve physical health and help reduce joint pain. Our nurses work with our patients and their families to devise proper nutrition and exercise plans that work for our patients and ensure they stay as healthy as possible.
  • Daily Routines: Maintaining effective daily routines is important for ensuring your loved one lives a healthy lifestyle and can maintain a sense of independence. We work with our patients to develop customized daily routines that lead to the development of healthy habits and a higher quality of life.
  • Excellent Communication with Patients and Families: Good communication is key for anything, especially for handling something as complicated as senior care. We prioritize communication with our patients and their families to ensure everyone is on the same page and that our patients receive everything they need in a timely and effective manner.
  • Concierge Services: In addition to the premium care our nurses provide, we coordinate a variety of at-home concierge services to increase your loved one’s health and comfort. We offer the following services (click on each service to learn more):

IV Vitamin Therapy

Acupuncture

Yoga and Guided Meditation

Who Benefits from Senior Home Care?

Senior home care is ideal for people who want to stay independent in their own homes and who may need help with the activities of daily living, such as bathing, toileting, and dressing. It’s also an ideal choice for seniors who:

  • Have mobility problems
  • Need help running errands
  • Need help with transportation to appointments
  • Need help with household tasks
  • Need help with errands
  • Can benefit from daily routines

WHY CHOOSE KINKAID?

Kinkaid Private Nursing Care offers premium in-home services to patients looking for the best and most intensive care on the market. We only take on a few clients at a time, so we always provide specialized care to meet the needs of each client. Additionally, not only do we specialize in premium care, but we also practice proper management techniques to ensure your care is organized, efficient, and best for you.

Overall, we create a concierge medical experience for each of our clients. Our approach starts with building relationships with each of our clients and their families; we get to know you in the comfort and privacy of your home to understand your exact needs. We then create a personal care team for you consisting of at least a clinical nurse specialist, clinical case manager, and care coordinator. Our compassionate teams are clinician-led and available to you 24/7 to provide unparalleled service and attention to detail.

For more information, please call us at 866-337-4596 or fill out our contact form.

References

Vasold, K., & Binette, J. (n.d.). 2018 home and community preferences: A national survey of adults ages 18-plus. AARP. Retrieved August 21, 2022, from https://www.aarp.org/research/topics/community/info-2018/2018-home-community-preference.html

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elderly parent wants leave nursing home

Why Your Elderly Parent Wants to Leave the Nursing Home

Many people are content in their nursing home or assisted living facility, but you may be unprepared if your elderly parent wants to leave the nursing home. Having a plan to tackle that possibility can help make it easier to think it through if that time comes.

The first question to consider asking when your elderly parent wants to leave the nursing home is “why?”.

Why do they want to leave?

Let them know that asking them what their reasons are is not a veiled way of saying no—but you do need to know what’s prompting them to want to leave, especially if they’ve been content being in the facility in the past.

This post is the 2nd article in our guide to transitioning your loved one out of a skilled nursing facility and into their homes (or yours). You can find more information in this guide by visiting these links:

  1. The Ultimate Guide to Leaving a Skilled Nursing Facility & Going Home
  2. Why Your Elderly Parents Wants to Leave the Nursing Home
  3. What is Senior Home Care?
  4. How to Find the Best Senior Home Care Services

5 Reasons Seniors Want to Stay in Their Homes

The following are some of the typical situations that prompt a person to want to leave their nursing home.

Familiarity

Sometimes seniors want to stay in their own homes because they’re comfortable there. A person may naturally want to stay in their familiar and secure surroundings, which are filled with memories. Staying at home may help a senior citizen avoid the confusion and stress that comes from making big changes in their later years. As well, living at home affords a senior privacy and security in a way that a nursing home may not.

Lack of privacy

Private rooms can be very expensive in nursing homes, and semi-private rooms mean living with another person—a stranger. For people who have been independent for many years, this can be deeply distressing People are naturally more comfortable in familiar surroundings where they can enjoy a degree of privacy.

Desire for independence

People lose a lot of their freedom when they go to a nursing home. Some nursing homes have curfews, others have rules about visiting times, and so forth. Even though nursing homes take care of their resident’s needs, people who are able to care for themselves to a degree often acutely miss doing things for themselves.

Inadequate living conditions

Living conditions in nursing homes have been improving, but there are still facilities that struggle to ensure good living conditions. If the living conditions in a nursing home are inadequate or negatively impact a resident’s health or safety and the situation can’t be rectified quickly, it’s time to leave the facility.

Health issues

The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted many people to take their loved ones out of nursing homes. In-home senior care makes it easier to re-integrate an elderly parent back into the home by ensuring that professional, high-quality medical care continues with no interruptions.

