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Category Archive: Resources

  1. MyBridge4Life; A Great Patient Resource

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    In previous posts, we identified some great sites for patients & caregivers (see the end of this post, for links.) One type of site makes it easy to connect with family & friends. They help you create a central source for the lastest updates on a hospitalized loved one (and avoid many individual phone calls from people checking on them,) simplify the process of coordinating people to provide home care, along with other helpful features. We also looked at online communities that help you connect with people experiencing similar health challenges for emotional support & to exchange info on treatment, medication, doctors etc. MyBridge4Life.com is an interesting site that combines aspects of both types of sites, plus some new features.

    MY BRIDGE 4 LIFE – OVERVIEW

    MyBridge4Life was founded by Roger Holzberg, a cancer survivor who is with the National Cancer Institute, and the site has partnerships with several well-known nonprofits including LiveStrong, the cancer fighting organization started in 1997 by Lance Armstrong.  MyBridge4Life offers a number of online tools, organized around 4 main features:
    1. My Bridge Plan – Learning you have a serious medical condition can be overwhelming, so the site helps you develop a personalized plan to manage your health. The plan guides you step by step to establish goals during each phase of the process; diagnosis, treatment, healing and well-being.
    2. My Community – Helps you leverage support from friends and family, fellow patients, healthcare providers and community members.
    3. My Bridge Book – Helps you create (from your online Bridge Plan) a printed journal to organize and track doctor’s appointments, treatments & medications, contacts, questions and more.
    4. Tips 4 Life – A database of information, ideas, tips and advice from people who have experienced the same challenges you’re currently facing.

    USING MY BRIDGE 4 LIFE

    • If you’re interested in MyBridge4Life, you can check out their home page:  MyBridge4Life.com
    • From the home page, you can register for MyBridge4Life and their online tools & services, which are all free. You can also watch a video about each of the 4 main areas identified above (each video is just over one minute long.)
    • If you’re not too comfortable using the internet, you may worry you’ll struggle with signing up & using the site’s online tools. If so, check out the MyBridge4Life Start Up Guide, a helpful guide you can download in pdf format. You may even want to print it and use it as you set up an account, fill-out your profile, develop your Bridge Plan, set up a blog, create your community and more.
    • The Start Up Guide contains explanation & background of each of the site’s features & tools, then provides step by step instructions and screen shots to guide you.
    • There’s no mention of (or link to) the Start Up Guide on the home page or the registration form, so if it sounds like it will make it easier for you to utilize the site, follow this link to download & print the guide:  MyBridge4Life Start Up Guide

    Please leave us a comment! What other types of online resources should we research & write about? What sites have you used and found most helpful?

    Links to previous blog posts mentioned above, in the first paragraph of this post:
    Top 4 Websites That Make it Easy to Connect With Family & Friends
    5 More Websites That Make it Easy to Connect With Family & Friends
    For Caregivers and Patients: Online Support & Educational Resources

  2. A Time-Saving Smartphone App for Patients & Caregivers: FastCustomer for iPhone & Android

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    Whether you’re calling your elderly Mother’s health insurance provider to follow-up on a rejected claim, or just calling to upgrade your cell phone plan, we’d all welcome a way to avoid waiting on hold. Patients & caregivers need to save time whenever possible, and Fast Customer is a smart phone app that can make waiting on hold a thing of the past for many of your calls.  It’s a free app for smartphones (iPhone & Android) and tablets (iPad & Kindle Fire,) plus they offer a text option for everyone else. Download it, and choose from a list of participating companies. If the company’s customer service desk is closed when you attempt a call, FastCustomer will let you know. If not, just click the “Have Someone Call Me” button. Then, close the app and you can get on with your life. It navigates through the company’s “phone tree” options to get to customer service and waits on hold until it gets a live person. At that point it calls you back and connects you with a live operator. Numbers you call a lot can be saved to your personal “short list” so they’re even easier to find next time. It almost sounds too good to be true, so you may have some questions…

    What kinds of companies can I reach with FastCustomer? They have listings for over 3,000 companies. For many patients & caregivers, it may be worthwhile just for calling your Health Insurance Provider. They have most major companies from Aetna, Assurant Health and Blue Cross, to United Health & Wellcare Health Plans. Other listings include:

    • Government agencies – There are numbers for Federal programs & agencies, like Medicare, TriCare, Veteran’s Affairs, National Cancer Institute, and Centers for Disease Control. State & local government listings include Aging & Independence Services of San Diego and the State of Oregon Department of Human Services. There are even listings for some state’s Department of Motor Vehicles! (You’ll still have to wait in line at the DMV to get your photo taken, but at least you’ll no longer have to wait on hold to call the DMV!)
    • Corporate Customer Service – They have listings for many big companies, in industries including: Airlines & Hotels; Internet, Phone, Cable TV & Utility providers; Banks, Credit Cards, Insurance & Financial Services; Retailers; Software & Computer companies and more.
    • Request to have a phone listing added – If you don’t see a listing for one of your most frequently called numbers, you can request they add it to their list.

