Your aging parents: What you need to know in case mom or dad has a medical emergency

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Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.
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Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?objectid=C48EF934-6B3A-476D-901147E125819E67
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Specializes in Hemodialysis, Home Health.

Great advice there ! I did know most of the needed info, but since I am so far away, I forwarded the link to my sis, who lives just south of her. Good to have these things written down and handy.

Thanx !!! :)

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Specializes in Hemodialysis, Home Health.

Great advice there ! I did know most of the needed info, but since I am so far away, I forwarded the link to my sis, who lives just south of her. Good to have these things written down and handy.

Thanx !!! :)

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Specializes in Hospice and palliative care.

Thanks, I found this very helpful. Will try to compile the info--hopefully I'll never have to provide it for emergency purposes!

Laurie

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Specializes in Hospice and palliative care.

Thanks, I found this very helpful. Will try to compile the info--hopefully I'll never have to provide it for emergency purposes!

Laurie

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Specializes in ORTHOPAEDICS-CERTIFIED SINCE 89.

Wow I needed a dose of that yesterday!

Mama had severe pain in her back. She is 40mi away from me, but just across the street from my sister. My sister just had a cervical spine fusion and was not supposed to drive.

Mama's doctor is 20 miles furthur for me. My sister decided she would drive Mama to a nearby doc in a box. Terrible idea.

I wish she'd get Mama a closer doctor....yesterday was awful. I cried all afternoon.

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Specializes in ORTHOPAEDICS-CERTIFIED SINCE 89.

Wow I needed a dose of that yesterday!

Mama had severe pain in her back. She is 40mi away from me, but just across the street from my sister. My sister just had a cervical spine fusion and was not supposed to drive.

Mama's doctor is 20 miles furthur for me. My sister decided she would drive Mama to a nearby doc in a box. Terrible idea.

I wish she'd get Mama a closer doctor....yesterday was awful. I cried all afternoon.

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P_RN: Nice to know I'm not alone in falling apart when it comes to my nearest and dearest!! This has been the most incredibly stressful week! My parent's family doctor just had back surgery, so he is not available. I took Dad to a walk-in-clinic, to see if the doctor there could be of any help re. his recent rather abrupt decline. She told me she thought he needed 24 hour care and supervision, and that I HAD TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR DOING THAT!!

It was a shock, I'm telling you. I talked it over with Mom, and she didn't see the need for it. He doesn't wander away from home, it's just that he's now having problems with continence, memory, and is moving soooo slowly. We decided to go with a PSW to help him with bathing and dressing every morning. If that doesn't work, we'll try it morning and evening.

Wish I could just quit my job and be there for them 24/7! :o

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P_RN: Nice to know I'm not alone in falling apart when it comes to my nearest and dearest!! This has been the most incredibly stressful week! My parent's family doctor just had back surgery, so he is not available. I took Dad to a walk-in-clinic, to see if the doctor there could be of any help re. his recent rather abrupt decline. She told me she thought he needed 24 hour care and supervision, and that I HAD TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR DOING THAT!!

It was a shock, I'm telling you. I talked it over with Mom, and she didn't see the need for it. He doesn't wander away from home, it's just that he's now having problems with continence, memory, and is moving soooo slowly. We decided to go with a PSW to help him with bathing and dressing every morning. If that doesn't work, we'll try it morning and evening.

Wish I could just quit my job and be there for them 24/7! :o

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Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

My Dad was in outpt unit for follow-up cysto due to bladder tumor found 17 yrs after first one when the urologist's RN called to say ultrasound showed 8CM triple Aneurysm---9:30 AM Friday while at work last Spring. Thank God I had 3 phone lines to work as I pulled all my contacts and had vascular surgeon personally review ultrasound 2 hrs later. Turned out it was 6CM wide and 8CM long--within 2 weeks he had endograft repair--threw a clot in L leg within 24 hrs was back in OR for thrombectomy-12" long clot removed--bled into foot/toes necrotic. What Dad thought was a 2-3 day stay was 10 day ordeal with subsequent rehospitalization for GERD and infected ft; reaction meds etc. Always had mom's info as frequent flyer but Dad had never been sick------arranged for homecare and 10weeks later foot healed without toe-loss.

I even carried my Grandmother's Living will with me the last 3 years of her life due to frequent ER visits. Have copies of my mothers too kept at home in case of Emergency as has clear DNR orders. Mother's sister was so impressed with the care I gave Nana she and her husband made me their medical POA and sent me copies of lining will too. Dad: I can't get him to write living will but his Docs last year were given explicit orders that I called the shots when hospitalized. Will need to remind parents next time in Dr's office to have them sign for me to have chart/telephone access due to HIPAA.

PLEASE BE PREPARED saves TON's of time when emergency strikes.

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Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

My Dad was in outpt unit for follow-up cysto due to bladder tumor found 17 yrs after first one when the urologist's RN called to say ultrasound showed 8CM triple Aneurysm---9:30 AM Friday while at work last Spring. Thank God I had 3 phone lines to work as I pulled all my contacts and had vascular surgeon personally review ultrasound 2 hrs later. Turned out it was 6CM wide and 8CM long--within 2 weeks he had endograft repair--threw a clot in L leg within 24 hrs was back in OR for thrombectomy-12" long clot removed--bled into foot/toes necrotic. What Dad thought was a 2-3 day stay was 10 day ordeal with subsequent rehospitalization for GERD and infected ft; reaction meds etc. Always had mom's info as frequent flyer but Dad had never been sick------arranged for homecare and 10weeks later foot healed without toe-loss.

I even carried my Grandmother's Living will with me the last 3 years of her life due to frequent ER visits. Have copies of my mothers too kept at home in case of Emergency as has clear DNR orders. Mother's sister was so impressed with the care I gave Nana she and her husband made me their medical POA and sent me copies of lining will too. Dad: I can't get him to write living will but his Docs last year were given explicit orders that I called the shots when hospitalized. Will need to remind parents next time in Dr's office to have them sign for me to have chart/telephone access due to HIPAA.

PLEASE BE PREPARED saves TON's of time when emergency strikes.

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