In the last 3 years, I've been caregiver to my aging mother (dementia), my ex-husband (lung cancer), my brother (liver disease), my son (Crohns) and my mother-in-law (diabetes, congestive heart failure, renal failure, dialysis). Three of my five patients have passed away and I was fortunate to be with them until the end. This is a great forum for sharing my experiences, but I'm also thinking of starting my own website and blog. My question is.. what caregiving information, support or resource do you need most? Is there a gap that's not being filled? I personally think what I needed (and still need) most days is immediate answers during times of crisis and an occasional break. What do you all think?
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What the caregiver can expect to be covered by medical insurance (most have caps on coverage)
What is skilled nursing and what determines if a person qualifies for skilled nursing ( nursing home, assisted living or other).
What qualifies a person for hospital care.When will they be kept after emergency care or sent home from the hospital under the care of caregiver.
Who gets paid for caregiving, why and how.
The differences in power of attorney (clarify).
When to call an ambulance.
How to evaluate an emergency situation (such as a fall).
What drugs are safe for the elderly ( even some over the counter drugs are not are not safe for the elderly).
How long are memory drugs useful and for what age group.
Identification of common skin ailments in elderly.
Interpretting pain signals.
I could go on forever.