Don't Assume Your Loved One is in Good Hands

My Mom, who is 79 years of age, just had a shoulder replacement. She fell on uneven pavement while in Virginia during Christmas holiday. When she was taken to the emergency room at Mary Washington Hospital, she had an x-ray and was told that she would not need any surgery. It would heal.

When she got back to Colorado where she lives, we took her to the doctor who did her hip replacement two years ago. We really like him and trust his opinion. The doctor said she needed surgery on that arm right away. He said her shoulder was broken in four places. Of course, he did many more x-rays than just one so that he could see the whole picture.

We felt like we wanted to get a 2nd opinion so a dear friend of the family recommended an orthopedic surgeon her son had used when he had a biking accident. We made an appointment and found out she did need surgery as soon as it was possible. Dr David Schneider did the surgery and we were very pleased with him.

Our family friend and I were in the hospital with her since she had the surgery and only left to go home to sleep. I had to leave once to take care of an emergency at home.

As you know, there are those who are great at their jobs in every profession. If someone were not there with my Mom, we really aren't sure how it would have turned out. She was in pain and had asked for pain meds every four hours as the doctor had told her to. The nurses also said it is easier to stay on top of the pain than to catch up to it.

Well, there were times when we had to chase down a nurse (her nurse) to remind her of how much time had elapsed since the request of the medication. We also had to remind the nurse to come back with ice as Mom was told to use the ice as much as possible over the incision. This seemed to be standard procedure for this particular nurse, every time she was on duty.

The day after the surgery, the therapists came in and told us Mom would have to leave after one night in the hospital. Medicare would not pay for two nights. At that point, the nurses stopped coming in to check on her. We had to get in touch with the doctor and request another night's stay in the hospital. That is what he originally said was needed. It took most of the day to get the request handled.

So, we had to make sure her nurse would come into the room to give her what was needed for her to be comfortable.

This hospital is supposed to have the best standards in the US for an orthopedic ward. Can you imagine one that is considered below average?

I just want to tell you not to assume that your loved ones will be taken care of if they are in the hospital. Overall, the treatment was good but as much as we want to believe they are all great at their jobs and love what they are doing, it isn't always the case.

We have found that because my Mom is so healthy as a 79-year old lady, and not on a bunch of prescription meds, that she is not the "normal" person her age. They all want to make her into their profile of someone who just listens and does everything the doctor says, whether it is good for her or not.

This has been a trying time for me but I am thankful I was able to drop everything to be with her and see to her recovery. Our parents deserve the best we can do.

Exercise For Your Brain by Susan Tolles

One inarguable fact of aging—the older we get, the fuzzier our brains get. Whether it’s from hormonal imbalances, years of multi-tasking, or just plain being tired, our memory fades and we find it harder to concentrate on the smallest tasks.

We enter a room and wonder “why did I come in here?” We forget to put on our mascara before going out, and we can’t remember the names of people we’ve known for years.

To keep our brains healthy, we are encouraged to “exercise” them regularly. Things like learning a new language, doing crossword puzzles or playing scrabble, painting, or even reading will strengthen our brain muscle fibers and keep those neurotransmitters healthy.

An interesting exercise to stimulate your senses and give your brain a good workout is called “non-dominant handwriting,” and it is a great way to really stretch your mind and challenge it to be creative in new ways. You might even be surprised at how your subconscious mind directs your answers and gives you new insight into your “inner self.”

To read more about how to keep your brain working as you age, CLICK HERE