Points to Consider When Your Elderly Parent Wants to Leave the Nursing Home

Your elderly parent’s needs also must be considered when thinking about leaving the nursing home. How independent is your loved one? How much help do they need performing their activities of daily living? What services are available to help you take the best care of your elderly parent?

In-home senior care or in-home nursing care can be an answer to all of the following issues to consider:

  • Medical care. What medical services will your parent need daily, weekly, and monthly and who will provide those services?
  • Activities of daily living. Will your parent need help with bathing and other self-care activities like toileting?
  • Falls. Is your parent a fall risk, and if so, can the home be modified to remove safety hazards and make it a safer place to live?
  • Accessibility and safety. Items like lift chairs, tub and shower modifications, ramps, and so forth, can help an elderly person be safe and secure in a private home.
  • Alzheimer’s and dementia. With the proper care and supervision, a person diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or dementia may be able to live comfortably and securely at home.

Why You Should Choose Home Care

Choosing luxury in-home nursing care allows your elderly parent to receive individualized, customized care based on their unique needs. Kinkaid Private Nursing Care offers premium in-home services to patients looking for the best and most intensive in-home care on the market.

We only take on a few clients at a time, so we always provide specialized care to meet the needs of each client. Additionally, not only do we specialize in premium home nursing care, but we also practice proper management techniques to ensure your loved one’s care is organized, efficient, and best for you.

Overall, we create a concierge medical experience for each of our clients. Our approach starts with building relationships with each of our clients and their families; we get to know you in the comfort and privacy of your home to understand your exact needs. We then create a personal care team for you consisting of at least a clinical nurse specialist, clinical case manager, and care coordinator. Our compassionate teams are clinician-led and available to you 24/7 to provide unparalleled service and attention to detail.

Contact one of our nurse specialists by calling 866-337-4596 or filling out our confidential online form.

FAQs

Can my mom leave or check her self out of the nursing home?

In most situations this is a decision made together with your physician and care team. Connect with one of our nurse case managers today to discuss the best way to facilitate leaving a nursing home.

How do I tell my mom she needs to stay in a nursing home?

Often times the decision to keep a loved one in a nursing home is made due to the level of care they require and safety in the home environment. Kinkaid can ensure your loved one is safe and receives the highest level of care possible at home.

Can you take a relative out of a nursing home?

It is possible to take a loved one out of a nursing home, connect with one of our nurse case managers today to discuss how this can be done safely.

Is it safe to bring an elderly parent home?

Bringing a parent home from a nursing home can be done safely. Our team provides wraparound service to ensure a smooth transition home. We are there to ask the right questions to ensure your home space is ready and that all care needs are met.

Resources

Aging in Place. Aging in Place: A State Survey of Livability Policies and Practices. (n.d.). Retrieved August 21, 2022, from https://assets.aarp.org/rgcenter/ppi/liv-com/aging-in-place-2011-full.pdf

Livable Communities: Creating Environments for Successful Aging – AARP. AARP. (n.d.). Retrieved August 21, 2022, from https://assets.aarp.org/rgcenter/il/beyond_50_communities.pdf

Overview of aging in place. Overview of Aging in Place – RHIhub Aging in Place Toolkit. (n.d.). Retrieved August 21, 2022, from https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/toolkits/aging/1/overview

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how do you get someone out of a nursing home

The Ultimate Guide to Leaving a Skilled Nursing Facility & Going Home

Assisted living facilities and skilled nursing facilities can be a good solution for many long-term health issues that require time to stabilize or recuperate from. They also provide essential care for people when they need more assistance than they can receive at home, but a time may come when you need or want to take a loved one out of such a facility. After all, a person’s health status may change, leading to a need to adjust the level and intensity of care they receive.

This post is the 1st article in our guide to transitioning your loved one out of a skilled nursing facility and into their homes (or yours). You can find more information in this guide by visiting these links:

  1. The Ultimate Guide to Leaving a Skilled Nursing Facility & Going Home
  2. Why Your Elderly Parents Wants to Leave the Nursing Home
  3. What is Senior Home Care?
  4. How to Find the Best Senior Home Care Services

Can You Leave An Assisted Living Facility or Nursing Home?

If your elderly parent wants to leave the nursing home or assisted living, in most situations that will be possible, although it’s not something to undertake on the spur of the moment. It’s important to consider your loved one’s physical and mental state, as well as their needs for healthcare support.

Home care, or in-home senior care can help an elderly parent transition back to a home environment by providing essential services.

