Taking Charge: Good Medical Care for the Elderly and How
to Get It
is an important resource to help baby boomers and family
caregivers identify six common, potentially fatal
medical complications, to alert doctors and nurses so
that early intervention, diagnosis and treatment occurs,
and to work with doctors and nurses to devise prevention
strategies.
Taking
Charge
empowers caregivers to have confidence in their ability
to help doctors and nurses detect complications
(changes in status) and to advocate effectively with
medical caregivers.
With
newfound confidence in their observations, caregivers
will be better able to recognize problems early—such as
potentially deadly medication errors—and to avert
serious consequences.
Some
of the book's major messages are:
•
Family caregivers do not need medical training to be
effective members of the caregiving team.
• Most
medical caregivers have little or no training in
geriatrics, making misdiagnosis a serious danger.
• The
elderly are most at risk to suffer medication errors,
adverse drug reactions, delirium, dehydration,
malnutrition, and to fall because of age-related
problems.
•
Family caregivers are able to detect subtle changes in
the status of their loved ones and should advocate for
an accurate diagnosis and proper treatment.
•
Family caregivers are in a good position to work with
medical caregivers to prevent complications.
•
Family caregivers can protect their loved ones and
themselves by utilizing clearly written, legal documents
that will make their decisions about end-of-life care
enforceable.
"This
book enables me to give confidence to the elderly and to
their caregivers," said Hannah. "I want them to know
that you don't need a medical degree to be effective.
The caregiver spends more time with their loved one than
anyone."
