Home Instead Helping Caregivers Prepare For Senior Emergencies

Sharon Massafra, owner of the Home Instead Senior Care franchise in Sandy Hook and Trumbull, recently contacted The Newtown Bee pointing out that research conducted for the Home Instead Senior Care network showed many adult sons and daughters live in fear of getting “that call,” yet they don’t have the important information needed to help their loved one.

“It’s a phone call that can strike terror in the hearts of family caregivers, ‘Mom has suffered a stroke, or ‘Dad accidentally overdosed on his medications.’ That call can happen in large part due to the number of medications seniors take, a known risk factor for older adults,” Ms Massafra said.

Seniors represent more than 13 percent of the US population, and they consume 40 percent of prescription drugs and 35 percent of all over-the-counter drugs, according to the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists (ASCP).

“Less than half [47 percent] of these adult children say they are knowledgeable about their parents’ medical histories in case of an emergency,” Ms Massafra continued. “Approximately half [49 percent] are unable to name any of the medications taken by their parents each day. Furthermore, 36 percent of those caregivers don’t know where their seniors’ financial information is located.”

Ms Massafra said, however, that the survey was no surprise since she is often are called to assist when families are in crisis

“We’ve seen the turmoil that such a situation creates and we’ve also witnessed how much smoother it can go when families are prepared,” she said.

The Home Instead Senior Care network has worked with Humana Points of Caregiving to develop a variety of resources including the Caring for Your Parents: Senior Emergency Kit, an information management tool and website that can help family caregivers keep important information at their fingertips.

A root of the problem with seniors and their medications is the sheer volume of prescription drugs many older adults are taking.

“Medication issues are big topics for seniors,” said Thomas Clark, RPh, MHS, CGP, director of clinical affairs for the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists and the ASCP Foundation, who served as expert source for the Answering the Call program. According to the ASCP, adverse drug reactions are responsible for 28 percent of hospitalizations of the elderly. On average, seniors ages 85 and older take 34 prescriptions, including refills, per year, according to the ASCP.

The average number of unique prescriptions for that group is 6.3. The 75 to 84 demographic is nearly as high, with an average of just over 33 prescriptions per year and 6.7 unique prescriptions.

Future caregivers surveyed revealed that nearly half of their parents (48 percent) have three or more factors that put them at risk for medication-related problems. The top factors were receiving prescriptions from more than one doctor (52 percent), living alone (41 percent), and vision problems/poor eyesight (37 percent).

“Part of the role of the family caregiver is to be an advocate for the senior, assuming the older adult wants that assistance and taking into account family dynamics,” Mr Clark noted. “It’s good to have a family caregiver go with the senior to the doctor’s office to ask questions and to make sure that any instructions from the doctor are reinforced and followed.”

Ms Massafra said family caregivers should look to others to help if they are unable to be there to assist their loved one, either at the doctor’s office or at home.

The Caring For Your Parents: Senior Emergency Kit is designed to provide family caregivers ready access to such information as a senior’s doctors, pharmacy, and insurance company, medications and dosage details, allergies and the location of important documents. To learn more about these resources, go to www.SeniorEmergencyKit.com or call 203-426-6666.

The Home Instead Senior Care network staff members of the franchise owned by Sharon and Robert Massafra serve seniors and their families in 33 towns throughout northern Fairfield, southern Litchfield and northwest New Haven Counties.