Reasons to Leave Nursing Homes

Although there are many good reasons to leave a nursing home, these are the most typical:

Moving by choice. If your elderly parent wants to leave a nursing home, there are home care options that can help. When your loved one’s needs can be met at a less restrictive level of care, choosing to move may be beneficial. Your parent or loved one’s health may have improved sufficiently to allow them to return home and fully care for themselves. If not, they may also be able to live at home with in-home senior care.

Moving for a different level of care. A person may need to leave a nursing home or assisted living facility to receive more intense care or more specialized care. A person’s needs may change, making an assisted living facility no longer appropriate for the required level of care.

A forced or unplanned move. Sometimes nursing homes close, which can leave someone with the need for a new living arrangement. As well, nursing home staffing levels may become an issue, necessitating a transition to in-home senior care to ensure your loved one receives a full range of services.

Health issues. The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted many people to take their loved ones out of nursing homes. In-home senior care makes it easier to re-integrate an elderly parent back into the home by ensuring that professional, high-quality medical care continues with no interruptions.

A desire for greater independence. A person can be more independent at home. In a nursing facility, staff takes care of a great deal of the tasks associated with daily living, and that’s beneficial for some, but seniors often want to do as much as possible for themselves. Being at home provides a senior with increased independence and improved control over their day-to-day activities.

Comfort and familiarity. When a senior can be at home—either their home or in their family’s home—they’re going to be more comfortable. Familiarity with people and surroundings can also help reassure and orient people who live with Alzheimer’s or Dementia.  

Is Moving to Senior Home Care Right For Your Loved One?

Choosing senior home care can be the perfect choice for your loved one. Aging in place can be a great option for an elderly parent, especially if they can make use of in-home senior care. Here are a few considerations to think about before beginning the move:

Medical considerations. What specialized medical care services will your loved one require? Are these services something a loved one can provide, or will a private duty nurse be essential?

Accessibility. Is the home your loved one will be going to a safe and easy environment for them to maneuver in? Will they need help bathing or performing any of their regular activities? Do any modifications need to be made to ensure their safety?

How to Get Someone Out of a Nursing Home

A nursing home resident must be able to make an informed choice about their medical care to leave a nursing home, but in most cases, a nursing home cannot refuse to discharge a patient.

  1. The first step in getting someone out of a nursing home is determining where they’ll be going next and what type of services they will need in their new living arrangement. Evaluate their condition, speak with their caregivers, and communicate with any physicians who may be involved in your loved one’s care.
  2. If possible, work with the care facility’s discharge planning department, which is often a part of the admissions department, but may be separate. Discharge planning services can often make referrals for services, as well as provide information on how best to smoothly transfer your loved one to receiving senior care at home.

Why Choose Kinkaid Private Care

Kinkaid Private Nursing Care offers luxury in-home senior care in the comfort and privacy of your own home. As no two individuals require the same care plan, we customize each patient’s care by aligning your needs with a professional and clinically-led team of private care nurses.

We understand that degenerative, elder, and long-term care requires specially trained and educated nurses and case managers who can ensure your loved one is comfortable and at ease. Because of this, we go out of our way to make sure all aspects of your care are covered.

We provide a concierge medical experience for each of our clients. Our approach starts with building relationships with each of our clients and their families; we get to know you in the comfort and privacy of your home to understand your exact needs. We then create a personal care team for you consisting of at least a clinical nurse specialist, clinical case manager, and care coordinator.

Our compassionate in-home senior care teams are clinician-led and available to you 24/7 to provide unparalleled service and attention to detail.

These are some of the services Kinkaid Private Care provides:

  • Constant Patient Inspection
  • Administering Medication Appropriately
  • Bathing and Grooming
  • Health and Exercise
  • Customized Daily Routines
  • Excellent Communication with Patients and Families

Concierge Services: In addition to the premium care our nurses provide, we coordinate a variety of at-home concierge services to increase your loved one’s health and comfort. We offer the following services (click on each service to learn more)

Contact one of our nurse specialists by calling 866-337-4596 or filling out our confidential online form.

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how long does oxycodone stay in your system

How Long Does Oxycodone Stay in Your System?

What is Oxycodone?

Oxycodone is a narcotic pain reliever in the opioid family of analgesics, given for the management of moderate to severe pain. It’s sold under the name Oxycontin, as well as many others. Like all opioids and opiates, it works by binding with opioid receptors found in nerve tissue throughout the brain and spinal cord, suppressing the perception of pain.

Oxycodone also causes lasting changes in how the brain makes and responds to dopamine, the neurotransmitter that controls feelings of pleasure and regulates the sensation of pain.

