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Seniors & Covid

Maintaining medication adherence during a health crisis

by Guest Blogger
written by Guest Blogger

People of all ages can have difficulty managing their medications, but this is especially true for seniors who may face physical limitations, memory loss, and multiple chronic conditions. Add to this the complexity that coronavirus (COVID-19) social distancing has created for caregivers and older adults, and you have a perfect storm for medication non-adherence, which is estimated to account for 10% of hospital readmissions, nearly 25% of nursing home admissions, and 20% of preventable adverse drug events in older adults.

So, what is medication non-adherence? According to the American Pharmacists Association, non-adherence includes delaying or not filling a prescription, skipping doses, splitting pills, or stopping medication early. In addition to generating an estimated $100 to $289 billion in health care expenses annually, non-adherence takes a toll on the health of seniors who may be on long-term medication and need ongoing, consistent care.

Millions of older Americans currently depend on a home aide or family caregiver for help with their medications, but the current COVID-19 crisis is causing lockdowns and restricted visitation rules at nursing homes, while independent seniors are isolated in their homes. As a result, medication adherence is at risk for all older adults. In addition, they are at risk of suffering from loneliness as a result of extended isolation and a disruption in their social connections.

If you or someone you know is a caregiver, or if you’re concerned about medication management for a loved one or family friend during the current health crisis, here are three strategies to stay socially connected to loved ones and help ensure they take the right medication at the right time.

  1. Use technology to establish a routine and method of reminders. Following a simple and memorable routine and reminder system can help aging loved ones remember to take their medications throughout the day. Technology can be an effective way to help older adults stay on track with medications, even if a caregiver cannot be there in person. Consider setting reminders on a cell phone for older adults, using electronic pillboxes, enlisting the help of apps, and employing a two-way, interactive medication management system that allows caregivers to interact with seniors to confirm they are taking their meds.
  2. Take advantage of pre-packed medication and bulk pharmacy options. Being prepared with the healthcare essentials – especially prescription medications – is critical for minimizing contact with at-risk populations during lockdowns and social isolation. By taking advantage of options to order multi-dose, pouched medications or a 90-day supply of ongoing medications from your pharmacy, and using curbside pick-up or delivery services, you can ensure that seniors take medications as directed while minimizing the spread of COVID-19.
  3. Maintain social interaction with regular calls and video chats. Research has revealed a positive correlation between social interaction and physical health, especially for older adults. The use of video-enabled technology is exploding in response to the current health crisis, as families and caregivers attempt to cope with the anxiety and fear that social distancing creates. Choose the technology platform that works best for the seniors in your life and collaborates with care teams to make the most out of video chat and medication management capabilities.

When taken correctly and consistently, medication can change a person’s life. For starters, the right treatment plan can promote independence for patients managing chronic conditions at home or it can promote healing and improvement in health status that allows patients to enjoy the things they love in life. Thanks to new and emerging technologies, patients and caregivers can realize better care coordination; have access to important information from providers; and benefit from a more satisfying, high-value care experience. And most importantly, the right technology can help loved ones age gracefully and in their best health.

By Lisa Lavin, Founder and CEO, Ōmcare

About the Author

Lisa Lavin is the founder and CEO of Ōmcare. The Ōmcare Home Health Hub™ gives caregivers of all types the ability to see and speak to those who need assistance with medication adherence. The easy-to-use Ōmcare system is designed to facilitate remote monitoring, medication reminders and dispense and visual confirmation of medication consumption – giving family members greater peace of mind. Learn more at www.omcare.com.

 

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Caregiving

How to Be A Long Distance Caregiver

by Kathy Macaraeg
written by Kathy Macaraeg

Whether you live across the state or across the country, caring for a parent from a distance has many challenges. Before they needed care, it was easy to stay connected between phone calls, visits and video calls. But once they begin to need care, it can be difficult to know what they need and how to get proper help when you aren’t nearby – especially if they don’t want to accept that they aren’t as independent as they were in the past. How to Be A Long Distance Caregiver

Maybe you went home for the holidays and were shocked that your parents suddenly got “old,” or maybe one of your parents has suffered a fall or health crisis. Whatever the situation, you realize that it is really difficult to care for your parents from across the state – or country.

You’re not alone. According to the Long Distance Caregiver Project, there are approximately 3.3 million long distance caregivers and many live approximately 480 miles away from the people for which they care. Great, you’re not alone, but how can you manage the challenge of caring for an elderly parent from 480 miles away?

