The Irish Times - Health

Catering for the elderly means catering for all

Tue, 22 May 2012 07:46:23 GMT

SECOND OPINION:Research on elderly provides better guidelines for all ages, writesDES O'NEILL

Laughing all the way to the bank?

Tue, 22 May 2012 07:46:23 GMT

First Holy Communion is the ideal time to teach your children the value of money management, writesSHEILA WAYMAN

To pastures new for the funeral trade

Tue, 22 May 2012 07:46:23 GMT

The funeral industry may be deeply conservative but it is changing to adapt to society’s changing needs, writesCAROL RYAN

Stigmatising illness sparks depression

Tue, 22 May 2012 07:46:23 GMT

THAT'S MEN:There’s more to being ill than the illness itself, writesPADRAIG O MORAIN

My quality of life has been totally destroyed

Tue, 22 May 2012 07:46:23 GMT

MY HEALTH EXPERIENCE:With degenerative disc disease ‘my health is ruined’ relatesWILLIAM TRENT

Picking up the pieces with grace

Tue, 22 May 2012 07:46:23 GMT

Grace Harper – the only pupil in her school who uses a wheelchair – is a popular little girl with a very full life, writesMICHELLE McDONAGH

Delivering messages too loud and clear

Tue, 22 May 2012 07:46:23 GMT

A DAD'S LIFE:Climbing down off my high horse . . . in a huff, writesADAM BROPHY

Deep-sea diving into the dark of your head

Tue, 22 May 2012 07:46:23 GMT

MIND MOVES:Is writing actually bad for your health, writesTIM SMYTH

Potential for growth?

Tue, 22 May 2012 07:46:23 GMT

Proper nutrition in the womb and in the first two years of a baby’s life is the foundation of a healthy life, writesRONAN McGREEVY

Taking the pain out of dental complaints

Tue, 22 May 2012 07:46:22 GMT

A new service aims to give dental patients a way to resolve complaints without referring to the Dental Council or the courts, writesFIONA REDDAN

Top-up payments may lead to full inquiry

Tue, 22 May 2012 07:46:22 GMT

Top-up payments, double jobbing and additional earnings for healthcare staff are now under the scrutiny of the State’s financial watchdog, the Comptroller and Auditor General, writesMARTIN WALL

Jab technique can help keep pain at bay

Tue, 22 May 2012 07:46:22 GMT

MEDICAL MATTERS:Empirical evidence in favour of turning away, writesMUIRIS HOUSTON

Overtime bills proof of 'grossly illegal' work practices in HSE

Tue, 22 May 2012 07:46:22 GMT

Registrar in HSE South paid highest amount of overtime – €153,250, writesGORDON DEEGAN

Reilly urged to use indemnity funds for patient redress

Tue, 22 May 2012 07:46:22 GMT

1,500 women who underwent a controversial childbirth procedure want closure, writesCARL O'BRIEN

Health gem

Tue, 22 May 2012 00:11:02 GMT

If you do one thing this week . . . offer water to drink with vegetables

Health scan lifestyle Q&A

Tue, 22 May 2012 00:11:02 GMT

Mary Murray-Burke, Crystal Swing

Health board

Tue, 22 May 2012 00:11:01 GMT

The campaigning group, Mental Health Reform, is holding a public meeting today from 2.30pm-4.30pm in Portlaoise, Co Laois to explain its Agenda for Action towards implementing the mental health services policy document, A Vision for Change. The meeting will be held in the National Learning Network Centre, Dublin Road, Portlaoise. Tel: 01 6121422 or rsvp@mentalhealthreform.ie for more details.

Organising the mayhem

Tue, 22 May 2012 00:11:01 GMT

JOHN SHARRYanswers readers' queries

Why is the apoe4 gene linked with Alzheimer's risk?

Tue, 22 May 2012 00:11:01 GMT

THAT’S THE WHY:WHEN IT comes to genes and the risk of developing a disease, the relationships are seldom clear-cut. But it does seem that carrying a particular type of apolipoprotein E (ApoE) gene is linked with an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

Only 36 HSE nursing homes have registered

Tue, 22 May 2012 00:11:00 GMT

LESS THAN a third of public nursing homes have been registered with the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) in advance of a deadline at the end of next month. The homes have had three years to register under Section 69 of the Health Act 2007 and should all be registered by June 30th.

