Some Answers



www.thirdageservices.com

Carole Larkin of ThirdAge Services (www.thirdageservices.com) to the rescue! Carole has been reading my blog, wrote on it recently and realized the complexities of the questions I was asking here. She is a social media friend I met on the Alzheimer's Reading Room some time back. I "liked" her site on Facebook and had a chance to actually chat with her on Facebook yesterday just when I needed it.

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Me: I put questions on Plant City Lady and Friends last post and I think that I need to change from Preferred Care at the end of the year.

Carole Larkin: I'm reading your blogspot now.

Me: My husband's primary care physician is not very good with dementia, I think. I am writing my seminary counseling dissertation on caregiving and he doesn't seem to realize as much as I am learning.

Carole Larkin:  You are right. The majority of primary care physicians are useless with dementia. That's why I keep harping on going to a geriatrician, neurologist or a geriatric psychiatrist. All would be good choices, Carol.

Me: I have to wait to change my plan in 2014.

Carole Larkin: Changing from Preferred Care is absolutely the right thing to do. You will get more and longer services on Straight Medicare D and a Supplemental Medicare policy. There are medical insurance specials (brokers handling a lot of different companies) that will find you the best deal for both of you at the cheapest price.  

Me: I do need help. It's not working here as I wrote on my last blog post yesterday.

Carole Larkin: A geriatric care manager could not only answer your questions for you, but also give you guidance on what to do in the future, and give you the specific names of resources you need to solve your problems. In addition to all that, they would find out what was at the bottom of the runaround you are getting from everyone (hospital, Dr., insurance).  The Geriatric care manager is a professional and knows what's going on, and they could really get in trouble if they've screwed up. Carol, I'm telling you, you'd save money, time and STRESS using one of them. I'd suggest either an RN or a Social Worker.

Me: And how to I find one? I mean I don't keep phone books anymore and the Internet has so many sites these days.

Carole Larkin: Just try the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers/GCM Specialist. http://www.caremanager.org/

Me: Wonderful! Can I put this on my blog?

Carole Larkin: Of course you can. Do me this favor though. Put my business website (www.thirdageservices.com)
on it because there I tell people that I do telephone and email consults just like I'm doing for you now.

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I have spotted three Geriatric Care Managers in Lakeland and when I get our tax return I will go and hire one of them. Preferred Care with its Vision and Dental works well for me, but not for my husband at this stage of dementia.

It is now a week since hubby first started on antibiotics and Imodium for his UTI (Urinary Tract Infection). He is so much better. He finally showered and I helped him shave off his thick beard. My neighbor, Kenny, volunteer caregiver while I am out of the house, and I have noticed the difference each day. (An interview of Kenny will be coming on this blog.)

Hubby and I went to the movie "42" last night. DH got all choked up at the appropriate spots. He slowly ate a hotdog with mustard and relish. I relished having my husband back and going to church with him today. Giving him lots of Pediatric Electrolyte and cranberry juice to prevent dehydration and further UTI infections. Have to develop a cranberry bread with coconut oil as well, and I will share the recipe here.

Besides Carole Larkin, special thanks also to others who emailed me suggestions, texted my cell and of course all of you prayer warriors out there. It takes a village to be a caregiver/lovegiver for family with dementia.  

Saga Twenty-Seven

Again this month Sally and I went to the Alzheimer's Association support group the second Tuesday while the husbands hung out at our house. Sally turned her cell phone off, but mine was on and I got several calls from the husbands during the support group wanting to know when we would be home. DH knows this is an Alzheimer's support group, but Jake, who doesn't think he has a problem, thinks this is our monthly ladies Bible study. Then the four of us had a good dinner at Longhorns. Sally and I shared the salmon dinner and Jake and DH had steak. The four of us then enjoyed the romantic comedy "Hope Springs". Both husbands could follow it. Our friendship with Sally and Jake is so important for making life normal for our husbands and Sally and I gain so much mutual support from each other.



from Pinterest--we need to friend



Last week my doctor was happy with my weight loss, but I still need to do more walking than only three times a week for the HDL number to improve. With a flare-up of carpal tunnel from over 15 years ago (maybe too much Pinterest, folks) I should not do many weight bearing exercises now. I am trying to avoid heart problems. My doctor let me cut down on one medicine which would have put me in the donut hole. Hubby is already in the donut hole with his medicine. It is interesting that Herb's cholesterol numbers in July are great and support his use of coconut oil.

Last Tuesday the arm on hubby's glasses broke off. Because we have Preferred Care for our Medicare coverage, we have a vision plan and a hearing plan. We both went to get new glasses from Plant City's new Eye Express. The glasses didn't cost us other than our adding tints for $50 for DH and UV protection for $12 on mine. I had lost mine in Louisiana last fall and have been wearing over-the-counter ones and trying to remember those sunglasses because of my cataracts. Hubby keeps asking when those glasses will be ready and I keep telling him Tuesday, unless the hurricane means Eye Express will be closed.

Hubby can ask at night what we did during the day and I recount the events for him, usually when we pray at bedtime. We do have so much to thank the LORD for each day.