  1. Get a local advocate: Ideally, you have a family member or family who can check in on your parent(s) regularly to make sure they are safe and are not facing new challenges. If you don’t have a family member or friend, you may need to outsource the task. You can consider hiring a geriatric care manager or caregiving agency to check in on your parent. There are also a crop of new professionals who are more like a senior buddy, who will check in on your family member, take them to medical appointments and even take them grocery shopping.
  1. Medical Power of Attorney or Personal Representative: If you are involved in your parents’ medical care, be sure to have them communicate with their physicians that you are their personal representative so that you can speak with the doctor directly about medical concerns. You should also speak with your mother or father about updating their medical power of attorney to include you or another family member while they are still able to make the decision for themselves.
  1. Check in: While you can’t be there physically day-to-day, you can check in with them regularly in a way that works for both of you. Do your parents prefer phone conversations? Maybe you can call on your commute home so that you don’t take time away from your nuclear family in the evenings. Are your parents tech savvy? Texting or emailing can be a great way to check in.
  1. Outsource: If it is difficult for your parents to accomplish day-to-day tasks, consider bringing in help. Hire a cleaning service to come once or twice a month so that they don’t need to do the heavy lifting. Order groceries online so that they don’t need to make the trip and carry the heavy items inside. Sign them up for some social activities – many senior centers offer free transportation to city residents.
  1. Maximize your visits: When you do go home, don’t just stay home. Make sure you go out with your parents so you can see if they have difficulty getting out of the house – many houses have steps leading to the front door that can be challenging for the elderly, particularly if they use a walker. Schedule medical visits during your stay so that you can be there for the appointment and get your questions answered. If you’ve outsourced tasks or signed them up for activities, plan for them to start during your visit so that you can accompany your parents or make sure it runs smoothly.

While it can be difficult to care for your parents long distance, there are so many new senior service providers cropping up that it can definitely help bridge the gap when you aren’t around.
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Caregiving

Incapacity Happens

by Barbara Bates Sedoric
written by Barbara Bates Sedoric

What does Dad want? Have you asked? How about Mom? Does anyone know what her wishes are? Has anyone asked her? And is anyone really listening to what they are saying? Incapacity Happens

Life can turn on a dime. Incapacity happens. Wouldn’t it be better to take some time now to get prepared? There is no time like the present to ask questions and get some answers. It’s never too late until it really is too late!

Engaging in conversations about what to do in the event of incapacity or death and formulating a plan ahead of any crisis situation is a winning combination. Talking about the “what if’s” now will help diffuse and negate the possibility of a terrible outcome during a difficult situation.

In case you have been busy and not taken time to be up with the news, there’s a movement afoot. It will change the current absence of meaningful and necessary conversations. End-of-life conversations will soon become an integral part of exchanges between doctors, patients, caregivers and family members when it matters most. Why the changing tide? Medicare will reimburse physicians for their time spent having these important discussions with their patients and family members. One’s end-of-life wishes will soon become an integral part of the conversation when you visit your doctor for an annual check-up or if you end up in a hospital in a crisis situation.

There will be no more excuses for ignoring the pleas from patients and families to be “heard” when end-of-life decisions are first and foremost on their minds. We’ve all heard stories about family conflicts and family tragedies – so isn’t it better to have these conversations well in advance of a crisis?

The ending of Bobby Kristina Brown’s life exemplifies a worst-case scenario – the losing combination of a lack of prior conversations, the lack of any clear planning, the added complications of a blended family, and no person “in charge” of handling the life-changing event.

Time is often of the essence. Asking Mom and Dad to communicate their wishes is a priceless gift to you. Telling them your wishes is your gift to them too! Bobby Kristina Brown’s situation reminds us that these kinds of events can and do happen at any age.

Think about it. Talk to your parents, your spouse, your physician, and your adult children and make some of these difficult decisions now. Knowing your loved ones wishes and expressing you own will help alleviate the fear and the chaos of “what to do” when incapacity or death happens.

