Month: January 2022

Why family caregivers will not ask for help?

January 26, 2022

At first, it did not take too much time or effort to help them. Your mom needed a little help with running errands and doctor appointments. Your dad needed some help with cleaning the gutters or getting the oil changed. Your wife needed help getting to her hair and nails appointment. Your husband needed help with mowing the lawn and going to the barber. Nothing major and it didn’t take too much time or effort to help them.

The months have flown by as a caregiver

As the months fly by, more and more is required of you. More of your time. More of your effort. More of you moving your schedule around. At about the 18 months mark, you are getting a little tired. You are beginning to feel more and more frustrated. You have had to miss work. You have missed your kids school functions. You have missed your kids’ ballgames. You look up and realize that you have not seen your best friend in months. You have not been out to eat in a long time.

Your body is aching. You are tired. You realize that you have not been doing your favorite activities that keep you in shape or keep your stress level down. Walking, running, swimming, weight lifting, yoga, playing cards, gardening, reading, etc. You try to think back to when that all stopped. Maybe you remember, maybe you don’t because it was a slow process.

When was the last time I saw __________________? When was the last time that I had any fun? When was the last time that I spent a weekend with my husband, partner or family? When was the last time that I spent time with my wife or partner to reconnect? Hell, when was the last time that I had time to myself to do what I wanted to do?

About the 18 months to 2-year mark, you usually need help. Sometimes, things are going well and you just need a break. Sometimes, things are not going well at all and you don’t know what to do to make things better. This is usually the time that I am called in and we troubleshoot, create plans of action and get the support system up and running.

Caregivers need a support system

Everyone needs a support system. It would be best to gather all of those folks at the beginning. Why? Because, eventually you are going to need them, their talents and their help. Don’t wait until there is a crisis to figure out who is good at what. Don’t wait until there is a crisis to find out who is willing to provide hands-on help and who is willing to provide other services such as running errands, doing the laundry, cooking meals, mowing the lawn, cleaning the house, etc.

If you ask people to do what is uncomfortable for them to do, they will do one of two things. One, they will decline to help. Two, they will do it, but they will resent it and will find ways to never have to do it again. Not everyone can or should provide the hands-on care. Maybe they are comfortable with hands-on care up to a point. Find out what that stopping point is! Mine is the toileting and bathing habits. I am not too good at sitting with them for long periods of time either, I preferred to get out and about with mama and she preferred that too. I used to beat myself up for not being able to do the toileting and bathing things. I certainly loved and cared for my mama. I wanted her to have her needs met and have the best possible care. I had to realize my strengths and my weaknesses. I had to understand that it was not about me, it was about what she needed and who could best provide those things.

Medical training vs home health training

I can do any of the medical stuff but, I cannot do the toileting or the bathing stuff. Isn’t that strange? Looking back, I had medical know-how and training, but I never had training for daily care. Maybe, that would have made a difference. In my case, I don’t think so. I do believe care givers need to be trained in helping with the activities of daily living. You can hurt your loved one or yourself if you do things incorrectly. Care giving is hard work. It is physically demanding. It is emotionally draining. It is mentally taxing.

We sure do it though, don’t we? Even if you provide hired help or see to your loved one’s care, you are a care giver. Even if you are hours away or states away and you see that their needs are met, you are a care giver. We see ourselves as helpers and not as care givers, but we are care givers. Why is that important? Because, being a care giver has health consequences for us. Being a helper or a care giver impacts our entire family.

Asking for help is necessary for good care. It is good for the care receiver and it is good for the care giver. Why do you need to ask for help? Because at the beginning, folks did ask you how they could help you. You didn’t really need the help then. They would keep asking for about a year and then they would stop asking. Why? It wasn’t because they no longer wanted to help. It was because, every time they asked, you said no. So, they stopped asking. They figured, if you needed help, you would let them know. You needed help, but you did not let them know. You are so busy. You are stressed. Take a breather. Be open to the possibility that others are willing to help. You make that call and state what you need. Yes, state what you need. Be specific. If they can, they will. If they can’t, they won’t. Call the next person and state what you need. For example, I need mom to be taken to the hair dresser on Thursday at noon, to the grocery store after that and stay with her until 4:00. Not, can you help me with mom on Thursday?

