Caregiver Curmudgeon: Homecare Edition
According to the American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, there are two definitions for the word cur•mudg•eon.
The first one being:
An ill-tempered person full of resentment and stubborn notions.
Or, my personal favorite:
A crusty irascible cantankerous old person full of stubborn ideas
Gee, I love the sound of that.
I fear I might be on the dangerous path to becoming ever more the person described above. I sometimes think it might even be more fun to join an Association of Curmudgeons, although one would by nature be too curmudgeon-y to join any group that would have him/her.
I speak as a curmudgeon who has been helping a loved one deal with homecare after a short stay in a local hospital.
Our needs upon returning home were (Thankfully) not too great and hopefully temporary, but what an amazing slew of phone calls, messages, notes, forms and orders for service that somehow get lost between the hospital swearing that they sent them- to the agency receiving NSI (No Such Information) it generated. My goal in this case is to as they say, get er’ done, as quickly and effectively as possible.
No doubt there are stumbling blocks in the way, every single step of the way, for all caregivers, but my limited ability to handle frustration, tempered with some previously undiscovered steely determination, seemed to come in handy. That all paid off this morning, as after being told that homecare orders were signed, sealed and delivered, for a week, the case manager said “let me get to the bottom of this.” Which she did
So here are my short tips for working within the system:
- Get everyone’s name and phone number that you come across.
- Write down notes on every conversation you have, including date and time
- Learn the procedures in place for your loved one to receive equipment and personnel. Many slips of cup and lip between hospital, insurance company, care management organization and homecare company have been avoided by knowing the system.
- Stay persistent and even what I like to call forcefully pleasant. So, when you get a bit salty, they at least know you were driven to it!
- And when in need, employ those three most important words: Who’s your Supervisor.
A hot bubble bath, hot cocoa or hot toddy wouldn’t hurt much either
Add your tips to this list in the comments below.