    And it’s free? Are you sure this is legit? Will they send me ads , or sell my phone number? Ultimately, you have to decide if the app is right for you, but a number of factors are in their favor:

    • They have been praised by well known websites & media outlets. Time magazine named them one of the Top 10 Smartphone apps of 2011 and the app has positive reviews from Readers Digest, Mashable, CoolTechMom, New York Times & LifeHacker.
    • Their Privacy Policy (available on their site) states they’ll only use your phone number to direct return calls from the companies you tell them you want to reach.
    • The company was founded in February, 2011 and their first version of the app was for the iPhone. The app has a total of 295 user reviews in the iTunes store (where you can download it free.) The average rating is 4.5 stars (out of 5 stars.)
    • Their business model is to make money by helping companies improve customer service. The app is free for all users, and it’s free for companies to be added to their listings. They have premium (paid) business packages that provide extra services to companies looking to better manage incoming customer calls. Their plans do not include selling access to the individuals user, so you should not have a problem with ads, spam, or other unwanted contacts.

    If you’d like to try FastCustomer, you can download it from their website, FastCustomer.com.  Please leave us a comment! What other kinds of apps would you like us to research for you? What apps have you found, that you recommend for caregivers and patients?

    Related post:  For Caregivers and Patients: Time Saving Sites to Make Life Easier (includes info on GetHuman.com, a website to look-up phone numbers and information that helps you reach a real human much faster when calling thousands of companies)

  3. Where to Get Help With Medicare – Part 1: By Phone, Online & In Person

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    Several of our posts focus on specific areas of Medicare coverage, like in-home care or prescriptions, with links & resources for a specific topic. To get the most from your Medicare coverage & benefits, it’s also worthwhile to have some general resources for researching Medicare and getting your questions answered. Here are some ways to find help and access information:

    • Call Medicare at 800-MEDICARE (633-4227) 24 hours a day, every day. (TTY users: 1-877-486-2048.) * * See below for a “QUICK TIP” on the fastest way to get through to a real person when you call Medicare.
    • The Medicare website is Medicare.gov.  You can also try the site’s Help & Support section.
    • To verify coverage under an individual Medicare policy, use the Your Medicare Coverage page on Medicare.gov:
      1. Enter the policy ID number at the top of the page, then under #1, select your state.
      2. Under #2, scroll through the list & select up to 5 “coverage topics” (a specific service, item, or test.)
      3. Click “View Results >” to get coverage information specific to the policy ID # you provided.
    • Your local Area Agency on Aging can also help with Medicare questions. If you prefer to talk to someone in person, you can find a local Medicare counselor who will help you. There are three ways to find the nearest Area Agency on Aging office:
      1. Call an Information Specialist at Eldercare Locator: 800/677-1116 (Mon – Fri, 9 AM – 8 PM, Eastern Time.)
      2. Use the Eldercare Locator website, eldercare.gov (illustrated below.)On the homepage, locate the box called “Find Help in your Community.” The easiest way to find your local Area Agency on Aging is to enter your zip code in the “Search by Location” option on the left side of this box. (Note: if you use the “Search by Topic” feature, found to the right of “Search by Location,” you get national, not local information. You can only search by location or topic, but not both. Once you identify your local Area Agency on Aging, they can provide local info, resources & referrals on specific topics.)
      3. The national site for Area Agencies on Aging, n4a.org lists all the local agencies. Just click on your state near the top to see a list of agencies in your state: List of Member Agencies, by State (Note: This provides a list of all the agencies in your state. It may not be immediately clear which agency is closest to you, so you may prefer to search by zip code using the “Search by Location” option listed in B, above.)