State what you need

By stating what you need, you have given them the opportunity to see what needs to be done and if they can make it happen. Maybe, they can do all of it, maybe they can do the hair dresser and grocery store. It is much easier to decide if you know what will be expected of you and the time frame. It is always the unknown or ambiguous that will cause us to hesitate and probably say no. Another example is that you need someone to sit with your mom for 6 hours on Saturday. Don’t ask if they can sit/stay with her for 6 hours. They will freak out. They don’t know what to do with her for 6 hours. Give them some activities to do. Lunch out, if possible. Watch a movie, play cards or a board game.

Use “I” statements. I need a break to take care of my stuff. I want you to _______. Try your best not to use “You” statements. That is a fight or hurt feelings just waiting to happen. The word “you” gets everybody’s back up and on the defense.

Maybe you do need them to sit with a loved one who is unable to do much of anything anymore. You still need to tell them how to be helpful. Give her 2 oz. of water to drink every hour or so. Tell them that she will need to be prompted to drink. Tell them when and what to feed her. Tell them what medications they need to take and when.  Let them know her schedule, TV shows, nap time, etc. Let them know that they need to check on her every hour and that they can watch TV, watch a movie or do their work. Maybe, they need to hold her hand or just be in the same room with her.

Tell helpers what to expect

 Tell them what to expect. Sure, you know, but they do not know. They want to help and they want to do it right. It would also be helpful to give them a phone number of someone else to call, if they have questions. NOT your number, someone else’s number. You are taking a break.

Look, the more you have prepared them, the more likely it will be a success for all involved. The more successful it is, the more likely it is that they will help you again. Win-win-win. You win. Your loved one wins. The helper has helped you and feels good about that because they care about you.

The helper will not do it exactly like you do it and that is okay. There are always more ways to do things. Don’t be a micro-manager. You trust them to stay with your loved one so trust them to handle the tasks.

Why is it so hard to ask for help?

    • You are having difficulty trusting someone else to do the job “right.”

    • You won’t let go of the need to control things

    • Guilt over leaving the person in someone else’s care

    • Worry over the quality of care if you are not there from day to day overseeing everything

    • You may be too overwhelmed to ask for help

    • You think that you are being selfish if you put your needs first

    • I promised my father that I would always take care of my mother

    • I am responsible for my parent’s health

    • If I do it right, I will get the love, attention and respect that I deserve

    • You feel inadequate if you ask for help

    • My loved one refuses to let anyone else help & guilt trips me

    • My siblings are jockeying for power

Change your mindset

Realize that asking for help is smart. It is not selfish. If you burnout, who will be there to help care for your loved one? Give yourself permission to enjoy your own life. Realize the importance of taking care of your own health (physically, emotionally and mentally.) Understand that a break is essential and not a luxury. While this is easier said than done, turn off your care giving mind. A few hours of reconnecting with others, a dinner out, a long hot bath and sleeping in your own bed, can do wonders.

Asking for help is necessary for both you and the care receiver. See, it is not all about you.

Some tools/tips to help you ask for help:

    • Have a list of people to call

    • Have a list of needs/projects to be handled

    • Consider the person’s strengths when asking

    • Ask different people, do not use the same person each time

    • Pick the best time to ask for help

    • Be prepared for refusals

    • Understand their hesitancy

    • Don’t take it personally, when someone you have asked cannot help, this time

    • Be assertive, but don’t be an ass

Our emotions exist for a reason. They let us know when something is out of whack or off kilter. Learn from them. Don’t push them down, don’t ignore them, learn from them. Even if you push them down, they will come out in other ways. If you are providing care for a loved one you will experience many different emotions. Emotions are not wrong or bad, they just are. Be curious about them, ask why you are having this emotion or feeling? No judging! Maybe some of your emotions are telling you that you need to make a change in your care giving situation. You have probably begun the grieving process. You are experiencing an increase in stress. That it is time for you to ask for help. It is time to be assertive.