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Assessing Care
Caregiving

Helpful Tips to Assess Care Needs for Elderly

by Jeff Dailey
written by Jeff Dailey

Helpful Tips to Assess Care Needs for Elderly

Sitting down with your aging Mom and Dad to discuss financial, legal, and long-term care issues is not easy at all. Facing the fact that the people who took a great care of us are now getting older and might need professional care needs is daunting. Broaching the subject is difficult. It’s a sensitive topic, which is why both you and your parents might be reluctant to start discussing in the first place. Helpful Tips to Assess Care Needs for Elderly
Your Mom and Dad worry about becoming a burden or giving up control, and we can’t blame them for that. You, on the other hand, worry about challenging or insulting them. There might be differences of opinion when it comes to whether they need professional care or not, what type of care is needed, who should be responsible for proving the care plan, and so on.
Most seniors usually believe that they can take care of themselves. We can all agree that aging Americans can be stubborn sometimes. Fortunately, there’s a respectful and gentle way to broach this senior living subject. Following are a few useful tips for assessing care needs.

The importance of the approach

Saying “You just have to do this” is a big ‘no’. You’ll lose them. You should try something like: ”Mom/Dad, I’m really concerned about you; seeing you like this makes me worried.”
That’s the approach you need. Share your concerns about their safety and health, and your parents will come around and say yes.

Getting help from others

Forming a caregiving group or getting help from your brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts and children to address your loved ones’ needs is also recommended. You can even look outside the family because an unrelated person can present a personal, neutral opinion about the situation and offer their solutions. Also, every person finds it easier to reveal their fears to an outside person.
Who Can Help and Be that Person?

  • Your personal doctor – he can define the medical needs, and moreover, refer you and your parents to other people or professionals who can be of a lot of help when it comes to making care arrangements and care costs.
  • Word-of-mouth – the best way to tackle any problem. Your neighbors or friends might have already been through similar situations, aging in place maybe, so they can advise you.

Assessing personal needs

The elderly are usually into privacy personal independence. If your parents are like this, that means a nursing home is not for them. They should stay home where they can receive minimal home assistance. Others want to hire a professional agency that can organize a comprehensive program. If your parents are planning to rely on an outside agency, a home care directed by agency combined with professional adult daycare is the best solution. Still, some prefer the ease and security provided by residential care facilities, especially if Medicare covers them, even though they don’t need such high care level offered in such institutions. For many people, the senior care cost plays an important role here.
In conclusion, you need to start the conversation early, include every family member, explain the purpose of the discussion, understand the needs of your parents to control their lives, learn what approach is the best for senior retirement, agree to disagree and be patient.

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10 Dementia Warning Signs to Look for this Holiday Season
Caregiving

Caregiving Shortcuts to Make Life Easier

by Kathy Macaraeg
written by Kathy Macaraeg

Caregiving Shortcuts to Make Life EasierCaregivers lead busy lives. Many are part of the sandwich generation, meaning they are providing care for both their own children and an elderly relative and 60% of caregivers are employed full-time. Caregiving Shortcuts to Make Life Easier
Keeping up with caregiving responsibilities and the tasks can be overwhelming. How does one person manage the cooking, cleaning, laundry and care for two households, while providing care well? The answer is, one person doesn’t. It takes a village. Caregiving Shortcuts to Make Life Easier

1. Meals Caregiving Shortcuts to Make Life Easier

Preparing meals for two households can be a challenge. I find that cooking a big batch of dinners over the weekend helps cut down on the chaos of getting dinner on the table after a long day of work. I spend about 2-3 hours making a few simple meals that can be reheated throughout the week. I typically prepare a pasta dish that will last 2-3 meals and some sort of chicken casserole dish that is loaded with vegetables. We supplement the meals with salad or vegetable sides. It isn’t exciting to eat the same meals throughout the week, but it is efficient and so far, there have been no complaints.
If you are making meals for your family and also need to ensure that your parent(s) are fed in their home, you can always package up some of your meals for them to reheat throughout the week, or try a home delivery service. Meals on Wheels http://www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org/ delivers to senior homes. They deliver around lunchtime, but most of my customers saved the meal for dinner, since they preferred to eat their more substantial meal in the evening. If they aren’t interested in the food from Meals on Wheels, there are a number of food delivery services available now that they may prefer. While some provide the ingredients and leave the cooking to you, there are some services geared specifically towards seniors that come fully cooked.
Meal delivery services (outside of Meals on Wheels) can be pricey, so if you can’t afford to have meals delivered to your parents, perhaps you can pay someone to prepare food for them. This is where you get creative. Do you have a friend whose son or daughter is interested in cooking? Does a neighbor have a cleaning person who prepares meals for their family? Is there someone from church who loves to cook but has an empty nest? Think about your “village” and who can possibly fill this gap. Caregiving Shortcuts to Make Life Easier

