While some caregivers come to the role with prior experience, many new caregivers only know what they learned in health class in school, from watching TV programs, or through life experiences. As a result, realizing all that it takes to manage someone else’s care suddenly becomes overwhelming when they first begin to take on the care of someone else. The caregiver feels like they must learn everything doesn’t know how or where to start.
Helping caregivers figure out what they need and where to get it is the focus of “Starting Out.” Some fundamental topics are helpful for all caregivers to know. “First Steps” presents the basics and then provides additional details you’ll need with “Understanding Healthcare,” “Legal Considerations,” and “Money Management.”
Furthermore, rules and regulations are detailed and restrictive. Unless you know what to and not to do, it is easy to run afoul of their rules. The world of healthcare is a dangerous place for family caregivers and your family member if you are not well-versed in knowing how to be a patient advocate. When …
Standards of Practice Whether receiving care from a small-town hospital or a nationally owned health system, government agencies maintain strict oversight of the healthcare industry and all associated organizations. Likewise, each healthcare profession maintains standards of practice by which they expect healthcare professionals practicing under their job titles to follow. While each state may vary, …
The Healthcare Team It’s important to know who’s who on the healthcare team anytime you’re interacting with healthcare professionals. Understanding the chain of authority and who handles which type of problems can save you a lot of time and wasted energy. In addition, if you attempt to move forward on an issue without this knowledge, …
Learning How to Do a Health Assessment When I worked as a home health nurse and received a new patient assignment, I always did a health assessment the first time I met the patient. The purpose of the health assessment was to check out the patient from head to toe to see for myself if …
Feels Overwhelming. After first becoming a caregiver, one of the most difficult tasks is learning what to keep and let go. With caregiving, you acquired full responsibility for care, decision-making, finances, appointments, health monitoring, supplies, and, let’s not forget, entertainment for possibly someone who doesn’t want you telling them what to do. Yet, at the …
Did I Mean What I Said or Say What I Meant? When two people have a conversation, both come with preconceived ideas regarding how it will go. When getting started as caregivers and planning a difficult conversation about job duties, we sometimes have trouble saying what we mean. Instead of saying what we want to …
Virginia Financial Assistance Programs Virginia meets the unique needs of the young and the elderly in separate Medicaid programs. Though the groups have many needs in common, each separate age group has special challenges and struggles that require services designed specifically for their age. The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and Commonwealth Coordinated Care Plus …
Having the right equipment makes all the difference in how well you function. Purchasing mobility equipment is like buying a suit of clothes; one size does NOT fit all. It’s important to have an experienced technician measure your family member to the equipment to fit it correctly. For example, when buying a wheelchair, it …
Traveling and Entertainment with a Disability Can Be Very Frustrating if Unprepared Caregiver travelers beware: If a hotel advertises that a room is disability accessible, they probably mean that it has handrails in the bathroom. Traveling and entertainment with a disability are not for the faint of heart. Information received in advance of arrival …
What to do about Grandpa? Living arrangements present a challenge for many families. Siblings debate who should be responsible for parents who can no longer live alone. Is it the one who lives closest or the one who is retired? As the children debate where the parents should live, Dad stubbornly …
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