August 15,2005

The newsletter for all elder caregivers. Sent twice a month, and only by request. You are welcome to pass on Elder CareTips™ to anyone you think might be interested. You'll find information about how to get your personal subscription below.

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Aging in Place - It's A Whole Lot More Than A Buzzword

We do it for our children without even giving it much thought. When a new baby arrives (even long before a baby arrives) we spend months getting our home ready. We buy a special bed, we "safety proof" the cabinets and the outlets, we buy monitors. We try to keep the environment safe for the developmental stage of the child, making changes as he grows. First we worry about how clean the floor is, then we put the plants and the breakable items up high. Before we know it, the whole house has been modified in one way or another.

Then when the children are older we stop thinking about it and the house slowly reverts to "grown-up."

But our physical abilities don't stop changing as we mature. Sure, they'll stay more or less the same for several decades if we're lucky. But then, inevitably, we'll begin to notice a little twinge here or there. Our balance won't be quite as good as it once was. We may need a bit more light to see what we're reading (if our arms are long enough to see it at all).

And bit by bit, the house we call home isn't quite as user-friendly as it once was.

Just about every older person I've ever talked with wants to stay at home. And for most, staying at home can be the most economical choice, too. Assisted living can cost $3,000 to upwards of $6,000 a month, depending on the part of the country you live in. Nursing homes are a whole lot more expensive. If you invest less than the cost of one month of assisted living you can possibly buy extra months or years of living at home.

Every now and then over the next several months I plan to address some of the simple changes you can make to a home to keep it senior-friendly and safe. Bathroom safety and getting the throw rugs up have been talked to death, so I will leave those alone for the time being. There are so many other things you can do that don't cost a fortune and will add an amazing amount of comfort and safety to a home.

Today's topic is Electricity...

Isn't running the vacuum fun? You just get up a good head of steam and you run out of cord. So you give the cord a good yank to pull it out of the wall outlet (you know you do...even though you know you're not supposed to) and you stoop down to plug it in to another outlet. And you do this three or four times to get around the area you're trying to clean.

Whoever decided that wall outlets should be four inches off the floor must have been a kid, since they're the only ones who can reach them without a struggle. And we know about kids and outlets - we spent a lot of time and aggravation child-proofing them, didn't we?

If you're having some pain in your hips or back, or your balance isn't what it was, stooping down to those outlets is painful or even dangerous. Imagine how much easier it would be to plug and unplug if the outlets were at waist level or higher. Just think, you could move a lamp over to that bookcase without having to take out all the books to get at the plug. The possibilities are endless.

A good electrician can add waist-level outlets to a home at a very reasonable cost. You don't have to remove the outlets that are already there - just tap into them and add new ones at 30 to 40 inches from the floor, depending on how tall you are. Put them in all the rooms, and put in a couple more than you think you need. They'll get used.

And while the electrician is at it, have him put rocker switches on the walls instead of those little on/off flippers. It's a lot easier to hit a rocker switch than that little flipper thing. And if he's already in the wall installing a rocker switch, have him put in a plug outlet below it at the same time. You can never have too many places to plug things in.

Do this before you need to. Once someone has fallen or had a back go out reaching down to the floor home will never feel as safe again.

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By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.

Benjamin Franklin

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Elder CareTip

Often people with ailments like Parkinson's Disease or one of the many dementias get to the point where they have trouble using utensils to eat. Rather than trying to remind them or help them use a spoon or a fork, try finger foods. It's much less frustrating for everyone.

Try chicken fingers, cubed beef or ham, sandwiches cut in quarters or bite size, cheese cubes, oven baked french fries or hush puppies, cooled steamed vegetables, etc. One or two pieces of dried fruit can give a real taste explosion and perk up appetites, too. Just never more than one or two pieces or you may be sorry.

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If you've got a Reader Tip you'd like to share, please send it to molly@eldercareteam.com with the subject line "Care Tip."

Let me know if I can use your name. Or if you'd rather have me leave your name off, that's OK, too.

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Kids' Letters to God:

Dear God,
I am doing the best I can.
Really !!!!
Frank

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Watch those school zones. In my part of the world school started today for most kids (some started last week, poor things). Whatever happened to summer vacation, anyway?

I heard on the news this morning that in one of our more upscale suburbs the school zone police were giving out speeding tickets left and right . . . to teachers who were late for school.

'Till next time,

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Don't keep us a secret. If you know other people who should be reading this too, then do them and us a favor by telling them about Elder CareTips (TM). Just send them this link: http://eldercareteam.com/resources/newsletter.htm

© 2005 Molly Shomer, All rights reserved. You are free to use material from Elder CareTips: Mastering The Eldercare Maze (TM) as long as you include complete attribution, including live web site link and email link. I would appreciate it if you would let me know where the material will appear.

To subscribe, send a blank email to eldermatters@aweber.com

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When Your Medical Power of Attorney May Not Be Enough

You've done everything "they" say you should to get your documents in order.
You have copies of the Powers of Attorney your elder signed. You want to get
some information from his doctor, and you still hit a stone wall. What's up?

Find your Medical POA and read through it (you do know where it is, right?). If it says something like, "This medical power of attorney takes effect if I become unable to make my own health care decisions...," then it gives you no authority or legal access to medical information while the person you represent is able to make decisions.

As long as your elder is able he is entitled to keep medical information private, even from the person who may one day be making decisions for him.

If this is the position you find yourself in, what you need is an "Authorization to Release Information."

Whenever you go to the doctor you are asked to sign a form authorizing the release of your medical information to insurance companies, etc. This is the same kind of form your elder can sign to authorize release of information to you or anyone else she designates.

If your elder is agreeable to you having access to her medical information she should ask to put your name and contact information on a release form that will be included in her medical chart. She will have to do this at each individual doctor's office.

Some medical offices are reluctant, or will downright refuse, to send a release form in the mail to be completed and returned. They want to be sure that no undue influence is being put on their patient to sign. So they will insist that the form be filled out and signed in their office. If your elder tends to forget to ask about filling out a release form and you can't go with him, you can call the office and ask them to put a form in the chart so the doctor or nurse can offer it at the next office visit. Of course, they may or may not remember to do this.

Doctors don't have time to answer the same questions from several people. If there are multiple family members who will want information from the doctor the patient should designate one to be spokesperson for the group. This person's name should be the one on the release form, and should ideally be the one who holds Medical Power of Attorney. The family spokesperson can then pass the information on to anyone else the elder wants informed.

Note that I said, "... to anyone else the elder wants informed." Just because you have access to his confidential medical information doesn't mean you can pass it along to whomever you choose without your elder's consent. If your elder has given you this kind of extremely personal privilege, please don't abuse it by gossiping or revealing more than you should to people he wouldn't want to have the information. When in doubt, ask first.

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Important Mail From Social Security

There's been some important mail from Social Security recently, and many seniors have discarded it or just put it away somewhere because they think it's junk mail or they don't understand it. If your elder has a limited income it's important mail and you would be smart to double-check.

Medicare Part D is coming. This is the new part of Medicare that covers drugs. There will be a monthly premium and co-pays. If your elder has an income below $14,355 per year (that's $1,197 a month) he may be eligible for help paying these premiums and drug co-pays. For a couple the income limit is $19,425 or $1,604 per month.

Resource limits apply: $10,000 for an individual and $20,000 for a married couple living together.

Social Security is in charge of signing people up. They have sent a white envelope containing information and an enrollment form to everyone they think might be eligible for extra financial help paying for this benefit. Unless your elder has an extremely low income and is already receiving Medicaid (MediCal) enrollment isn't automatic. She must apply.

If your elder isn't sure whether he received an envelope, or isn't sure whether she sent it back, you can request another by calling Social Security at 1(800) 772-1213. You can also get more information and apply online.

If you aren't sure whether your elder will qualify, go ahead and apply.

People who apply late will still be approved if they are eligible, but benefits won't be retroactive.

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Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is a daring adventure or nothing at all.
-- Helen Keller

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In Case Of Emergency Apply Ice

I'm told that someone in London came up with this idea and that it's spreading around the world. It's a terrific idea - wish I'd thought of it.

Paramedics are looking at a victim's cell phone for clues to that person's identity and a contact person. You can make their job much easier with a simple entry in your phone contact list: ICE.

ICE stands for In Case of Emergency. If you add an entry in the contacts list in your cell phone under ICE, with the phone number of the person the emergency services should call on your behalf, you can save them a lot of time. I'm told that paramedics know what ICE means and they look for it.

This could one day be important for you. It could be doubly important if you're a caregiver and someone at home is depending on you. We can't know if our local emergency response teams are up to date on this one yet, but there's nothing to lose and much to gain in an emergency. I've put it in my phone, and I suggest you do the same.

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Accept good advice gracefully--as long as it doesn't interfere with what you intended to do in the first place.

-- Gene Brown

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Elder CareTip

From a Reader:

Here is a tip which I like for using soap while in the shower. Take an old nylon knee hi stocking and put the soap in it and knot. No more slippery soap when washing. Soap comes right through the nylon and makes a good gentle scrubber.
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This reader didn't give me permission to use her name, but I thank her for a great idea. If you've got a Reader Tip you'd like to share, please send it to molly@eldercareteam.com with the subject line "Care Tip."

Let me know if I can use your name. Or if you'd rather have me leave your name off, that's OK, too.

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I spent the past weekend putting the almost-finishing touches on the new and improved website. There are still glitches to be found - it never ends with electronic media that eats things without explanation. If you find something that doesn't work I'd appreciate it if you would let me know. A box of cyber chocolates and your name in lights to the one who finds the most...

...And time moves on . . . Our first Christmas catalog arrived in the mail on Saturday. I think I'm indignant, but it's too hot to get worked up.

'Till next time,

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Don't keep us a secret. If you know other people who should be reading this too, then do them and us a favor by telling them about Elder CareTips (TM). Just send them this link: http://eldercareteam.com/resources/newsletter.htm

© 2005 Molly Shomer, All rights reserved. You are free to use material from Elder CareTips: Mastering The Eldercare Maze (TM) as long as you include complete attribution, including live web site link and email link. I would appreciate it if you would let me know where the material will appear.

To subscribe, send a blank email to eldermatters@aweber.com

The Eldercare Team
SeniorLink, LLC
P.O. Box 700291
Dallas, Texas 75370
Phone (972) 395-7823 Fax (972) 395-7164
email: info@eldercareteam.com
©1999-2005
Advanced Professional Member
National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers