Kate is an 84-year-old widow with mild Alzheimer’s Disease. She lives alone and in the past year she has lost 10 pounds. She has also fallen multiple times. This is serious. The last time she fell she was on the floor for at least 8 hours. Her daughter called and then came by when Kate didn’t answer the phone. She was hospitalized for a condition called rhabdomyolysis. Afterwards, she was in a skilled nursing facility before returning home. She regained weight and received physical therapy. The daughter has “decluttered” the apartment to decrease the risk […]
Monthly Archives: May 2023
I’m still a person
The physician who hired me decades ago was a leader. It took his entire career but against a great deal of resistance, he built a premier healthcare system. Even so, he always had time for me. Whenever I stopped by, he would always pull up a chair. It was as if my activities and ideas were just as important as his. There’s something else I remember. I became his healthcare provider not long after he developed Parkinson’s Disease. He ended up being a frequent user of the healthcare system he built. He had many falls. […]
Three Pillars of Dignity: Dr. Warren joins Amy Goyer on Facebook Live
Amy Goyer has taken care of her mom, dad, and sister all at the same time. She is the real deal, a sandwich generation caregiver. Amy is author of the book: “Juggling Life, Work, and Caregiving”. She also hosts the AARP Caregivers Discussion Group on Facebook. Amy and I had a strong connection ever since we met in Hawaii during pre-Covid days. Last week, we finally had a chance to videochat with her caregivers group. We decided to talk about a particularly important topic: dignity. Why dignity? Because it’s one thing to take care of […]