Call for physio internships to be included in JobBridge

Tue, 22 May 2012 00:11:00 GMT

MINISTER FOR Health James Reilly has proposed extending the Government’s national intern scheme – JobBridge – to provide a placement scheme for newly qualified physiotherapists. He said he had held talks with Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton about such an initiative.

No plans to cut medical cert fees, says Burton

Tue, 22 May 2012 00:10:59 GMT

MINISTER FOR Social Protection Joan Burton says she has no plans at present to cut the fees paid to doctors for medical certificates.

Health briefing

Tue, 22 May 2012 00:10:59 GMT

A round-up of today's other stories in brief

Sweet nostalgia could lead to increase in tooth decay

Tue, 22 May 2012 00:10:59 GMT

THE PROLIFERATION of nostalgic sweet shops could lead to an increase in tooth decay, the Irish Dental Association (IDA) annual conference was told.

Health Board

Wed, 16 May 2012 13:37:57 GMT

HerbFeast 2012, the first Irish herbal community festival, is on in the Organic Centre, Rossinver, Co Leitrim on Saturday and Sunday. Also, guided walks, cookery demonstrations and talks on herbs as food and medicine. Speakers include herbalist Seán Boylan and Vivienne Campbell. Seeherbfeast.ieandcommunityofirishherbalists.ie

Ageism shows no sign of retiring any time soon

Tue, 15 May 2012 00:13:54 GMT

SECOND OPINION:AGEISM IS still alive and well in Ireland. Stena Line is now advertising the amount of luggage you can bring when you travel on one of its ferries, including as many suitcases as will fit in the car, the dogs, and Grandma. This is blatantly ageist.

Health Gem

Tue, 15 May 2012 00:13:54 GMT

If you do one thing this week . . . try to keep your fat moving

Health scan

Tue, 15 May 2012 00:13:54 GMT

LIFESTYLE Q&A:Darina Allen, author and owner of Ballymaloe Cookery School

Where has our sex life gone?

Tue, 15 May 2012 00:13:54 GMT

TWO becoming three can be the most challenging transition for any couple to go through. Yet, amid all the talk about furnishing the baby’s room, buying a buggy, car seat and cute little outfits, most couples will gloss over what it will mean for their sex life.

Nipping bullying in the bud

Tue, 15 May 2012 00:13:53 GMT

ASK THE EXPERT:We have a daughter full-time in a creche since she was 14 months old. She will soon be four and she has always been happy there up to the past couple of months. Her “Best Friend” moved up to the Montessori room with her last summer.

Eat your way to a healthy pregnancy

Tue, 15 May 2012 00:13:53 GMT

SHELF LIFE:IN THEORY, the energy cost of pregnancy is around 77,000 calories. But long before a pregnancy occurs, what goes into your mouth goes a long way to determine whether a couple will actually conceive a child.

All aboard for hangover debate

Tue, 15 May 2012 00:13:53 GMT

IT’S PROBABLY every badly hungover person’s fantasy: you wake up feeling like death on a bad day and just want something – anything – to take the pain away. Imagine if a trained doctor could come to your bedside and administer some intravenous fluids, some anti-nausea medicine, some anti-inflammatory medicine and a bunch of vitamins. That would make life a whole lot easier.

I fell for Delia, but didn't learn a thing

Tue, 15 May 2012 00:13:53 GMT

A DAD'S LIFE:CONFESSION TIME. Delia Smith was my first crush. I’d sit in front of the telly as a small boy and take in everything about the perfect Yorkshire pudding and how best to roast a goose, but all the time I’d be gurning loonily at Delia.

Why is our skin waterproof?

Tue, 15 May 2012 00:13:53 GMT

THAT’S THE WHY:It’s an everyday occurrence: you wash your hands, have a shower or go for a swim, and your skin doesn’t let all that water through. Having waterproof skin is pretty useful for protecting what lies within, and also for stopping our bodies from drying out like prunes.

Clergy and sex? Now there's a ridiculous idea

Tue, 15 May 2012 00:13:52 GMT

THAT'S MEN:IMAGINE BEING sentenced to life imprisonment for a thought – not for uttering it or promoting it but just for having it and enjoying it?

Urges that drain the brain

Tue, 15 May 2012 00:13:52 GMT

DYING FOR a smoke but trying to give them up? Battling with the urge must be hard work for the brain as it uses 20 per cent of the body’s energy despite weighing only 2.5 per cent of our total weight.

