Monday, February 4, 2013

Figuring out elder care

There is patience and then there is figuring out the elder care system.   I am not sure if there is an instruction manual for how to work with the people who care for our family or not.   I think I need to take some classes.  I think I DO need to get some sort of notebook or bring my laptop with to take notes and send the notes to all people concerned.   My conclusion in my own situation is that I need to insist on being notified of all health issues as soon as they occur and then take my in-laws to the doctor for the best care as the doctor has her very best interest in mind and has all the equipment for fast evaluation at his finger tips.  Being notified immediately also will help me with my own scheduling too instead of waiting till a small problem potentially becomes a bigger problem.  

My experience this past weekend was learning that even though there are many elders who do not get attended to by their family, I need to make it clear that we DO attend to our parents health and want to be involved more than the average bear.   It is sad to see the neglect by family members.   I just want to make sure the parents personal physician is the one to work the most with them when it comes to their medical care.  

Sigh.   I think I really need to adjust myself to expecting the unexpected more frequently.