MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'caregiving support'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:50:44 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2571158&cid=t_146591_137_f&fid=35426&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTheAlzheimersReadingRoom%2F%7E3%2FR82Ii6i_pn4%2Fcaring-for-caregiver.html Since few of us our inventors we learn best from the experience of others. “I don’t think I know how to handle the situation with dementia,” she said about her husband’s disease, diagnosed 10 years ago. “I lose my temper a lot and I get exasperated. I know I’m not handling things well, not for him and not for myself.” Another woman said she had promised her aunt to keep her at home as long a she possibly could. Because her relatives disagree with her vow, she said, they don’t help her with the care.This is a well written article that appeared on the Alzheimer's Reading Room for the first time back in February, 2007. Time is flying.Subscribe to The Alzheimer's Reading RoomCaring for the caregiversBy Elizabeth CooneyTELEGRAM & GAZETTE ecooney@telegram.comYou came to the r... Alzheimer's Reading Room, The blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2571158 Sat, 04 Jul 2009 02:13:20 +0100 2571158 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2550324&cid=t_146591_137_f&fid=35426&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTheAlzheimersReadingRoom%2F%7E3%2FVBmHqF5styA%2Falzheimers-reading-room-june-27.html Answers About Long-Term Care InsuranceLike many people with elderly parents, I can’t help thinking there must be some way I can make sure my 8-year-old son doesn’t someday end up in the same situation when my husband and I need assistance. As one fellow boomer said recently, “I want someone to care about me when I’m older, but not necessarily care for me.”Go here to read more.Voices of Alzheimer's Caregivers: Part OneThis is part one of the transcript from a special roundtable discussion featuring Alzheimer's caregivers. In this section, the participants -- Alice, Maureen, Phyllis, and Joe -- talk about why they sought out a support group in their community.Go here to read more.Voices of Alzheimer's Caregivers: Part TwoWhat Alzheimer's Warning Signs Did You See in Your Loved One?... Alzheimer's Reading Room, The blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2550324 Sat, 27 Jun 2009 22:12:24 +0100 2550324 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2195223&cid=t_146591_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Fcaregiver-jeff%2Ffarewell-caregivers%2F I am sad to say, I am hanging up my blogger hat after 18 months to make way for some fresh perspective for another caregiver. I have really enjoyed sharing my views and experiences caring for Pops with the HealthTalk audience during these past months, but it’s time to relinquish the forum to some of the other caregiver voices out there. There is a near-infinite variety of caregiver situations and mine and Pops’s is just one, and frankly I have pretty much exhausted what I have to say. In fact, when I looked back on my 18 months of blog entries, I can’t help notice some of them are remarkably similar. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. One of the singular aspects of caregiving is you find yourself doing a lot of the same stuff over and over again. From a personal standpoint, I think ... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2195223 Wed, 28 Jan 2009 00:18:48 +0100 2195223 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1575677&cid=t_146591_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fcaregiver%2Fjeff%2Fwhat-happens-when-a-caregiver-wants-to-retire%2F In June, my wife Deb and I rented a cottage in Maine and enjoyed a short vacation. We took early morning walks on the beach with the dog, ate our fill of steamed clams and lobster, caught up on our reading under the beach umbrella and shopped at LL Bean. I also did a bit of kayaking in the estuaries and along the rocky coast. As always, we came away with faint suntans (thanks to SPF 30) and our familiar fantasy about moving up to Maine in retirement. Over dinner at the Oarweed restaurant, we even talked about it like it was a real prospect. But the vacation ended, and as always, reality set in, and we knew Maine would remain a fantasy for a while longer. One of the aspects of caring for an elderly parent, as I do for my father, is that when you consider a big life change, such as a move, y... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1575677 Thu, 03 Jul 2008 18:52:01 +0100 1575677 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1494643&cid=t_146591_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fcaregiver%2Fjeff%2Fanother-caregiver-role-recording-family-histories%2F Over the years, my 91-year-old father has recounted quite a few interesting stories of family history and his life. I thought they were worth preserving, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to remember and recount them accurately – so about 10 years ago, with the help of my daughter Amanda, I set about recording them. I bought Pops a little cassette recorder, showed him how to use it, and then told him to just sit down and talk into the tape recorder whenever the mood struck him. With Pops, the best stories have always rolled off his tongue without prompting. An interviewer is extraneous, unnecessary and a positive hindrance. Every week or so, I would get the full cassette from him and give him another blank one. Amanda helped by transcribing the tapes on the computer. Eventually we had an a... