Lots of people will be traveling home for the holidays soon. Many of us "flew the coop" after high school or college, and left our parents to age back in our home towns. I get many calls this time of year when folks come home to less than ideal circumstances.
Mom and Dad have aged, and they've done a very good job of hiding it from us in those weekly/monthly telephone calls. When you get home this season, do some checking around if you have some suspicions that things aren't right. Ask them about their finances, if they are getting their bills paid on time. Look in their medicine cabinets to see if they're hoarding prescriptions, failing to throw out expired items, and for the more recent prescriptions count how many are left in the bottle and, based on the date the script was written, ask yourself if they are taking the medication as prescribed.
Offer to go to a physician appointment with them while you're in town. Make sure you, or another family member, has HealthCare Power of Attorney. Establish a relationship with their primary care physician (PCP) so you can call the doctor's office from time to time with concerns. Give your contact information to the PCP's office.
Establish a system for what your parents should do if an emergent situation arises. If there are many children in the family - whom should they call first? Establish a phone tree, and don't leave anyone out!
Holidays can be wonderful times to show your parents how much your care by becoming a little more involved in their lives. And, if they're resistant? Well... that's another blog.
Read more about Holidays and Caregiving at: http://www.professionalcareforyou.com/holidayhomecoming.htm
Stay tuned, and stay well.
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I took my father-in-law to the dentist because he had a sore in his mouth. Turns out it was fungus caused by not cleaning his dentures in God knows how long. It took them 20 minutes to clean them in the ultrasound. We took over their finances a few years ago because they ran out of money and now someone has to take each of them to the doctors every time because they don't remember what the doc said by the time they get home. There are many more things we have learned we have to control for them but who would ever think to ask them if they were brushing their teeth???????????
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