The Irish GP

Tue, 15 May 2012 00:13:52 GMT

EVERY DAY of the week, some 50,000 people consult a doctor in Ireland; that’s one million a month, according to Prof Tom O’Dowd, mastermind of a new exhibition, General Practice, in Dublin’s Gallery of Photography, highlighting the work of Irish GPs across the State.

Pilates: a fix for incontinence?

Tue, 15 May 2012 00:13:52 GMT

BY DEFINITION, it happens at the most inopportune of times. Urinary incontinence, the unexpected, uncontrolled passing of urine, can be annoying and embarrassing in equal measure. Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) occurs when sneezing, laughing, coughing, exercising, lifting or doing other similar activities.

My daughter falls asleep all the time

Tue, 15 May 2012 00:13:51 GMT

OUR HEALTH EXPERIENCE: TESSA WATSON AND JESSICA HAND:MY DAUGHTER Jessica has narcolepsy. She falls asleep all the time – after school; after dinner; in the car; at school; in the supermarket; on the couch. She gets weak, loses control of her muscles and collapses. At night, her sleep is interrupted by bad dreams and panic attacks. She is lovely, quiet, nearly 16, happy in herself and never in trouble. But this condition is causing her, and our family, enormous trouble.

Role playing adds a touch of reality

Tue, 15 May 2012 00:13:51 GMT

THE SCENE looks for all the world like any modern hospital ward. Some cubicles have curtains drawn across them as patients and medical staff consult on courses of treatment and progress to date. There is a nurses’ station in one corner, bedside lockers next to each patient and charts hanging from some of the beds.

Be sure to take responsibility for your health

Tue, 15 May 2012 00:13:51 GMT

MEDICAL MATTERS:AS PEOPLE progress from being patients to healthcare consumers, they increasingly make certain assumptions about what that might mean in terms of service.

Sign up for shared learning

Tue, 15 May 2012 00:13:51 GMT

ASK ANY parent of a deaf child about what they’ve learnt since they first found out their child was deaf, and you will be guaranteed a deluge of stories, information, advice and even jokes.

Treating Ireland to early phase trials

Tue, 15 May 2012 00:13:50 GMT

IRELAND NEEDS to increase its early phase clinical trials activity so that patients have a greater chance to access innovative treatments, according to a leading consultant haematologist, Frank Giles, who is involved in setting up a number of phase one cancer clinical trials here.

60% eat fish weekly, study shows

Tue, 15 May 2012 00:13:50 GMT

HEALTH BRIEFING:NEARLY SIX in 10 Irish people say they eat fish at least once a week or more, compared with 48 per cent in 2005, according to a review of research by safefood. However, the review also found that consumption by children and young adults remains “particularly low”.

Irish universities lead statin trials for lung failure

Tue, 15 May 2012 00:13:50 GMT

TWO IRISH universities are leading clinical trials to investigate whether patients with acute severe respiratory failure may find relief from statins, the drug commonly used to treat cholesterol.

Newborn screening cuts referral times by over two years

Tue, 15 May 2012 00:13:49 GMT

THE TIME taken for detection of hearing loss in babies and follow-up intervention has been cut from 30 months to less than three months since the introduction of a newborn hearing screening programme at Cork University Maternity Hospital a year ago.

Clane General Hospital expects to return to profit this year

Tue, 15 May 2012 00:13:49 GMT

THE CHIEF executive of a private hospital, Clane General Hospital in Co Kildare, expects the hospital to return to profit this year.

Support for abortion in all circumstances falls by 5%

Tue, 15 May 2012 00:13:49 GMT

NEW DATA on attitudes to abortion show fewer under-45s believe it should be allowed in all circumstances, but more believe it should be allowed in some.

Crystal Clear Winners

Tue, 15 May 2012 00:13:49 GMT

The Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) Student Health Centre was among the winners at the Crystal Clear MSD Health Literacy Awards for its project, No Umbrella Campaign.

Reilly favours work reforms before pay cuts for consultants

Tue, 15 May 2012 00:13:48 GMT

LONG-PLANNED talks on new work practice reforms for hospital consultants are set to get under way tomorrow.

Microneedle devices could replace painful vaccine jabs

Tue, 15 May 2012 00:13:48 GMT

THE DEVELOPMENT of microneedle patches means that in the not so distant future we may no longer need to go to our local GP for vaccinations such as the flu jab and other injections. Even better, the new microneedle devices will be completely painless.