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1494643 Wed, 04 Jun 2008 01:14:27 +0100 1494643 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2513376&cid=t_146591_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Fcaregiver-jeff%2Fnot-another-inspirational-book-for-caregivers%2F There’s quite a lot of literature growing up around caregiving these days. One of the latest and best entries is a compilation of caregiving essays titled, for some obscure reason, “An Uncertain Inheritance: Writers on Caring for Family.” I picked it off the shelf at the local library, and I am not done reading it yet, but I’m going to go ahead and recommend it, particularly to caregivers who may be operating “in a vacuum.” By that, I mean they do not belong to a caregiver support group or know other caregivers or even subscribe to a caregiver listserv, and therefore don’t have anyone with whom to share their caregiving experiences and emotions. For such people, “An Uncertain Inheritance” provides the welcome reassurance that they are not the only caregive... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2513376 Thu, 22 May 2008 22:10:39 +0100 2513376 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1446540&cid=t_146591_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fcaregiver%2Fjeff%2Fcaregivers-short-changed-around-the-world%2F Recently, I rented Michael Moore’s film “Sicko” about the sad state of the U.S. healthcare system. The film was thought provoking, and I was particularly impressed by how some other countries handle healthcare for their people. Personally, I’ve always thought healthcare should fall into the same category as road building and electric power generation. These are things people cannot afford to do for themselves individually and so we provide these services communally through government and utilities. It should be the same with healthcare. If you have a serious illness, your expenses can quickly mount beyond your means. One recent study found that 55 percent of U.S. bankruptcies were related to medical illness or expenses, and these statistics included people with health insur... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1446540 Fri, 16 May 2008 03:29:58 +0100 1446540 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1440095&cid=t_146591_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fcaregiver%2Fjeff%2Fcaregivers-short-changed-around-the-world%2F Recently, I rented Michael Moore’s film “Sicko” about the sad state of the U.S. healthcare system. The film was thought provoking, and I was particularly impressed by how some other countries handle healthcare for their people. Personally, I’ve always thought healthcare should fall into the same category as road building and electric power generation. These are things people cannot afford to do for themselves individually and so we provide these services communally through government and utilities. It should be the same with healthcare. If you have a serious illness, your expenses can quickly mount beyond your means. One recent study found that 55 percent of U.S. bankruptcies were related to medical illness or expenses, and these statistics included people with health insur... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1440095 Tue, 13 May 2008 23:15:48 +0100 1440095 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2513378&cid=t_146591_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Fcaregiver-jeff%2Fpops-turns-91-and-we-go-golfing%2F My father had his 91st birthday on Saturday, and I took him to the driving range as a kind of birthday outing. I was a little anxious about how he would do (he has a bad left knee), but he used to be an avid golfer, and it’s something he had mentioned that he wanted to do, so if he was game, I was too. When I picked him up at The Mill, the senior residence where he lives, Pops had on a new pink T-shirt that his friends there had given him the night before at a small birthday party. “You’re only as old as you remember you are,” the T-shirt read. So in that spirit, Pops and I went to a nearby driving range and each got a bucket of balls. Unexpectedly, it had turned into a beautiful day despite predictions of rain, so we teed up under blue skies and began happily whaling away at the g... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2513378 Fri, 02 May 2008 19:25:43 +0100 2513378 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2513379&cid=t_146591_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Fcaregiver-jeff%2Fdropping-the-ball-on-glucose-testing%2F I guess one of the things I haven’t been particularly good at in my caregiver duties for Pops is making sure he tests his blood glucose regularly. Whenever I ask if he’s testing, he says he tests “once a week or so”, and – because his blood sugar has been under control for so long – I’ve been letting it go at that. Pops was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes a number of years ago, long before 2005 when I became so involved in monitoring his healthcare. Back in the beginning, I know he was pretty diligent about checking his blood glucose daily (as recommended) and, with the help of medication and some diet changes, he quickly got his diabetes under control. In 2006, I know he was still testing because I bought him a new Ascensia Contour glucose meter and we went over the testing p... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2513379 Thu, 24 Apr 2008 18:47:39 +0100 2513379 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1361280&cid=t_146591_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fcaregiver%2Fjeff%2Fliving-to-100%2F My father turns 91 later this month, which is really getting up there. And despite a couple of strokes in 2005 and 2006 and a handful of other asymptomatic chronic conditions, he is, to all appearances, doing pretty well. The only thing that gives him any real trouble is a bad knee that he has to favor. So I was wondering the other day just how far Pops might make it past 91. (After all, he still has an older brother, Bill , who’s 94 or so.) The question led me to a recent HealthTalk Live program on living long (“How to Live to 100 with a Chronic Disease“) . The program consisted of an interview with Dr. Thomas T. Perls, a geriatrician who is director of Boston University’s New England Centenarian Study, which for the past dozen years or so has been studying people who top 100 ... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1361280 Wed, 09 Apr 2008 22:01:32 +0100 1361280 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1349932&cid=t_146591_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fcaregiver%2Fjeff%2Fthe-grim-numbers-around-alzheimers-disease-and-caregiving%2F You may have noted the 2008 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report that was released last week by the Alzheimer’s Association. Most of the news organizations that covered the report focused in on the shocking statistic on the cover: “10 million U.S. baby boomers will develop Alzheimer’s disease.” So, as usual, the Baby Boomers were the center of the story in the Boomer-dominated media, but I was more interested in some of the facts buried inside the report related to caregiving for someone with Alzheimer’s. I’ve always thought that in many ways Alzheimer’s disease is the worst-case scenario of caregiving. In severe cases, people with Alzheimer’s may need bathing, dressing, feeding and constant watching by their caregiver. They may have challenging behavioral problem... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1349932 Fri, 04 Apr 2008 17:01:17 +0100 1349932 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1298828&cid=t_146591_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fcaregiver%2Fjeff%2Fcaregivers-need-to-see-the-doctor-too%2F If you are a reader of this blog you may remember my New Year’s resolution to get myself a medical checkup in 2008 . It had been quite a few years since my last, and I am getting to the age when anyone’s health begins to fray a bit around the edges. I already know I have asthma (pretty well controlled) and sinusitis that causes my nasal passages and ears to clog up from time to time. I also suspected my cholesterol was high—it always has been—but then everybody’s is high, including my 90-year-old father’s. Other than that, I have been feeling pretty good, and I didn’t expect any surprises. I saw Dr. H a couple weeks back and got the usual kneading, probing, blood tests, traces and scans. Not surprisingly, I had all the maladies I knew I had, but then I learned I had some othe... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1298828 Wed, 12 Mar 2008 21:23:59 +0100 1298828 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1212341&cid=t_146591_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fcaregiver%2Fjeff%2Fwantedcaregiver-bloggers-with-stories-to-tell%2F A wife caring for her elderly husband with Alzheimer’s disease, a widowed woman caring for her wheelchair-bound mother-in-law, a pair of working parents caring for their child with Crohn’s disease, a family pitching in joyfully, or a lone beleaguered caregiver grimly bearing a heavy burden. Caregiving comes in many shapes and colors, each its own unique blend of hard work and compassion, sadness and hope. Caregivers have many different stories to tell and lesson to impart. During the past year blogging about caregiving for my 90-year-old father, I have had my own awareness raised and have thought a lot about the challenges of caregiving, not just in my own and my father’s situation, but also those of other caregivers I know, have heard from or read about. I have often wanted to get s... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1212341 Wed, 06 Feb 2008 17:59:52 +0100 1212341 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1208234&cid=t_146591_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fcaregiver%2Fjeff%2Fwantedcaregiver-bloggers-with-stories-to-tell%2F A wife caring for her elderly husband with Alzheimer’s disease, a widowed woman caring for her wheelchair-bound mother-in-law, a pair of working parents caring for their child with Crohn’s disease, a family pitching in joyfully, or a lone beleaguered caregiver grimly bearing a heavy burden. Caregiving comes in many shapes and colors, each its own unique blend of hard work and compassion, sadness and hope. Caregivers have many different stories to tell and lesson to impart. During the past year blogging about caregiving for my 90-year-old father, I have had my own awareness raised and have thought a lot about the challenges of caregiving, not just in my own and my father’s situation, but also those of other caregivers I know, have heard from or read about. I have often wanted to get s... