Talking to Your Parent’s Doctor

Here are some tips and tricks that family caregivers can use to ensure doctors are well-informed while their loved ones’ dignity remains intact. Start with the following strategies, but keep in mind that effective tactics will vary depending on a senior’s personality and medical concerns.

Get Proper Authorizations

Keep in mind that few doctors will talk to you without an appointment, and you’ll need the proper HIPAA authorization and valid medical power of attorney (POA) document to have a comprehensive discussion about a loved one’s condition and medical care. Have these three legal documents prepared and provide copies to all physicians involved in your parent’s care.

Common misconceptions about getting older

Contrary to popular belief, there is no typical “older personality.” Our basic personality is formed probably before six months of age but is modifiable. Those are two underlying concepts to keep in mind as we examine the following common misconceptions about aging as outlined by Donald E. Riesenberg, M.D., in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Common Myths About Aging

Older people aren’t interested in the outside world.

The over-65 age group uses the Internet a lot. Far from being passive TV watchers, more than 100,000 individuals over age 50 participate in the non-profit Road Scholar experiential learning program each year to better understand other cultures around the world. Staying involved academically has also been a focus of many colleges and universities that have designed ongoing education programs for older residents or for the aging adult who wants to learn while on vacation. And many people, either by choice or necessity, stay involved in the workforce well beyond the typical retirement age.

Older people don’t want or need close relationships.

We are social creatures. Families, tribes, teams, and whole organizations have a better chance of survival and actually thriving when they are socially connected. The need for meaningful relationships does not diminish with age. However, there may be fewer people to relate to as we get older, and there may be physical and mental barriers that arise with age. Maintaining social relationships allows older adults to reap numerous rewards—intellectual challenges, maintaining information processing skills, feedback, and just plain sharing of feelings.

The Power of Music

Yes! the power of music.....lovely! https://t.co/QvWCSk0T2d

— Alzheimersbumpyroad (@AlzheimersAD) November 10, 2020

What are the basic ADL'S

When you start noticing changes in the ability of your loved one to perform or complete these basic ADL'S, this is the time when you call their primary to request an accurate cognitive assessment.

Basic activities of daily living are categories of skills that require certain levels of both physical and cognitive ability. Skill levels in these categories range from independent proficiency to requiring outside assistance for completion. Assessing a senior’s level of functioning in the following eight areas provides an effective measure of how different impairments affect their ability to live alone. When in the first stages of Alzheimer's or Dementia, some individuals are very clever in hiding problems in handling some of these basic tasks. It's not until something goes wrong that family members notice that something is wrong.