    • Who are the 5 people you will contact?

    • What will be on your list of chores/projects?

    • What days and times will you need a break?

Write it down. When will you complete these lists? Write it down. When will you start making these calls to get people on board? Write it down.

What gets written down, gets done.

Pat

When you assume, be prepared for the boom!

Have you ever asked your care receiver what they need the most?

January 19, 2022

You have guilt. They have guilt. But, neither of you is talking to the other about those feelings. In fact, neither of you has talked about much of anything with regards to being a helper and being a care receiver or care recipient. 

I always remember the word, assume. When you assume, it makes an ass out of you and me. Ass/u/me. I have been an ass, quite a few times and not always by assuming. But, a lot of times, I have assumed, and I was so very wrong. Don’t let that happen to you. Assuming does cause misunderstandings. It does cause heartache. It can even cause hurt feelings.

How could my assumption be so wrong?  I made the best decision that I could. My heart was in the right place. I know this person. Why was it so wrong? Everyone does not think like me. Not everybody has the same wants or needs as I do. They don’t have my life experiences or the same goals that I have.  I’m perplexed. I’m a little sad. I feel a little unappreciated for my efforts. I am a little pissed.

Have you ever felt that way, you make decision, and it did not turn out as you had planned? It flopped. It was bad. It made more of a mess.

Not everyone has the skills of a family caregiver

The key is, “as you had planned.” You didn’t ask anyone else for their input. You didn’t ask your loved one what they wanted or needed. We assumed. The decision blew up and caused hurt feelings. We misunderstood. But we are not going to admit we were wrong. We will double down on our interpretation and beliefs. Hello, ego and pride. You can’t back down and admit you messed up. Even when the other person tries to clarify what they wanted … our stubbornness or rather our pride bows up and will not listen.

The ways that we know about something, or someone are:

    1. The things that we know for sure

    1. The things that we do not know

    1. The things that we think we know

Think about it this way. You are having a conversation and somehow your loved one tells you that they like flowers on the table. In your mind, they like roses because you like roses. You didn’t ask them what kind of flowers they liked. You assumed they liked roses and you bought roses for the table. Instead of getting the praise and acknowledgment that you think you deserve, you get a “those are nice.” In your head, you are going off. You say something like, “I thought you liked flowers for the table.” They respond, “I do, I prefer tulips because they are my favorites.”

You are the one that assumed roses. You did not bother to ask what kind of flowers are their favorites?

They may want different brands

You are sent on an errand to get loaf bread, peanut butter, coffee and milk. There are no brands listed and you didn’t bother to ask. Each of you assumed that the other knew what brand to get. How do you think that worked out? You got white bread, Peter Pan peanut butter, JFG coffee and soy milk. Why? Because that is what you use. Bad move. They wanted whole wheat bread, Jif peanut butter, Folger’s coffee, and 2% milk.

See what assumptions do? Everybody is mad. Each of you is blaming the other one for not “knowing” what to get. To avoid all of this anger, frustration and hurt feelings, take a minute to ask a few questions for clarification.

Communication and listening for understanding would have gone a long way in preventing this mishap.  Making assumptions is asking for problems in any relationship. None of us are mind readers.

We all make assumptions even when we don’t know that we are doing it. We view things thorough our own perceptions, and they are not always accurate. We have biases both known and unknown. We think that our experiences are the same as other people’s experiences. We don’t challenge what we think we know to be true. Maybe, we heard it and accepted it as true. It was not true. Check your facts from trusted sources. What if we are stuck using information from a past experience?

The “What if’s”

Hang on, what comes next are short, informational blurbs. Things to make you think. Things to help you understand.

What if the helper and the care receiver would communicate better? What if they could each state their needs and their wants while working together for the best outcome possible? If you cannot talk to each other without getting into a fight, maybe try writing it down on a piece of paper. Listen for understanding. Take 10 seconds to think or process before replying. State back to them what you heard and ask if that is correct?

As the helper or care giver, do you know how your loved one or care receiver feels? Give up your need to control. You are the helper. It is hard enough on the care receiver to admit that they need help. For them to realize that they are no longer independent is devastating.

Take a breath. Talk with them about the past, the present and even the future. Talk with them, do not pepper them with questions. As the dementia progresses, you will need to give them two choices, but at first, you let them decide. Offer to help the care receiver. Sure, they move slower, but take them with you to the grocery store.

If your loved one has been a giver their whole life, it will be hard for them to be the receiver. They are not used to receiving. It will be a learning process for them. Remember, everyone wants to be useful and feel useful. Imagine how you would feel if you could not do everything for yourself and you had to depend on someone else’s help. Will you be angry? Will you rant, rave and rage against help? Will you be open to receiving help, with gratitude? To realize that there are some things that you can still do for yourself. Our identities get wrapped up in what we do for a living or our role in our family life. Who are we if we are not a __________?

We all must answer that question. Be kind to yourself. You are loved, appreciated, and admired for who you are as a person. Not what you do.

The feeling of becoming or being a burden to our loved ones, makes all of us a little crazy. Almost all of us will help without a second thought, when needed. We do it and never think a thing about it. However, when it comes to us receiving help …that is a horse of a different color. Nope. We are not having it!

We all want our dignity to be left intact. We deserve that our dignity be left intact!

Helping or care giving is full of contradictions and even competing thoughts. It is the same for the care receiver. Mixed emotions abound. Can your personalities coexist?

Some caregivers are not hands-on caregivers

Some people are not cut out to be the “hands-on” care giver. They can make sure that you have “hands-on” care givers to help. They may provide support and help to the family “hands-on” care givers. As I have shared before, I am not the “hands-on” care giver type. I learned the hard way. By trying to do it for my mom. When it comes to personal hygiene, toileting, grooming or transferring, I am not the best person for that. I am not good at it. I could do other things such as, taking her out to eat, to the doctor, to the store or the mall. Do laundry, cook a meal, mow the lawn, pay the bills, talk with her and just be with her to watch TV and play Jeopardy. I felt guilty that I could not do it all. I love her and want the best for her. I had a full-time job, three boys and a partner. I did the best I could. I wished that I could have been there more for her and daddy. Daddy was her primary care giver, and he had both medical and non-medical care giver help a few days a week for a couple of hours. My brother and I could not convince him to get more help. Mama did not want to be a burden to any of us and told us to place her in assisted living when we needed to.  It was never about her being a burden. My mama was never a burden. Daddy was not having any of that and he kept her at home. He had modifications done to the house for wheelchair access and a roll-in shower with a large bathroom area.

Mama was a very strong and independent woman. Everyone in my family can say what they think. We can have discussions, disagree, and even work together. The one thing that we can’t do is read each other’s minds, not that we had to. No one was afraid to express an opinion. When she was diagnosed with MS, she soldiered on. We could always talk about what was going on and the MS. Over the years, she got weaker, and her legs got to where they just wouldn’t work, and she used a walker and eventually a wheelchair. She always did whatever she could still do. I am sure she was frustrated. I never heard her complain nor did I ever hear her say, “why me.” She always faced everything head-on and we moved forward. We adapted, modified, and kept on going. One of my mom’s favorite sayings was, “Do the best that you can do and forget the rest.”

