If It’s Friday… It Must Be Time to DENY That Claim!

by Sheri Samotin

I can’t be sure, but after many years of fighting on behalf of patients to get insurance claims processed correctly, I’m convinced that something special happens on Friday afternoons in claims processing departments. Let’s call it the “clean desk rule”; maybe claims processers can’t go home for the weekend until they clean their desks. And, what’s the easiest way to do that? Well, how about pretending those claims don’t exist at all! Sweep them right into the virtual recycle bin, and start fresh on Monday morning. Seriously, the number of times I’ve been told that a claim that was submitted electronically for an established patient was “not received” is remarkable, so my theory can’t be all wrong. Or, if that tactic was used last time, maybe this time they’ll try to say that the provider is “out of network”. Sound familiar? You’ll be unhappy to know that you’re not alone. Read the full article

HBO series on Alzheimer's disease and those whose lives it touches

HBO: Documentaries: The Alzheimer's Project: Watch the Films: The Memory Loss Tapes

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Does the Buck Stop Here? If your parents’ money is disappearing, you need to intervene.

By Patricia Grace

Often, an Aging with Grace eldercare specialist will be asked, “If I sign the monthly agreement for my parents’ assisted living community, will I be responsible if they run out of money?” The answer is no. Debt is nontransferable from your parents to you, even if you are the designated power of attorney. The exception would be if you cosigned a bank loan, auto loan, or something similar that would list you as co-debtor.

Speaking with parents about their finances often makes us uncomfortable. I was raised in a family where money was never discussed in front of the kids. Let’s face it: many of us don’t want to engage in the money conversation with our spouse, let alone our dad! However uncomfortable the subject might be, it is necessary.

Reckless use of credit cards, unpaid bills, and large purchases that are completely inappropriate for an elder’s lifestyle can be confirmation of escalating dementia. Isolation can lead to excessive TV watching and channel surfing that allows an older person to find many different shopping channels and infomercials. You might discover evidence of large contributions to TV ministries and charities. Out of loneliness, a person finds inclusion and can be drawn in by the need to be part of a “family” or community that is doing good works. Perhaps they see their name on the donor list that crawls across the bottom of the television screen, or they receive personalized thank-you letters and donor gifts. All of this encourages them to give more. They may order gadgets and gifts because this provides them with the opportunity to chat with the call center attendant and the UPS delivery man.

If this is happening with your elderly loved one, it might be an indication that they need more social interaction from family or additional social activities that can be provided by adult day care or a senior center program.

As caregivers, we must recognize that our role extends beyond making sure our loved one is physically safe. It also includes helping to ensure their financial safety.

Aging with Grace introduces…Ask the Expert

As the solution to elder caregiver stress - Aging with Grace is reaching out to other “experts” in the vast field of senior care and caregiver services to provide our members with the opportunity to ask specific questions to our panel of experts. We are “kicking off” the program by introducing Jason Young, MS, hospital based clinician for cognitive impairments & geriatric-psychiatric disorders at The Lifespring Center at Hillside Hospital, Pulaski, TN. Through his ability to effectively communicate with families Jason is able to educate them about the growing problem of misdiagnosing common psychiatric problems such as depression and anxiety for dementia.

Ask An Expert : Should my loved one be placed on an antidepressant as has been recommended by their physician?

By Jason Young, MS

The subject matter of this blog post is being produced in recognition of “National Anxiety And Depression Awareness Week” which is commemorated on May 3rd – 9th, 2009. I feel that addressing the use of antidepressants would be a great way to help families who have ever contemplated the appropriateness of such medications for their loved ones.

There are so many things that can be discussed in reference to psychotropic medications. I am going to focus on questions that you, as family members, can ask yourself in deciding if antidepressant medication therapy is the right choice for your loved one. Hopefully after reading this article, you will have the information available to assist that doctor and / or facility in making the best determination. Read the full article

Is Alzheimer's a Memory Disability?

By Laura Bramley

I wanted to get a read from people, some input, perhaps even a reality check... I think that Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia ought to be thought of as a memory disability, a disability of memory. To be sure, it's a little different than your typical disability such as paralysis, missing limbs and the like, but there was a time, not so long ago, that having such a disability meant that one resigned oneself to a life behind closed doors, not being able to go anywhere, completely dependent upon caregivers for everything. That's where we are at with dementia right now. We are at the stage where people in wheelchairs were when they had no ramps to get on the sidewalk from the street, where there were no lifts into the bus and when there were no ramps to get into buildings and no open door buttons. Read the full article...

Aging with Grace Introduces The RX Guardian Program

How Safe are Your Medications?

When Kurt Rauer’s doctor suggested he switch heart medications—from Digoxin to Digitek— he didn’t think much of it. But after about a year of taking Digitek, he received a recall warning him of a potential problem
with the medication dosage.

As it turns out, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had recalled Digitek due to double the dose of medication in a single pill.
Yet what’s most surprising is that Rauer received the warning not
from his physician or pharmacist but from an independent drug safety
service.

The RX Guardian, a service of Aging with Grace, is designed to keep you, the consumer, informed about the safety of your medications.

This free independent drug safety service supplies information on drug interactions, drug-disease interactions, safety alerts and medication recalls.

Whether you take a prescription drug, over-the-counter medication, or vitamin & herbal supplements, The Rx Guardian can keep you informed by providing personalized alerts from the FDA, manufacturers, and researchers about:

o Recalls
o Label errors
o Interactions
o Clinical findings

The RX Guardian service is FREE, SAFE, and SECURE for registered individuals who want to be informed, stay informed and share feedback about their medications. Members rely on their personalized information from The RX Guardian to take a more active role in their own care.

Features of The RX Guardian include:

• Drug-interaction checker:

When you register, you input all the medications that you take (prescription, over-the-counter and even supplements). The RX Guardian processes this information and flags every potential drug interaction, and then sends a personalized risk-rating alert via e-mail.

• Portable profile:

A printable document listing all the your
medications and supplements—to take to your doctors, keep with
your travel documents, send to school/camp with the kids, etc.

To learn more, visit The RX Guardian web site