National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers 2009

I am just back from Chicago where I spoke on forgiveness in the aging family, based on a chapter in my book Care Managers Working With the Aging Family by myself and Dr Fred Luskin of Stanford , at the national conference of National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers .

My new book Care Managers Working With the Aging Family , can be ordered on my web site www.aging411.com

The positive response my talk received was humbling. Everyone who is in the aging family can reach back in their mind and find a wound. If it has not healed then forgiveness a potent tool to let the planes land as Dr. Fred Luskin,says in his book Forgive for Good, Harper Collins 2003.


Walking with a cane until my hip can be replaced ,the warmth of the many friends I have in GCM - some for over twenty-five years -touched my heart and kicked my spirits up a notch in these trying medical times I walk through.

What Happened to My Hip Replacement and How Electronic Medical Records would have Helped

For those of you who wonder- what happened to me having my hip replaced- Here is the story.

I have had some new medical problems that prevented the operation. They should be on their way to being fixed by now. But I’d also like to tell you about how the local health care system, in it’s collapsed state, affected the delay in my hip replacement and why we have to fix health care.

I had a test in a local hospital but even though it is in the same town, that hospital could not electronically connect with my health care group It took two weeks for the hospital to get the snail mail results to my physician . I ranted about electronic medical records while waiting for the procedure ,to nurses who were as frustrated as me.
I have moved my care to Stanford, with the help of Dr. Rita Ghatak, who wrote a chapter in my last book Care Managers Working With the Aging Family. You can imagine why. But the story gets worse

My wonderful daughter Jill, drove me to Stanford because my hip is so bad I can’t drive for over an hour.
I was told to go to the local medical practices ‘ radiology department first to pick up a CD and take to my new Stanford doctor. Sure enough, when I arrived to pick up the CD’s ,the CD machine was broken.
When we arrived at my appointment at Stanford, none of my medical records from my local medical group had been sent to Stanford. Thankfully, the Stanford doctor took me, but had little to go on as the x-rays were not available and he had no medical records ,
Thankfully I have great take- charge daughters . Jill got on the phone and harassed the local medical practice enough to get them to fax up my medical records. They refused to electronically send the x-rays.
After my appointment at Stanford, my medical practice was to mail my x-rays to my new hospital system - Stanford- . They mailed them to the wrong address three times. I had to wait nervously for the results for two weeks , when yes again, with electronic medical records, they would have had them there in a flash.
So , I am now using a cane, my hip is not yet replaced but electronic medical records would have saved huge anxiety and pain on my part.
I n spite of all this I am going to Chicago Friday to speak at the National Assoc of Geriatric Care Mangers Conference . I will speak on Saturday on forgiveness.
I do need to forgive the local blundering medical systems for not being able communicate via electronic medical records and having broken health care machines and systems. I’m working on that.

Personal Health Care Records (PHR) Products for the aging Family

If you have an older family member and are considering a computer generated personal health care record (PHR) , this is for you. Here are some reasons why you should select a computer generated personal health care record ( PHR) over paper.

In my blog of March 15th , I talked about keeping an older persons health information in a binder, or unplugged In my blog of March 23 I talked about inputting an older person’s health records into your own computer . That was an alternative- Go electric.

This is a third choice- - choose on line personal health care record program from the web

.As I said in my March 23 blog, there are perhaps 150 PHR’s on line to choose from . The forms are already there so you don’t have to invent them and there are many other great reasons to choose an on- line PHC record program.

➢ You can make changes and update information in the PHR , like medication, in a flash .As an example, every time a medication changes, you don’t have to print out a new sheet, for the binder and maybe even mail it to family members

➢ Families can work together to solve the older person problems, by having a PHR on line. Everyone in the family, who has a computer, no matter where they live, can have access to the PHR.

➢ Emergencies with older person can be solved in a better faster way . All members of the family care team can have access to the older person’s information with the older person’s permission. You can do this through a legal health care proxy . You can then grant information o the doctor, emergency room personal, EMT’s

➢ Example : if you are out of town and your older relative ends up in the hospital, and her Dr. has access of line, a real emergency can be solved .
➢ Case example
➢ Becca’s daughter Jill is out of town when her mother becomes ill and ends up in the local the Emergency Room. The doctor needs to know her medications; medical history and that Jill is legally her Healthcare Surrogate and can make decisions for Becca .The physician calls daughter Jill’s cell phone . Jill tells him to go on-line at Personal health records.com, click on the emergency sign and enter her name and password. The doctor is so pleased to find the answers to his questions as well as copies of Becca’s Advanced Directives. This fast and accurate access to information brings about a level of safety not available in the past.

➢ Families can add documents quickly by just scanning them into the personal health record product

➢ Having person health care records on line makes the documents portable and accessible

➢ Long distance family members can really benefit by PHR’s ..They can learn the questions to ask, overcome distance challenges, reduce time and expense while spending more time with your family.

➢ Many sites also how libraries on line . This allows families who may be spread near and far, to browse through many categories and articles until you find the ones that you need.

➢ Many sites also have Family Chat & Forums. They can share, learn and have fun with other members and their families as you discuss and solve family situations

In my new book Care Manager’s Working With the Aging Family, 2nd edition, Jones and Bartlett( just go to my web site www.aging family411.com to order), we have a chapter on technology for the long distance family written by Julie Menack.

Julie covers personal health record products . She discusses Life Ledger. The link is below.
Life Ledger: www.elderissuespro.com


But there are hundreds of products including a one made by goggle https://www.google.com/accounts/ServiceLogin?service=health&nui=1&continue=https%3

Microsoft has a PHR called Vault http://www.healthvault.com/Personal/index.html?gclid=CJePlILC4ZkCFRwDagodUxSNVg

Just google personal health records and shop around. It is a great idea for the aging family.