While she had MS for years, she did not need any help until she was about 62 years old. She died at 65 from kidney failure. Other families are care givers for much longer and some shorter. You never know how long it will last. While it is hard and sometimes frustrating, it is also rewarding. You get to help someone you love when they need help. You don’t even see yourself as a care giver. You are helping your mom, dad, spouse, or partner.

If you want to avoid hurt feelings, anger, resentment, disappointment and miserable outcomes due to making assumptions, ask for input/options.

Don’t assume:

    1. That things will go exactly as planned

    1. That help is not necessary

    1. That you are being judged by what you do or don’t do

    1. That you know what your loved one wants

    1. That no one else can care for them properly

    1. That you know everything about your loved one’s conditions

    1. That your care receiver cannot tell how you really feel, they sense emotions

    1. That the care receiver will act the same way as your friend’s mom

    1. That they are not too bad, as they can have social conversations …different lobes of the brain control different functions

Take a look at this information from Mayfield Clinic

https://mayfieldclinic.com/pe-anatbrain.htm

It shows you what part of the brain is responsible for what ….

Lobes of the brain

The cerebral hemispheres have distinct fissures, which divide the brain into lobes. Each hemisphere has 4 lobes: frontal, temporal, parietal, and occipital (Fig. 3). Each lobe may be divided, once again, into areas that serve very specific functions. It’s important to understand that each lobe of the brain does not function alone. There are very complex relationships between the lobes of the brain and between the right and left hemispheres.

Figure 3. The cerebrum is divided into four lobes: frontal, parietal, occipital and temporal.

Frontal lobe

    • Personality, behavior, emotions

    • Judgment, planning, problem solving

    • Speech: speaking and writing (Broca’s area)

    • Body movement (motor strip)

    • Intelligence, concentration, self awareness

Parietal lobe

    • Interprets language, words

    • Sense of touch, pain, temperature (sensory strip)

    • Interprets signals from vision, hearing, motor, sensory and memory

    • Spatial and visual perception

Occipital lobe

    • Interprets vision (color, light, movement)

Temporal lobe

    • Understanding language (Wernicke’s area)

    • Memory

    • Hearing

    • Sequencing and organization

Language

In general, the left hemisphere of the brain is responsible for language and speech and is called the “dominant” hemisphere. The right hemisphere plays a large part in interpreting visual information and spatial processing. In about one third of people who are left-handed, speech function may be located on the right side of the brain. Left-handed people may need special testing to determine if their speech center is on the left or right side prior to any surgery in that area.

Aphasia is a disturbance of language affecting speech production, comprehension, reading or writing, due to brain injury – most commonly from stroke or trauma. The type of aphasia depends on the brain area damaged.

Broca’s area: lies in the left frontal lobe (Fig 3). If this area is damaged, one may have difficulty moving the tongue or facial muscles to produce the sounds of speech. The person can still read and understand spoken language but has difficulty in speaking and writing (i.e. forming letters and words, doesn’t write within lines) – called Broca’s aphasia.

Wernicke’s area: lies in the left temporal lobe (Fig 3). Damage to this area causes Wernicke’s aphasia. The individual may speak in long sentences that have no meaning, add unnecessary words, and even create new words. They can make speech sounds, however they have difficulty understanding speech and are therefore unaware of their mistakes.

Pat

How many times this past week have you felt enervated?

January 12, 2022

Have you ever had a cold that really kicked your butt? One that has left you so tired that your eyelids are heavy and you just want to sleep? But, you can’t lie down because you can’t breathe. Friggin’ congestion! You want something to drink but nothing tastes good.

You try to do your work and get on with your day, but you have about two hours and that is it. No more energy to think and work. No more energy to walk around. As my youngest used to say, “pillow, blankey, go night night.” What a great idea, but you can’t, too much to do. Besides, if you try to lie down, you can’t breathe. Friggin’ congestion.

In trying to do this blog, I could not find anything interesting to write. I am tired and I have no more mental energy and no real physical energy. “Pillow, blankey, go night night.” Nope, I have to finish my work. Besides, I can’t lie down … I can’t breathe. Friggin” congestion.