2. Grocery shopping

A few weeks ago, I ran into a good friend who is a working mom with twins. We were talking about how hard it is to get everything done on weekends and still squeeze in fun with our families. She shared a tip with me that has literally been life changing. She has been ordering groceries through Amazon Prime Now and they are delivered from her local grocery store in two hours, with no service charge, outside of a tip.
Two weeks ago, we had a super busy weekend and were out all day Saturday and would be out all day Sunday. My husband was leaving town for the week on Tuesday and I had stitches in my neck, so I was unable to grocery shop. I decided to give Amazon Prime Now a try. While I was still in bed at 7:30 a.m. on Sunday, I took out my phone and ordered all of our produce, dairy, protein and necessities for the week. Our groceries arrived at 10 a.m., much to my husband’s surprise. He was planning to shop after the kids were in bed at 8:30 p.m. It only cost us an extra $9 for the tip, but was well worth that nominal fee. Life changing.
I also knew of many adult children who didn’t live near their parents set up grocery delivery through Vons.com and Yummy.com. Once you try online ordering, you may never go back to the grocery store!
Of course, if your mom or dad prefers to go to the grocery store and select his or her own apples, bananas and broccoli, you can always outsource the transportation. Many cities offer a City Ride shuttle transportation service that is very low cost and ideal for grocery trips. If your city doesn’t offer a suitable resource, you can consider asking a retired neighbor or stay at home mom if they would be able to take your parent along when they go grocery shopping. I know many of my customers looked forward to grocery shopping because they got out of the house and had built-in socializing.

3. Laundry Caregiving Shortcuts to Make Life Easier

I’m sorry. There aren’t many laundry shortcuts, outside of outsourcing. Trust me, if there was a shortcut, I would be implementing it. It amazes me how much laundry a family of four can produce!
While there aren’t many shortcuts, one thing I have found is I prefer doing laundry at my condominium complex than at my parent’s home. Why? At my complex, we can do four loads at one time – a huge timesaver!
If you don’t live in a multi-unit building with several machines, you can always pack up your laundry and take it to a laundromat. I used to do this when I lived in an apartment that never had available units and it was a huge timesaver. You can wash as many loads as you need to in less than two hours. This could double as your “me” time, since while the laundry is in a machine, you have nothing to do but sit and wait. Take a book, take your bills or listen to your favorite music.
If your parents don’t have a lot of laundry, or you don’t want to sit at a laundromat, you can outsource to a fluff and fold service. Many dry cleaners offer fluff and fold, priced by weight, so you may want to do the sheets and towels at home and outsource the clothing.

4. Bill paying and mail pile up

If you haven’t already set up online bill pay, drop everything and do it now. Even if you have bills that fluctuate, you can set up the payee and when the bill comes, put in the amount due and set up the payment date. You can set this up on your bank’s website and it takes very little time to set up and costs nothing.
You can set up bill pay for your bills and your parents’ bills, reducing the amount of paper you need to touch every month. I don’t know about you, but we get mountains of paper and if we don’t stay on top of it, we feel like we’re drowning.
On the paper mountain note, you can set up your bills for electronic billing and opt out of junk mail to reduce the amount of paper coming into your home. Here are some resources I came across that can help reduce the paper clutter: Federal Trade Commission Consumer Information https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0262-stopping-unsolicited-mail-phone-calls-and-email, National Do Not Mail List http://www.directmail.com/mail_preference/ and Catalog Choice https://www.catalogchoice.org/. I admit, I have not embarked on this task yet, but it is on my to do list.
These little tweaks to your life can give you back a lot of extra time. Take that time to practice a little bit of self-care or spend quality time with a loved one. Caregiving Shortcuts to Make Life Easier
 
 

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Dealing with Anger as a Caregiver
Caregiving

Dealing with Anger as a Caregiver

by Kendall VanBlarcom
written by Kendall VanBlarcom

Caregiving is not an easy job. It’s mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausting. With that exhaustion comes a lot of feelings – feelings of anger and resentment in some cases. Dealing with Anger as a Caregiver

