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Our Favorite Tools: A Celebratory Retrospective

Posted on January 23rd, 2012 by kim

by Kim Keller

Today In Care of Dad publishes its 101st blog!

It’s quite a milestone for us. To celebrate this landmark occasion, we’re taking a look back at some of the most useful tools and resources we’ve written about here at In Care of Dad, items that have helped many people — just like you and me and my sister — to care for our aging parents.

Here are some of our favorite finds:

CaringBridge.org — This wonderful service helps friends and families sharing a health crisis by offering space and access to any group, extended or otherwise, that wants to stay abreast of a loved one’s health status. But more than that, Caringbridge helps families arrange their websites with the following format features: 1) journal entries to keep everyone up-to-date; 2) photo uploads to provide a visual component; and 3) a private message center where family and friends can deliver words of encouragement and support. This service is easy to use and completely free!

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Sometimes No Treatment Is The Best Treatment

Posted on January 19th, 2012 by kim

by Kim Keller

Did you ever wonder if all of the tests, treatments and medications that doctors order are really necessary? Karen and I started wondering about this during our dad’s illness, and we became even more convinced it was true when our mom had a stroke a few years ago.

Naturally my curiosity was piqued when I noticed the cover story in a Newsweek from a few months ago (August 14, 2011), entitled “One Word That Will Save Your Life: No!” Research by the author, Sharon Begley, brings to light the fact that many low-risk patients with light symptoms at best, some with no symptoms at all, suffer more harm than good from various types of tests, procedures and medications.

“There are many areas of medicine where not testing, not imaging, and not treating actually result in better health outcomes,” says Dr. Rita Redberg, professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, and the editor of the American Medical Associations’s Archives of Internal Medicine. “Less is more,” she explains.

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Making Sure Medications Are Taken Properly

Posted on November 29th, 2011 by kim

by Kim Keller

Almost half of the people in America don’t take their medications properly, according to Stephen B. Hanauer, MD, a professor of medicine and clinical pharmacology at the University of Chicago, and a frequent contributor to the web on medication issues. Dr. Hanauer offers these ten reasons why:

They don’t understand why they should take this medication when they feel fine.
They simply forget.
The medication ran out and they didn’t refill it.
They have too many pills to take.
They only take medication when they feel a flare-up is imminent.
They aren’t sure of the dosage instructions.
They don’t like the way the medication makes them feel.
The medication reminds them that they have a disease.
They don’t understand why they need the medication.
They don’t understand how the medication is affecting their body.

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Medication To-Do List

Posted on September 7th, 2011 by kim

by Kim Keller

One of the most critical lessons Karen and I learned was this: Pay close attention to medications.

We have seen both of our parents suffer from endless medication issues — too much, too little, the wrong ones, etc. Medications have often been responsible for making our parents sick, rather than making them well.

Here are the three things you need to do: (1) Keep an updated list of medications, including over-the-counter remedies, herbs and vitamins; (2) If you see any change in your loved one’s behavior or comfort level, ask the doctor if it could be related to a recent medication change; and (3) Always make sure to ask the doctor these following important questions:

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“‘You Look Great’ And Other Lies”

Posted on June 27th, 2011 by kim

Say "I love you."

Did you happen to see this article — “‘You Look Great’ and Other Lies” — in the June 10th New York Times? It’s a must-read. The article talks about what you should say and do, and what you shouldn’t say or do, when you’re caring for a seriously ill friend.

For example, Karen and I cringe now thinking about how many times we’ve said, “Let me know if there is anything I can do.” Even though the words are obviously well intentioned, the Times article points out how the comment is just an easy way out of a difficult situation and suggests that thoughtful and specific help — like mowing a friend’s lawn, cleaning a friend’s house or just bringing over a meal — is far more appreciated. Don’t make your friend do the thinking — instead, pick a necessary, everyday errand and just do it.

Be a good and caring friend and read this important article. You’ll always be glad that you did. Kim

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CranioSacral Therapy Is An Alternative Worth Considering For Many Ailments

Posted on May 31st, 2011 by karen

by Karen Keller Capuciati

A couple of months after our Mom’s stroke, she was dealing with stress, sleeplessness and a terribly stiff neck. She had just completed a month in a rehab facility, and returning home brought on new and unexpected difficulties.

For Mom, coming home was a sign that her life was returning to normalcy. But it also ended up pointing out the deficits left by her stroke when everyday events were now a great challenge. Cooking, for example, meant reading an ingredient list, writing a shopping list, setting a timer, none of which were possible at the time. Even the grocery store, with all the choices and stimuli, was way too much for her at this time in her early recovery.

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