I was going to do mental energy versus physical energy and when they are spent what happens. Maybe, another day.

Are you curious what enervate and caregiver have to do with each other?

I found this word, “Enervated.” I was curious and had to find out more about it. I know what innervated means, but what does enervated mean? According to Thesaurus.com it means exhausted or worn out. That’s me, I am exhausted and worn out from this cold.

So, how many times this past week have you felt enervated?

What is zapping your energy? It doesn’t always have to be an illness that makes you feel enervated. It could be feeling like you have too much to do. It could be that you haven’t been sleeping well and you are physically tired. When we figure out what zaps our energy we can decide to do something about it or let it ride and always feel enervated. A cold will last 7 – 14 days and then it will be over. Not everything is self-limiting, but we really do have the power to set boundaries, conserve our energy and feel better.

Manage your energy not your time

Don’t manage your time, manage your energy for a better day. Think of the things that zap your energy as either energy zappers or energy vampires. Make a check-off sheet and see what are your true energy zappers or energy vampires.

Get a sheet of paper and across the top, label Energy zapper, Physical, Mental, Emotional

Draw lines from the top of the paper down to the bottom. Now, when something zaps you, write down what it is or who it is and then mark the appropriate box on Physical, Mental, Emotional box.

After about four days, you will have a pretty good idea of who and/or what is zapping your energy. Then you get to decide what to do to conserve your energy. Do you need help? Do you need to take a break? Do you need to be a better manager of your energy? No judgments allowed. You are on a fact-finding mission.

I look forward to hearing what your energy zappers are. If you find a person to be one of your energy zappers, please give them a code name or a false name.

The only person that you can change is you. You can change how you react or deal with a situation. You cannot change another person. The only person that will set boundaries for your own good, is you. When you are sick with a cold, you will have to take care of yourself ‘cause no one else will. Maybe, you will need to take a couple of days off from work AND from other responsibilities to let your body rest and heal.

Now, my mental ability is spent and I am not sure that the previous paragraph even makes sense. It did to me, at the time. I would go lie down, but, I can’t ‘cause I can’t breathe. Friggin’ congestion.

Pat

Which caregiver role fits you, right now?

January 5, 2022

    • Hands-on caregiver – you are physically there and you help with their daily needs (i.e., dressing, bathing, toileting, brushing their teeth, meal preparation and feeding).

    • Companion care – they can do most things on their own and you are there to provide company, keep them engaged with conversation (emotional support) and make some meals as well as medication reminders and light housekeeping. Maybe, take them to an appointment or on errands.

    • Long-distance caregiving – you probably live an hour or more away, you may be helping with money management, and you may be in charge of making appointments, finding in-home care assistance, and planning for emergencies.

    • Accidental caregiver – Oh crap, I did not see this coming, right now. I know that I have to help, but I am not sure what I am good at? I will muddle through.

    • Reluctant caregiver – you may find yourself responsible for someone who has abused you in the past or that you do not get along with. This one is very difficult and it may be best to find help immediately and place yourself in the long-distance caregiving camp.

    • A Swoop-in, create havoc and swoop on out caregiver – these folks need an ass whipping. They come in every once-in-a-while, state and do whatever they feel like, without regards to the care receiver or the other care givers and get things stirred up and then they leave. Most likely, these folks are just waiting for the care receiver to die so they will not have to be bothered.

    • Provider of support to the caregiver – Physically and emotionally help the caregiver to excel at being a caregiver. You help the caregiver with the chores or things that need to be taken care of at their house or the house of the care receiver. (Laundry, house cleaning, cooking a meal or two, mowing the lawn, cleaning the gutters, running errands, etc.)

Maybe, you don’t identify as a caregiver, yet

Some of you have never identified as a caregiver, it is just something that you do. You are helping your mom. You are helping your dad. You are helping your wife. You are helping your husband. You have never viewed it as caregiving, they need help and I will help them. It is that simple.

