AUTOMATING OLD AGE – health care

Urgent Care

Health care must be automated. The geezer is no longer able to remember what to do as far as health care is concerned. He must rely on systems that automatically make sure that he gets the care that he needs. In addition, he needs a mentor to have a health care power of attorney so that there is a third-party checking up on the geezer.

The following can be scheduled or fixed so that little or no thought is required.

1. Dental appointments  –  Every six months.
2. Primary care/physicals at least annually
3. Flu shots – annual
4. Social groups – at least weekly
5. Day care – as required – transportation will be needed
6. PACE – Program for All Inclusive Care for the Elderly is a Medicare and Medicaid program available to Medicare recipients where available that includes everything you need from Adult Day Care, nursing home care, drugs,  to hospitalization. In Albuquerque it is available and should be checked.
7. Pill box – As many pills as old people seem to take, some organization is necessary. The geezer can’t deal with a bunch of bottles. I need the pills to be sorted by day, so that if I can figure out what day it is, I can find the right pill; maybe!
8. Telephone speed dial – cellular – I can’t remember phone numbers; so I put the few I need on speed-dial.
9. Life Alert – I will fall. I need someway to call for help if I can’t get up. However, I find that most people forget to wear them when needed the most; like, in the shower, or getting the morning paper in the snow.
10. Identity bracelet – weld shut – use super glue to lock it on the wrist. Old people have a special ability to remove bracelets, much like criminals in monitored release programs.
11. Door alarms – if a spouse/partner has dementia, you want an alarm/lock on the door to alert you when they leave or to keep them from leaving. The escaping spouse always leaves when you are in the bathroom.
12. Neighbors – The best protection comes from neighbors who keep an eye on you.
13. Urgent care centers – A better source for minor problems and triage, than waiting for hours in an emergency room.
14. Refrigerator Instructions – Tape your meds list, doctor’s name, “Do Not Resuscitate notice,” people to notify list and other information for Emergency Responders. The refrigerator is where they look.
15. Canary Home Security System – This is a cheap camera that you can put in your home so that your mentor/kid can check on you with his/her cell phone. It also beeps if something unusual occurs. The videos are kept for 24 hours so that you can monitor them. Just remember that this is a privacy invasion and no one wants to look at a nude 76-year-old.

Interesting sites;

1. Life Hacker
2. Aging in Place
3. Amazon.com

THINK OLD!