4270 Fall 15

Planning the Celebration of Your Life - Pages 4 & 5
Your Link To Community Resources
Vol.17, No.3 A Publication of The Area Agency on Aging 1-B Fall 2015
Serving the counties of Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St.Clair and Washtenaw
Local authors offer sage caregiving advice based on expertise and experience
Become a strong and effective patient
advocate for someone you love
Consumer Reports conducted a survey in 2014 of 1,200 people nationwide who were recently hospitalized. Respondents who had a family member or friend advocate on their behalf during their hospitalization were 15% more likely to say that medical staff treated them with respect and 13% more likely to say that communication with hospital staff was easily understood.
Macomb county resident
Jill Gafner took on the role of caregiver in 1991, when her husband Bob was diagnosed with double lung cancer, which led to brain cancer. Jill was thirty-two with two children under age seven when the crisis struck.
“I went outside of the hospital and stood in the middle of the parking lot. Pitch dark, lots of stars, and I began questioning God. How can you do this to us?...I can’t take it anymore...You promised not to give us more than we can handle...At the time, I truly thought we were being punished,” Jill said. Over the next twenty one years, through trial and error, Jill would learn what it takes to become an effective caregiver, wife, mother and provider through a strengthening of love, faith, and a great sense of humor.
In an effort to help fellow caregivers, Jill penned a powerful 61-page book titled, “Personal Positioning for the Caregiver: Ways to Stay Mentally Healthy While Caring for Your Patient.” Jill explained how she was able to
Jill and Bob Gafner at an outing in 2009.
utilize her early dysfunctional beginnings, shift her attitude, and grow a sense of humor in order to sustain relationships with family and friends. Each of the book’s sub-sections offer empowering tips and positive insights.
“Now, 24 years later, I get it. God gave this to the Gafners because it may have destroyed another family. From our experience we are better people. From our experience I can influence thousands each year and give them hope to stay healthy and hang on,” Jill said. “Personal Positioning for the Caregiver” is available to purchase online at www.globaltrainingexperts.com for $12.00, which includes shipping.
Jill also discusses how she managed Bob’s episodes of dementia.
continued on page 2
A keen advocate can be an extra set of eyes and ears, overseeing all aspects of care. This can be crucial during transitional periods, during staff/shift changes or when a patient moves within the hospital to receive levels of care or testing; timeframes when mistakes are more likely to occur and information conveyed by staff is more likely to be misunderstood by the patient due to the flurry of activity.
Prior to a scheduled hospitalization, there are steps an advocate can take to help pave the way for a smoother experience:
Get started with some research
Review the hospital’s rating online to see how they compare with other area hospitals regarding the rate of readmission, cleanliness, risk of infection, surgery adverse events, etc. Visit www.hospitalsafetyscore.org or www.data.medicare.gov/data/ hospital-compare online.
Touch base with the hospital’s patient advocate or patient navigator on staff; their responsibilities can vary
per hospital. Find out how this key person can be of assistance during the upcoming hospitalization and add them to your contact list.
Have a conversation with your loved one
Set aside time for an in-depth discussion to assess needs, preferences and expectations so that you have a solid understanding and can advocate with confidence. A helpful, free tool titled, “Planning for your Peace of Mind,” is a 52-page downloadable guide available online at www.mipeaceofmind.org. It contains
a Michigan Statutory Will; Advanced Directives for Healthcare, with a Designation of Patient Advocate or Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care form; a financial portion with a form to log in pertinent information;
a medications section to list current prescription and over-the-counter drugs, along with dosage strength
and instructions; a chapter on final arrangements and organ donation; and blank pages in the back where
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Inside This Issue
Ask the Expert ........................................3
2015 Caregiver Expo Presentation Schedule..................................................4
Planning the Celebration of Your Life ......6 Same Address, Senior Care at Home........9
Diabetes and Fall Prevention
Workshops ............................................11
Review Your Medicare Plan ..................12
Area Agency on Aging 1-B
29100 Northwestern Hwy., Suite 400
Southfield, MI 48034 PAID
NON-PROFIT U.S. POSTAGE
SOUTHFIELD, MI PERMIT #90