As Bellarmine Nursing alumni with more than 70 combined years of experience, we didn’t just have “jobs” in the nursing field. We cared deeply for patients, family and friends, including some of our BU colleagues.
One of those colleagues, our dear friend Gina Priddy, invited us to campus recently to share our advice on caring for aging family members. Now we are sharing resources we have found helpful with you.
Remember, the first thing to do is to talk to your family member now. Don’t wait. If you’re going to advocate for a loved one, you need to know how they want to be cared for.
Organization is key. While much medical information is housed in an electronic record, and we suggest you have access to these records, there are times when immediate access to information in a binder is useful. Below is a list of things to gather
and keep in a safe place with the family member. Everyone who may need access should know where “the book” is.
Birthdate
Contact information (personal/emergency/family)
Current medication list
Family medical history
Allergies
Immunizations
Medical and surgical history (including diagnostic test results)
Healthcare providers’ phone numbers (physician/nurse practitioner, pharmacy, home health)
Copies of insurance/ID (medical/dental/vision/Rx/photo ID)
Living Will/durable medical Power of Attorney/Physician’s Order for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST)
Long-term-care insurance information
Forms for a Living Will, durable medical Power of Attorney and Physician’s Order for Life Sustaining Treatment may be found online. The first two need notarization; the POLST form needs a provider’s signature.
Healthcare coverage
Healthcare coverage is complicated. Find out what type your relative has. It may be Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Medicaid or private insurance.
The most common insurance for those over 65 is original
Medicare (red/white/blue card) or a Medicare Advantage Plan. To understand plans, visit this
Parts of Medicare site.
In addition, supplemental Medicare insurance (
Medigap) may have been purchased to cover costs not paid by original Medicare. Visit this
Medigap site to learn about plans.
Finally, depending on the financial situation, your loved one may also have or qualify for
Medicaid, in addition to the above insurances. For information, visit the
federal Medicaid site.
Living arrangements for seniors
Your loved one’s needs will likely change during the aging process, and the type and location of care will need to be evaluated and modified. We have witnessed needs change many times following a fall at home or hospitalization. Different
levels of care may be helpful at home:
Home Healthcare is for those who have had a fall or change in healthcare condition, like a hospitalization, and is likely covered by the above insurance providers.
Home Care helps with non-medical daily activities so people can live safely at home. It may be covered out-of-pocket or through some Medicaid or Long Term Care (LTC) policies. Visit
Caring.com for more information on these two options.
Hospice care, which may be in the home, is for those with a terminal illness or at the end of life. This
Caring.com page provides more information.
If your loved one cannot live at home safely, options include Independent Living Communities, Assisted Living Communities, Continuing-Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs) and Care Homes. These are usually paid out of pocket but may sometimes
be covered under Long Term Care policies.
Following a hospitalization, continued medical or rehabilitation care may be needed before the patient can return home or to a residence listed above. In these cases, the provider will order a stay in a skilled nursing or rehabilitation facility.
This medical care is generally covered fully or in part by medical insurance plans.
Finally, memory care facilities are available for anyone with debilitating Alzheimer’s or other cognitive issues.
This
eldercare site provides more information on all of these options.
While the above may seem like a lot to digest at first, having this information and these important conversations now will create a better quality of life for everyone involved.
Missy Stober ’85, ’89, ’99/’18 DNP is a certified registered nurse who had a 30-year career in Home Health Care in clinical, operational, education, quality and executive leadership roles. Her doctoral project focused on patients with chronic debilitating diseases and how caregivers can help maintain patients’ quality of life as they near the end of life. She is currently an adjunct faculty member at Bellarmine. Linda Schaeffer Strange ’90 MSN is a registered nurse with over 40 years of acute patient care and family care. She finds caring and advocating for others’ needs and wishes very rewarding.