As with all opioids, oxycodone has a high potential for abuse and addiction.

Oxycodone is similar to drugs such as:

  • Hydrocodone 
  • Hydromorphone (Dilaudid)
  • Morphine
  • Codeine
  • Tramadol
  • Fentanyl (Duragesic, Abstral)

Brand Names for Oxycodone

  • OxyContin (immediate release)
  • OxyContin CR (controlled-release)
  • Xtampza ER (extended-release)
  • Oxaydo (immediate release)

Other Medications that Include Oxycodone

  • Percocet (oxycodone plus acetaminophen)
  • Tylox (oxycodone plus acetaminophen_

When Do You Start Feeling the Effects of Oxycodone?

How rapidly you feel the effects of oxycodone depends on the formulation you’re taking and the way in which it gets into your system. Oxycodone that’s delivered by an injection is the fastest of all routes of administration. You’ll feel the results of an injection almost instantly. Immediate-release oxycodone is given through capsules and in liquid and works within 30 minutes. Immediate-release oxycodone will wear off in 4 to 6 hours.

Slow-release or extended release oxycodone comes in tablet form and can take several hours to start working, but because it builds up slowly in the system, it delivers longer-lasting pain relief.

How Long Does It Take for the Effects of Oxycodone to Subside?

Orally-dosed oxycodone’s effects peak 2 hours after the first dose and begin to wear off within 4 to 6 hours. The rate at which oxycodone’s effects subside is based on the dosage a person is taking and how it’s introduced into their system, such as by injection, capsules, liquid, or tablet formulations. Another important factor is a person’s history of taking opioids. Oxycodone’s effects will fade most rapidly in those people who have a long history of using opioids.

How Long Does Oxycodone Stay in Your System?

After the last use, levels of immediate-release formulations of oxycodone drop by 50% after 3.2 hours. Levels of controlled and extended-release versions of oxycodone will be 50% lower after 4.5 hours to 5.6 hours.

It takes 24 hours for most people to completely clear oxycodone from their blood, but its breakdown products are detectable for much longer.

After the last dose of oxycodone is taken, it can be detected:

  • In saliva for 24 to 96 hours
  • In urine for 72 to 96 hours
  • In hair for as long as 90 days

Many factors affect how quickly opiates leave your system. A person’s general health, the health of their kidneys and liver, body weight, and age are all important determiners of how long oxycodone stays in your system.

  • Liver function

People with liver dysfunction clear oxycodone about 2 hours more slowly than people with normally functioning livers.

  • Age

People over the age of 65 process oxycodone more slowly than younger people.

  • Gender

Oxycodone leaves a woman’s system more rapidly than a man’s although the reasons for a gender difference are not known.

  • Kidney function

People with kidney problems take up to one hour longer to eliminate oxycodone from their bodies than people with regularly functioning kidneys.

  • History of oxycodone consumption

Opioid medications are prone to building up in a person’s fatty tissues. If you’ve been using oxycodone for weeks or months, it will take longer to get out of your body.

Symptoms of Withdrawal from Oxycodone

Symptoms of withdrawal will start within 12 hours of a person’s last dose and feel much like flu symptoms. People who have used oxycodone chronically or in large amounts will experience more intense withdrawal symptoms than those who’ve used it for a short time or in lower doses

Typical symptoms of Oxycodone withdrawal include:

  • Excessive yawning
  • Stomach cramps
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Diarrhea
  • Fatigue
  • Anhedonia (inability to feel pleasure)
  • Depression
  • Body aches and pains
  • Diaphoresis (extreme sweating)
  • Coughing
  • Runny nose
  • Teary eyes
  • Shaking
  • Increased heart rate
  • Poor concentration
  • Mood swings
  • Anxiety
  • Irritability

How Long Does Withdrawal from Oxycodone Last?

The length of oxycodone withdrawal depends on several factors, including:

  • A person’s health, particularly their liver and kidney health
  • The length of time a person has been using oxycodone
  • How much and how frequently they used oxycodone
  • Their typical route of administration—such as orally, injections, or insufflation (snorting).

Oxycodone abuse and addiction causes intense psychological and physical side effects. They range in intensity and duration from person to person but are usually uncomfortable and can be frightening. Early withdrawal symptoms show up from 6 to 12 hours after a person’s last dose Symptoms of oxycodone withdrawal will peak within 72 hours, then lessen over a week to 10 days.

