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Medical Equipment
Durable Medical Equipment, or DME, is something every caregiver will need sooner or later. From canes and wheelchairs to more elaborate patient care equipment, DME covers everything that is re-useable (except needles, which aren't re-usable but qualify as DME anyway). The rules and regulations regarding how you can get durable medical equipment and what you will pay are sometimes confusing. We cover that in this department, too.
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The TV Remote: A Senior's Most Important Piece of Equipment
Don Whitten, who serves as maintenance manager for a large assisted living residence, says that his true title should be "television remote programmer." Every day, according to Don, he re-sets no less than 3 TVs for residents who manage to mess up the teeny, tiny buttons on their remote control units. "It's a true emergency around here," he laughs, "when Wheel of Fortune goes black." . . . keep reading
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Help Getting a Wheelchair Ramp and Safety Equipment
My mother with MS came to live with me recently. She uses a wheelchair, and can still take care of herself. With our combined income we are paying our bills (barely), but we can't afford to buy a wheelchair ramp or any safety bars for the bathroom. Do you know of any programs that help pay for handicapped equipment or ramps? . . . keep reading
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Living With Arthritis: Easy Door and Cabinet Fixes
More than heart disease, cancer or diabetes, arthritis limits our activities at home. More than 50 percent of all adults have some form of arthritis, which can make even the most common daily activities frustrating and painful. Many of the small things around the house that are hard to use can be easily modified or replaced, increasing the independence and quality of life for the person with arthritis and reducing the amount of help caregivers have to provide . . . keep reading
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Home Medical Equipment Covered by Medicare
Don has painstakingly saved almost $15,000 to cover the anticipated cost of buying medical equipment for his wife to use when he brings her home from an in-patient rehabilitation stay. He called us this week looking for information about where he could get the best deals on a hospital bed, a wheelchair and the other equipment she will need. It's a good thing he did . . . keep reading
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A Personal Emergency Response System (PERS) For Your Senior
A personal emergency response system (PERS) is often the first "monitoring" device a family chooses for a senior who spends time alone, either in their own home or while caregiving families are away at work. With hundreds of personal emergency response systems now available, what exactly are they, who will benefit most from having one, what should you look for, and what should you avoid? . . . keep reading
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When a Bath Simply Isn't Going to Happen
We've written before about the difficulty some of our seniors have with the notion of bathing. In many cases, "why" is anyone's guess, but the resulting odors and potential for skin problems mean we can't let this go on forever. Tempting as it may be to put your parent in a head lock and drag her/him kicking and screaming into the shower, this is probably not the best solution . . . keep reading
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Age in Place: With Forethought It Can Be Done
The US Census says that 78.5% of seniors over the age of 75 were homeowners in the second quarter of 2009. We would bet our bottom dollar that most of these homeowners, and all their younger counterparts, have every intention of "aging in place" at home for the remainder of their lives. With assisted living and nursing home facilities costing between $2,500 and $10,00 per month, a senior can make a lot of home adaptations for the cost of just a few months' facility care . . . keep reading
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Setting Up a Senior Sickroom
When you are planning the setup of a room for your aging relative, it will pay off if you get the right start. Making changes around an elderly person who has "settled in" and doesn't like changes can be a monumental challenge. Accomplish most of these things before your senior moves into the room and you will find that your (or any other caregiver's) job will be easier . . . keep reading
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Standard Walker or Rolling Walker: What Kind of Walker is Best For Your Senior?
Rolling walkers with hand brakes and built-in seats are now all the rage among our seniors. Visit a senior residence and you'll see real competition for the fanciest rolling walker with the most bells and whistles. The poor resident with a standard walker simply can't compete, even with those snazzy tennis ball cups on the walker feet. Should you get a rolling walker for your senior, too? . . . keep reading
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Important Changes to Medicare Coverage of Oxygen Equipment
Medicare has made some significant changes to the way they cover oxygen equipment. These changes can cause serious and unexpected problems for people who like to travel, who are relocating, or those who are using a small and possibly underfunded local oxygen supplier. While there is no changing Medicare's rules in the short term, here's what you need to be on the alert for right now. . . . keep reading
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Senior Home Monitoring Systems
Leslie Schneider, 86, is never alone. Motion sensors on his walls report to a remote monitoring station when he moves from room to room in the house where he has lived by himself for more than 20 years. A pressure sensor under his mattress reports when he lies down and when he rises. If he spends too much time in the bathroom, which might indicate a fall or other emergency, an alert is created. Door sensors let his family know when he goes out and when he returns. An automated pill dispenser beeps when it's time for him to take his medications and reports if he fails to remove his pills from the dispensing cup within a pre-determined length of time. . . . keep reading
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VA Financial Assistance for Home Accessibility Improvements
Making improvements to a home to improve accessibility can be financially out of reach for many of our seniors who want to stay at home. It's another well-kept secret that the VA has grant money to help some veterans with paying for home modifications necessary for the "continuation of treatment" in the home or to make certain parts of the home more accessible. . . . keep reading
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How to Put On Compression Stockings
Many a caregiver has told me that next to incontinent care, the daily ritual of putting compression hose on was one of the hardest physical things they had to do for their elder. Many wondered just why these hose had to be so darned tight and hard to use. There are some tricks to putting on compression hose that make the job a bit easier. . . . keep reading
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Choosing The Right Walking Cane
Recently several people have asked me about buying a walking cane as a gift for someone's birthday or special day (Mother's, Father's, Grandparents') and just what the pros and cons of the different kinds might be. What's good for one user may be not so good for another. So here's a quick nutshell summary on the whole walking cane "thing." . . . keep reading
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Alzheimers Disease
