By proceeding, I agree that I understand the following disclosures:
I. How We Work in Washington. Based on your preferences, we provide you with information about one or more of our contracted senior living providers ("Participating Communities") and provide your Senior Living Care Information to Participating Communities. The Participating Communities may contact you directly regarding their services. APFM does not endorse or recommend any provider. It is your sole responsibility to select the appropriate care for yourself or your loved one. We work with both you and the Participating Communities in your search. We do not permit our Advisors to have an ownership interest in Participating Communities.
II. How We Are Paid. We do not charge you any fee – we are paid by the Participating Communities. Some Participating Communities pay us a percentage of the first month's standard rate for the rent and care services you select. We invoice these fees after the senior moves in.
III. When We Tour. APFM tours certain Participating Communities in Washington (typically more in metropolitan areas than in rural areas.) During the 12 month period prior to December 31, 2017, we toured 86.2% of Participating Communities with capacity for 20 or more residents.
IV. No Obligation or Commitment. You have no obligation to use or to continue to use our services. Because you pay no fee to us, you will never need to ask for a refund.
V. Complaints. Please contact our Family Feedback Line at (866) 584-7340 or
[email protected] to report any complaint. Consumers have many avenues to address a dispute with any referral service company, including the right to file a complaint with the Attorney General's office at: Consumer Protection Division, 800 5th Avenue, Ste. 2000, Seattle, 98104 or 800-551-4636.
VI. No Waiver of Your Rights. APFM does not (and may not) require or even ask consumers seeking senior housing or care services in Washington State to sign waivers of liability for losses of personal property or injury or to sign waivers of any rights established under law.I agree that: A.I authorize A Place For Mom ("APFM") to collect certain personal and contact detail information, as well as relevant health care information about me or from me about the senior family member or relative I am assisting ("Senior Living Care Information"). B.APFM may provide information to me electronically. My electronic signature on agreements and documents has the same effect as if I signed them in ink. C.APFM may send all communications to me electronically via e-mail or by access to an APFM web site. D.If I want a paper copy, I can print a copy of the Disclosures or download the Disclosures for my records. E.This E-Sign Acknowledgement and Authorization applies to these Disclosures and all future Disclosures related to APFM's services, unless I revoke my authorization. You may revoke this authorization in writing at any time (except where we have already disclosed information before receiving your revocation.) This authorization will expire after one year. F.You consent to APFM's reaching out to you using a phone system than can auto-dial numbers (we miss rotary phones, too!), but this consent is not required to use our service.
*If I am consenting on behalf of someone else, I have the proper authorization to do so. By clicking Get My Results, you agree to our
Privacy Policy. You also consent to receive calls and texts, which may be autodialed, from us and our customer communities. Your consent is not a condition to using our service. Please visit our
Terms of Use. for information about our privacy practices.
My mom didn't want me to go in with her, but on our way home I would ask her did you remember to tell him that this happened? Or did you tell him ....? She would say I forgot. This is when I realized that this was more than just being at the doctor, now I feel all better. So after 6 months (she saw him every 3 months), I asked her did you tell him about ..., after only about 10 minutes with her doctor, I stopped they doctor, he had walked her out to the reception desk. I explained that she was having trouble. She would forget to turn off the stove or the oven. She set paper plates on fire, because she would put them on the stove with that flame burning!
From then on, I would go in with her, I had a notebook and I would keep it and let the doctor know what questions or concerns we had. I kept track of her blood pressure.
When my dad retired, that's when he started seeing a doctor, they became a package deal. Both my mom and dad gave permission for me to be with them.
If your dad is having memory problems, then you really need to be there to be sure that the doctor has all their information.
Apparently my parents don’t trust me although I’ve never, to my knowledge, betrayed their trust.
The last time I did get information as to how my mom is doing it was because my dad allowed my daughter to attend the appointment.
She told me my dad cussed the doctor out and was demanding that my mom be taken off the antipsychotic she’d been on for months. Dad had decided the drug is what caused my mom to take a fall and hit her head (reason for doctor visit).
My mom sat there smirking at my dad as he had his tantrum!
Anyway dad screamed at my daughter that “he’s in charge of my mother now and we can butt out”.
I hope you have better luck than I’ve had. My father has been impossible to deal with since I can remember.
I suspect dad has dementia too, being 89 years old. I worry about how he’s handling the money. They saved enough to cover both of them, I NEVER considered hands on care at their home. I know them and I know me and it wouldn’t work.
As to the suggestion to ask him how he thinks the care is going, we have talked about it and he is not happy with the speed of answers or follow ups, yet won't heed my suggestions to do more advocating/questioning/following up himself. It's not rationale given how he feels about the some treatment aspects. For 2 weeks he could have called the pshych doctor to see what was discussed with the neurologist about adjusting meds, but has not and can not tell me a real reason why not. I have gently said that she is suffering so and by calling the doctor we may have lessened the suffering earlier.
I am not a medical profession so I dont know if the regression in the depression and memory loss / confusion are med related or some other condition, as in dementia. But I do know she was doing so much better when her meds were initially adjusted and now she is almost back to square one. The point is, the doctor should be called when there is a noticeable decline.
In any case, they have an appointment tomorrow and if I don't hear something that makes sense, I will be contacting the PCP, and will probably do so either way. That way he will be up to speed when Mom sees him next week.
Thanks for letting me get this all out and thanks for the thoughtful replies, which I will surely use soon. You are all so helpful!
Explain the you will be taking notes so that you will have a health diary for her as then you or he can look back at what each appointment was about - bring a note book & do just that - ask him if he would like you to do the same for him either sooner or later - explain that you are wanting to do the best for them & you feel this is one way you feel that you can stay on top of things
Try to get a 1/2 size loose leaf binder so that you only need to bring a few pages to each appointment then they can be sort however you feel best eg. time line or by dr. or by ailment
My brother's daughter, who had complete control over Mom and Dad until I arrived in town, has struggled to regain that control. She even tried to have me- their only daughter and only biological child- kicked out of the hospital I'd taken Mom to when she had a stroke. (she made up a story about me assaulting her in the hallway, which was stupid since they have cameras in the halls.) At the time, I didn't even know I was healthcare POA, which would have helped me if I'd known.
As for your husband's advice, I have made appt's for my parents (before I knew I had POA) and taken them- since neither can drive- and then just walked in the exam room with them. No one questioned it or stopped me. However, my parents were, and are, very willing to have me along. It doesn't sound like that's true with your parents, so you may have to wait until you're approved on a broader scale with POA.
in reading your request for advice, I had mixed feelings about how to respond. I'm assuming there is a lot you're not able to share here. But having said that, when you mention "I feel my elderly dad is not equipped, including his memory,"- has he been diagnosed with dementia?
"her meds need adjusting based on her condition worsening and new side effects."
You didn't say whether or not you are a medical professional, and is it a certainty that it's the meds and not a progression of her condition?
I understand your concern, having been a caregiver to my mom and a sibling in over the past 15 years. And I had to address some of the same issues you are speaking to here. However, instead of being seen as helpful and concerned, I found out from other relatives there was a feeling of resentment and I was seen as a "buttinsky" which was a shock to me since my only concern was for my mom and brother's best health.
Also, if your mom and dad have been married a long time, could it be you are making him feel inadequate to take care of her as he has done in the past?
And today's HIPPA laws require medical professionals to limited what they will share about their patients beyond designated individuals.
I understand you are concerned about your mom and want only the best for her as I'm sure your dad does also. But, perhaps, it might be a better approach (you know how sensitive some men can be about their role - she's your mom-but she's also his wife!), to ask his opinion how her treatment is going (of course, this might be a problem at first based on what has already transpired) etc
But, my suggestion would be to let him know you are there for him and ready to fully support him in any way he needs to get your mom back to good health.
Just my thoughts.
If you have siblings, look to your State Laws.
In my home State, if the person in question cannot legally/mentally understand what they are signing regarding Medical POA, then all siblings must be notified, discuss who should be the 1st ane 2nd. Sign/notarized statements to the fact of agreement for Medical POA and that becomes the legal argument for you to have what cannot be signed.
NOT EVERY STATE IS LIKE THIS LAW WISE.
This is the route I had to take with my siblings regarding our Mother.
Would it help to add an incentive?
"Dad, I'm planning to go to Mom's next appointment, and after the appointment, let's go for ice cream (or bowl of soup)" or other short, doable activity he would like.
I recall when my grandfather was in the hospital back in 1974, and the physician saw something in the blood work that appeared suspicious (but fortunately turned out not to indicate a problem). My grandmother had talked with the physician, and she said there were some kinds of "gadgets" in the blood but she didn't recall or understand what they were. It occurred to her that it would have been helpful if I had been there because, as she put it, I had "studied biology".
My dad got the flu and could not go to my mom's appointment...he sent me with a question for doctor. The answer came back, if your dad can't give the medication in the manner it was prescribed, he can no longer manage your mom's meds! Turns out he had been playing doctor with meds and not getting her some care because it was too hard to get her to the appointments. As a result, I had to take over and they finally agreed to move to AL so mom's meds can be managed by the staff. He still watches them like a hawk, but at least there are multiple people involved and one less thing for him to have to deal with.
I like your suggested approach and I also appreciate your reminder to keep it non emotional! Thanks much.
Here are examples of mother's worsening conditions:
1)
2)
3)
Here are what I think are side effects of her medicine:
1)
2)
These are other concerns I have about her health:
1)
2) I'm afraid Dad isn't able to remember things to report to you or to remember what you say to them. I would like to accompany them to appointments.
Make it as easy as possible to read at a glance. Keep it short, but specific enough to give the doctor a picture of what is going on. Include your phone number.
Are you healthcare proxy (medical POA) for your mother?