Sandra Sewell

Sandra SewellPhone: (301) 896-6500Fax: (301) 896-6505
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Katia Lathrop, Sandy Sewell

Katia Lathrop, Sandy Sewell

Sandra Sewell, RN, MSN, CCMDirector of Community Care ManagementSuburban Hospital

Usually a fall in an older person is going to impair their functioning , said Sandra Sewell , a registered nurse and clinical specialist in geriatrics who serves as the program manager for community care management at Suburban Hospital in Bethesda.Particularly for frail elderly individuals with other health issues , she said , falls can be devastating.

Brain Tumor or Allergy

Unfortunately , the symptom of dizziness can be a sign of a bewildering range of underlying conditions , from the relatively benign to the potentially fatal : low blood pressure , brain tumors , vision problems , stroke , allergies , head trauma , nutritional deficiencies and many more.Still , doctors and patients agree that seeking out medical attention early is crucial , and not only to rule out or treat serious conditions.Balance problems of more benign origin can often be treated easily – but if they are not , older people with problems that should be only mild and correctable may suffer reduced quality of life unnecessarily.

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Sewell said her organization takes a holistic approach to fall prevention generally and to its causes , including dizziness.That entails asking questions about a person's lifestyle and how dizziness has affected it , and perhaps making a plan for how to cope with dizzy spells.

Sewell's staff is interested in such mundane things as whether a person takes hot showers.If the water's too hot , it could touch off a blood pressure problem that brings on a feeling of dizziness or lightheadedness.Another common irritant starts with the very common act of reaching over one's head to get something.Sewell said she knows of many cases in which women , in particular , have craned their necks back as they reached for something , pinching off the blood supply in their neck momentarily and touching off a woozy feeling.

What's important is helping patients persevere and keeping their fears from getting the better of them.As we get older , we see the consequences of things , Sewell said.Just think about it when you were 16 or in your early twenties , all the things you did without thinking..

Sewell also advises her clients to take it easy.Moving too fast can touch off a moment of low blood pressure , when blood doesn't pump quite quickly enough to keep up with the burst of activity , resulting in lightheadedness or dizziness.Her advice : You get up fast when somebody's at the end of the hall handing you a $100 bill. [ Otherwise , ] you get there when you get there..

"Usually a fall in an older person is going to impair their functioning," said Sandra Sewell, a registered nurse and clinical specialist in geriatrics who serves as the program manager for community care management at Suburban Hospital in Bethesda. Particularly for frail elderly individuals with other health issues, she said, falls can be devastating.
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"For someone who's 83, a fall is really frightening," said Sewell of Suburban Hospital. "It can make them lose their confidence."

The hospital's community care management program provides a variety of health and outreach services to the elderly, and complaints of dizziness among its clientele are not uncommon. Sewell said her organization takes a holistic approach to fall prevention generally and to its causes, including dizziness. That entails asking questions about a person's lifestyle and how dizziness has affected it, and perhaps making a plan for how to cope with dizzy spells.

Sewell's staff is interested in such mundane things as whether a person takes hot showers. If the water's too hot, it could touch off a blood pressure problem that brings on a feeling of dizziness or lightheadedness. Another common irritant starts with the very common act of reaching over one's head to get something. Sewell said she knows of many cases in which women, in particular, have craned their necks back as they reached for something, pinching off the blood supply in their neck momentarily and touching off a woozy feeling.

What's important is helping patients persevere and keeping their fears from getting the better of them. "As we get older, we see the consequences of things," Sewell said. "Just think about it when you were 16 or in your early twenties, all the things you did without thinking."

Sewell also advises her clients to take it easy.

"A methodology to stabilize illness and maintain function is an essential component to assisting an individual to remain independent and reduce their dependence on the healthcare system," notes Sandra Sewell, RN, manager of Suburban's Care Management, ElderWell, and HeartWell programs.HeartWell was originally developed by Suburban in collaboration with Holiday Park Seniors, Inc. and Rockville Senior Center.

It is a prototype disease management program for people aged 65 and older who have been diagnosed with cardiovascular disease.The goal is to help participants reduce their hospital admissions and maintain a better quality of life.To accomplish this, HeartWell provides its patients with consultation, disease monitoring services, and education concerning early disease symptom recognition, symptom management, medication, diet, and lifestyle changes.

According to Sandra Sewell, the HeartWell program aims to make the patient a true participant in the plan of care, not just a receiver of services."Most outreach efforts involve simple screenings and one-time interactions with very little chance of making a lasting impact," she notes.

(Wheaton, MD - May 6, 2003) - Sandra Sewell, R.N., Nurse Specialist and Program Director of Community Care Management at Suburban Hospital, accepts Montgomery County's Senior Adult Program Community Advocate Award from Holiday Park Senior Center Director Phil Smakula.