How do you say “I love you?”
By Margie Ware
Since February makes us think of Valentine’s Day, it seems fitting that we should pay attention to the ways in which we can symbolically tell those around us that we love them. One way is to take responsibility for your own health information.
A challenging part of our work in the Elder Services SHINE (Serving Health Information Needs of Elders) program is health information collection. The reality of modern medicine, combined with the privacy laws and health insurance company guidelines, is that few SHINE conversations take place without verifying numerous pieces of information and gathering enough facts to be able to make “next steps.”
Do you know the names of all the medications you take? We are amazed at the numbers of individuals that we counsel who rely on another person to keep track of very personal health information. This includes younger seniors, age 68 for example, who don’t know what medications they’re taking, how much they’re taking, and what each one is for. If your significant other develops dementia or amnesia, how are you going to manage your medications? A good first step is to learn what medications you’re taking, how much, what they’re for. Keeping a written list in your purse or wallet is an excellent idea — just be sure to keep it current as your medications change.
Do you have a health care proxy and a durable power of attorney? These easy-to-prepare legal documents are not only for people who are aged and/or have caregivers. Everyone 18 and over needs to make sure that he or she has designated someone to make healthcare decisions in case the patient does not have the capacity to do so. The durable power of attorney allows someone else to transact your legal business if you are unavailable.
It’s also a kind and loving thing to have direct conversations with family members about death, dying, incapacity, and family finances. Are these topics that anyone wants to address? No! But a good way to tell your family members you love them is to show them that you trust them enough to be able to begin discussions on sensitive and complex topics and trust that they will support you in expressing your feelings directly.
Every day we who work at Elder Services deal with situations where families are trying to make very complicated decisions in a relatively short period of time. Having discussions about the “what ifs” in life is a lot easier when it’s not an emergency.
And, of course, the best way to tell the people who are important to you that you love them is to tell them that you love them!
Margie Ware is Elder Services’ Regional SHINE Program Coordinator.
