- Orthopedics, Senior CareGeneral Page Tier 3BlogJoint replacement surgeries are some of the most successful and popular operations in the medical field. These procedures have helped countless people achieve more mobility and less pain with brand new hips or knees. Sounds like the perfect solution to joint pain, right? But how do you know if you’re ready for joint replacement surgery? It’s not a simple answer, and the timing of your surgery can greatly affect your result. An orthopedic surgeon who specializes in these operations can help you decide if and when to have surgery. A surgeon will talk to you about your pain level and mobility, examine how you walk and evaluate your x-rays before recommending a plan. If you’re experiencing joint pain and thinking about surgery, it will help to be familiar with the following points before you start a conversation with your surgeon: Arthritis and cartilage The most common form of arthritis is called osteoarthritis, a degenerative process which causes your cartilage cushion to wear down. Since cartilage covers the bones in your joints, this can affect how your joints move and feel. If your x-rays show that your cartilage cushion around your joints is gone, it may be time for surgery. Patients call this state “bone on bone.” If your x-rays show you still have your own cartilage, it’s probably too soon for replacement surgery. Hip vs. knee replacement Deciding on hip replacement can be easier than choosing to have a knee replacement. Here’s why: Hip pain is constant, and non-surgical methods of relieving pain aren’t as effective as with knees. Knees are more difficult. Knee pain will come and go, so it’s harder to recognize your pain level. Also, there are other effective ways to relieve pain for knees besides surgery. Injections and physical therapy tend to work better for knees compared to hips. Knee replacement patients often don’t expect the pain that comes with rehab after surgery. Your symptoms: A personal choice Ice and heating packs, joint injections, weight loss, over-the-counter medications and physical therapy can all help reduce pain. However, if you’ve tried these methods and you still have severe pain in your groin or around your knee, it’s time to see a surgeon. While we can make medically based recommendations, remember that having joint surgery is a personal decision. My patients often make the choice to have surgery when their pain is so bad they can’t even sleep or it prevents them from traveling or doing something they love. Patients ready for surgery often stop asking what they can’t do with a total joint, and start looking forward to what they can do after surgery. Still not sure? If you have daily pain that limits your activities, you may benefit from surgery. Surgeons can certainly guide your decision, but the final choice is yours. We want you to feel a big enough improvement after your surgery to be glad you went through the procedure. And remember, joint replacement surgeries have been helping people for decades and most patients are very happy with their results. To learn more about joint replacement surgery, visit https://www.luminishealth.org/en/services/joint-replacement-surgery. Author By James MacDonald, MD, orthopedic surgeon at Luminis Health. To reach his practice, call 410-268-8862.0
- General Page - Tier 2Luminis Health Doctors Community Medical Center visitor hours are 8 am – 8pm.For the safety of children, no children under 12 years of age are allowed as visitors. Exceptions are allowed for children with a parent admitted for an extended period of time or end-of-life.Luminis Health Doctors Community Medical Center welcomes care partners and support persons for all patients.LHDCMC reserves the right to limit visitation to one care partner or support person per patient in areas where it is difficult to follow social distance guidelines:Observation Units – Telemetry and 2 EastAny semi-private room End of Life:Only two care partners in the Emergency DepartmentIf the health care team deems the patient is at the end of life, the care team will contact the family.End-of-life care partners may remain at the bedside until the patient has expired, 24/7.An adult must be with minors under 18.As a patient and family centered organization, we will continue to review and update our visitation guidelines and practices as the situation changes.Definitions:Care Partners – Any person(s) who plays a significant role in an individual’s life. This may include family or a person(s) not legally related to the individual. Family members include spouses, domestic partners, and significant others. Care partners may be individuals with a continued legal, genetic and/or emotional relationship as defined by the patient.Support Person – For patients with disabilities, support persons provide personal, behavioral and/or communication support not otherwise provided in a hospital setting. A support person may be appropriate for, but is not limited to, patients with intellectual, developmental, physical, or neurocognitive disabilities. A support person may include, but is not limited to a family member, personal care assistant and/or disability service provider.General guidelines for all approved care partners and/or support persons:Care partners should