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Advance Preparation Would Pay Off When Dealing With A Parent’s Hospitalization
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Posted On :
Aug-29-2011
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Article Word Count :
541
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My husband and I are unique among our friends in that both sets of parents are still not only alive but living independently at home. All are in their 80’s and have had some medical issues but we know we are lucky to have them around.
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My husband and I are unique among our friends in that both sets of parents are still not only alive but living independently at home. All are in their 80’s and have had some medical issues but we know we are lucky to have them around.
We do not live physically close to our parents. It requires a plane ride to reach them. Because we do not actually lay eyes on them on a regular basis it is hard to sometimes get the accurate picture of how they are really doing. We have learned through experience that they themselves are not good sources of information. Most often we hear about a “mishap” or “situation” a couple of weeks after the incident and, of course, this is disconcerting.
In the past year or so, however, as our parents are becoming a little frailer we are seeing subtle but distinct changes in this pattern. Our parents seem to be looking to us for a little more information, guidance and support. I consider this a victory!
The tipping point in my family occurred several months ago when my daddy fell and broke his hip. Although I have had a 25-year career working with older adults and their families, dealing with my own parents during a time of crisis presented a whole new set of challenges.
My mother became overwhelmed by having to drive to the hospital and negotiate the parking garage (the first time in she lost the car and the security guard drove her around to help her find it); talking to doctors to understand the surgery that was required; and, convincing Daddy that he should have rehab and home care. We decided that I would fly home following surgery but before Daddy’s release from the hospital.
As I initially tried to help from my home I learned that there was some basic information that I needed to talk to anyone involved in Daddy’s health care: his social security number, Medicare number, primary care physician’s name and phone number, a list of specialists and phone numbers, a list of his medications and dosages, and secondary insurance carriers. It also helped that my parents had signed HIPPA release forms that allowed the doctors to give me medical information about Daddy’s condition.
The conclusion of this experience ended in a positive way. The abridged version is that Daddy had successful surgery, completed hospital rehab, agreed to home health care speeding his recovery, and can now walk upstairs unassisted and pick green beans in the garden. It was a successful outcome but often was a rocky road to get there.
To learn the details of the story about my family’s personal experiences and how we got by during this time read my blogs. You will see how we managed through some miscommunication with the hospital about Daddy’s surgery, how my brother and I rearranged my parents’ house causing some family tension, and how we all began to recover from Daddy’s broken hip.
You can contact me at pwessel@vhshc.org. and see the blog at vhshc.org. I welcome your comments.
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Article Source :
http://www.articleseen.com/Article_Advance Preparation Would Pay Off When Dealing With A Parent’s Hospitalization_77635.aspx
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Author Resource :
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Keywords :
Independent Living With Services New Jersey, Senior Care Advisors,
Category :
Health and Fitness
:
Health and Fitness
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