How Kinkaid Private Care Can Help

You also don’t have to go into a hospital or clinic to detox from oxycodone. Kinkaid Private Care delivers top-notch care through the services of a private detox nurse, a trained medical professional under the supervision of a physician. The detox nurse is fully trained to provide medical assistance for oxycodone withdrawal symptoms, from mild to more severe. Your private detox nurse will help ease you through the detox and withdrawal process, allowing you to stay in the safe and private environment of your own home.

Kinkaid Private Care offers premium in-home services to patients looking for the best and most intensive care on the market. We only take on a few clients at a time, so we always provide specialized care to meet the needs of each client. Additionally, not only do we specialize in premium care, but we also practice proper management techniques to ensure your care is organized, efficient, and best for you.

Overall, we create a concierge medical experience for each of our clients. Our approach starts with building relationships with each of our clients and their families; we get to know you in the comfort and privacy of your home to understand your exact needs. We then create a personal care team for you consisting of at least a clinical nurse specialist, clinical case manager, and care coordinator. Our compassionate teams are clinician-led and available to you 24/7 to provide unparalleled service and attention to detail.

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how to hire a private nurse

How to Hire a Private Nurse in California

If you are facing a major health event, selecting the best care setting is likely to be of primary concern. In-home private nursing services allow you to heal and convalesce while in the privacy and comfort of your own home. Read on to learn about private duty nursing, what conditions they treat, and some helpful hiring tips.

What is an In-Home Private Nurse?

A private nurse provides a wide-range of medical services to individuals within the home setting. A private duty nursing service offers patients and their family members the support they need to manage acute, short-term, or long-term health care needs. In addition to the medical interventions provided, at-home nurses also collaborate with doctors and specialists to coordinate related services. 

How do Caregivers and Private Nurses Differ?

There is a distinct difference between the roles of caregiver and private nurse. Consider these features when seeking the correct level of care for your loved one:

Caregiver. A caregiver is essentially a home health aide. They assist patients by monitoring their condition, providing personal care, and possibly helping with meals and light housework.

Private Nurse. A private nurse – a registered nurse or a licensed practical nurse – holds a nursing degree and related license. Based on the medical needs of the patient, skilled nurses provide a broad range of medical treatments and procedures.

What Medical Duties do Private Nurses Provide?

Skilled home nurses provide care for a variety of medical conditions. Whether you need assistance for a chronic condition, post-operative care, palliative care, substance detox, or hospice care, private nurses can help. These highly-trained nurses work with a physician to provide patients with the following in-home treatments:

In addition to the specialized medical care, the private duty nurses also provide family support. The education and training they offer family members helps to ensure coordination of patient care.

6 Tips for Hiring a Private Nurse

In seeking at-home specialized nursing care you are likely to be concerned about obtaining the highest quality medical care. Finding a trusted private nursing service with a stellar reputation is a top priority. 

Do your due diligence when looking to hire a private nursing service by following these tips:

  1. Consultation. Arrange to meet with the nursing agency to discuss the specific medical needs of your loved one. This consults ensures that the nursing agency is aware of the level of medical care required for the patient. Ask the private nursing care agency whether their nurses have experience with the patient’s specific medical condition.
  2. Backup policy. Inquire about their backup care policies, in the event that the primary nurse becomes unavailable. They should have a policy in place to quickly replace the nurse with an alternate.
  3. Check reviews. Search Google and Yelp to read the nursing agency’s consumer reviews. Also, visit the Better Business Bureau website to ensure that no complaints have been filed against the agency.
  4. References. Ask the agency for references from their former patients or the families of former patients.
  5. Background checks. Inquire whether background checks have been conducted on the nurses, nurse’s assistants, and support contractors.
  6.  Meet the nurse. Ask to meet the nurse ahead of time to make sure they are a compatible fit for the patient. When meeting the nurse it’s a good time to clarify expectations.

Benefits of Private In-Home Nursing Services

There are several reasons why receiving nursing care at home is preferable to getting the same care in a facility. A meta-analysis reviewing outcomes of home care services for patients demonstrates a clear benefit. These benefits include:

  • Instead of receiving care in a nursing home or assisted living, the patient will be in the comfort of home. The familiar objects, pets, family members, and routines surround you, which helps improve the quality of daily life.
  • The family home allows family and friends easier access to the patient, which encourages visits. The social element is very important for mental health.
  • Improved compliance to medication schedules, physical therapy exercises and other integrated care activities. 
  • The home setting is less stressful with fewer disruptions, which allows the patient to be calmer and get better sleep.
  • In-home private nursing may offer concierge services to augment your care plan. These might include massage, facials, IV NAD vitamin therapy, yoga, and acupuncture.
  • The home setting provides a higher level of privacy and confidentiality.

