I told you in that first post that I was a teacher. I am not a nurse. A mom, but not a nurse. Bandaid expert, but I consult Google for all things medical, because……I am NOT a nurse. I still can get confused about the difference between Advil, Tylenol, and Ibuprofen.
My husband and I realized there was a very large learning curve. When we took that first step into the curve, we entered the world of home health care. Because we could not get our mother in or out of the car without great difficulty, we recognized going to doctor appointments was out of the question. We started with one company and they responded with quality and effective care. After a year, a change in management, a stream of P.A.’s quitting, and lack of response to keep prescriptions up to date, we began a new search for a new company. We finally found one that came with great recommendations and have been more than happy with them.
Next we began to call around to companies that provided senior help at home so we could have a break a few times. It took a few months of a merry-go-round of caregivers before we found a winner. I would recommend Senior Helpers in Kansas City any day of the week. I think they pay more than some, they provide training, and they work hard every day to be the best. I know they have a lot of clients, but when we call, they know we are Marjory’s caregivers and family. They’ve won all kinds of awards. Our caregiver is young, has great experience and has helped us learn so much.
The third big part of moving through the learning curve was to find a reliable and reputable transport to take us in for scans that can’t be done at home. We’ve had blood draws and x rays at home but some scans require the use of large machines. After about eight phone calls to companies that did not seem to know what they were doing or charging, I finally talked to a retired couple who had their own special van for transporting disabled and elderly patients. They were a healthy break in the conversation and we hired them. They were just as they seemed, reliable, kind, and helpful. The costs runs pretty much the same across the reputable companies. When we had an ice storm and everyone was rescheduling, they could not work us in, but recommended two other companies that turned out to be great as well. It is not cheap, and insurance will not pay for non-emergency transport unless you require an ambulance, but something necessary for us to manage.
As we maneuvered through this curvy path, our training wheels, our support, our “call a friend,” was my husband’s sister, Joyce. She explained what I did not understand, made herself available by phone at meetings when there were decisions that had to be made, and took the responsibility of discussions with doctors when it concerned treatment options.
We have not gone solo yet, and I am sure we will never do so. Our “training wheels” keep us balanced so we can continue this ride to the end.