12 / 16
12
VITALITY
Fall 2016
COMMUNITY
Bridge the
distance
5 tips for long-distance
caregiving
You live far away
from an increasingly
frail or ill loved one. And you wonder:
How can I help from such a distance?
Caregiving is a challenge under the
best of circumstances. It’s even more so if
you’re not close by. Still, there are ways to
help watch out for your loved one’s well-
being from afar. Here are five key ones:
1}
Reach out to people who live
near your loved one.
With your
loved one’s OK, put together a list
of people who can be your eyes
and ears in your absence. They can
let you know how your loved one
is managing. Consider neighbors,
friends and doctors—anyone who has
regular contact with your loved one.
2}
Check out local services.
At Citizens
Memorial Hospital (CMH), our
Home Care Services team provides
individualized, physician-supervised
health care and rehabilitation
therapy for the homebound patient,
who would otherwise be unable to
receive medical attention, in a warm
environment. For more information
about CMH Home Care Services,
call
417-326-3585
or visit
www.citizensmemorial.com .3}
Pitch in.
Even if a nearby sibling
or other relative is caring for your
loved one, you can still be a huge
help. For example, you might
manage your loved one’s bills and
paperwork. You can also track
down medical information about
your loved one’s health problems or
line up professional caregivers.
4}
Look over your schedule too.
See if you can pay a visit and
temporarily take over the care of
your loved one so your relative can
recharge.
5}
Make the most of time together.
When you do visit, pay careful
attention to how your loved one is
managing. Is he or she keeping up
with chores? Still socializing? Taking
medicine as directed?
See if your loved one needs more
help—and arrange for it right away if
his or her safety is at risk. Be sure to
Home Health Services
CMH Home Health
113 E. Broadway
Bolivar
417-326-3585
CMH Hospice
113 E. Broadway
Bolivar
417-326-3585
CMH Homemaker Plus
113 E. Broadway
Bolivar
417-326-4357
CMH HealthTransit
417-777-5165
CMH Home Medical
Equipment
1915 S. Springfield Ave.
Bolivar
417-326-3584
MULTIPLE PRESCRIPTIONS
make it hard to keep
doses straight.
VISION PROBLEMS
can make it hard to
read the label.
SIDE EFFECTS
can lead people
to skip doses.
COST
can make people cut
back on their medicines.
MEMORY PROBLEMS
can lead to missing a dose.
SEEING MORE
THAN ONE DOCTOR
can lead to duplications.
Source: National Council on
Patient Information and Education
Older adults often take
their medicines incorrectly.
Here are some common
reasons:
MEDICINE MISTAKES
➜
quickly alert your loved one’s doctor
to any worrisome health changes,
including any signs of depression. And
when in doubt, speak up.
Sources: AARP; National Institute on Aging
Services we offer
»
»
Professional nursing.
»
»
Physical, speech and
occupational therapy.
»
»
Home health aide.
»
»
Medical social services.
»
»
Certified nursing assistants.
»
»
CMH contact on-call 24 hours
a day.
HEALTH CARE