MEDICAL DATA IN ORDER?

There’s an app for that.  Or at least it’s in the works. 

In the meantime, one trip to the emergency room will make you realize how necessary it is to keep all the medical data for yourself and your loved ones in one place. 

Don’t know where to start?  A quick way is to get a three ring binder and several pages of clear pockets.  Start by putting things that are similar to each other into the pockets and organize later. Better than throwing things into a manila folder that might fall out and get lost.

What do you need in a medical history?

·         Names of all physicians

·         Any known allergies or reactions to medications

·         All medications including OTC medicines, vitamins and herbs

·         Health conditions and date of diagnoses

·         Dates of recent exams, test, immunizations

·         Dates and reasons for hospitalizations

·         Dates and details of surgeries

·         Dates and length of major illnesses

·         History of smoking and use of alcohol

·         Location of living will or medical directives

·         History of exposure to dangerous conditions or hazards

·         Family history including illnesses or conditions of parents and siblings

·         Cause of death of parents and siblings and the ages at which they died

When you or your loved one are scheduled for a doctor’s visit (or a trip to the ER) you will easily be able organize the information if you haven’t had a chance to do so before.  If it’s a trip to the ER you can carry the entire folder.  That way you can answer any question asked.  When you have time to organize, do it chronologically and by type of health concern.  You should know specifically what each prescription is for and when it was prescribed.

Now for the good news!  One of the app’s that’s in the works is called simply Health and it is similar to Apple's Passbook organizer.  Instead of organizing your theater tickets or airline boarding passes, it will pull in your biometric data from a number of different sources. It will be devoted to measuring, storing, and consolidating what was formally individually stored information like sugar levels, oxygen saturation, bloodwork, weight, steps taken, and nightly hours logged sleeping.

Health will also act as a hub for third-party apps, drawing data from Nike+, Jawbone, RunKeeper, Sleep Cycle, and the like. Apple is also partnering with the Mayo Clinic so that consumers will be able to compare their health data against personalized health parameters. 

Can you imagine what it’ll be like? You’ll have an up-to-the-moment account of the state of your health.  You get to the doctor’s office, hand over your watch or ipad or whatever and it all uploads to a big screen.  But that’s all in the future.  Right now if you haven’t already done so, go low tech.  Get a binder and clear pockets.

Norma Nixon Schofield

nschofield@abc-seniors.com

Always Best Care of Western CT is an in-home non-medical care agency but we are able to help even when in-home care is not the best option.  We offer personalized counseling services which help match clients with Assisted Living Communities when transitioning is a better option. We willingly escort clients to tour the individual facilities to assure there is no pressure or missed information. . For the full story visit our site at: www.AlwaysBestCareWesternCT.com or call us at (203) 262 6170.