A hearty welcome to all our new readers. We're glad to have you along on this up and down ride!  Remember, there's no such thing as a dumb question, and none of us know what we don't know.

SHIP: State Health Insurance Assistance Programs

From my own personal perspective there just isn't much that's more fun than trying to make heads or tails out of medical bills, health insurance statements, new drug programs and the like. I've been trained by experience in deciphering who paid who what, and what's covered and what isn't, and I still get a headache. Caregivers haven't been trained, don't have the time or the desire to get trained, and to a man/woman all complain that dealing with medical and insurance providers is more than they can cope with. There is help. You just have to know where to look for it.

Enter SHIP: Read The Rest...

Five Minutes

A hospital posted a notice in the nurse's lounge saying: "Remember, the first five minutes of a human being's life are the most dangerous." Underneath, a nurse had written: "The last five are pretty risky, too."

Don't Just Do Something... Sit There!!

Someone sent me this recently without any information about the author. If anyone knows who should get attribution please let me know. In the meantime, I think it's great advice:

Many of us have the enervating belief that we must be "doing something" or we're somehow non-productive. Consider this: Thinking, reflecting, meditating, observing, remembering, visualizing, absorbing, resting, recharging, and enjoying are all "doing something."

 

Natural is Safe...Sometimes

Herbal supplements are gaining popularity with every age group. They are promoted as being natural and healthy, and so they are for the most part. Being natural doesn't necessarily mean being safe in combination with other medications, though. Your pharmacist is well-trained to pick up on dangerous drug interactions, but, when we buy supplements we don't usually check out through the pharmacy. Our pharmacists won't be able to flag iffy combinations if they don't know about them. If your elder (or you) is taking supplements, you would be wise to run the list past a good pharmacist who can check for any possible red flags with your prescribed drugs.

I recently received a list of some of the more common dangerous supplement/drug interactions:

Dong Quai: Can interact with warfarin, estrogens, photosensitizing drugs, anticoagulants, antiplatelet drugs, and a number of other medications;

Echinacea: Should be used with caution with immunosuppressive
therapies;

Ginkgo Biloba: Can interact with Warfarin, NSAIDs, and MAO inhibitors;

Glucomannan: Delays absorption of glucose and should avoided by diabetics;

Kava: Can interact with CNS depressants and benzodiazepines;

Siberian Ginseng: Can increase digoxin levels

If your pharmacist looks alarmed about anything please consult with your doctor about any changes you might want to consider.

Dear Mr. God, I wish you would not make it so easy for people to come apart. I had to have 3 stitches and a shot. ~Janet From "Children's Letters to God"

Glossary Definition

From time to time I get a rash of questions more or less about the same thing. I've gotten several recently about the phrase "dual eligible:"

Dual Eligible, Dually Eligible: Someone who is qualified for both Medicaid and Medicare.

You will see this phrase used often in connection with health care and long-term care facilities. A patient or a resident with dual eligibility will have both Medicare and Medicaid benefits. Any costs that are not covered by Medicare (deductibles, co-payments, etc.) will be covered by Medicaid, so there is rarely a need for someone with dual eligibility to carry a Medigap or supplemental insurance plan.

Elder CareTips: Schedule Central

Everyone in the house should use just ONE common calendar for non-work planning. Avoid the temptation to write down appointments on scraps of paper at whichever phone you're using. Keep everyone's appointments on one calendar, and make it a rule that, if it's not written on the central calendar, it isn't happening. Only in this way can a caregiver avoid double-scheduling for the same block of time, or scheduling too much in one day.