Where the Anger and Resentment Comes From

Anger and resentment can come from many causes. For some people, it’s because they feel their parents did not care for them well enough as children. They feel as though they are doing a better job as a caregiver to their parents than they did as parents. This loss they feel turns into anger and resentment because they feel as though their parents don’t deserve the care they are receiving from them.
Some caregivers are angry and resentful because they believe their parents have caused the situation they are in at the moment. For example, their parents may not have any money, which makes caring for them expensive for the caregiver. Or the parents may have done something unhealthy such as smoked for 30 years, and now they need special care due to those effects. Many caregivers feel as though it’s not fair their parents have had fun throughout life or put themselves in dangerous situations, and now the consequences end up lying on the adult children.
Another cause of anger doesn’t have anything to do with what the parents did – it’s towards the disease or illness they are suffering from at the end of their life. Those with parents suffering from Alzheimer’s disease are often upset. The disease can make it seem as though a person has left his/her body. This is heartbreaking to a caregiver, and a caregiver often deals with the stages of grieving even before his/her parent has died.

How to Deal with Caregiver Anger and Resentment

#1: Change Your Perspective

It can be easy to place blame on your parents or the disease they are dealing with because it’s an outside source for your pain. Consider not doing that and instead think about how good of a person you are for doing everything you are doing. Bring it inside and realize you are a strong person for doing everything you’re doing, despite how unfair it may be for you.

#2: Take a Break

Often times, feelings of anger and resentment intensify was you do more and more each day. Take a break away from caregiving. Find some help from friends and family members to ensure your parents are taken care of, and also use them for support. It can be good to get away from it all, so you can calm the fire burning inside of you.

#3: Treat Yourself

You do a lot for your parents, so you probably don’t do as much for yourself. Take time to treat yourself the way you are treating your parents. You deserve to be rewarded for all you do, and if someone isn’t rewarding you for it, you must do it yourself.

#4: Meditate to Let It Go

Anger and resentment can imprison you. Don’t allow that to happen. The most freeing thing you can do for yourself is to let it all go. Take some time each day to close your eyes, breathe in and out a few times, and allow yourself to just release the anger and resentment inside of you.

#5: Seek Help from a Personal Consultant

It can be difficult to deal with caregiver anger and resentment on your own. You need help to cope with these feelings. Holding onto them is not fair to you or your family.

Dealing with Anger as a Caregiver

Dealing with Anger as a Caregiver Dealing with Anger as a Caregiver Dealing with Anger as a CaregiverDealing with Anger as a Caregiver Dealing with Anger as a Caregiver Dealing with Anger as a Caregiver Dealing with Anger as a Caregiver
 

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5 Tips for Aging in Place
Age-In-Place

5 Tips for Aging in Place

by Jeff Dailey
written by Jeff Dailey

When Joanne Harrison’s spouse passed away, the 78-year-old had no interest in moving. She’s healthy, has many friends, and her two sons live nearby. Plus, she’s a confident driver and gets herself to doctor’s appointments and the grocery store. 5 Tips for Aging in Place
Those are all important prerequisites for people who want to stay in their homes as they grow older, or “age in place.”

According to an AARP survey, nearly 90% of those over age 65 want to stay in their homes for as long as possible. But Sullivan and others, who want to stay put as they grow older, “need to have a plan—and a support system—in place that allows them to stay in their community, ideally in their home, as long as possible, and to ensure that they’re living safely and independently,” explains Suzanne Schmitt, vice president for family engagement at Fidelity. 5 Tips for Aging in Place
Here are five things that aging singles or couples—and their children, other family members, or caregivers—should keep in mind when assessing the living situation.

1. Explore the Benefits of Staying Put

There are many reasons why aging in place can be a win. For starters, “it may be financially advantageous,” Schmitt says. For instance, depending on the situation, staying in a home can be less expensive than moving to an assisted-living community. There are the upfront costs of moving, an often steep entrance fee, and monthly payments for room and board, which can easily top $3,000 a month.
Even more important are the psychological payoffs of not moving away from one’s established community of friends, medical professionals, and faith community. Though these factors are hard to place a financial value on, they are a vital component of healthy aging.
“The single most predictive factor of whether you’re going to age well—meaning be able to be independent and live a long and healthy life—isn’t money,” says Schmitt. “And it isn’t even necessarily your health. It’s your social connections, which may get lost [if you move], because many people focus more on their finances.”