    Eldercare.gov Can Help You Find a Medicare Counselor at Your Local Area Agency on Aging

     

    * *  lQUICKlTIP - TO TALK TO A REAL PERSON RIGHT AWAY & AVOID ANSWERING QUESTIONS FROM THEIR AUTOMATED SYSTEM; THE WEBSITE GETHUMAN.COM (WHICH WE TOLD YOU ABOUT HERE) SUGGESTS THE FOLLOWING: AFTER DIALING 800-633-4227, SAY “AGENT” OR HIT ZERO (“0”) AT EACH PROMPT. EVERY TIME THEY ASK FOR INFORMATION (MEDICARE #, SOCIAL SECURITY #, REASON FOR CALLING, ETC) SAY “AGENT” OR PRESS “0″ INSTEAD OF GIVING THE INFORMATION REQUESTED. THIS WILL QUICKLY ROUTE YOU TO A REAL, LIVE CUSTOMER SERVICE AGENT.

  4. Another Great Caregiver Resource: The Well Spouse Association

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    Well Spouse Association • (WellSpouse.org) . . The Well Spouse Association advocates for and supports people caring for a chronically ill and/or disabled spouse or partner. They educate health care professionals and the general public about the special challenges and unique issues “well” spouses face every day. They are especially strong in providing peer support in a wide variety of forms. To access all their programs, you need a Supporting Membership, starting at $30. They are sensitive to the financial demands on caregivers and offer several options for those on a tight budget. If you cannot afford their full membership dues, you can pay what you are able to (minimum $5) for a Supporting Membership. They currently offer a free Supporting Membership for Military Spousal Caregivers. Or, you can become a Non-Supporting Member which is free for the first year.

    Non-Supporting Member benefits include:

    • Full access to the many active forums on their website.
    • Basic Access to the many resources on their website. Their site has audio and video programs ranging from a presentation by a Family Therapist on “Dealing with a Difficult Spouse” to excerpts from a very funny speaker on the power of humor, at their National Conference. You’ll also find interesting quotes, stories and blogs written by caregivers. The site also has many resource lists including books, TV shows, websites and programs of interest to caregivers.

    In addition to the benefits above, Supporting Member benefits include:

    • Local and national events.
    • A network of nearly a hundred local support groups, located in throughout the United States and Canada.
    • Respite events designed to provide a chance for caregivers to relax and recharge.
    • A mentoring program that matches experienced caregivers with individuals who have recently taken on the role of caregiver.
    • “Round Robin” letter writing groups that serve as support groups for those unable to attend local support groups in person.

    What other caregiver websites or organizations have you found to be helpful? Please leave a comment below and tell us about them.

  5. Finding the Right Doctor for You – Part 1

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    RESEARCHING DOCTORS – PART 1 . . Choosing a doctor, hospital and pharmacy are critical decisions directly impacting health. The right doctor can help identify the best treatments for a chronic medical condition, and it’s symptoms, so you can live life to the fullest. The best hospital can have a positive affect on health and provide peace of mind for the loved ones of the individual hospitalized. The right pharmacy can make managing one’s medications easier, which helps manage chronic health conditions, and often makes symptoms much more tolerable. Over several posts, we’ll identify strategies and resources for finding the best health care providers. We first look at finding the best doctor for your needs. Even if you’re really happy with your Primary Care Physician, you’ll likely need a second opinion, or a specialist at some point. And if you’re not sure your current doctor is a good fit, the right research tools are even more important in helping you identify and evaluate potential doctors. Here are some suggestions:

    STEP ONE – ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS & FIND OUT WHAT KIND OF DOCTOR YOU NEED.

    • If you need a Primary Care Physician, most people see a General Practioner, Family Doctor or Internist. For Seniors, also consider a Geriatrician. Geriatricians are board-certified in family or internal medicine with additional training & experience in Geriatrics, which focuses on treating older adults. A Geriatrician is likely to have more experience with the types of conditions most often affecting Seniors. They also may be more attuned to the unique challenges of managing multiple health conditions & multiple medications and to the unique ways they affect older adults.
    • If you need a Specialist, identify all your options. If your Father’s Arthritis has become more painful, and is limiting his activities, your current doctor will probably suggest a Rheumatologist. But you can learn more if you follow-up with, “Are there other specialists we should consider?” For example, they may refer you to a Physiatrist (Doctor of Physical & Rehabilitation Medicine) who might suggest Physical Therapy, an Orthopaedic Surgeon to evaluate your Dad as a candidate for joint replacement surgery, and / or to an Anesthesiologist specializing in Pain Management.

