I May Be Elderly But My Voice Needs To Be Heard Too!

The medical system can be complex, and challenging to navigate. More so, if problems arise that require a resolution. This is made harder if you are elderly, and trying to figure out how to get the necessary help. It has become more import than ever when parents age, and the leadership roles in the parental child relationship change. An advocate needs to be positioned, and ready to assist when needed.

My father and I had this discussion several years back. Our bases were covered, and I was ready and willing to come forward when the time came. However, nothing prepared me for a recent experience. What happens when a situation becomes life-threatening?

Life changes can occur instantaneously, placing you in a position to act quickly for your loved one. Mentality, mobility whatever it may be, it all can become stressful. Fortunately, there are services available which offer added support. I was comforted to discover if your elderly loved one could not make it to the physicians office, they could still receive healthcare in their living facility. I immediately decided to make my father a part of this group. Simple enrollment allowed us to participate in this type of service offered through a Kent, WA. mobile medical company. There was positive energy when signing up for the service, immediate return calls, his first visit with the new primary care physician proved successful as well. But, what happens when your loved one has problems, and you need to have their physician offer guidance after the initial visit? A simple phone call should take care of this, but little did we know what was about to happen.

This is another area where an advocate can prove beneficial, by recognizing problematic symptoms when they first begin to appear. You have historical medical information to retrieve from, and know the person well and can spot subtle changes. Recognizing warning signs from previous infections I contacted the medical facility requesting a return call, and elaborating on the need to have someone come back and do an examination as soon as possible. My father had began experiencing mood changes, but since I called for help immediately I felt things could be warned off before becoming worse.

Day after day repeat calls to the office were met with no signs of action. Instead I continuously heard "you will receive a call by day's end," "the doctor is with another patient now," we will return on the 23rd of this month," to the adult family home he resided in. This meant waiting a couple of weeks longer before he would be examined. Several times while calling, I was mysteriously hung up on. Having experienced major health challenges 4 months prior, I desperately wanted to avoid a replay of that experience for my father. The adult family homeowner began calling for help as well. Her called failed to ignite a response as well. I knew a urine sample needed to be taken to prove what I already knew. After calling several days in a row three times a day, a call indicated that a sample could be taken from my farther. I felt though it had taken a tremendous amount of time, but finally we were moving forward. I was terrified.

A urine sample was taken and sent by Fed EX as the mobile service requested. I was assured once taken, urine must be tested within 24 hrs. My father's health was changing. However, within 24 hrs. there were still no results, and an ambulance picked him up.

Valley Medical Center promptly began running tests to find an ailment cause. Once we heard the words, E.coli, we knew things were about to become even more challenging. Hospitalization, strong antibiotics, fluids was now on the agenda. Eventually physical therapy, occupational therapy and more were added in to the mix. We discovered a decline in his language ability, fine motor skills and more. Life as he knew it had changed, and we weren't sure if he could make it through this one.

While on the road to discovery, I took a closer look at what transpired while trying to obtain the medical care for my father, and realized things should have never ended up in a life-threatening manner. I knew from many years of working in the medical arena, one should always strive for the best medical treatment possible and this often meant fighting for it. But, what can you do when encountering push back that makes meeting your goals virtually impossible?

Over a period of 9 days this medical organization failed to give us results from the sample they had received. Instead saying it was "pending." I've wondered where the sample was all this time. However, once they became aware a complaint was being filed, emails suddenly appeared wanting to provide me with lab results. Too late, the patient was already fighting to survive. We knew the results.

The elderly deserve to be respected, have their voices heard, and wear their crown. Often this means that we must step in to the role as their protector. I suspected my father was not the only one treated subpar by this company. It was time that I found out what could be done about it.

Sadly, mistreatment of the elderly is nothing new. According to the National Council on Aging, as many as 5 million elderly are abused annually. However, with the support of an advocate, many are finding their voices to fight back. Knowing places to contact for guidance are the first steps. If you feel you have been mistreated, or are able to become an advocate for those in need...below you will find several locations to turn to for support.

https://www.dshs.wa.gov/altsa/...

https://www.waombudsman.org/ab...

https://www.washingtonlawhelp....

https://kingcounty.gov/depts/p...

https://www.disabilityrightswa...