Eldercare - Part 2

• Before I even get started, let me say, I have no children and my sweet baby sister tells me that she will take care of me as if I were her mother.  While I really appreciate what she is saying, I wonder what becomes of those of us who don't have family to take care of them.  It's a bit sad, but I guess not a reason to have children....to ensure you are taken care of.
  
  
  So, the second in a series, I am sure, of the start of elder care.
  
  
  Seven days with my parents and I was able to 
  1.     Identify that my mother was not taking her medications as prescribed.  Two pills looked very similar, so she was taking two of one and none of the other.
  ·      Photographed the correct pills and identified them
  ·      Marked one that looked alike with a black mark to distinguish it from the other.
  ·      Established with my nephew that he would check the pill box each Monday to make sure the correct pills were in the box
  ·      Clarified with the physician's office that one medication listed in her electronic chart had in fact been cancelled.  Good because she didn't have any of them.
  ·      Noted that she would take the medication from the box, put it on the table, forget to take it, pills would roll onto the floor etc.
  ·      GOOD NEWS:  When I left, blood pressure down from 200/100 to 148/94.
  
  
  2.     Observed first hand that her physician was not taking time with mom.  Learned from my siblings that he won’t return calls.
  ·         Messaged physician with the electronic system being used by his practice.  Got no response in 30 hours.
  ·         Went on Facebook and messaged the bigger organization about whether this was the standard of care.
  ·         Finally got in contact with office and was able to get my needs known and get some answers, including a referral for a neurologist.  Got the questions about medication straightened out.
  
  
  3.     Researched why there is a question about atrial fibrillation.  Can’t get an answer from the medical records on line.
  ·         Assigned my sister the task of going to the hospital with Mom to find out why she has been admitted on two occasions this summer.  Was it because of high heart rate or high blood pressure?  Wouldn't you think this would be in her medical records on line?
  ·         NOTE:  Why does it need to be this bad?  Who the hell would do this for them if we weren’t here?
  
  
  4.     Long term care insurance. 
  ·         Good news is that my mom has it.
  ·         Spoke with agent to determine how much she has and what it is for. 
  
  
  Okay, so that was it last week, now TODAY, I’ve had three calls already from home:
  Where is the picture of the medications?
  What medications is she taking?
  
  
  Between my sister and my nephew, we got this straightened out.  His commitment to me is that he will check this every Monday to ensure the correct meds are in the pill box.  I don't know what I would do without them.
  
  
  It takes a village.