Caregiver Hints

For me, there wasn’t much of a question of who would pay for my Mother’s care. Once her assets were extinguished, as the only child it was up to me to foot the bill for anything not covered by insurance, Social Security, or Medicare. In larger families, however, the issue may arise as to who is responsible and for what?

The following CNN article discusses this question and the rising need to find solutions to the expanding issue of healthcare for the aged. Even though it not a popular subject, families should discuss the issue as a group before they are in the middle of dealing with it. Choosing who will provide hands-on care, if any, or financial assistance early could prevent a lot of fighting and bickering later. Also, as people get older, they should take the initiative to have a say in their care by planning ahead and discussing their wishes with the family.

CNN - Who should pay for mom and dad’s care?

There have been several aricles about this from different sources, but they all say essentially the same thing. Excess belly fat, and being overweight, may be a factor in the onset of dementia. While not too many details were offered, initial studies have found that fat accummulating around the waistline in particular, has a detrimental effect on the brain.

This has a two-fold implication…one, that if you are caring for someone who is overweight, you may end up dealing with dementia, and two, if your family has a history of dementia or Alzheimers, you have another reason to watch your health more closely.

Bulging belly now could mean dementia later

Tags: dementia, Alzheimers, health, family, weight, brain

I recently saw a report on the news about what happens to left-over medicine at hospitals and care facilities once the patient no longer has use for the prescriptions. Sent back to the pharmacy…no. Recycled….no. In fact, the pills and other items are literally flushed down the toilet.

Here is the report from the CBS news affiliate in San Francisco.

Millions In Unused Pills Going Down The Drain

The report says that because there is no policy dictating the redistribution of such medicines, most facilities elect to flush them while millions of elderly and sick who can’t afford medication go without.

I plan to follow this story further and update this post. I’m hoping there is a petition or something in place to put a policy in place to get these kinds of medications to people who need them.

UPDATE:
I looked for other references to this issue and so far nothing. Unbelievable. I’ve submitted this to DIGG.com. If you have a Digg account or don’t mind creating one, be sure to go to this link.

Digg this article!

A living will is a document which defines someone’s wishes as to whether or not to be kept on artificial life support. These documents can also appoint someone to make important health care decisions on that person’s behalf in case they are unable to do so.

A living will is not a replacement for a Power of Attorney. The living will only gives the hospital or care facility permission to take directives, from the person appointed in the living will, regarding health decisions. It does not cover any legal territory. In most cases a spouse or parent is allowed to make these directives without such a document, but it is best to consult with a lawyer regarding the details of your particular situation.

A living will may be useful if you happen to live far away from a parent and are receiving assistance from another non-immediate family member or friend whom you trust and may need to make quick medical decisions if you are unavailable.

Here is an article from USA Today which discusses this issue…

Living will laws, alone, can’t prevent end-of-life disputes