On the battlegrounds in the mountainous terrains of Afghanistan, American soldiers had waged a mighty struggle to avoid constant ambush. At home, primary caregivers could find themselves facing a similar struggle whenever they open their doors to the services of home health agencies.Always try to establish open lines ofcommunications with visiting nurses. If you don’t, your whole family could become embattled in a horrible experience that they will not soon forget. Continue reading BORDERLINE HEALTHCARE: THE BACKSTORY→
“In hospitals, we see them everywhere. Senior doctors in white coats–males and females–with trainees in tow. We see them marching up and down the shiny tiled halls of our medical facilities. They barely have time to talk to you as they rush in and out of hospital rooms with plastic clipboards and pens in hand. Are these people potentially “medical terminators” waiting to pass judgment on our loved one’s life expectancy? Once before, I’ve had them threaten me to take away my mom. Are they part of some secret “death panel”?
The month is early May. It’s 1:00 pm in the afternoon. Outside is nice and moderate with a gentle cool breeze in the air. I’m sitting in one of those plastic green lawn chairs on my front porch filling in crossword puzzles. On our block on the westside of town, it can get awfully peaceful and quiet. No screaming kids. No “hoopties” pacing up and down the street with loud music. Nobody mowing grass. Finally, I get a chance to just relax and recharge my batteries. Today had been one of mom’s better days. When I had left her bedroom , she had been resting comfortably. I couldn’t ask for anything more. Or could I? Continue reading 21 FEBRUARY 2015→
Every ride to the Emergency department by EMS is not the same. There really is a difference between taking a speedy ride on a red light special than it is on the scenic route through the historic district. Not knowing the difference between urgency and emergency can cost you in time, pain, and money. Continue reading KNOWING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN URGENCY AND EMERGENCY→
“Like the Black Russian Terrier, a caregiver must always defend and protect his/her decision to be able to continue providing home care for his senior. Everyday you will look back and question yourself about your efforts that you put forth everyday. You will often scrutinize your ability to hold up under the many future challenges that certainly will come your way. Even when frequent failings of medical agencies nudge you to question yourself, you must persist. As long as you have “adequate support” that you can rely on in your hour of need, you should always believe in yourself. ….even when that “adequate support” comes into question.”
Two days had already passedafter we had taken our mom to the ER. She had been admitted by this time and she was getting successive rounds of intravenous antibiotics. She would be in here for about two more days. For now, all I could do was put my life on hold as I waited for her temperature to lower. Only then would she be discharged to go back home. So I waited… Continue reading FOR LOVE, LOYALTY AND DEVOTION: FLAWED MEDICAL PROCEDURES AND PROCESSES→
“Many devoted caregivers give so much of their lives intensely involved in providing specialized care to an “end of life” senior. Sadly, they often fail to adequately prepare themselves for the long and winding journey through the grieving process after their loved ones have passed away. Can they find themselves as they search for true healing?”
As we get older, we learn to contemplate death more. We soon realize that it’s not a cartoon. And it is not something that only happens across town. The reality of dying then becomes more tangible to us. This is why when we lose a loved one who had been so close to us in our lives, we are forced to personalize death. It then begins shaping our thoughts about how we feel about ourselves. The world in which we once perceived it to be is not the same to us. The idea of endings become more concrete.
My alarm rings!
And through my bedroom window, I scorn a fading moon
No! This day has not begun.
I am sleeping, barely creeping.
Just another morning.
Ring louder; ring!
Mycalling, calling, I dare to ignore–too soon.
For the race has not been run.
Still, I’m keeping; still keeping.
Just another morning.
I am king. Listen…
I rule a most quiet domain, my darkened room.
I curse the laughing sun.
Shine my crown, as I lie weeping, weeping.
Just another morning.
“Providing in-home caregiving for an ailing senior with advanced stage Dementia will always be a daily challenge. When they are at an “end of life” existence, primary caregivers/family members must alway guard against random circumstances which can rob them of what little time that they may have left with their loved one. Stay vigilant!”
A terrifying race to the emergency department by EMS can be an all too familiar scenario for “end of life” dementia seniors living at home. This is why family members should always stay close to their seniors. Those who are providing primary care for them should never allow themselves to get separated after EMS roll their seniors through those metal doors outside in the back area of the ER. Continue reading Waiting Your Life Away At The ER→
“As a primary caregiver, your life will always be a neverending saga when living with a love one who has dementia. Even at the early stages, there must always be a constant vigilance….”
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It had been 9:00am that morning. A bright yellow sun now nestled in light-blue skies beckoned us. Our windows were half opened. So, the sweet aromas of a brand new day rushed in—filling our nostrils with the inspiration of new beginnings.
Already we had been driving around the city for two hours now, my mother and I. On occasions we would get up early in the morning and drive around–especially when she had been feeling restless. And since her Dementia, we had been taking these early morning drives more often than not. Continue reading 23 January 2015→
have leaped the tallest building by enhancing our quality of life. However, who could have predicted the kryptonite of their overuse? When employed judiciously catheters provide quality healthcare. In the early 1930s, Dr. Frederic E. B. Foley improved the functionality of catheters by designing a latex retaining balloon near the tip of the tube. That made it possible for indwelling catheters to stay in the bladder without the need of external taping or strapping. Interestingly, he did not invent the first catheter although we reference his name when asking for one. Much earlier have they been implemented and have been very much in demand. Continue reading Indwelling Catheterization: The Maladies of a Medical Marvel→
Caregiving At Home For Seniors With Late Stage Dementia