2. Do a Home Safety Check

The first step in an “aging in place” plan is to run a complete safety check of your home. “Many people don’t know what to look for,” says Schmitt. “There are some hazards that you might take for granted—for example, furniture obstructing pathways or stairs.”
Sullivan’s children did just that. They walked around her house with an eye for any potential hazards that might cause trouble should her vision or mobility begin to deteriorate. Then they hired a home modification professional to help make needed changes.
The good news is that many of the improvements that may make it easier to stay in your house—such as raising electrical outlets to make them more accessible and installing brighter outdoor lighting—aren’t expensive.
Sullivan’s home was retrofitted by installing secure handrails alongside the stairs to the front door, switching doorknobs to levers, adding automatic lights to hallways, removing rugs that might become tripping hazards, and placing grab bars in the shower.
“There are plenty of easy options to modify a home,” says Schmitt. “The sooner you start preparing, the better.”

3. Assess Transportation

“Driving may be your lifeline and independence,” Schmitt points out. “Coming to the ‘I don’t think I can drive’ moment is tough, but it can’t be avoided.”
And, although driving might not be a concern now, it may ultimately become one.
If you are at the point that you can no longer drive or walk to the grocery store or reach other important services, consider other transportation options. “If you have public transit, great, but it doesn’t exist in a lot of places,” explains Schmitt. In that case, you may need to make other arrangements, such as ride sharing with friends and neighbors, or transportation assistance that many companion-care services may offer. When it comes to groceries and getting things like prescriptions filled, automatic delivery or online delivery can be a great option. A family or friend can help manage orders and accounts and can track order history to help make sure you are getting what you need.

4. Ensure a Supportive Community or Network

This is a linchpin: Communications—social connectivity. Think about how supportive the community is where you live.
Isolation can be a stumbling block to aging well. And it can creep up slowly. No matter how safe the inside of a home is, if there isn’t enough interaction with a community, a plan can fall apart.
“Are you lonely? Part of aging in place successfully is being able to stay connected, and not fall into the depression that many people experience because they are isolated,” says Schmitt.
Are you comfortable on a computer? Can you connect online with your children, grandkids, and others?
You might also investigate some of the companionship services available in the community, through websites such as Caregiving.org.
Start to pull together a list of people and professionals who can step in and help if you need someone to go along to a doctor’s appointment or someone to help with errands, or for lunch or dinner dates. If your family doesn’t live nearby, you may want to have a pipeline to neighbors you can call for periodic checkups.
A growing number of communities use the “village” concept for services and support to seniors. The idea, originating in the Beacon Hill neighborhood of Boston, is to create a nonprofit organization that arranges for services—including transportation, home repair, and social activities—for a fee. 5 Tips for Aging in Place

5. Make it an Ongoing Process 5 Tips for Aging in Place

“One of the myths is that people think they can make a plan once, and they’re done,” says Schmitt. “This is something that needs to be reviewed regularly by you and your family member or caregiver.”
Once the home is retrofitted, keep an eye open to see if you are having trouble. Friends and family members may want to look out for any unexplained bruising on the aging person’s arms or legs. “It can be an indicator that they may be having trouble moving around,” Schmitt notes. Also, look around the home when you visit. Is there a pile of mail? Are things in disarray? Check the refrigerator. Is it bare? Is food spoiling?
What if you experience a health event, such as a bout of pneumonia that requires a lengthy hospital stay, or a fall that affects your cognitive ability or mobility. These are going to be very important points when you have to take a look at whether the plan you put in place is still going to work going forward.
“In an ideal world, we will age gracefully in place, but that doesn’t happen very often without careful preparation,” says Schmitt. “Take the time to sit down and get the aging-in-place conversation going.” 5 Tips for Aging in Place
Article from Fidelity.com

5 Tips for Aging in Place

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Prescription Drugs and Seniors
Prescription Programs

Helping The Elderly Avoid Prescription Drug Problems

by Jeff Dailey
written by Jeff Dailey

According to the National Alliance for Caregiving, there are over 33 million people in the U.S. who care for an aging relative or friend. Caregivers need to be aware that drug errors can happen and may be serious, but often are preventable. Helping The Elderly Avoid Prescription Drug Problems
The problem stems largely from the multiple drugs seniors are prescribed and the complex network of physicians and pharmacists caring for them. According to Medco Health Solutions, Inc., the average senior takes nine prescription medications a year. One in four seniors sees four or more different physicians and uses three or more different pharmacies.
To help prevent errors:

