Life Goes On, The Caregiver

I road as a (volunteer) N.Y.S. Emergency Medical Technician for nearly 30-years. I dealt with all kinds of emergencies, all ages, and a variety of outcomes (both good and bad). I would have thought I would be fully "professional" when it came to my own husband's stroke... Instead I barely held it together. I was fortunate that I was able to lean on our daughter, son and daughter-in-law (all with EMS experience themselves, but they too were filled with emotions). We were all so fortunate that despite what seemed so frightening that first night, my husband did survive and, just like he has been for the better part of his life, he was determined NOT to be beaten. The two months that he was hospitalized are still a bit of a blur. I remember doing most of the things I had to do like housekeeping, grocery shopping, paying bills and the small amount of work I HAD to get done (thankfully I had understanding editors and a compassionate publisher). And at least six days a week ...

" The  American Stroke Association  is solely focused on  reducing disability and death from stroke." Popular Articles 1  Stroke Family Warmline 2  15 Things Caregivers Should Know After a Loved One Has Had a Stroke 3  What Is an Arteriovenous Malformation (AVM)? 4  What You Should Know About Cerebral Aneurysms 5  Types of Aphasia 6  Hemorrhagic Strokes (Bleeds) 7  Stroke Treatments 8  Brain Stem Stroke 9  Ischemic Strokes (Clots) 10  Difficulty Swallowing After Stroke (Dysphagia) Back to HOME

If you were lucky enough to buy a home to raise a family in you were probably fairly agile and feeling invincible. Now that the family is grown you might be looking to spend your retirement years in the same house with all of your wonderful memories. That was the way we looked at our home, it was the place we were going to raise our children, pay off the mortgage and live out the rest of our days. However several years ago, ironically for a newspaper assignment, I researched and wrote an article on "Aging in Place", I should have memorized my own words. While I was conscious of some of our lovely home's limitations, we just weren't there YET to worry about... but as you read in my intro, medical disaster struck and so long as Mark had to rely on a wheelchair he wasn't able to come home. ( the following applies to private residences — house or apartment ) Believe it or not stairs are an easy obstacle to get around (in many cases) — there are (relatively co...

* this post may be specific to the U.S. and may not apply to countries where universal health care is in effect No matter what your financial situation is, when your loved one (or you) is critical and needs life-saving care, one of the last things you think about is money. After all, you have insurance (hopefully) so it should all be covered, right? Surprise, surprise! Shortly after the emergency room nightmare the bills start coming in and you call the hospital billing office, "Why didn't you bill the insurance company?" That's when it's explained to you that even though the hospital participates in your insurance network not all of the doctors (hospitalists and consultants) or services (like lab-work, etc.) do and your insurance company denied the claim. Yes it seems ridiculous to you, you probably never even requested your own specialists, you probably weren't even consulted as to which specialists where requested by the hospital — and, like me, you...