be 12 years and older, unless the visit is for the end of life. An adult must accompany minors under 18 years old. The adult cannot be the patient.Universal masking is no longer required in any Luminis Health facility. Luminis Health has shifted to optional masking for all staff, patients, and visitors. All care partners and support persons will be required to wash or sanitize their hands throughout their visit. Patients and visitors who prefer to wear a mask while in our facility may do so. Patients may also request that their care team wear masks.Caring for and protecting our patients, care partners, employees and the community is of the utmost importance. All care partners and support persons will be required to wash or sanitize their hands throughout their visit. Eating is permitted in patient rooms but not permitted in patient care areas or waiting areas.Clergy of any denomination may visit a patient (COVID-19 positive or negative) at any time at the request of the patient.Patients who are 21 years of age or under may have a parent or guardian with them.Support persons who serve as a surrogate decision maker, including power of attorney or court-appointed guardianship for a patient, and need to be physically present to engage in the decision making process is permitted 24 hours daily.Hospital guests with an official governmental function may be present.Confirmed or suspected COVID-19All care partners or support persons are welcome during designated visiting hours.The care partner or support person will be required to put on personal protective equipment (PPE), provided by the nursing team, which will include a gown, gloves, and a surgical mask. A member of the hospital care team will assist in PPE use., FAQs How can family and friends stay in touch with their loved ones and the health care team? Hospital staff will reach out to a designated care partner, as agreed to by the patient, to communicate about the patient’s condition. In addition, hospital staff will help you in communicating directly with the patient. What if my loved one or I need health care for other illnesses or injury? We will continue to serve and care for the needs of all patients. We are committed to providing essential health services and to caring for our community. Resources MD DOD and DOH Notice - Support Persons for Individuals with Disabilities MD DOD and DOH Notice - Support Persons for Individuals with Disabilities - Spanish MD DOD and DOH Notice Access to Support for Patients with Disabilities MD DOD and DOH Notice Access to Healthcare Facilities - Spanish Luminis Health Visitation Policy for Patients with Disabilities Luminis Health Visitation Policy for Patients with Disabilities - Spanish Additional requests will be determined on a case-by-case basis by the administrator on call. We appreciate your understanding during these extraordinary times. We are confident that together we will continue to deliver the highest quality of care.0
- Women's Health, PediatricsGeneral Page Tier 3BlogFor premature and medically fragile babies, every milestone represents an emotionally packed triumph. The AAMC NICU–Teddy’s Place celebrates these victories with its Journey Bead necklace program. When a baby is first admitted, the mother receives a necklace with one bead—blue for a boy, pink for a girl. A bead is added for each milestone the baby achieves while at the hospital. A few of these significant events include the first diaper change, snuggling into kangaroo care, coming off oxygen, successfully breast-feeding, and the grandest bead of all, going home. “It’s a way to help parents recognize each accomplishment. But it’s also a way to keep them thinking positive thoughts,” says NICU Nurse Navigator Polly White, RN. “When I bring in a bead for baby’s first breast-feeding or coming off oxygen, it’s easy to open a conversation about what’s next—what we can look forward to. So I think in some ways this necklace that represents success softens negative emotions that can crop up during any parent’s journey.” They’re inexpensive beads on a black leather string, Polly adds, but mothers wear their necklace as if it holds precious jewels. “It’s physical proof that this tiny person, who may seem so fragile, is actually quite strong and courageous—moving forward in the best possible way.” Return to “A Tiny Miracle.”0
- Complete Care for Bone Health and OsteoporosisOur Osteoporosis Program evaluates and treats people at high risk of suffering a fragility fracture. Plus we help those interested in assessing their bone health.Choose Luminis Health because we offer:Superior screening rates. Nationwide, many people who need bone health assessments don't know it. What's more, many who do receive a recommendation for screening don't get tested. Luminis Health tests 83% of cases that show need, compared to just 12% at other hospitals.A full range of preventive care. We have a team of experts who help you take steps to protect your bones. We work with you to create eating and exercise plans that fit into your life. Smoke or drink alcohol? We give you tools to cope with cravings to help you stop.Long-term tracking. Our team stays in touch with you long after your first visit. This means we'll likely catch any worsening of your bone health.Constantly