Concierge Pharmacist
Led Medication Management Services
Age @ Home Home Elder Care Management is pleased to announce a value added service to our clients: Concierge Pharmacist led Medication management
Noelle Randall is originally from St. Louis, MO and went to college at the University of Iowa. At Iowa’s College of Pharmacy, she developed an interest in the special medication needs of seniors. She graduated with a Doctor of Pharmacy in 2008 and went to work as a pharmacist for Target in Chicago. In 2009, she married and with her husband Tim moved to San Diego.
Noelle, says, “As a pharmacist, I really enjoy reviewing patients’ medications, answering their questions, and making sure they are comfortable with their drug therapy plan. I am thrilled to get the opportunity to work for the clients of Age @ Home to assist with their medication management.”
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Elderly in Emergency Room: Not good!
Age @ Home Elder Care Managers Advocate
in the Emergency Room
Older adults are going to the emergency room at alarming rates. Frankly the ER is the last place you'd want your older loved one to be. It is not uncommon to spend 5-6 hours in an emergency room setting. Good consistent medical care and taking medications as prescribed should cut down on unnecessary trips to the ER. Your elder care manager (ECM)is the go to person to help navigate the need for an emergency room trip. Prevention of and reducing the number of trips to the ER is a top careplan goal for the Age @ Home ECM.
No question that 911 is called for in “real” emergencies such as stroke, heart attack or stopping breathing. Other situations may include falls, change of consciousness, acute pain. When there is room for doubt, the ECM will make a quick call to the primary care physician to see if an office visit or urgent care trip is a better response. Once the need to go to the ER is established, 911 is called and paramedics respond to the scene. Do Not Resuscitate forms as well as a Vial of Life are helpful to the paramedics.
Families are the number one ER advocate for their loved ones. However when their work, family or long distance prevents them from being there the GCM becomes the profession advocate with master's level training and medical advocacy experience in dealing with many, many emergency room situations.
The purpose of the ECM advocate is to:
Facilitate communication between the ER staff and the patient
Improve the quality of care received.
Decrease the level stress of our client
Communicating to ER Staff
The ECM has written permission to advocate and speak to the doctors and nurses in the ER.
The ECM knows the medical history and who the clients primary care provider is, as well as other specialists involved with care.
The ECM knows who holds the durable power of attorney for health care (DPOA) and can communicate with that person in real time.
Age @ Home ECMs all use Blackberrys for real time communication with family including phone, e mail and texting.
Age @ Home provides all our clients with a mini medical file
The Age @ Home ECM can provide a baseline of functioning and describe the acute exasperation of symptoms to the triage nurse and ER physician.
The ECM has the current medication list an knows the clients allergies.
The ECM will check her client in and handle the Medicare/insurance questions.
Facilitating communication from ER staff to Age @ Home client
Help our client understand what is happening.
Help our client to make informed decisions
Decrease the level of stress of our client
The ECM is a friendly face and calming influence.
The ECM will advocate for speedy results
The ECM will advocate for pain management
Advocating in the ER with dementia clients
Minimize distress and confusion
Communicate the clients baseline cognitive functioning to the ER staff.
Interpret information to the dementia clients such as any testing, labs, x rays, blood draws, CT scans and finally the need for admission.
After the ER
The Age @ Home ECM stays until the client is admitted or sent home.
When admitted to the hospital, the ECM accompanies the client to the floor and completes the hospital admission process.
If discharged the ECM takes the client home, making sure the discharge instructions are followed and any prescriptions are picked up.
The ECM coordinates any follow up caregiver needs
The ECM coordinates the follow up medical care such as doctor appointments.
For more information about this topic contact your Age @ Home Elder Care Manager or Krandall@ageathome.net.
in the Emergency Room
Older adults are going to the emergency room at alarming rates. Frankly the ER is the last place you'd want your older loved one to be. It is not uncommon to spend 5-6 hours in an emergency room setting. Good consistent medical care and taking medications as prescribed should cut down on unnecessary trips to the ER. Your elder care manager (ECM)is the go to person to help navigate the need for an emergency room trip. Prevention of and reducing the number of trips to the ER is a top careplan goal for the Age @ Home ECM.
No question that 911 is called for in “real” emergencies such as stroke, heart attack or stopping breathing. Other situations may include falls, change of consciousness, acute pain. When there is room for doubt, the ECM will make a quick call to the primary care physician to see if an office visit or urgent care trip is a better response. Once the need to go to the ER is established, 911 is called and paramedics respond to the scene. Do Not Resuscitate forms as well as a Vial of Life are helpful to the paramedics.
Families are the number one ER advocate for their loved ones. However when their work, family or long distance prevents them from being there the GCM becomes the profession advocate with master's level training and medical advocacy experience in dealing with many, many emergency room situations.
The purpose of the ECM advocate is to:
Facilitate communication between the ER staff and the patient
Improve the quality of care received.
Decrease the level stress of our client
Communicating to ER Staff
The ECM has written permission to advocate and speak to the doctors and nurses in the ER.
The ECM knows the medical history and who the clients primary care provider is, as well as other specialists involved with care.
The ECM knows who holds the durable power of attorney for health care (DPOA) and can communicate with that person in real time.
Age @ Home ECMs all use Blackberrys for real time communication with family including phone, e mail and texting.
Age @ Home provides all our clients with a mini medical file
The Age @ Home ECM can provide a baseline of functioning and describe the acute exasperation of symptoms to the triage nurse and ER physician.
The ECM has the current medication list an knows the clients allergies.
The ECM will check her client in and handle the Medicare/insurance questions.
Facilitating communication from ER staff to Age @ Home client
Help our client understand what is happening.
Help our client to make informed decisions
Decrease the level of stress of our client
The ECM is a friendly face and calming influence.
The ECM will advocate for speedy results
The ECM will advocate for pain management
Advocating in the ER with dementia clients
Minimize distress and confusion
Communicate the clients baseline cognitive functioning to the ER staff.
Interpret information to the dementia clients such as any testing, labs, x rays, blood draws, CT scans and finally the need for admission.
After the ER
The Age @ Home ECM stays until the client is admitted or sent home.
When admitted to the hospital, the ECM accompanies the client to the floor and completes the hospital admission process.
If discharged the ECM takes the client home, making sure the discharge instructions are followed and any prescriptions are picked up.
The ECM coordinates any follow up caregiver needs
The ECM coordinates the follow up medical care such as doctor appointments.
For more information about this topic contact your Age @ Home Elder Care Manager or Krandall@ageathome.net.
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