You never even give it a second thought. That is what family does for each other. I get it, I have been there too. It is what good friends do for each other too. While we don’t identify with the word “caregiver,” that is what we are. A lot of us are the Lone Ranger. We are fine, for a while. We can manage our lives, our jobs, our homes and all of our loved one’s stuff, for a while. Usually, it is about 18 months in and we are stressed out, frustrated, tired and overwhelmed. We look up one day, and wonder how we got here? It happened so slowly and it wasn’t too bad or too hard. But, now, it takes a lot more time and effort to help our loved one.

Our love for them has not changed. Our goals for them have not changed. Our goals for ourselves have not changed. What has changed is our own health. We are tired and we just cannot get rested. Our eating habits are worse, we have gained weight and those stress headaches and lower back pain keep us off of our game. Work is work. It hasn’t slowed down and I am expected to perform at my best every day. I can’t concentrate as well as I used to. I find myself worrying more about my loved one and I can’t remember the last time I had some free time.

Tools to help you in your family caregiving role

What would help you the most in the next three months?

Do you need an easy to use, fill-in-the-blank essential information binder?

The three things it will do for you –

    • Decrease your stress level

    • Empower you to be more in control, to make better decisions

    • Information will be easily accessed when needed

What is included in this Stress Buster, Time Saver, Information Binder:

    • Banking Information (including retirement information)

    • Bills – list of and when due

    • Doctors and other Health care providers list

    • Documents needed

    • HIPAA release form

    • Home information (home, vehicles, rental property)

    • Income to be received (from Social Security, Retirement, Renters, etc.)

    • Legal Documents needed

    • Medical bills and EOB’s (explanation of benefits, with tips and info)

    • Medical history (incl. diagnoses, surgeries, devices used, etc.)

    • Medicare and Medicare Advantage Plan (how to check on EOB or MSN for coverages and benefits)

    • Medications (list of medications, administration check-off list, incl. over-the-counter medications0

    • Online accounts (User names, Passwords, Answers to security questions)

    • Tasks to be done sheets

Available as a Binder Kit (with pages in sheet protectors, highlighters, ink pens and a mechanical pencil) 

OR

As a downloadable, fillable PDF file for Single use or Family Use

Use this link for more information and to Order product.

Binder Kit

The next thing that may help you or your loved one is to KNOW whether the medications you are taking are working for you, against you or doing nothing for you. It is a genetic test for medications. You do it once and use the information for the rest of your life. It is a cheek swab. Have your own doctor, physician’s assistant or nurse practitioner order the test (they may use a prescription pad), get it to me and we will get you started.

For more information and a list of medications that have a genetic impact, click on this link

Right Med® Test Kit

Scroll down to blue bar that states Right Med Mediation List and click on that link to see the list of medications.

Services offered are listed under the Options tab. Click on link below to access options page.

Options

Option 1 is for an overview and is available to all.

Options 2 and 3 are researched, doable plans of action using best practices and your individual needs as guidelines. You will be heard and understood. These require a conversation and acceptance as they are customized and detailed.

** I won’t waste my time or your money, if these options are not for you. **

Options 2 and 3 are customized for the individual with researching, troubleshooting and support plans for the individual and the family.

The difference in Option 2 and Option 3 – Option 3 includes follow-up for three months instead of one month. With Option 3, updating the support plan is included. I am your guide and will help you to keep moving forward.

My goal with Option 2 or Option 3 is to help you have an understanding of your options, what you may be facing in the future and how to be as prepared as possible. To have the information that you will need to make decisions and choose the best options for you and your family.

Who do you know that could benefit from any of these products or services?

I need your help to get the word out about these products and services. I want to help those that need these things. If I can make their journey less stressful, that is what I want to do. Please pass along this information to those you know. Thank you for your time and effort.

All products and services are available throughout the U.S.

Pat