improving expertise. Our experts keep up with advances in prevention and treatment of osteoporosis.ConditionConditions/Services/Treatments PageWe're experts at diagnosing and treating osteoporosis. We also help people build habits that improve bone health and prevent fractures.What is Osteoporosis?Our bones constantly break down and rebuild. But as we get older, our bones become thinner and weaker. But this happens silently, without you knowing it's going on.Several things affect bone strength. For instance, some people are just born with sturdier bones than others. Habits like drinking and smoking can speed up bone loss. And women rapidly lose bone when their estrogen levels drop dramatically during menopause.When your bone strength falls below a certain range, bones break more easily. And if it's very low — a condition called osteoporosis — your bones can break even during a minor fall.Unfortunately, osteoporosis-related fractures (also known as fragility fractures) are common in older adults. Half of all postmenopausal women experience at least one fragility fracture over a lifetime.Some of these fractures have serious consequences, like taking away your independence or even shortening your life. And even when the outcome isn't dire, osteoporosis decreases your quality of life.The good news is there are ways to slow down bone loss and reduce the risk of a fracture. That's why experts recommend a test — called a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan — to check bone strength sometime between age 50 and 65.When you should get your first DEXA scan after age 50 depends on risk factors., including if:You have a family history of osteoporosis.You're a smoker.You've had a fracture.Your doctor may also suggest an earlier test if, for example, you slip and break your wrist. Why? If your bones are healthy, a fall from a standing height or less shouldn't cause a broken bone.Also, the Fracture Risk Assessment Tool (FRAX) can help gauge what your fracture risk is if your DEXA scan shows you have osteopenia (low bone density).0
- Weight LossGeneral Page Tier 3BlogIn today’s era of the increasingly health-conscious consumer, you may view processed foods with fear and disgust. They are often associated with the obesity epidemic, high blood pressure and the rise of Type 2 diabetes. But processed foods are more than boxed macaroni and cheese, or chips. In fact, most foods in your standard grocery store have been processed in some way. When people refer to processed foods, they’re usually talking about heavily modified products that contain a long list of ingredients, such as snack foods, sweets, frozen-prepared foods, packaged meats and boxed items. These foods often have little to no nutritional value. We encourage limiting these foods in your diet. Not all processed foods are bad for you The key is to distinguish between foods that have been lightly processed versus heavily processed. Here’s a quick guide to help you: Minimally processed foods, such as bagged spinach, cut vegetables and roasted nuts, are often pre-prepped for convenience. They are fine to include on your menu when you want to prepare homemade meals, but need a little extra help to make cooking dinner realistic for your busy schedule. Foods processed at their peak to lock in nutritional quality and freshness include canned beans, canned tomatoes, frozen fruit and vegetables, and canned tuna. These are better alternatives to eating out and help make meal prep convenient. Some ingredients like sweeteners, spices, oils, colors and preservatives are added to foods for flavor and texture. These foods include jarred pasta sauce, salad dressing, yogurt and cereals. While they’re helpful in recipes, many of them have long lists of ingredients. So, comparison shop and look for foods with simple and few ingredients. Ready-to-eat foods, such as crackers, granola, deli meat, TV dinners, chicken nuggets, fish sticks, frozen pizzas and desserts, are the most heavily processed. It’s a good idea to limit these foods in your diet. Processed foods can be beneficial to your diet. For instance, milk and some juices are fortified with calcium and vitamin D, and breakfast cereals may have added fiber. Canned fruit (packed in water or its own juice) is a good option when fresh fruit is not available, or grocery trips are irregular. In efforts to make nutritious food readily available and more convenient for you, minimally processed foods offer shortcuts to avoid the alternative of eating out, or last minute fixes. Generally, you should avoid foods that you cannot recognize in their original form, like potato chips, muffins, or foods that are not naturally occurring, such as sodas, donuts, cookies and candy. These foods are major contributors of added sugars, salt and fat in our diets. To keep processed foods to a minimum, be sure to look at the nutrition facts and ingredient list before purchasing. Do more cooking and food prep from home to maximize control over what you put in your body. Authors By Ann Caldwell and Maureen Shackelford, nutritionists and registered dietitians at Anne Arundel Medical Center. To reach them call 443-481-5555. Originally published May 8, 2017. Last updated Jan. 27, 2020.0
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