.....While great progress has been made in stroke prevention and rehabilitation, and Mother and her brother suffered milder strokes than their mother, they both were stroke victims while being monitored by their doctors and on medication. The bottom line: Click the link above. It’s never too late for a refresher…for myself and everyone–who is at risk, knows someone at risk, or whose goal is to help parents age well.
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Showing posts with label stroke. Show all posts
Showing posts with label stroke. Show all posts
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Help Aging Parents: Partnering With Parents in Healthcare
Do we help aging parents by becoming parents to our parents, especially when they are of sound mind? Are we supporting feelings of control and independence--feelings that help parents age well? In this past Tuesday's post family members basically took over--either to persuade or make a unilateral decision regarding very serious health care for aging parents. That made me pause.
In the first example, the stroke victim was not able to advocate for herself initially. Someone had to step in if the outcome was to be any better than the ultimate nursing home option her doctor envisioned. She was never left out of the loop, however. She knew the reason for each action, presented in a way that offered hope--so she wouldn't lose the will to fight to regain as much normalcy as possible.
In the second example, family members put great pressure on the colon cancer relative. While not feeling well, and do doubt having countless thoughts about well-being, comfort, life and death (to name a few), the relative was of sound mind and did see the merits of getting a second opinion....even if it meant a long plane ride.
As we impart information and try to help older and aging parents accept our advice and recommendations, we have a better chance of success when we pull them in psychologically to work with us--assuming they are mentally capable. And it seems to me, even when they don't seem mentally capable, keeping them in the loop at the least shows respect and at the most could possibly activate something positive from within.
With that in mind, having called attention to best hospitals and best specialty departments, it makes sense to realize not everyone will/can take advantage. As a fall-back position--or even a front-line position--it makes sense to know which are the best hospitals in aging parents' and grandparents' hometowns.
To fill this need the Hospital Quality Alliance, run by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, run a website:http://data.medicare.gov/ According the AARP's June 2010 bulletin, it measures and records patients' outcomes from local hospitals.
The site links to different sections that compare hospitals, tell you how patients with certain conditions fared after hospital care, whether they had to be readmitted within 30 days, and the death rates in certain cases. The quality of care they received during a recent stay is also provided from answers to a survey. Only hospitals that have agreed to release this information to the public are included in this government data site.
In answer to: "I just moved to a new area. How can I find out which hospitals are considered the best in town?" the AARP Bulletin's "Ask the Experts" section provided the above information. Seniors obviously care, but may not know where/how to find this information.
Add this to the objective information that adult children might want to provide to help their parents age well. lt's good information to have when aging parents decide to move; and may even figure into a decision about where to move. And of course it helps prevent having to scramble for hospital information during an emergency.
The site links to different sections that compare hospitals, tell you how patients with certain conditions fared after hospital care, whether they had to be readmitted within 30 days, and the death rates in certain cases. The quality of care they received during a recent stay is also provided from answers to a survey. Only hospitals that have agreed to release this information to the public are included in this government data site.
In answer to: "I just moved to a new area. How can I find out which hospitals are considered the best in town?" the AARP Bulletin's "Ask the Experts" section provided the above information. Seniors obviously care, but may not know where/how to find this information.
Add this to the objective information that adult children might want to provide to help their parents age well. lt's good information to have when aging parents decide to move; and may even figure into a decision about where to move. And of course it helps prevent having to scramble for hospital information during an emergency.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Helping Aging Parents Find The Best Hospitals
When there's a serious medical emergency it's probably safe to say few aging parents live near a hospital specializing in whatever caused the emergency. Most of us--even those who live near and help aging parents--don't know the particular specialties at hospitals located nearby. A sudden emergency may leave little time to do the homework.
Three no doubt common scenarios follow, involving different situations and actions taken. All happened in my family; all caused great concern; all turned out well. All present strategies to help parents age well.
#1--Mother's stroke experience: initially memorable for the emotional stress; equally memorable for the relief and sense of some control we felt, once we found out--and got her to a place-- where she could obtain appropriate treatment.
It began with phone call. Parents in California for the winter. Mother's speech sounded "funny." Phoned my brother with concerns and a plea to fly to California immediately if possible (he was moving into a new home that day). He got there quickly, phoned saying Mother was on her way to the hospital. I should fly out asap.
When I arrived at Mother's bedside her speech was still garbled. Dinner was on a tray. She was eating the food with her hands. I've forgotten other details. A terrific nurse updated me and said Mother's physician would be in early the next morning with test results. We learned they had limited the "damage;" there was nothing more they could do. Mother could go home later that day or the next with a caregiver, or go to a nursing home. Dad would be unable to manage her care alone... a nursing home would be in inevitable at some point.
I knew I needed time to think. Decided I wouldn't get a caregiver for that day. Knew Mother was safe spending another night in the hospital. I called a NY friend knowledgeable about medicine. After some research, he phoned back. He said to get her out of that hospital, which lacked neurology expertise, and to a neurologist at UCLA asap, and gave me a phone number. With great difficulty I got an out-patient appointment for the next day.
The next morning we picked Mother up at the hospital and drove to UCLA with films and reports. UCLA had newer technology. New films were taken. The extent of the damage was clearly pin-pointed and Mother was given different medications, a prescription for physical therapy, and an appointment to return in a month.
