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Elder CareTips:
Mastering The Eldercare Maze™
May 15, 2005
Finding A New
Doctor: Part 2
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The telephone directory probably isn't the best way to
go. Using directories and other referral sources is a bit
better (see
Part 1 for two
possibilities). Getting suggestions from friends is even
better.
However you gather names, you still don't know whether
you'll have a good fit until you do a little more checking.
This time it will involve actually meeting the doctor and
his staff.
A patient-(and consumer-) savvy doctor should be willing to
give you a short "get acquainted" appointment without
charge. Don't expect that this appointment will be very
long, as doctors are insanely busy with patients. Be
prepared with your written list of important questions and
things you want to observe. Don't hesitate to take notes -
you might not remember everything after you leave the
office.
Here's a starter list. Add any additional items important to
you:
Read The Rest...
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Elder CareTip:
Beware the Opportunist
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Some people prey on the relatives of a
deceased person whose name has been obtained from the
obituary column.The victim's family receives
authentic-looking bills, usually for relatively small
amounts so they don't set off warning bells. The family
member responsible for clearing up final matters often pays
these without question.
I believe in loyalty. When a woman reaches an age she
likes, she should stick to it.
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When A Loved One Is In Trouble
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One of the most terrifying things about
Alzheimer's Disease and the other related dementias is the
constant worry that your loved one may wander away or
suddenly become lost. The first incident almost always comes
as a surprise. I can't tell you how many times a caregiver
has told me, "Oh, mother would never wander." And then, it
happens.
Even when you've taken all the obvious precautions it can
happen. In a stressful situation our loved ones with
dementia often can't produce the information police and
other emergency personnel need to get them identified and
back home safely or treated in a medical emergency.
MedicAlert and the Alzheimer's Foundation are now
offering an
identification bracelet specifically designed to help
individuals with
Alzheimer's Disease and related dementias in emergency
situations.
In an emergency, the emblem alerts medical professionals or
first
responders to call MedicAlert's 24-hour hotline to access
vital
information about the wearer.
Membership in the program includes a bracelet, a health
record
summary, 24-hour emergency response service, patient
identification,
emergency contact and family notification service, and
24-hour
customer service.
Updates: Keeping Everyone Informed
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You can spend hours talking on the telephone
or writing to each of your concerned friends, updating them
on a loved one's condition. You could create a message for
your answering machine, but that still means that the phone
rings incessantly if you're at home. If you're at the
hospital you don't want to leave a message to the world that
no one is at home and the house is ripe for a break-in.
So how do you keep everyone who can't be with you at this
time up to date and informed? You can create a
CarePage and give everyone updates all at once.
CarePages is a free service that allows you to create your
own web page with information about an ailing loved one. It
was created by Sharon Langshur when her mother was battling
breast cancer. She created the web site so loved ones could
see updates on her mom's condition. Today, caregivers have
created more than 11,000 CarePages.
Pages are password-protected, and you control what
information is released, so you don't have to worry about
privacy issues.
Bookmark their page if you don't need it now. You never
know
when you will.
| Grant me the senility to
forget the people I never liked anyway, the good fortune
to run into the ones I do,
and the eyesight to tell the difference.
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