Just break one habit - and change everything

Tue, 08 May 2012 14:32:20 GMT

SECOND OPINION:Everyone has bad habits – even healthcare organisations, writesJACKY JONES

Don't be too keen to wean

Tue, 08 May 2012 14:32:20 GMT

Long-term breastfeeding is considered an oddity here, but statistics suggest it is best for baby, writesSHEILA WAYMAN

Keeping Ireland's Olympians in shape

Tue, 08 May 2012 14:32:19 GMT

Aidan Woods would love to have competed in the Olympics, but being the Irish athletes’ physio is as good as qualifying, writesIAN O'RIORDAN

Drawing away depression

Tue, 08 May 2012 14:32:19 GMT

Matthew Johnstone’s illustrated books tackle depression with humour. His new book shows how to meditate, writesSYLVIA THOMPSON

My life was a war against noise

Tue, 08 May 2012 14:32:19 GMT

MY HEALTH EXPERIENCE:Shaolin Chi Kung saved me from the curse of tinnitus, relatesKEVIN BARRY

Discovering the bliss of an empty nest

Tue, 08 May 2012 14:32:18 GMT

THAT'S MEN:Stress is more likely with a crowded house, writesPADRAIG O'MORAIN

How healthy is your doctor?

Tue, 08 May 2012 14:32:18 GMT

GPs often neglect their own health, but many can restore the balance through mindfulness, writesCHARLIE TAYLOR

Elder is afraid the Mafia is out to get her

Tue, 08 May 2012 14:32:18 GMT

A DAD'S LIFE:Overactive imagination – I blame the mother, writesADAM BROPHY

Ireland is hurting - time to put the kettle on

Tue, 08 May 2012 14:32:17 GMT

By reflecting on the multitude of tiny miracles that made the food and brought it to your plate, you will be open to the wonders of life, writesJOHN McKENNA

Outlook on life is not a black and white issue

Tue, 08 May 2012 14:32:17 GMT

MIND MOVES:We don’t need to choose optimism or cynicism, writesTONY BATES

Cutting-edge treatment comes at a price

Tue, 08 May 2012 14:32:17 GMT

New cancer treatments offer patients improved outcomes – but they are causing increasing headaches for the health budget, writesPRISCILLA LYNCH

Patients left without vital medicines

Tue, 08 May 2012 14:32:17 GMT

MEDICAL MATTERS:We’re in the grip of a drugs supply crisis, writesMUIRIS HOUSTON

Health board

Tue, 08 May 2012 14:32:16 GMT

Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders will hold a free information session on Thursday at 6.30pm in the Triskel Arts Centre, Tobin St, Cork. Two recently returned volunteers will talk about their experiences of working overseas. Register by email togareth.shaw@dublin.msf.org or tel: 01-6603337.

Anger at axeing of clinic plan for patients with blood condition

Tue, 08 May 2012 14:32:16 GMT

Venesection costs for haemochromatosis patients described as ‘unfair and exorbitant’, writesPRISCILLA LYNCH

Health scan lifestyle Q&A

Mon, 07 May 2012 23:35:30 GMT

Ian Dempsey, host of the Ian Dempsey Breakfast Show on Today FM

Health gem

Mon, 07 May 2012 23:35:30 GMT

If you do one thing this week . . . bump up your berry intake

From your pocket to theirs

Mon, 07 May 2012 23:35:30 GMT

JOHN SHARRYanswers readers' questions

Why can we listen to one person at a party?

Mon, 07 May 2012 23:35:30 GMT

THAT’S THE WHY:Sometimes parties can get a bit noisy, particularly if they are any good. Maybe the speakers are jumping, music is blaring and glasses are clinking. All around, people are chatting and laughing right next to you. Have you ever wondered why you can hold a conversation with just one person in all that din?

Fat cats give US paws for thought

Mon, 07 May 2012 23:35:29 GMT

Not only are its citizens suffering from the effects of overweight and obesity, it seems the US is feeding its pets into an early grave too

Health briefing

Mon, 07 May 2012 23:35:26 GMT

A round-up of today's other stories in brief

Louth hospital worst for absenteeism among staff

Mon, 07 May 2012 23:35:26 GMT

A NEW HSE survey has found 20 per cent absenteeism rates among general support staff at one acute hospital.

Health Gem

Tue, 01 May 2012 09:36:55 GMT

IF YOU DO ONE THING THIS WEEK . . . Watch the sugar in drinks

Health Board

Tue, 01 May 2012 09:36:55 GMT

A round-up of health events countrywide