    STEP TWO – GET RECOMMENDATIONS

    Good Sources Of Recommendations

    • Your current doctor(s) and other health care providers.
    • Friends, family, neighbors and co-workers.
    • Local support groups you attend can be a great source for specialists when dealing with a specific health condition. You can also post in online forums and ask for recommendations within your local area. (For ideas on finding local and online support groups, see our earlier post on Online Support Resources.)

    Other suggestions when asking for recommendations:

    • Ask about specific qualities most important to you, like a doctor open to discussing alternative treatments, or a practice with a reasonable wait time.
    • Doctors may give somewhat generic recommendations, based on which doctors are in their building, or in the same health system with them. It can be helpful to rephrase your question something like this: “I’ve really been struggling with the _______ related to my condition & having a hard time finding a doctor who _________. If your mother was in this situation, who would you suggest she see?”

    STEP THREE – CONSULT THE DIRECTORY OF PARTICIPATING DOCTORS FOR YOUR HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN. Try to identify several doctors from various recommendation sources, then check to see if they participate with your health plan. If applicable, check to see if they are In-Network or Out-Of-Network.

    Now that you have a few doctors to consider, our next post will look at additional research you can do, to help you narrow down your choice.

    Sources:  American Geriatric Society ( http://www.americangeriatrics.org/,) Aging In The Know (http://www.healthinaging.org) and Everyday Health (http://www.everydayhealth.com.)

  6. National Family Caregivers Association – A Great Resource Just For Caregivers

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    There are numerous organizations for caregivers, including several nonprofits providing educational resources, emotional support and legislative advocacy. We plan to highlight some of the best organizations, and give you a sense of some of the most valuable services and resources offered by each one. The first featured organization is the National Family Caregivers Association. Look for more caregiver organizations to be highlighted in future blog posts.

    The National Family Caregivers Association (NFCA) • (TheFamilyCaregiver.org) . . The National Family Caregivers Association was founded to educate, support and empower people who care for parents, children, spouses and other relatives with a chronic illness or disability or the frailties of old age. One of the strongest parts of their website is the resources section, which includes:

    • Tips & Tools – Their own guides to topics like Support Groups, Choosing a Nursing Home, Improving Doctor – Caregiver Communications, The Stress of Family Caregiving and Tips for When Your Loved One is Hospitalized.
    • Agencies and Organizations – A list of hundreds of websites and resources in categories of interest to Caregivers including insurance, Medicare, disease-specific health and medical information, eldercare, Assisted Living, Nursing Homes, Hospice, homecare, medical transportation, respite care, and much more.
    • CCAN – Caregiver Community Action Network – A network of dedicated state and local volunteers created to provide vital information, education, and support to other caregivers in their local communities.
    • Health Information – Helpful information on specific diseases, conditions, and symptoms for both the caregiver and the person they are caring for. Topics include Caregiver Stress, Alzheimer’s Disease, Hearing Loss and Pain Management.
    • More – NFCA Publications, Quarterly Newsletter, and more.

    Membership in the NFCA is free if you are a family caregiver to a spouse, partner, parent, child, sibling, or friend who is chronically ill, disabled, or aged. In addition to their great resources section, NFCA also offers several ways for caregivers to connect and share support, both in person, and online. These programs are detailed on their Connecting Caregivers page. They also have other educational programs, important advocacy programs and more, all of which you can check out on their website.

    Do you know of other websites or organizations for caregivers we should feature in upcoming posts? Please leave a comment about them.

  7. Disposing of Old Medications at Home

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    If you are unable to find the type of drug take-back program discussed in our previous post, here’s what you need to know to safely dispose of your medication at home:

    1. As a general rule, do not put expired medications down the drain or in the toilet, to prevent any adverse impact on animals and the environment. There are however, exceptions to this guideline. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends disposal by flushing for a small number of very specific medications. These medications may have a high potential for abuse or can be very harmful if they are used by someone other than the person they were prescribed for.
    2. All other medications can be carefully disposed of with your regular household trash. The SMARXT DISPOSAL* program recommends:
    • Add water to solid medications (tablets, capsules, etc.), to dissolve them. Then, pour the medication into a sealable plastic bag.
    • Mix in something to make it less appealing to pets and children. Examples include cat litter, sawdust or coffee grounds.
    • Seal up the bag and place it in the trash.
    • When disposing of medication containers, be sure to remove and shred labels and any other identifying personal information before you recycle them or throw them away.

