Cents & Sensitivity

The consumer press these days is a hotbed for health information, from pharmaceutical advertising to the latest medical trends and technology. As a result, Americans are increasingly well informed about symptoms, diseases and treatments, and they are seeking solutions that will provide independence, comfort and an improved quality of life.

Three of the diseases receiving increasing attention are Alzheimer's, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and obesity, in part because these patient populations are rapidly expanding. Although they seem unrelated, these diseases have another common factor: They all result in a myriad of complications that require multiple products and services over extended timeframes.

From a business perspective, this means there are a growing number of opportunities for home medical equipment providers to reach out and meet the need for help with patient and caregiver education, information for physicians, and specialized equipment, keeping in mind that the key to these markets — and all home health care — is service.

Alzheimer's disease, which is initially diagnosed by the inability to remember recent experiences, is a devastating condition that currently affects an estimated 4.5 million Americans, according to the Alzheimer's Association. Because of Alzheimer's progressive nature, patients lose both memory and the ability to record new information, says Cathy Cress, MSW, president of Cresscare, a private case management agency in Santa Clara and Monterey, Calif., and author of the Handbook of Geriatric Care Management (Aspen Publishers Inc.).

“Where there used to be [brain] tissue there is just white plaque, and that affects all parts of the brain, including the parts that affect the ability to ambulate,” Cress describes. “As the disease progresses and more plaque appears, ambulation becomes more difficult, and at the very end of the disease, a lot of Alzheimer's patients are completely bed-bound.”

Once diagnosed, an Alzheimer's patient is expected to live an average of eight years, although some may survive for up to 20. At present, Cress says, 70 percent of Alzheimer's patients are cared for at home, and they require a variety of home medical equipment products to remain functional for as long as possible, and to remain safe.