Saga Eleven

The days go by so quickly.  I know Sally has a lot on her plate with Jake not driving and complaining that he can't drive. DH asks when will we get together with Jake and Sally again. We do go out to dinner with them and the conversation revolves around how mad Jake is about not driving; however he does say that Sally is a good driver (he wasn't so sure before). I know Sue has a lot on her plate also; she even had to Baker Act her husband due to his Alzheimer's. Pray for my friends in a similar situation. 

I am up to my ears with things to do. Probably every one is. I am working on a counseling degree, have taxes, and have never really finishing organizing the house, desite FlyLady and Barb's Cleaning Up the Clutter. Last week I worked  out of the house six days. I have yet to put DH's monthly Facebook photo album up to remind him of what we did in March and it is already April 5th! The home is not in the condition that I wanted at this time. We go twice a week to the chiropractor now. I was hurt more than DH in the crash last December, and so my moving boxes, decluttering in the house or working in the yard sets my back "back" until the next chiropractor visit.  I have sewing to do, etc., and was reminded that I am behind in blogging here. How can I get 70 followers who pray for us and for whom I can pray if I don't blog! I have so much more to write here.

However,  DH is doing just great! I think the brain health supplements (Ribonucleic Acid from Whole Food Supplements and the CoQ10) recommended by our chiropractor for DH and the Turmeric spice I add to foods are helping him. He has such a great attitude and strives to keep on top of what is going on. He is not on any anti-depressants as some dementia patients are.

We are making some financial headway because we don't have any car payments now (due to the crash) and  have Preferred Care instead of AARP. When I get a chance I want to find a coupon buddy here in Plant City and start saving money on our food costs. But everything takes time.

What do I accomplish?  I every day read Scripture, again going through the Bible in one year with The Daily Audio Podcast. I don't only listen--some days I only read the OT, NT, Psalm and Proverbs selections without listening. So this was in my dailly Bible reading this week from Luke 10:40-42:

Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “LORD, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” But the LORD said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details; There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”

LORD, enhance the Mary in me. I better not turn into a Martha concerned about what I don't accomplish or who should be helping. I will just prioritize and not be weary in well doing (Galatians 6:9). D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones writes in Spiritual Depression: Its Causes and Cure (one of my course books):

You are tired and weary and you feel at times it is too much for you? Go back and look at your life and put it into the context of eternity. Stop and ask yourself what it all means. It is nothing but a preparatory school. This life is but the ante-chamber of eternity and all we do in this world is but anticipatory of that. Our greatest joys are but the first fruits and the foretaste of the eternal joy that is coming. . . . We are too immersed in our problems. We need to look ahead, to anticipate, to look forward to the eternal glories gleaming afar. The Christian life is a tasting of the first-fruits of that great harvest which is to come. (pp. 200-201)

LORD, thanks for my "to do" list. Help me not be weary, to prioritize and realize this world is not all. Amen.

Economical Update for 2011

Two Alzheimer's medicines have almost bankrupted us. Not taking them is not an option. See Research.

"The combination of the current symptomatic treatments for Alzheimer's disease improved the patients' quality of life, since those who used concomitantly cholinesterase inhibitors -- donepezil, galantamine, or rivastigmine -- and memantine had a diminished risk of institutionalization compared to those who used no medication or used cholinesterase inhibitors alone." -- Dr. O. L. Lopez, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

I once e-mailed Dr. Newport (lady who introduced me to coconut oil) and she said to not discontinue either medicine as we continue with the coconut oil. I was not consistent on the Exelon Patch and that is when we went to Exelon pills. DH has to eat when he takes his twice-a-day Exelon pills or he will vomit.

Does Prescription Solutions from the AARP plan really help save in the new year? Absolutely not! For several years we have been going beyond the donut hole and into catastrophic coverage for my husband with them. One recent year when we maxed out our credit cards due to prescriptions from AARP, we used the line of credit on our house to pay off the credit cards. We are about to do that again and I do not want this. We have until December 31st to decide.

We went with WellCare at 1-888-888-9355. Gene was great in helping us. Got our new cards. They are excellent. However it meant a change in doctors, but much more savings.

Wait folks. News just in! In the dash for the best plan for 2011 by December 31st, an insurance representative Ned called. I research and listen to all possibilities and it is not yet December 31st. Possibly we could keep the same doctor. He took time to see us last Saturday. We didn't go with his plan that would keep my husband's current doctor, however, because Ned had a different idea--a plan with a higher amount until we would go into the donut hole ($3500  compared to $2840 with WellCare). Preferred Care Partners, Gold Plan, at 1-866-231-7201. They also offer dental coverage and eye coverage. I visited the local doctor's office and chose another doctor for us, unfortunately not keeping our same doctors, but bringing those other fabulous benefits.

All we save a month that we used to spend on the AARP plans (over $400) a month, we can use to pay down our credit cards and not go into our line of credit on the house. Thank you Lord, for answering prayers from the women at church who were praying about this and for the rest of you in blogland who pray for us.

Oh God, I beg two favors from you;

let me have them before I die.

First, help me never to tell a lie.

Second, give me neither poverty nor riches!

Give me just enough to satisfy my needs.

For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say,

"Who is the LORD?"

And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus

insult God's holy name.

Proverbs 30:7-9, TLT-- What I heard today on The Daily Audio Bible,

my third year going through the Bible with this podcast.