    * The SMARXT DISPOSAL TM public awareness campaign is a partnership between the American Pharmacists Association, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. You can find more information on the  SMARXT DISPOSAL website.

  8. The Best Way to Dispose of Old Medications

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    In the past, you may have disposed of old medications by tossing them in a trash can, pouring them down the drain, or flushing them down the toilet. However, there are concerns about those methods. Children or animals can find medicines in the trash and could be seriously harmed by ingesting them. Research by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) shows that water treatment plants may not be able to remove all traces of medicines from our water when they are disposed of in our water system. This water contaminated with these medications may harm fish and wildlife.

    The best best way to dispose of old medications is to take them to a drug take-back program sponsored by law local enforcement. You can contact law enforcement at the city, county or state level to find out about programs in your area. If you don’t find a program in your city, look into programs in neighboring communities. There is also a federal program held in the Spring and Fall. National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is Saturday, October 29, 2011, from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm. The event is designed to provide a venue for people who want to dispose of unwanted, unused or expired prescription drugs. You can find details on the Drug Take Back Day website. You can search for the location nearest you on their Site Search page.

    If you are unable to find a drug take-back program, our next post will outline how to safely dispose of medication at home.

  9. EXPIRED MEDICATIONS: Is it Ever Okay to Take Them?

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    Checking medications for expiration datesIS IT EVER OK TO TAKE EXPIRED MEDICATIONS?

    The safe option is simply to throw out anything past it’s expiration date, period. The manufacturer cannot guarantee the potency & safety of the medication past this date and the FDA recommends tossing all expired medications. While some research indicates certain (but not all) medicines may remain safe and effective past the expiration date, it’s better to be cautious and throw it out. Our next blog post will cover the best way to dispose of old medications to protect your family as well as pets and wildlife. If you’re still tempted to take expired medication, here are some considerations to keep in mind.

    • Some old medications may become toxic, including some antibiotics & seizure drugs.
    • While not all old medications become toxic, others will lose their effectiveness, so consider how crucial a particular medication is to your health.
    • If the medication is not one you are currently taking, check with your Doctor or Pharmacist to make sure it’s still safe & appropriate for you to use. They’ll need to consider your current medical condition and other medications you’re taking.
    • Medication stored in a warm, moist environment (like a bathroom) or exposed to sunlight will degrade more quickly.
    • Some medicines may change texture, color or smell. A cream or liquid may separate, and old aspirin can develop a rancid odor. Such changes indicate the chemical breakdown of the drug and they should definitely be disposed of immediately.
    • To see if a drug has been recalled, or has an FDA Safety Alert go to:
    • If you’re still thinking about using an expired drug, talk to your Doctor or Pharmacist and get their input on the above considerations and any other concerns they have.

    Please leave a comment and let us know if you have questions about old medications or safe medication use.

    Additional posts on related topics:

  10. OLD MEDICATIONS – How to Identify Old Pills & Decide What to Throw Out

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    Old pills and other medications may be cluttering your medicine chest because you’re not sure what they are, if they are still safe to use, or how to dispose of them. Here’s how to determine what you have and what to dispose of.

    THE SAFEST, EASIEST OPTION

    • The safest, easiest option is to dispose of any medication that is past it’s expiration date. However, in many cases, experts do not advise simply throwing old medications in the trash. Please see our post, “The Best Way to Dispose of Old Medications” for details.
    • Prescription medications should always have the expiration date printed on the pharmacy label.
    • Over-the-counter medicine usually has an expiration date both on the outer box, and on the bottle or blister packs.
    • If you can’t find an expiration date, or the medication has been removed from it’s packaging, you should throw the medication away unless you are certain you purchased it within the past year.

    FOR MORE INFORMATION ON CURRENT PILLS OUT OF THEIR PACKAGING

    You may have medication you remember purchasing in the past year, that was removed from the bottle. It may have been packed for travel, or stored in a pill box, pill sorter or even a plastic bag. Since many medications are similar in size, shape and color, it’s important to verify what type of medication it is. Even if the pills are still in their original bottle, you may not have the package insert with additional information that originally came with it. This includes details on why the medication was prescribed, warnings of other medications or health conditions that could be a problem when taking the medication, possible side effects and other important information. Here are some tips and resources on how to research your medication to identify it if needed and how to find package insert information.

    Additional posts on related topics: