Coping with Sudden Change

Update on Sarah. Don't you love the crisis subject lines? OMG. We were supposed to share theatre with Sarah and her husband on Sunday, arrangements made less than a week ago. What happened? Sarah, 65, fell halfway down a staircase in the home she and her husband lived for nearly 30 years. Looking to the future when they might not be able to step over a tub, they remodeled a bathroom on the first floor to include a shower. How welcome that convenience will be once she returns from physical therapy.

Living two hours away I was unaware Sarah was using crutches for a knee problem as my quiet partner had not mentioned that after conversations with his brother. I can only assume Sarah was putting off knee replacement until the school program she retired from but still was involved with completed its academic year. And until she was there for her children or could attend a family celebration. We all know procrastination when it comes to personal challenges that requires recovery time and, heaven forbid, accepting help from others.


Then there is my friend Kathleen, a bubbly, savvy 65. Kathleen is about to marry her Internet sweetheart. The duo have biked from GA to the NC mountains more than once and are planning more trips with biker friends. Recovering from minor surgery she is planning her backyard wedding while treating emergency hospital visits for her sweetheart as blips on the screen.

Why play it safe when hit with health challenges? One can moan or take the high road...or lower road as my friends Gary and Sally have done going South for three weeks to enjoy easier climes and celebrate lifelong friendships. Two surgeries for him, breast cancer surgery for her were met head on, dodging bullets finding laughter and always moving the best medicine. Who are your heroes that keep on truckin' no matter what?

Medicaid Dilemma

This article www.gainesvilletimes.com/section/6/article/45169 is a blatant reminder that we all need to have our voices heard on healthcare reform. Home health care agencies not accepting Medicaid patients seems like discrimination to me. As close as this family appears, everyone needs respite and professional support in caring for a loved one.

What of elders who want to remain in their homes and qualify for Medicaid? What of those elders who have managed to live in senior communities with the help of their children until constant price increases made that impossible and now need to live with a family member in their mid-90s?

One of the chapter contributors for a gerontology text I am co-authoring had to step down from her obligation. As a leader in the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers this business owner and professional care manager is adding to the voices of healthcare reform. What are the challenges you are witnessing in your family, your community?