12 Apr 2009
The Caregivers Corner - April 12, 2009
Dear Mary,
The column you wrote about urinary tract infection (UTI) misdiagnosed as dementia caught my attention. My mother is eighty-nine and I’ve learned over the years that when she becomes more confused she probably has a UTI. After so many trips to the doctor’s, I now keep a supply of specimen cups at home. The office nurse taught me how to get a “clean catch” sample and then all I do is drop it off. Within twenty-four hours I get a call about the result and, if it’s positive, an antibiotic is waiting for me at the pharmacy. Mother no longer walks well and this saves both of us from a not so pleasant outing. It also saves of us from the stress of sitting in a waiting room full of sick people.
Dear Reader,
Thank you for taking the time to write. I hope other caregivers talk their physicians about using this stress-reducing and time-saving idea.
Dear Mary,
My mother is 84 and has used up much of her savings. Her only income is Social Security which is less than a thousand dollars a month. She has Alzheimer’s disease and is living in an assisted living home that costs more per month than she gets in income.
Her medications cost $8,000 last year and although she has a prescription plan, she still had to pay over $4,500. Is there aid available through the state or federal government for prescriptions? Do you have any suggestions as to what we can do? Thank you for any information you can give me.
Dear Reader,
There are programs available that of course they come with financial eligibility requirements. I recommend you call the Senior Health Insurance Program (SHIP) at the Department of Aging and Disabilities (410-222-4464). Someone will be able to tell you if your mother qualifies and can also review her supplemental insurance plan to see if she has the best coverage for her needs.
Dear Mary,
Both my folks are in their eighties. Although they currently see several competent physicians for various problems, I am looking for a physician who specializes in elder care. My experience has been that when I call doctors’ offices and ask about the average age of their patients I find their practices focus on middle age, not the senior population.
Do you have any recommendations as to a resource I can reference that will provide me the names of physicians to consider?
Dear Reader,
It is a good idea to have one primary care physician who can coordinate an older person’s medical care. When looking for a one, seek someone who is a board certified in geriatrics. This is an area of medicine that specializes in elder health and requires continued certification in this specialty.
The most reliable way to find one is by word of mouth. Another way is through the American Geriatrics Society (AGS). The society’s Foundation for Health in Aging provides a free physician referral service that lists member doctors of AGS. You can contact them at 1-800-563-4916 or send a request via their website: www.healthinaging.org/public_education/physician_referral.php.
| 