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1208234 Wed, 06 Feb 2008 06:48:32 +0100 1208234 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1187256&cid=t_146591_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fcaregiver%2Fjeff%2Fa-caregiver-is-saddened-by-a-death-at-the-mill%2F There was a recent death at the Mill where my 90-year-old father lives. Because it is an apartment house for senior citizens, there are deaths there from time to time. But this latest death was one of my father’s friends, and someone who I knew too. I did not know Don well, but I often saw him when I visited my father, and I knew him well enough to like him. Don was disabled and his legs were shrunken. He rode around the Mill on a motorized scooter with a big smile on his face. He was always ready to swap stories and jokes with my father, and was pretty smart, too. He played online poker and was said to be a consistent winner On a personal note, Don met my dog Gulliver once when I brought him along to visit my father and made a big fuss over him. Whenever I saw him, Don would ask me when... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1187256 Tue, 29 Jan 2008 22:10:22 +0100 1187256 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1158291&cid=t_146591_137_f&fid=35357&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAlzheimersNotes%2F%7E3%2F218479364%2F AlzheimersNotes.com           You’re caring for your parent or spouse, perhaps a friend, because you care for them, because no one else is handy, because you feel responsible.  However, often you weary of the demands of the caregiving task, especially when you have to juggle other aspects of your life. Do you feel, even subconsciously, like a doormat? Check out this article, Don’t Be a Doormat, at WebMD Daily and receive some tips on saying “No”…not in an uncaring or callous way, but in a diplomatic, firm, yet loving way that helps keep you from burning out. For many women [and men], saying “No” doesn’t come naturally. But practice makes perfect, so start now! In choosing your responses, remember the K.I.S.S. principle: Keep It Shor... Alzheimer's Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1158291 Thu, 17 Jan 2008 21:59:00 +0100 1158291 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1143521&cid=t_146591_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fcaregiver%2Fjeff%2Fa-caregiver-rants-about-insurance-company-communication%2F I’m an easy-going sort usually, so why do I find it so hard to keep my temper when I’m talking to customer service reps at insurance companies? Case in point: A week or so ago, out of the blue, Pops got a letter from Aetna welcoming him to the Aetna Medicare Rx Plan – except nobody had ever enrolled him in the Aetna Medicare Rx Plan. The letter was full of irrelevancies and was unhelpful in explaining why he was getting it. I told him I would call Aetna and find out what was going on. I did remember that last year the EPIC New York State Prescription Plan, in which Pops had been enrolled for years, required him to sign up for a Part D prescription plan and provided a list of alternative plans. At that time, I called and talked to the EPIC rep and picked a plan called RX1 administered... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1143521 Fri, 11 Jan 2008 00:32:22 +0100 1143521 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1137291&cid=t_146591_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fcaregiver%2Fjeff%2Fa-caregivers-new-years-resolutions%2F It’s not too late for New Year’s resolutions yet, right? Today, I took a look around the Web, perused the caregiver e-mails in my listserv and asked around to see what kinds of New Year’s resolutions other caregivers were making. I thought some might apply to me and Pops, and I found some that did (or there would be no blog). Anyway, here, in no particular order, is a list of “caregiver resolutions for 2008” I compiled and have paraphrased. I’m not making them all personally, but a couple I have taken as my own. I bet some of these would work for you too: • I will give my own health needs more attention. (This is a resolution I’m going to embrace. In fact, I have gotten to know my father’s doctor, Dr. H, so well that I am making him my doctor too. Next month, I’ll get m... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1137291 Tue, 08 Jan 2008 22:27:13 +0100 1137291 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1087745&cid=t_146591_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fcaregiver%2Fjeff%2Fa-caregiver-shops-for-the-holidays%2F I think it’s pretty well recognized that the holiday season is a time of stress and strain for many people, and I am sure there are many caregivers among them. My own holiday stresses are happily minor, but still vexing. For starters, it’s time to buy gifts for the family. When it comes to my 90-year-old father, it means my buying a gift for him as well as all the gifts he gives to the rest of us. Pops doesn’t drive anymore, and though theoretically I could take him shopping, he has always been helpless and overwhelmed in department stores and malls. Come to think of it, even when he was much younger and still got around he depended on me to think of gifts for the family and then procure and wrap them for him. You might call it a holiday tradition. My problem is that I have a hard ti... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1087745 Tue, 11 Dec 2007 19:31:52 +0100 1087745 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1079919&cid=t_146591_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fcaregiver%2Fjeff%2Fnow-where-did-i-put-that-memory%2F My early morning walk (three miles, rain or shine) is supposed to clear my mind for the day ahead, but it had a different effect today. I was ambling along listening to some classical music on my iPod, when I recognized the opening notes of the playful and timid flute piece Syrinx, one of my favorites by the French composer . . . ? My mind was blank. Nothing. What was his name? I knew it yesterday, and I was sure I would know it tomorrow. It was odd that I didn’t know it now. I walked along madly flipping through the 3X5 cards of my memory. I found the cards that said he was the composer of “Clair de Lune” and the “Maid with the Flaxen Hair” and “Afternoon of a Faun.” But his actual name wouldn’t come up. Some of the 3X5s must have stuck together. I tried visualizing the CD... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1079919 Fri, 07 Dec 2007 21:00:43 +0100 1079919 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1060164&cid=t_146591_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fcaregiver%2Fjeff%2Fa-caregiver-sweats-the-medications-again%2F It looked like Pops was going to get through his course of Ciprol (ciprofloxacin) treatment for a bladder infection without throwing his blood-clotting factor out of whack this time. It looked that way. No such luck. Last week – his last week on Ciprol – Pops’ blood test results came back too high. Just like the other time he took Ciprol last spring, the antibiotic interacted with his blood thinner, Coumadin, and made his blood too thin, posing the risk of a hemorrhagic stroke. It was high enough so that Pops’ doctor’s nurse Gina called to say he should skip the Coumadin for a couple of days. So I called Pops and told him to skip the “blue tablet and the half-pink tablet” (4.5 mg) for the next two days. The next day, Thanksgiving, I went and picked up Pops for Thanksg... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1060164 Thu, 29 Nov 2007 21:23:05 +0100 1060164 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1044228&cid=t_146591_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fcaregiver%2Fjeff%2Fmemory-lapses-cause-concern%2F You know, lots of times talking with my father, you would never know he is 90 –years- old. He is completely lucid, often sharp, getting off the clever one-liners that make him the toast of the Mill, where he lives. At other times, the after effect of his two strokes is starkly apparent. Case in point: I was having breakfast at McDonald’s with Pops the other day. He was halfway through an Egg McMuffin and was sipping his coffee. All of a sudden he looked down at the sandwich and asked, “Where did that come from?” This was way beyond Pops’ normal forgetfulness. He honestly did not remember that he had been eating the Egg McMuffin just a moment before. He thought I had just surreptitiously put the half-eaten Egg McMuffin there, and it took a minute to convince him I hadn’t. Then h... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1044228 Wed, 21 Nov 2007 19:11:54 +0100 1044228 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1024445&cid=t_146591_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fcaregiver%2Fjeff%2Fa-lighter-moment-in-caregiving%2F The other day I went over to pick up my father for breakfast, and found his friend Lily there having coffee with him. Lily is in her late 70’s and has an apartment at the Mill, too. She makes a point to check in with Pops every morning, so I asked her to come to breakfast with us and she said OK. That’s when the hilarity began. I had the pickup truck, which technically has a little back seat, so Pops struggled into the back seat with me providing a little lift from behind. The problem started when we got to the diner and had to get Pops out. First, he tried a frontward approach, but couldn’t get his good leg to reach the ground, so he tried backing out. Lily and I clung to Pops’ elbows and armpits trying to ease him out in the narrow gap between the front seat and the doorframe. Ma... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1024445 Tue, 13 Nov 2007 23:28:19 +0100 1024445 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1017957&cid=t_146591_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fcaregiver%2Fjeff%2Fpops-blood-test-looks-ok-this-time-around%2F Pops had a blood test yesterday to see how his clotting factor was trending. As I’ve blogged before, I have been anxious about it because Pops is again taking Ciprol (ciprofloxacin) for a bladder infection, and the last time he took Ciprol it interacted with his blood thinner, Coumadin, and made his blood too thin. To make a long story short, the blood test came out okay this time. It was up a bit from the last test a couple of weeks ago, but it was in the therapeutic range (on the high end). Dr. H’s nurse, Gina, who called with the news, said Pops could wait two weeks for his next blood test. By then, he’ll be done with the Ciprol. As luck would have it, Dr. H was taking one of his monthly vacations this week when the lab results came in, and Gina said his stand-in, Dr. M, suggeste... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1017957 Fri, 09 Nov 2007 17:35:42 +0100 1017957 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1015937&cid=t_146591_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fcaregiver%2Fjeff%2Fpops-blood-test-looks-ok-this-time-around%2F Pops had a blood test yesterday to see how his clotting factor was trending. As I’ve blogged before, I have been anxious about it because Pops is again taking Ciprol [ciprofloxacin] for a bladder infection, and the last time he took Ciprol it interacted with his blood thinner, Coumadin, and made his blood too thin. To make a long story short, the blood test came out OK this time. It was up a bit from the last test a couple of weeks ago, but it was in the therapeutic range (on the high end). Dr. H’s nurse Gina, who called with the news, said Pops could wait two weeks for his next blood test. By then, he’ll be done with the Ciprol. As luck would have it, Dr. H was taking one of his monthly vacations this week when the lab results came in, and Gina said his stand-in, Dr. M, suggested a ... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1015937 Fri, 09 Nov 2007 04:48:37 +0100 1015937 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1009646&cid=t_146591_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fcaregiver%2Fjeff%2Fshare-the-care-group-offers-a-team-approach-to-caregiving%2F The AARP magazine has an article on caring for the caregivers in the current November/December issue. It has the usual scary stuff abut how caregivers are at greater risk for depression, infectious diseases, inflammatory diseases, exhaustion, self-neglect and a bunch of other bad stuff all wrapped up in a new quasi-medical term: “caregiver syndrome.” I almost put the article down. Reading another article about caregiver depression was starting to make me depressed. But then my attention was drawn to a sidebar about setting up a “share the care” group, an approach to caregiving based on the experience of a group of women who got together in 1988 to help care for a mutual friend with cancer. The experience spawned a novel and creative model for caregiving, a book called Share the Car... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1009646 Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:34:12 +0100 1009646 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=998860&cid=t_146591_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fcaregiver%2Fjeff%2Fa-way-to-observe-national-family-caregivers-month%2F I may have sounded a bit dismissive a few blogs back when I wrote about National Family Caregivers Month (which starts today) being government’s way of recognizing caregivers without actually materially helping them. That doesn’t mean we can’t individually recognize the caregivers we know with individual acts of kindness and concern. Here are some ideas I thought of from the caregiver situations I know about, but other individual caregivers may have different and very specific needs. Please write in with your own suggestions: • Take over for your favorite caregiver for a week. For example, in most families, there is one sibling (it’s usually the oldest daughter, isn’t it?) who carries the bulk of the caregiving load for an elderly parent or parents. This is a good time for oth... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=998860 Thu, 01 Nov 2007 21:01:08 +0100 998860 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=992153&cid=t_146591_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fcaregiver%2Fjeff%2Fdigging-up-67-year-old-memories-with-mexican-food%2F I take my 90-year-old father to dinner or breakfast once or twice a week, so the novelty has pretty much worn off these outings. Last Saturday, for a change I suggested we go to a local Mexican restaurant instead of any of the same four or five diners and family restaurants we usually haunt. While Pops likes all kinds of food, including spicy Chinese and Cajun dishes, I had never heard him mention Mexican food, but when I suggested it, he was on board right away. At the restaurant, he looked less certain as he surveyed the menu of unfamiliar dishes like “chimichanga”, “tamale” and “guacamole”. I made some suggestions, but Pops seemed hesitant. Then he saw the words “arroz con pollo” (literally “rice with chicken”) and his choice was made. It turns out this traditional S... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=992153 Tue, 30 Oct 2007 21:30:30 +0100 992153 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=982775&cid=t_146591_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fcaregiver%2Fjeff%2Fgetting-the-clotting-factor-under-control%2F With Pops again taking Ciprol (ciproflaxcin) for a bladder infection, I’ve been anxious about what his Prothrombin test (clotting factor) on Tuesday would show. But nobody from Dr. H’s office called me the day after the test, as they usually do. So on Thursday, I called Dr. H’s office and the office manager Linda said the doctor was away this week. (If I have one complaint with Dr. H it is that he takes a lot of time off: One week a month. And whenever Pops has a problem, guess what week it is.) However, Linda took the extra step and checked with the nurse Gina, then came back to the phone to say the blood test was “okay” and Gina would call me after Dr. H got a look at it on Friday. Sure enough, Gina called today and the test was right in the middle of the therapeutic range this... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=982775 Fri, 26 Oct 2007 22:01:04 +0100 982775 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=972869&cid=t_146591_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fcaregiver%2Fjeff%2Fpops-gets-a-flu-shot-and-i-dont%2F Today was a “twofer” for Pops. I took him to the lab to have his weekly Prothrombin blood test and, then to Dr. H’s office where the nurse Gina administered his flu shot. While I was there I tried to get a flu shot too, but Gina said I couldn’t because I am not Dr. H’s patient. Between the two medical procedures, Pops and I went to McDonald’s for breakfast, and I proceeded to dump a whole steaming cup of coffee in my lap. I may have uttered an off color epithet or two at that moment. “Here have some of my coffee,” Pops offered. “No thanks,” I muttered. “Just give me your pants.” For the next 10 minutes, I stood in the bathroom with the wall-mounted blow dryer aimed at the crotch of my pants. Yes, it has been shaping up as that kind of day. Last night, my asthma ... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=972869 Tue, 23 Oct 2007 20:21:30 +0100 972869 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=961845&cid=t_146591_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fcaregiver%2Fjeff%2Fis-collaborative-caregiving-coming-for-people-with-dementia%2F According to researchers at Indiana University Center for Aging, the U.S. needs a more integrated healthcare system for elderly people with dementia, a system that fosters collaboration among healthcare providers, community service organizations and caregivers. “Well, duh”, was my first response when I saw this new research from the November issue of the “Journal of General Internal Medicine.” Isn’t this obvious? But I guess it is important progress whenever an influential medical journal like the JGIM states the obvious. An expert stumbling over the obvious is the way we get problems articulated and a public conversation going in this country. Anyway, the crux of the journal article was that most people with dementia only get care from their primary care doctor, and, in ... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=961845 Thu, 18 Oct 2007 23:37:56 +0100 961845 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=959066&cid=t_146591_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fcaregiver%2Fjeff%2Fits-time-for-the-flu-shot%2F I guess I have been preoccupied with Pops’ bladder infection because I never thought about the fact flu season is coming until Pops said the other day, “Shouldn’t I get a flu shot?” And, of course, he was right. For a 90-year-old man with chronic conditions, the flu can be a particularly dangerous disease. So I called Doctor H’s office and set up an appointment for next Tuesday for Pops to get a flu shot. For convnenience, I’ll probably get one at the same time (if it doesn’t cost too much. Dr. H is not my usual doctor, so I won’t be covered by insurance). Meanwhile, Pops started his new course of Ciprol for the bladder infection yesterday, but before he took the first pill, I made sure he had a PT blood test. I had the idea it would be a good baseline on which to base ... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=959066 Wed, 17 Oct 2007 20:11:58 +0100 959066 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=944770&cid=t_146591_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fcaregiver%2Fjeff%2Fno-not-another-bladder-infection%2F Pops’ urologist Dr. C called a couple of days ago to tell me that Pops’ urine culture from last week confirmed another bladder infection, and he said he wants to give him a 30-day course of Ciprol (ciproflaxcin). It will be Pops’ second time on Ciprol for bladder infection since March (and he also had a course of sulfanomides). At least, he’s not suffering from any symptoms. Besides the fact of the persistent infection, this is upsetting because Ciprol is the same drug that Pops took this spring and that interacted with his blood-thinner Coumadin to screw up his blood-clotting factor. He had to get PT blood tests weekly all summer before the blood-clotting factor stabilized where it should be just a few weeks ago. When I reminded Dr. C of the difficulties over the summer with the C... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=944770 Fri, 12 Oct 2007 00:37:48 +0100 944770 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=939008&cid=t_146591_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fcaregiver%2Fjeff%2Fnational-family-caregivers-month-approaches%2F In case you didn’t know, National Family Caregivers Month is coming up in November. This year, the official commemoration reportedly will focus on public policies addressing family caregiving issues. If you’re a caregiver, don’t expect cake and a party, much less any extra help with your caregiving responsibilities, but I suppose it can’t hurt that there’s a month set aside exclusively to help raise awareness of caregivers. Well, it’s not actually “set aside” for caregivers. November is also National Alzheimer’s Disease Month, National Healthy Skin Month, Foot Health Issues Related to Diabetes Month, TMJ Awareness Month and a 30-day promotional opportunity for a slew of other health-related issues. I don’t mean to sound jaundiced about National Family Caregivers Month, ... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=939008 Tue, 09 Oct 2007 23:33:12 +0100 939008 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=928122&cid=t_146591_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fcaregiver%2Fjeff%2Fsome-old-health-problems-resurface%2F When I called my father yesterday morning to check in, he said he awoke feeling lightheaded and had to hold onto the furniture as he made his way around the apartment. I told him it sounded like his blood pressure was too low and I said I would call Dr. H to see what we should do. Back in March, a similar thing happened. That time, Dr. R (who was standing in for Dr. H) said Pops’ blood pressure probably had dipped overnight. Dr. R lowered the dosage of Pops’ blood pressure medication Altace from 10 mg to 5 mg a day. That seemed to do the trick, and the lightheadedness went away. Then in April, on the next visit to Dr. H, Pops blood pressure had begun to creep back up on the lower dosage, so Dr. H increased the medication to alternating 5 mg and 10 mg doses daily. Pops had been fine on ... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=928122 Thu, 04 Oct 2007 20:55:11 +0100 928122 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=908818&cid=t_146591_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fcaregiver%2Fjeff%2Fa-little-inspiration-from-a-neighbor%2F My wife Deb recently got a new job as public relations director in a regional rehabilitation center. It’s a facility for severely disabled people, many with brain injuries. Some of the residents (they call them “neighbors”) will succeed in their rehabilitation and “graduate” to the wider world. Others will spend their days at the center. The center has very active arts, music and creative writing programs for the neighbors, and my wife has been coming home with photos of their works of art and some of their poetry. We both loved this poem, an unexpected exultation written by a severely disabled man named Joe: To be a human, what a privilege I could have been a grasshopper on the ledge of a hill Or an elephant, or any kind of animal on the earth But to be a human being, what a gre... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=908818 Fri, 28 Sep 2007 00:57:27 +0100 908818 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=903918&cid=t_146591_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fcaregiver%2Fjeff%2Fcaregivers-go-give-dr-taylor-a-listen%2F I was browsing through some of the programs on HealthTalk the other day (always time well spent) and listened to the interview of Dr. Richard Taylor about what life with Alzheimer’s disease is like. Wow. Every caregiver needs to hear this interview. Go to the Alzheimer’s program page and click on the September 12 program “Alzheimer’s: Active, Involved and Alert .” Dr. Taylor, a former psychologist who suffers from dementia thought to be Alzheimer’s, is the author of the book, “Alzheimer’s from the Inside Out,” which he said he wrote to keep tabs on the progress of his disease. I haven’t read Dr. Taylor’s book yet, but judging from the interview, Dr. Taylor has ideas – some quite surprising – that any caregiver would benefit from hearing. By coincidence... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=903918 Tue, 25 Sep 2007 19:49:13 +0100 903918 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=883022&cid=t_146591_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fcaregiver%2Fjeff%2Fanother-good-checkup-for-pops%2F We had another good checkup for Pops with Dr. H yesterday. His blood pressure is good, his blood sugar is under control, there is no swelling in his legs from the heart failure he suffers, and his lungs are clear. He’s still 90 and bears up under the usual infirmities of age, but his health is actually pretty good. These periodic exams are a three-way conversation with Dr. H often asking me what meds Pops is on (it’s in the medical records, but I guess it’s easier to ask me) and whether I’ve noticed anything of concern with Pops. Sometimes, maybe I get in the conversation too much. I had to laugh when Dr. H asked Pops if he had any chest pains, and Pops looked at me for the answer. Almost a year-and-a-half ago, after Pops’s stroke, Dr. H took me aside and said the upcoming year w... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=883022 Tue, 18 Sep 2007 22:03:50 +0100 883022 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=869699&cid=t_146591_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fcaregiver%2Fjeff%2Ffinally-pops-gets-the-right-coumadin-dosagemaybe%2F Hallelujah! We may have reached the end of the four-month quest to find the right dosage of the blood thinner Coumadin to help protect Pops from a future stroke without putting him at risk of internal bleeding. Pops’ blood clotting factor was thrown off in late April by a drug interaction with an antibiotic given for a bladder infection. Since then, Dr. H has been adjusting and re-adjusting the Coumadin dosage, subjecting Pops to weekly Prothrombin (PT) blood tests to monitor his blood’s clotting factor. Early last week, Dr. H finally returned to what had been the optimal dosage before the drug interaction: 4.5 mg of Coumadin daily and a once-a-week double dose of 9 mg. So I was hoping for a good reading when I took Pops to his weekly Prothrombin (PT) blood test late last week. I was d... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=869699 Fri, 14 Sep 2007 00:07:01 +0100 869699 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=864418&cid=t_146591_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fcaregiver%2Fjeff%2Fa-caregiver-tries-to-loosen-up%2F When I visit my father, I always start out all business, going down my mental check list of caregiver tasks: Is his pill box in order? Are there groceries in the house? Does he have any bills or correspondence that needs attending? Has he checked his blood sugar? Maybe it’s the still unfamiliar sense of responsibility as the caregiver for another person that makes me so serious and task-oriented. My father relies on me for a lot of the basics, so I am always alert to his material needs, but because of that, I sometimes feel that I am a bit of a bore to be with. Anyhow, I have vowed to try to loosen up a little, try to be a bit less serious in my caregiver role. Maybe talk less about Pops’s upcoming doctor appointments and blood tests and more about shared reminiscences or interests. Ma... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=864418 Tue, 11 Sep 2007 20:41:47 +0100 864418