The private nursing home healthcare option offers patients a choice in where they will convalesce during a health event. Receive one-on-one tailored medical care within the comforts of home.

Kinkaid Private Care Concierge Nursing Care at Home

Los Angeles | Orange County | San Diego | San Francisco

Kinkaid Private Care is a top-rated California nursing agency that offers concierge in-home care in Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego and the San Francisco. Families entrust loved ones to our care, knowing we will provide them with peace of mind. Our vetted, expert nurses are available to provide high-quality medical care in the comfort and safety of home. To learn more about our in-home private nurses and concierge services, please reach out today at (866) 337-4596 or request a call back by filling out our request form.

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best senior home care services

Finding the Best Senior Home Care Services

Choosing the best senior home care services does not have to be a daunting task. Looking for experience, professionalism, and compassion in your home care services provider can go a long way towards ensuring you or your loved one gets the care they need. At Kinkaid Private Care, we have decades of experience helping seniors to live empowered and fulfilling lives at home, and our expert team can help you in choosing senior home care services that fulfill all your needs.

This post is the 4th article in our guide to transitioning your loved one out of a skilled nursing facility and into their homes (or yours). You can find more information in this guide by visiting these links:

  1. The Ultimate Guide to Leaving a Skilled Nursing Facility & Going Home
  2. Why Your Elderly Parents Wants to Leave the Nursing Home
  3. What is Senior Home Care?
  4. How to Find the Best Senior Home Care Services

Home Care or Nursing Home?

The first step in choosing the best senior home care services is deciding between a nursing home or home care. While they may sound similar, these two options provide vastly different services, and many seniors will prefer one over the other.

Home Care

Senior home care services are designed to help seniors continue living in their own homes, while still providing excellent medical services. The best senior home care services offer many benefits, including:

  • Medication management
  • Help with daily routines, such as cooking, cleaning, or socializing
  • Bathing and grooming assistance
  • Medical concierge services, such as acupuncture or yoga
  • Health, nutrition, and exercise plans
  • Companionship

This level of care is best suited to seniors who want to retain their independence, but still need some help in their daily tasks. Medical services are typically included as well, with skilled nurses available to help treat and prevent a variety of conditions. As result, home care can reduce the likelihood of expensive emergency room visits or unexpected hospital stays.

According to studies by the AARP, home care is what the majority of seniors want. Put simply, most people do not want to be removed from their homes just to receive medical care. Choosing senior home care allows them to continue aging in place, on their terms, without the loss of independence.

Nursing Homes

In contrast, choosing a nursing home means moving to a specialized facility that incorporates 24/7 medical staffing and observation. Nursing homes are often the best choice for patients who have severe or chronic illnesses and require frequent medical interventions. These illnesses may be beyond the scope of home care services.

Nursing homes tend to be much more expensive than in-home care. In addition, most do not allow pets to be brought on-site, and private rooms often cost an additional fee.

How to Choose Good In-Home Senior Care Services

Choosing the best senior home care services means looking for three key elements:

  1. Experience
  2. Expertise
  3. Empathy

These are the three critical elements that differentiate lackluster care from exceptional care. While you might be able to determine this information from a website or local reputation, the best way to ensure that a treatment provider has these qualities is by giving them a call and asking about them directly.

If you or a loved one are dealing with a specific illness, such as Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, you should also ensure that your home care provider has worked with similar patients before. Teams that are familiar with these disorders are better equipped to manage the unique set of symptoms that comes along with them and ensure that the patient receives the compassion and respect they deserve.

Questions to Ask a Home Care Provider

When choosing senior home care, there are several questions you should ask the home care provider to ensure that you are making the right choice. An initial consultation with a senior home care provider will certainly include them asking you several questions, primarily about the patient’s medical history, needs, and preferences. But during this conversation, it is important that you ask questions to ensure that you are choosing the best senior home care services available. These questions can include:

How long has your team been providing home care services?

Practical experience delivering home care services is the best indicator of a quality provider. Experience not only increases the quality of services but shows that your home care team is enthusiastic and committed to providing excellent service. Further, experience prepares a home care team for a variety of situations, ensuring that you or your loved one have a professional nearby in the event of unexpected circumstances.

What specific services do you provide?

Not all home care services provide the same scope of treatment. Some facilities may simply be offering companionship services or assistance around the house, rather than specialized medical care. Determining the scope of your home care provider’s services lets you know exactly the level of care you can expect to receive and stops you from hiring somebody not up to the task.

What are your team’s credentials?

