Too many balls in the air...

It started with a doctor's appointment

I recently had the privilege of helping Tamika and her father George, who lives in assisted living.  Tamika did not have time to take her father to a doctor's appointment that week, she was busy preparing for a long vacation out of the country.  As we started talking I began to understand how much time it was taking for her to keep up with all 10 of her father's doctors, not including the audiologist, optometrist, and the office to keep his CPAP up to date.  She loves her father and wants to be there for him but the majority of their time together is spent on medical issues.  I explained to her that I could help coordinate and drive her father to his appointments.  I could also help keep track of all his medications, when they need to be refilled and when he needs a follow-up appointment for the new prescription. Like most older adults, her father spends a lot of his time thinking about his medical condition and how he can address his needs.  He reaches out daily/weekly to ask her for help with all of the medical details that he is concerned about. 

Medical Coordination

Tamika decided to hire Aging Care Management to help with the medical coordination.  I emailed her a medical release of information which she signed and returned.  She texted me all of George's doctors and I faxed each of them the HIPPA form so that the doctors could talk to us while she was out of the country.

With our help, Tamika will be able to spend more time with her father going out to eat, watching a ball game, or sharing a glass of iced tea with her father instead of focusing on the medical issues.  It will be a welcome change for Tamika to get back to being a daughter and helping her father enjoy life instead of being his medical manager. She is looking forward to bringing more meaningful moments and cheerful memories to his life.

How we help

If you know of someone who is spending hours each week managing their parent's medications, medical issues, and doctor's appointments we can help. Navigating this time in your loved one's life can be very complicated and you need experts who can advocate for them so that you can get back to being a son/daughter.

Learn more about care management at www.agingcaremanagement.com and get in touch with Jeanie.