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Mostly Independent
Your loved one may not require home care or assisted living services at this time. However, continue to monitor their condition for changes and consider occasional in-home care services for help as needed.
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Midkid58 is right--you can hire a professional caregiver through a home care agency to accompany your father to his appointments. Many agencies offer transportation to and from appointments and for errands as well.
A Geriatric Care Manager (GCM) can also help with these things, and some home care agencies offer care management services in conjunction with hands-on care.
You can read more about these services in the articles below:
I would trust a Geriatric Care Manager before I would trust a caregiver from an agency. Most Geriatric Care Managers that I have seen have some medical training or background. This would be an advantage as they would ask the questions that you would ask. A GCM will cost more than the caregiver from the agency but they also are there to help manage other aspects of care as well. And as the old adage goes...ya get what you pay for.
You can hire a caregiver and that person, with your permission (get it written) could take your dad to appointments and take notes. I worked elder care and did just that. Then I would either type up the notes and give them to the most involved child or make notes in our "daily routine" calendar, if it was something simple, say, a podiatrist appt to get her nails cut. I could NOT make decisions about her care, be mindful of that. I was simply the "ride" and the "scribe". And I did have written permission. And I did have a list of all her meds and I knew her well enough to know if she had been having new symptoms. You have to have a LOT of trust to give this off to a "stranger". I know of no such "service"--taking someone to the dr can be a pretty intimate thing.
I had excellent results with one Caregiver who was helping my Dad. She was more than happy to drive Dad to his doctor appointments and be in the exam room with him. Dad felt comfortable with her there. After the appointment the Caregiver would give me an update. She would also make the follow-up appointments and wrote them down on Dad's wall calendar.
My Dad was paying out of pocket for his caregivers who were from a licensed Agency. They were worth every penny. I was so glad Dad saved big time for this time in his life.
Hire a geriatric care manager for this purpose. True, they are more expensive than a companion, but they are professional and trustworthy. Additionally, they can advocate for your father during the appointment, like raising medical history questions, working with the doctor to identify best solutions for Dad, reporting symptoms, and assisting with appointment follow-up.
Go to aginglifecare and use their ZIP code search. Your area agency on aging may also have lists of local care managers. Best of luck!
Unless you hire someone to take care of him on a day-to-day basis who knows what his medical issues are, just sending anybody with him to the doctor to "take notes" is not a smart thing to do. If you have legal right to his medical information, you can always get a copy of the office notes to find out about the office visit. You're always better off going to the doctor's office with your father yourself.
Also, I don't know that anybody or any "service" would be comfortable doing something like this, as they would be acting as a "messenger" of medical information--and many elder "companions" don't have actual a sufficient amount of medical or healthcare experience to relay the proper information to you. If you need to know about your father's medical condition & what's going on to make decisions about his medical care, it would be negligent to rely on information coming from somebody like that for that purpose.
There are time when one has to hire a caregiver, a person who comes on a regular basis and knows her clients, and help out with doctor appointments.
One year my parents had 40 doctor appointment, many were follow-ups to follow-ups, hearing aid adjustments, dentist, eye doctors, eye glasses, etc. I was working full time and had used up all my vacation days, all my sick days, and I didn't want to touch my FMLA in case I needed it for myself [which I did due to my own serious illness]. Also had many days without pay. All this time off didn't sit well with headquarters and my career was in jeopardy.
Sometimes the DR office is good to work with. My uncle lives in smaller town in another state + his DR office will communicate with me by phone. He has given permission. My only problem was when I was on cruise with a time difference. They like to return calls at 4 pm their time, and of course my ship had sailed - literally. But with messages left, we got it accomplished. I have asked for copies of test results, etc so I could read or research the info so that is also an option. Find out who the assistant to the DR is, and have a conversation with that person as to what you would like after appointments with regard to communication. Sometimes there is a person serving as interface for patients - I forget what her title is at the office. I was there in person in November so we now have a 'face with a name' and I have met Dr. and some staff.
As far as getting to doctors, you can hire an aide or someone else to take them. As to medical information, I think you personally must find a way to give and get information from the medical people. I would not trust anyone to do this and I doubt they would be willing to do so. You might also want to contact the RSVP office in your county. They are the Retired Senior Volunteer Program and their volunteers will drive people without charge.
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 ConsumerFeedback@aplaceformom.com 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.
Midkid58 is right--you can hire a professional caregiver through a home care agency to accompany your father to his appointments. Many agencies offer transportation to and from appointments and for errands as well.
A Geriatric Care Manager (GCM) can also help with these things, and some home care agencies offer care management services in conjunction with hands-on care.
You can read more about these services in the articles below:
Home Health Aides Go Above and Beyond as “Appointment Companions”
https://www.agingcare.com/articles/home-health-aides-go-above-and-beyond-as-appointment-companions-186675.htm
Benefits of Hiring a Home Care Companion for an Older Adult
https://www.agingcare.com/articles/benefits-of-hiring-home-care-for-an-older-adult-182771.htm
How Geriatric Care Managers Can Help Busy Caregivers
https://www.agingcare.com/articles/geriatric-care-managers-help-for-elders-needs-138976.htm
For assistance with finding home care or a GCM, simply click "Find Care" in the blue navigation bar at the top of this page.
I hope this helps!
-AgingCareEditor
Most Geriatric Care Managers that I have seen have some medical training or background. This would be an advantage as they would ask the questions that you would ask.
A GCM will cost more than the caregiver from the agency but they also are there to help manage other aspects of care as well.
And as the old adage goes...ya get what you pay for.
I could NOT make decisions about her care, be mindful of that. I was simply the "ride" and the "scribe". And I did have written permission. And I did have a list of all her meds and I knew her well enough to know if she had been having new symptoms.
You have to have a LOT of trust to give this off to a "stranger".
I know of no such "service"--taking someone to the dr can be a pretty intimate thing.
My Dad was paying out of pocket for his caregivers who were from a licensed Agency. They were worth every penny. I was so glad Dad saved big time for this time in his life.
Go to aginglifecare and use their ZIP code search. Your area agency on aging may also have lists of local care managers. Best of luck!
Also, I don't know that anybody or any "service" would be comfortable doing something like this, as they would be acting as a "messenger" of medical information--and many elder "companions" don't have actual a sufficient amount of medical or healthcare experience to relay the proper information to you. If you need to know about your father's medical condition & what's going on to make decisions about his medical care, it would be negligent to rely on information coming from somebody like that for that purpose.
One year my parents had 40 doctor appointment, many were follow-ups to follow-ups, hearing aid adjustments, dentist, eye doctors, eye glasses, etc. I was working full time and had used up all my vacation days, all my sick days, and I didn't want to touch my FMLA in case I needed it for myself [which I did due to my own serious illness]. Also had many days without pay. All this time off didn't sit well with headquarters and my career was in jeopardy.
The hired Caregiver was a godsend for me :)
Find out who the assistant to the DR is, and have a conversation with that person as to what you would like after appointments with regard to communication. Sometimes there is a person serving as interface for patients - I forget what her title is at the office. I was there in person in November so we now have a 'face with a name' and I have met Dr. and some staff.
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