Many people take aspirin for heart health, but recent research suggest it may have several other health benefits. Studies published in the Lancet, and conducted by Professor Peter Rothwell and his colleagues at Oxford University found a daily dose of aspirin may significantly reduce the risk of several cancers. Subjects studied were found to have a 25 – 37% reduced risk of cancer. A separate study of more than 100 people, conducted over 5 years found scores on a standardized tests of memory and other cognitive skills increased slightly in women who took 75 to 150 milligrams of aspirin a day while test scores went down in those not taking aspirin. This preliminary cognitive research was presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference last year, but has not yet been subjected to further peer-reviewed study.

Always talk with your doctor before starting a daily aspirin regimen and make sure he or she is aware of all medications and supplements you’re taking. Your physician can best  determine if it is appropriate for you. He or she will need to evaluate any potential interactions, possible side effects and any other concerns. If you’ve previously consulted with your Doctor and are already taking a daily aspirin daily to reduce your risk of heart attack & stroke, it’s nice to know it may have other benefits.

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

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)

It’s not uncommon for patients coping with a chronic health condition to struggle with depression. In one study of ten common chronic conditions, researchers found the incidence of depression ranged from 16% of those with asthma to nearly 47% of people with chronic pain.¹ Meanwhile, caregivers juggle multiple responsibilities and have stress & frustration levels well above average. So, it’s no surprise that 40 – 70% of caregivers have symptoms of depression.²

Depression is a serious medical condition that certainly warrants discussion with your doctor. But, there are fairly simple things you can do that may also help boost your mood (along with any treatment your doctor may recommend.) Cognitive Therapists and others promote the benefits of positive thinking, but did you know that just by sitting up straight, you can increase the impact of positive thoughts? In a recent study at Ohio State University, researchers found that good posture significantly increases your confidence in your own thoughts.³

Welcome to the AccuPax blog! We started this blog last year as a service for our AccuPax Pharmacy customers (both caregivers & patients,) as well as friends and visitors to our site. AccuPax customers are a diverse group in terms of age, health and abilities, but they all have one thing in common. All our patients regularly take multiple medications for one or more chronic health condition and have found our innovative, single dose packaging helps them manage their medications. We designed our site and especially this blog as a way to provide useful information to improve the lives of our customers, their caregivers and anyone taking multiple medications on an ongoing basis. AccuPax Pharmacists & Pharmacist Techs are all experts on medication management and the challenges faced by people living with chronic conditions. In this blog, we help you address some of those challenges, while focusing on three main areas:

• Medication Management – Ideas for organizing & remembering your medications, coping with side effects & more.
• Living a Healthy Life – Information on living your best life including easy tips on making healthier choices.
• Saving Time & Money to Get More Out of Life – For patients & caregivers, coping with a chronic health condition is often time consuming and expensive. We give ideas for saving time & money, leaving you more of both to enjoy life.

Please leave comments! We encourage your input on our blog posts and we hope you’ll join the conversation. Add ideas about what works for you and ask questions.  And please let us know what topics you’d like to see covered in future posts. We truly hope you enjoy the blog and that you find new information that proves to be helpful.

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.

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.

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.)

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.

It turns out, doing good for others is good for you, too! Volunteering, doing good deeds, donating to charity or even just thinking about giving can improve your health. In one Harvard study, participating students watched a video of Mother Teresa, while a control group saw a video of people peeling potatoes. They were tested for levels of immunoglobulin Aa, a marker for immune function, and students who watched the Mother Teresa video had higher levels. Students were then asked to just think about helping others and their markers were also higher than the control group!

Both patients and caregivers can benefit from this research, even if you feel like you don’t have the time or the energy to do anything for anyone right now. Just think about something you’d like to do in the future; for someone you care about, or a way you’d like to help a charity or cause you support.

FOR DETAILS: For more on the health benefits of helping, see this article from Science Buzz. The source for the original Harvard study is:  McClelland, D., and C. Kirshnit. 1988. The effect of motivational arousal through films on salivary immunoglobulin. Psychology and Health 2:31-52.