Asking about your home care provider’s credentials helps you to know their level of expertise. Providers without a medical degree may not be able to administer medications, accurately diagnose medical issues, or be able to help in times of crisis. Ensuring that your home care providers have the credentials to back up their services can put your mind at ease.

Are there other services your company can provide?

Certain home care services, like Kinkaid Private Care, have a full suite of concierge medical services available to their patients. This could include at-home doctor visits, blood draws, and even X-rays. Having at-home services attached to your home care provider makes it effortless to treat new medical developments and prevent expensive hospital visits.

Why Choose Senior Home Care with Kinkaid

Kinkaid Private Care is the premier choice for senior home care services in Los Angeles and surrounding areas. Our clinician-led team has decades of experience helping people to thrive with in-home medical services and creates customized and unique treatment plans for each of our patients. When you choose Kinkaid Private Care, you are choosing the best senior home care services available.

Our senior home care services emphasize empowerment, health, and independence. We understand the importance of building personal relationships with each of our patients and helping them to live as they see fit. When you’re ready to start receiving home care, contact our team by calling 866-337-4596 or by filling out our online contact form. We would be happy to help you make the best choice for yourself or a loved one, and our experts will be there to support you every step of the way.

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How Does Hospice Work at Home

How Does Hospice Work at Home?

End-of-life care is all about increasing the quality of life and comfort in a person’s final days. For many, this means staying in their own home, rather than staying in a nursing home or medical facility. That’s what hospice work at home hopes to accomplish – allowing people to enjoy their last days to their fullest at the end of life’s journey.

What is Hospice Care?

Hospice care is a palliative treatment for people with a terminal illness. In the United States, this has typically been defined by the Medicare criteria for hospice care, which requires that an individual’s doctor determines that they have less than 6 months left to live. This could be due to any number of causes but is typically the result of serious disease progression.

Importantly, hospice care aims to ensure not only that you or your loved one are comfortable, but are still able to live your life as you see fit. Rather than just managing symptoms and providing routine medical services, hospice care aims to enrich and lengthen the last stage of life and promote individual functioning. This is done by providing comprehensive services that enable a person to keep up with the things that matter most to them.

Who Needs Hospice Care?

Typically, people enter hospice care after a serious disease has progressed past the point of treatment. This could include:

  • Late-stage cancer
  • Heart disease
  • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
  • Dementia
  • Kidney failure

If you or a loved one have reached the point where physicians feel as though continuing to treat the disease wouldn’t be fruitful, hospice care can help enhance the last days of life. Choosing between hospice care at home compared to a hospice facility is a personal decision, but the vast majority of people will elect home care.

What Happens in Hospice Care at Home?

Hospice care is quite different than types of medicine. During hospice care, the goal is not to treat the disease, but rather to treat the disease’s symptoms. In this way, hospice care aims to reduce suffering and increase comfort. Basic medical needs are still addressed, but severe treatments which could reduce quality of life rather than improve it are generally omitted.

Much of hospice care revolves around the psychological aspects of this last stage of life. Hospice care often includes:

  • Spiritual care
  • Bereavement counseling
  • Ensuring that people’s last wishes and desires get fulfilled

With these practices, people in the last stage of life can spend their time doing the things they care about most.

How Does Kinkaid Help with Hospice Care?

Kinkaid Private Care provides continuous skilled nursing care alongside hospice agencies. This means that you or your loved ones will receive consistent attention for their medical needs and symptoms and remain as comfortable as possible. This includes several services and treatments designed to improve quality of life, which are outlined below.

Symptom and Pain Management

The topmost priority of our skilled nursing team is to ensure that the symptoms of the late-stage disease are managed appropriately. This includes pain management, ensuring high-quality sleep, and improving physical functioning. By thoroughly treating these symptoms, people can focus their energy and attention on more important matters, such as spending time with their loved ones.

Compassionate Support

At times, the symptoms of terminal illness can create obstacles to completing daily tasks. It might make it more difficult for you to get ready, prepare food, or move around the house. Our skilled nursing team can assist in these key domains and ensure that your illness doesn’t stop you from living as you see fit.

Counseling Services

Terminal illness can result in a heavy psychological toll. Being able to talk with people who are compassionate, understanding, and trained in end-of-life care can be a valuable tool to find peace and comfort during the last stages of life. Our hospice team has extensive experience in helping people during the end-of-life transition and can provide counseling services and an open ear to help people cope with this difficult time.

Medical Care

Even with a terminal illness, several medical issues can be treated quickly and efficiently with the help of a skilled nursing team. Competent hospice care can reduce unexpected hospital visits and the need to see outside providers for minor medical issues, giving families more time spent with each other, and less time spent in medical centers and waiting rooms.

Even during end-of-life care, nobody wants to deal with a sudden UTI or bacterial infection that can quickly be remedied with a round of antibiotics. Having our skilled nursing team available ensures that these problems are quickly diagnosed, prevented when possible, and treated appropriately.

Care Coordination

Hospice care typically involves several medical professionals. Your treatment team likely includes one or several physicians, a skilled nursing team, pharmacists, counselors, social workers, and many more. With Kinkaid Private Care’s continuous nursing services, our team can act as liaisons among this team of providers to ensure that you or your loved one’s needs get addressed straight away.

Part of our goal is to ensure that you gain full advantage of the resources available to you during home hospice care. Our team has decades of experience working with people and professionals in hospice and can keep you informed of your options and make this program work for you.

The Kinkaid Difference

At Kinkaid Private Care, we pride ourselves on offering the best possible nursing experience in the Los Angeles area. With decades of experience, concierge medical services, and a team of professionals that are both compassionate and capable, we can ensure that you or your loved one get exactly the care needed during this difficult time. In addition, we only take on a few patients on at a time to ensure that we can have a personal connection with everyone that seeks our services.

We know that this can be a difficult time for families. Our skilled nursing team can help ease this period of transition and ensure that you or your loved one are taken care of at this crucial time. When you’re ready, reach out to the team at Kinkaid Private Care by calling 866-337-4596 and set up a consultation for in-home hospice services.

FAQs

How many times a week does hospice come?

The frequency of visits is usually determined by your physician. Connect with us today to discuss more about how we work with your hospice agency.

At what point should hospice be called?

There are many reasons a family and/or patient might consider hospice care, mainly comfort services. Connect with our nurse case manager today to discuss the benefits of including a hospice team in your care plan.


What is usually not included in hospice care?

Typically any treatments or medications that are meant to cure are not included, along with continuous care for your loved one. Call us today to discuss how we work with your hospice agency to ensure you receive the highest level of consistent care possible.

Are all hospice patients bedridden?

No, not all hospice patients are bedridden. Every situation is unique, our team at Kinkaid can customize your level of care needs, call us today!

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do i have an addiction quiz

How to Know if You Have an Addiction and What to Do Next

It is a hard question to ask yourself, ‘Do I have an addiction?’

In fact, many people do but may not even be aware of it. Addiction includes a wide range of substances from drugs and alcohol and in some cases can include gambling and sex. Some individuals also battle addictions to shopping and food.

If you think you might have an addiction, take the quiz attached below to find out. But first, let’s read on to find out more about some of the common signs of addiction.

5 Common Signs of Addiction

Do you ever feel like you can’t control your behavior or use of a substance? Do you feel powerless to continue using a substance, although it’s causing problems in your life?

Here are some other signs that you might be addicted:

  1. You feel like you need to use the substance just to get through the day.
  2. The substance becomes the main priority in life, while other obligations like family, work and school become secondary or sidelined.
  3. You have withdrawal symptoms when you try to stop using.
  4. When confronted, you deny or downplay the substance misuse.
  5. You continue using despite the fact it causes mental and physical distress to you and your loved ones.

If you can relate to any or most of these signs—then you might have an addiction. Thinking about the next steps can be intimidating, but Kinkaid is only a call away to guide you through the next phase of your life, recovery. 

Do I Have an Addiction? Try This Quiz

One of the most important steps in getting help is first admitting that you have a problem, and that’s what this quiz is all about. Therefore, if you suspect that you might have an addiction, you can try using GoodRx Health’s quiz as a learning tool to work towards the first important step in recovery. 

goodrx addiction quiz image

How to Know if You Have an Addiction

An addiction quiz is only a small step in the right direction, but please remember that it is mainly a tool and not a substitution for professional medical counsel.

It’s important to get professional help as soon as possible if you suspect you have an addiction—as it is a serious problem that can negatively impact your life in many ways.

Fortunately, there is help available, every step of the way. The clinical team at Kinkaid Private Care can help you determine whether you struggle with addiction and what steps to take next. We can help you plan your recovery and get your life back on track.

The Next Step: At Home Addiction Recovery

If you think you might have an addiction, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team at Kinkaid Private Care. With our help, you can start the process to overcome your addiction struggles, even from the privacy of your own home.

Kinkaid Private Care provides a comprehensive in-home detox and treatment program throughout California. We offer a variety of programs and services that are designed to meet the needs of each individual patient.

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, please contact one of our nurse specialists at (866) 337-4596 or fill out our online form. Our compassionate teams are available to you to provide unparalleled service at any time.

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