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Jeanne M. Hannah is an attorney with 20 years experience
as a lawyer. She specializes in family law. Her research
into the complex medical issues that pose
life-threatening consequences for the frail elderly was
prompted by her mother’s death only 65 days after
walking into a medical facility with a relatively minor
urinary tract infection. The medical mismanagement, the
devastating effects of medication errors, and the
inexplicable failures to diagnose and treat what Ms.
Hannah subsequently learned are common, treatable, and
preventable diseases spawned a year of research and
inspired this book to educate the armies of caregivers
who are now or soon will be in the predicament faced by
Ms. Hannah and her family and also to educate the
millions of people over 50 who must learn now to avoid
these common, life-threatening conditions.
As
a
Traverse City Record Eagle article reported on
November 8, 2006:
"I
now know that the primary caregiver is the person most
likely to know when a loved one needs medical attention.
I thought mom's doctors and nurses were monitoring her
care. I was shocked when my research revealed that a
person living in a nursing home may see a physician once
a month for five to 15 minutes."
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."
Jeanne also writes a
Blog "Aging in Place," published in the Traverse City
Record Eagle. Her introductory post, "Why
I advocate for seniors," explains more about
Taking Charge and how it came to be written and
published.
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