  • Make and take a medication list including prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medications, any vitamins or herbal supplements and present it to the doctor and pharmacist.
  • Understand how medications should be administered, possible side effects and how to recognize if they occur. Changes such as poor eyesight, hearing trouble or decreased endurance may indicate an adverse reaction to a medication.
  • Ask any specialist the patient sees to send a full medical report, including drugs prescribed, to the patient’s primary care doctor.
  • Consider pre-packing your medications together to avoid errors

Seniors now also have to decide about the new Medicare Part D prescription drug program. It provides much-needed relief for many seniors with little or no drug coverage but may require research to determine which plan is best.
Consider the following:

  • Weighing Medication Costs: Seniors currently on medications should determine if the plan covers their drugs and at what cost. They should also consider the cost of generics since they may be substantially lower. In addition, under some plans the deductible is waived for generic drugs.
  • Access to Pharmacies: Each plan has its own pharmacy network. If several months of the year are spent in another state, a national plan may be best. Some plans include a mail-order prescription service.
  • Patient Safety: A plan that includes a drug utilization review (DUR) program that identifies potential errors provides an important safety net.

Helping The Elderly Avoid Prescription Drug Problems Helping The Elderly Avoid Prescription Drug Problems Helping The Elderly Avoid Prescription Drug Problems Helping The Elderly Avoid Prescription Drug Problems Helping The Elderly Avoid Prescription Drug Problems Helping The Elderly Avoid Prescription Drug Problems Helping The Elderly Avoid Prescription Drug Problems Helping The Elderly Avoid Prescription Drug Problems

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Combat the Isolation of Caregiving
Caregiving

Backlash of Caregiving

by Kendall VanBlarcom
written by Kendall VanBlarcom

Being a senior caregiver is one of the most difficult things you will do in your life. Do not let anyone tell you that it is easy. On the best days, you’ll feel so good about what you’re doing for your loved one. However, on the bad days, you’ll feel miserable and you may experience the backlash of caregiving. Backlash of Caregiving
Getting through the bad days is an accomplishment and you should see it as something that will strengthen you. You are a strong person already, and caregiving makes you stronger.
In this post, I want to talk to you about something that weighs heavily on my heart as well as those of some caregivers. It’s about criticism.
When caring for seniors who are ill, you may hear a lot of criticism. You may even feel as though you are being verbally abused! It is abuse, but often times, the senior doesn’t mean what he/she says.
If you’re a woman who has had children, try to think back to when you had your children. It’s a painful process and you may have said a few words that you’re not proud of. This is exactly what the senior you’re caring for is experiencing. You may not feel as though he/she is in as much pain as you were, but it is a similar situation.
The senior you’re caring for isn’t only dealing with physical pain, but also mental and emotional pain. Think of the person in his/her prime because that’s what he/she is thinking about, and the condition he/she is in now. How frustrated would you be if you were in his/her shoes?
Getting older can be so heartbreaking for some people. It can take away everything good that they think about. Some will internalize it, which causes them to isolate. While others will lash out at people and the world around them. They become angry and point fingers because they don’t know what to do.

What to Do When You’re Hit

It can be hard to take it when a senior lashes out to you verbally. It may make you sad or mad. Either way, try not to attack back. Remember, the senior doesn’t mean to be mean.
The best thing to do is ignore it. If you can’t do that, excuse yourself from him/her and take a break. Take a walk, speak to yourself in a loving way, and when you’ve calmed down, go ahead and head back in there. Usually, the situation will be much different. Your loved one may not even remember saying it, and you feel good because you didn’t react back.
Sometimes, it can hard to come back from some of the things your senior will tell you. It can cut deep and the scars don’t heal quickly. This may have caused you to have some resentment or feel less strong than you should. Feeling this way is not fair to you or the person you are caring for, so contact Kendall Van Blarcom. Kendall is a personal consultant who can help you feel better about being a caregiver. He can help you through some of the turmoil you face each day. He can help you move forward from some of the words you’ve heard and felt. He can help you find peace.
Sessions can be scheduled when it’s convenient for you. We have a special right now, so visit this personal consulting page now for more information.
Kendall Van Blarcom
www.KvanB.com

Backlash of Caregiving

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