Written by: Gina-Marie Reitano, Esq. Most of us are familiar with the terms Medicare and Medicaid, but we don’t necessarily know what the difference between them are. In a nutshell, Medicare is something everyone gets, either two years after being declared disabled by the Social Security Administration, or at age 65. This is the standard form of health care for the elderly, although there are many options and many versions, which will be explained […]
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Seniors Serving as Caregivers
The U.S. population is aging, and so are caregivers. Bob Tiller, an 80-year-old retired lobbyist for nonprofits, manages care for his 101-year-old mother. Both live in continuing care communities, he in Silver Spring, Md., and she in western Pennsylvania. If there is an emergency, Mr. Tiller gets the phone call and makes the five-hour drive. “I’m the one who is officially responsible, the one who has to make sure her income taxes are filed, and needs […]
Continue readingMedical Marijuana and the Elderly Patient
Medical Marijuana is of interest to readers of the Reverse Parenting Blog because it can be used to treat a number of conditions that plague the elderly, and can be used to reduce the total number of medications they are dependent upon. Marijuana (also pot, grass, weed, ganja) are the common names for the Cannabis plant, which has been used as a medicine for thousands of years. In fact, it was commonly used in […]
Continue readingWhat is Hospice?
There are many misconceptions about hospice, and these misconceptions deprive people from the compassionate services that Hospice provides to dying patients and their family members. Few things in life are guaranteed, but everyone is absolutely guaranteed to die at some point. Modern medicine has not eliminated death, it has only changed the length and quality of our lives. Hospice improves the quality and dignity of our deaths and helps us to retain our dignity in […]
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What’s the deal with “Omicron.”
No, it’s not another conspiracy. Omicron is the 14th letter of the Greek alphabet, and the different variants of the COVID virus are now being named with Greek letters, in the same way that hurricanes are named alphabetically. (2021 hurricane list of names: Ana, Bill, Claudette, Danny, Elsa, etc). Why the Greek alphabet? Why were Nu and Xi skipped? The Greek alphabet was selected because it is neutral, it doesn’t carry the emotional or political baggage of destination names (examples […]
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What happens if Mom or Dad insists on Leaving the SNF?
Nobody wants to be in rehab. But that doesn’t mean that rehab isn’t necessary sometimes, and it doesn’t mean that rehab is bad. It just means that people value their privacy (which isn’t available in SNFs), and they want to be in their own homes. It’s normal. So I view this in three categories: People who want to leave, and are able to care for themselves. People who want to leave but cannot physically care […]
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What Happens (Or SHOULD Happen) When Mom Goes to Rehab?
The days of holding patients in a hospital until they are cured are long gone. Patients are now discharged when they are “stable,” meaning that they are not actively dying. But stable, and able to go home are not the same thing. Frequently, patients are too weak to take care of themselves at home, or are not mentally capable of living alone. In those cases, patients are sent to a “Skilled Nursing Facility” (SNF) aka […]
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Pill bottles. Everywhere.
It’s a common sight for those taking care of their parents. But why do older patients have so many pills? It’s not a benign thing either—tens of thousands of elders are sickened or die from drug overdoses, side effects, and interactions every year. So how did mom and dad accumulate all of these drugs, and how do they keep them straight? Well the answer to the second question is easier so we’ll start with that […]
Continue readingThe Basics in Planning for Elderly Parents
The Basics in Planning for Elderly Parents The last members of the Baby Boom generation are caught in a difficult and unprecedented time. Our parents or other relatives are living longer, accumulating more, and sometimes needed care while we are still caring for our children. While the emotional, psychological and scheduling issues can be overwhelming, having the proper legal documents in order will allow for a smooth transition and avoid the confusion and expense that […]
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