It happened again today. I was on the phone with a case manager from Mom's insurance company discussing Mom's many maladies, and the lady on the other end of the phone asked if I was a health care professional. This isn't the first time, the second time, or even the fifth time I have been asked this by nurses, doctors, and others in the medical field. I don't think I am particularly knowledgeable about things, I do educate myself where I feel it necessary but it makes me wonder just how stupid ignorant the general public is about basic healthcare. I'm really good at Google so when I'm given information I Google it. I read up on reputable sites, sometimes I( gasp ) READ A BOOK and educate myself on the ins and outs of diagnosis and treatments of XY or Z. I don't think I do an excessive amount of digging around for things, and after scarring the hell out of myself a few times I don't Google things the doctor may have said on a hunch. I would like to be a fly on the wall in the average doctor's office for a day - or maybe I wouldn't, I might strangle a person who doesn't know the basic function of their organs or why one shouldn't eat bacon three times a day.
Today I decided I'm just going to take over Mom's stuff. I don't really care if she likes it or not. She is not making good decisions, isn't trying to take care of herself, and generally a nightmare to deal with. Last week she moved back over to her house and hasn't done a damn thing except sit and smoke. Today was the first day I've seen her in clothes. She made some sort of cinnamon stick thing out of a can on Sunday, the leftovers are still sitting on her stove Wednesday - uncovered and stale. I've gone over and done a few loads of laundry for her and she hasn't bothered to put the clean clothes away and her bedroom is honestly worse than both of the boy's room combined. After harping at her all week I took the bull by the horns and called a home health agency and they are going to send a housekeeper / sitter out four hours a week. I was surprised it wasn't more expensive and I told Mom this is what's going to happen. She agreed, and she's going to pay for it, shocker. I have also made an appointment with her shrink, I plan on attending and making sure the she's not glossing over lack of ambition for anything and seeing if we should do some sort of dementia screening. The crazy things she fights me on I just don't get. Today her power bill came in, it was neglected while she was in the hospital and had become somewhat in arrears. I suggested let's get you on budget billing and set up your checking account to auto pay the bill. OMG, it was like I suggested we sell her car, move into a nursing home and we'll never come see you again. I can't understand the reaction she had to that. I frankly told her that it makes things easier for her, for me and the damn bill is paid on time and that's all that really matters. I set it up and walked her through making it an auto pay on her checking account. It took about 10 minutes on the phone and about 4 on the computer. The only thing I can think of is that she liked having the control of paying that bill, but really with her memory problems and my burdens it's more likely the power would be turned off than the bill getting consistently paid on time.
Tomorrow is busy with medical appointments ( no wonder I know so much jargon) I have a dentist appointment to repair a couple of fillings that I had to put off when Sonny Boy broke his leg. The home health agency is coming by to meet Mom and sign some paperwork - I hope I don't drool on myself from the Novocain - and Sonny Boy has PT after school.
I should get to bed.
1 comment:
Good idea to have the bills paid on a budget. All that automatic payments and online banking throws the old folks for a loop. I'm sure it is hard for them to change, but it is so much easier now!
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