What
do most of us have in common? A pill box of assorted medications? We’re a
little slower but smarter? A sense we’ve all been through this before? Well,
yes. But what we also have in common is most of us have visited the Emergency
Room at least once during the last ten years. In fact, nationally, the number
of us “over 65’ers” account for more than 20 million ER visits annually.
But we
all know returning home from ER doesn’t mean everything is hunky-dory. There
can be serious consequences from an ER visit, and it is important to know how, as
a family member or friend, we can provide support once they return home.
In the
article “For Elder Health, Trips to the ER Are Often A Tipping Point” written
by Judith Graham for the Kaiser Health News, Dr. Kevin Biese, chair of the American
College of Emergency Physicians’ geriatric ER accreditation initiative, offers
these suggestions.
Make
sure your loved one’s medications are the same as in the hospital’s computer. And
don’t leave without knowing if any medications have been stopped or changed and
why.
Make
sure your loved one is comfortable. The average time a patient spends in an
emergency room in Oregon ranges from 88 to 238 minutes. Bring her eyeglasses or
any hearing-aid devices that can help keep her engaged. If there are
indications of pain, encourage her pain to be treated.
Know
what happened in ER including what tests were done and what treatments were
given. Before leaving know what diagnoses the staff reached and what kind of
follow-up is being recommended.
Communicate
effectively. When the nurse or doctor explains what to do when you return home,
repeat back what you heard to make sure you understood correctly. And don’t be
hesitant to ask any clarifying questions.
Follow
through. Ask about the next steps. Who is going to communicate with her regular
doctor about what happened in ER? And should a follow up appointment be
scheduled, and who should make it and when?
Finally,
the days after visiting ER are critical. If you can’t stay with your loved one,
continue to keep an eye on her. You may want to arrange for extra help even if
it’s only for a few days. (You can have meals delivered by Meals-on-Wheels.) Check
in frequently to make sure the plan of care from ER is working. Are her needs
being met, is her pain being adequately controlled (without the risk of
addiction) and is her mental condition normal?
The skilled
nurses and doctors in ER want to make sure your loved one is given excellent
care. But the emergency room visit is not the end, but just the beginning. It
is important that you are both the comforter and advocate, so your loved one receives
the best possible care during and after the emergency room visit.
I am scheduling
a series of art programs that would include activities offered by the Columbia
Center for the Arts and as well as documentaries about artists and various art
movements. If you want to be contacted about these future programs, send me
your name, phone number and email address.
I have
only four tickets left for the matinee performance of the brand-new production
of The Sound of Music at the Keller Auditorium in Portland on March 11th.
The ticket price is $75 including transportation. Call the Center to purchase
your ticket.
I
remember back during high school, before grading on the curve became the norm,
I had to score 95% to earn and “A”, and 88% to earn a “B”. But this week’s
winner of a quilt raffle ticket, Jim Ayers, (which will be raffled off at the
Center’s Cherry Festival Breakfast) (Oops, I mean the quilt, not Jim!)
remembers 92% would earn you an “A”.
For
this week’s “Remember When” question, in 1962 Marilyn Monroe sang a sultry “Happy
Birthday” to what world leader on his 45th birthday? Email your
answer to www.mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, leave a message at 541-296-4788 or drop
it off with a Jean Louis designed dress made of sheer, flesh-colored
marquisette fabric and embellished with over 2,500 hand-sewn crystals and 6,000
shimmering rhinestones.
Well,
it’s been another week telling myself, “Focus! Focus!”. Until we meet again, even
a blind pig can find an acorn once in a while.
“We
don’t see things as they are. We see them as we are.” Anaïs Nin
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