There have been many advances in stroke treatment since. I know Mother benefited from some because the neurologist said some were not widely used yet. I also know: a month later the improvement was so dramatic most people wouldn't have known she'd had a stroke. Nor did she have any further strokes.
* * *
#2. A family member, also living in the west, was diagnosed with colon cancer there... advanced: stage 3--maybe close to 4. Treatment was about to begin. "Not there," said my husband, who wanted to check Sloan-Kettering and knew we could be supportive if the family member came back. Indeed Sloan-Kettering had top colon cancer people. Convincing someone to come all the way to NY, however, isn't easy. It's easier when offered as "leaving no stone unturned"--making the trip to get a second opinion. That works.
While chronic health issues complicated things, Sloan-Kettering took charge: a top oncologist; an 8+ hour surgery performed by a top surgeon (who had done this countless times); a while to recuperate in NY. Instructions for additional "whatever" were given to the doctors in the west. Routine check-up visits show the surgery was a success.....and we think insurance covered everything.
* * *
#3. Then there was Dad's "heart event" in California shortly after his 76th birthday. At the movies he began feeling dizzy. He went to the theater lobby and sat down on the floor. One of the personnel came over to see if he was alright. He wasn't; his blood pressure was low. Paramedics were called. He was taken to the hospital where his internist practiced. While it wasn't the right hospital for my mother, it had a first-rate heart team whose surgeon did heart surgery on a former president a few years later. Dad had 5 bypasses on a Friday and went home the next Wednesday. He aged well, lived to be 94, and his death was not heart-related.
So how do we generalize? When helping aging parents is a part of our life and our parents live long enough, the odds of serious medical problems necessitating hospitalization are great. Getting parents to a hospital with the appropriate highly experienced specialists, can up the odds for a successful result that helps parents continue to age well...and medical insurance may make it more affordable than one might think.
Three no doubt common scenarios follow, involving different situations and actions taken. All happened in my family; all caused great concern; all turned out well. All present strategies to help parents age well.
#1--Mother's stroke experience: initially memorable for the emotional stress; equally memorable for the relief and sense of some control we felt, once we found out--and got her to a place-- where she could obtain appropriate treatment.
It began with phone call. Parents in California for the winter. Mother's speech sounded "funny." Phoned my brother with concerns and a plea to fly to California immediately if possible (he was moving into a new home that day). He got there quickly, phoned saying Mother was on her way to the hospital. I should fly out asap.
When I arrived at Mother's bedside her speech was still garbled. Dinner was on a tray. She was eating the food with her hands. I've forgotten other details. A terrific nurse updated me and said Mother's physician would be in early the next morning with test results. We learned they had limited the "damage;" there was nothing more they could do. Mother could go home later that day or the next with a caregiver, or go to a nursing home. Dad would be unable to manage her care alone... a nursing home would be in inevitable at some point.
I knew I needed time to think. Decided I wouldn't get a caregiver for that day. Knew Mother was safe spending another night in the hospital. I called a NY friend knowledgeable about medicine. After some research, he phoned back. He said to get her out of that hospital, which lacked neurology expertise, and to a neurologist at UCLA asap, and gave me a phone number. With great difficulty I got an out-patient appointment for the next day.
The next morning we picked Mother up at the hospital and drove to UCLA with films and reports. UCLA had newer technology. New films were taken. The extent of the damage was clearly pin-pointed and Mother was given different medications, a prescription for physical therapy, and an appointment to return in a month.
There have been many advances in stroke treatment since. I know Mother benefited from some because the neurologist said some were not widely used yet. I also know: a month later the improvement was so dramatic most people wouldn't have known she'd had a stroke. Nor did she have any further strokes.
* * *
#2. A family member, also living in the west, was diagnosed with colon cancer there... advanced: stage 3--maybe close to 4. Treatment was about to begin. "Not there," said my husband, who wanted to check Sloan-Kettering and knew we could be supportive if the family member came back. Indeed Sloan-Kettering had top colon cancer people. Convincing someone to come all the way to NY, however, isn't easy. It's easier when offered as "leaving no stone unturned"--making the trip to get a second opinion. That works.
While chronic health issues complicated things, Sloan-Kettering took charge: a top oncologist; an 8+ hour surgery performed by a top surgeon (who had done this countless times); a while to recuperate in NY. Instructions for additional "whatever" were given to the doctors in the west. Routine check-up visits show the surgery was a success.....and we think insurance covered everything.
* * *
#3. Then there was Dad's "heart event" in California shortly after his 76th birthday. At the movies he began feeling dizzy. He went to the theater lobby and sat down on the floor. One of the personnel came over to see if he was alright. He wasn't; his blood pressure was low. Paramedics were called. He was taken to the hospital where his internist practiced. While it wasn't the right hospital for my mother, it had a first-rate heart team whose surgeon did heart surgery on a former president a few years later. Dad had 5 bypasses on a Friday and went home the next Wednesday. He aged well, lived to be 94, and his death was not heart-related.
So how do we generalize? When helping aging parents is a part of our life and our parents live long enough, the odds of serious medical problems necessitating hospitalization are great. Getting parents to a hospital with the appropriate highly experienced specialists, can up the odds for a successful result that helps parents continue to age well...and medical insurance may make it more affordable than one might think.
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