Do in home doctor visits still exist? Are any doctors making house calls like they did years ago? Believe it or not, a few are and it is becoming more and more popular among physicians. There is even an association called the American Academy of Home Care Physicians to support those who make in home doctor visits. Some have a practice dedicated to home visits while others offer it as a part of an office practice.

I have been making house calls to homebound elderly for about the past 25 years, initially in St. Louis where I had my practice and more recently in Denver where I opened a practice just last year. It provides joy beyond measure for me and hopefully provides a useful service to those I care for. One of my most memorable patients is a lady named Ruth, who had not been to see a doctor in over 10 years. She was developing memory loss, and was resistant to leaving her home. A concerned nephew called me to see if I could come to her. If you can’t move the mountain…, you know the rest. This lovely 81 year old lady was not functioning well at all. She had bottles upon bottles of old prescriptions and had those all mixed up. She was eating poorly, mostly TV dinners, but saving the aluminum tray they came in; she must have had over 100 of them stacked to the ceiling. Her clothes were soiled and her hygiene poor. She was very welcoming, however, and after some time she grew to trust me. We (my nurse and I) set up some home services; personal care aids, nurses, physical therapy, housekeeping, etc. and succeeded in allowing her to remain in her home. We helped her nephew set up guardianship and evaluated the cause of her memory loss, which turned out to be Alzheimer’s disease. She was able to stay in her home for about another year before she required more care and supervision, but that year was a safe and happy one. I can still picture the stacks of colorful hairnets she was wearing when I first met her because she hadn’t been able to dye her hair in a while.

Not all of my patients are as colorful as Ruth. Some need me because they are dying and I help facilitate hospice. Some need only temporary house calls while they recover from surgery or a fracture. Most, however, have numerous complicated medical problems that need the kind of diagnostic skill and oversight that only a professional can accomplish with home visits that allow enough time for listening and observing.

One of my older patients tells me the last time a doctor came to her house she was eight years old. My patient’s memories are not so different from what they experience now. I arrive with a large doctor’s bag (though mine is on wheels), visit for a while and do the same kind of examination and tests they would get in the office (for the most part). I am always amazed at the stamina and attitude of the people I visit. I learn a lesson from each and every one of them.

So if you think house calls are a thing of the past, think again. You just might be surprised to find how many physicians are (still) making in home doctor visits.

Nancy Wilcox Hooyman, MD

Phone: 303-757-0012

For more information, visit http://www.aahcp.org (American Academy of Home Care Physicians) or www.paradigmcare.com.

Seldom a week goes by without coverage by the media, locally and/or nationally, of a new scam being run, all too often victimizing trusting our elderly senior citizens. It may originate in Nigeria or in a nearby city or neighborhood. These senior scams may surface via a letter, an e-mail, or a telephone call. The FBI estimates that con artists are bilking the elderly out of billions of dollars a year. The elderly population is often targeted because they are too trusting, a reflection of their upbringing. It is difficult for them to hang up or close a door on someone.

The American Association of Retired Persons, AARP, estimates that anyone over 60 is on at least one “sucker” list, and a woman over 75 is guaranteed to be on such a list. These women are often widows who are lonely, home during the afternoon, and therefore available and willing to take calls from phony telemarketers. This is unfortunately a huge growth industry in our country, women being primary targets.

The prevalence of scams on the elderly has necessitated the formation of organizations such as Senior Sleuths. Seniors are vulnerable for a variety of reasons. Most have monthly money from Social Security in addition to pensions and possibly proceeds from the death of a spouse. Con artists pay close attention to the obituaries to find new widows. These individuals may be easy prey for phony investment schemes because they are afraid they may outlive their savings and become a burden on their families. Plans to invest their money with large profits guaranteed are enticing. Once entrapped in these schemes, escaping from them often looks impossible.

Prevalent senior swindles include lottery scams, internet get-rich-quick schemes and bogus charitable solicitations often run by telemarketers offering phony prizes or cash awards. These telemarketers are savvy enough to call people out of their own state because prosecution is more difficult. It is hard to prosecute these crimes because the elderly victims often die or become incapacitated and cannot testify if a case makes it to trial.

These insidious scams on the elderly is not only theft of finances but theft of dignity. Organizations like AARP Elderwatch, a group based in Colorado, coordinates services for elderly victims of scammers. Legislation in the form of the Elder Justice Act was introduced on March 29, 2007 in both the Senate and House. It will take the concerted efforts of legislation, organizations and individuals to stop or at the very least decrease the scamming of the elderly.

Gerri Tyber, Operations Manager

Barton Home Care

Senior home care eases family caregivers’ worries

I can’t tell you how many times I have received a phone call from an obviously stressed-out woman desperate for help in dealing with her elder mother. It seems that her mother’s needs have increased and this woman finds herself deeply enmeshed in her mother’s care. Complicating the situation is the fact that she also has her own family to care for in addition to her professional employment duties. She is now reaching out for outside assistance. This is admirable that she is taking this step but solving this problem may prove to be anything but easy.

You see our current generation of elders, most in need of care, are the same folks who endured the Great Depression, World War II, the Cold War and so much more. They learned to deal with such mega challenges and they are true survivors. They were taught to “save for a rainy” day and many learned that being frugal was the ticket through such difficult times. They’re proud people and independent souls. They all believe that only the strong survive.

So what happens when this woman who called confronts her mother with the concept of home health care? I’ve been on those intervention meetings where the daughter wants me to convince her mother that in-home elder care could truly be beneficial. More often than not, the elder listens to the benefits of senior home care and then, with a smile, will say that it all sounds very nice but she doesn’t need any help because her daughter takes care of her. This usually results in the daughter running out of the room in tears because “she just can’t take it anymore.”

So what is the solution … how to get the elder to accept the home care concept so that the daughter can resume some semblance of a normal life? There are no easy answers and results vary from family to family. So much is predicated on the existing family relationships and the degree of urgency for such care. Sometimes “baby steps” may work and there may be an opportunity for the elder to experience senior home care on a trial basis. I certainly don’t blame our elders for facing home care with some trepidation. Once a carefully chosen caregiver is introduced, however, it’s not unusual for the elder to realize that they just gained a new-found friend. Then a plan to continue can be crafted that makes sense for the whole family. Sometimes carefully explaining to the elder that hiring a home care company is really not for the elder — it’s for the family. They need some relief, some respite and they need the peace-of-mind to know that their loved one is receiving the quality care that they deserve because they “can’t always be there.”

As our Baby Boomers progess on the aging continuum, and as their parents reach the point of needing more and more care and if they want to see their parents maintain their independence at home, they’re going to need some outside help. Today’s families are not concentrated together in the same town like the old days. Many family members are spread out over the country. Thus enter in-home senior care. It really can be the right solution for all involved and is certainly worth exploring. The right senior home care company can be an ally to the family and truly make a difference in their quality of life.

I know this from my experience … when I reach the age of needing help to preserve my independence, I will hire multiple caregivers to take care of the basics so that I can focus my remaining time doing whatever it is that I need to do … hopefully still helping others navigate the aging process.

Just a difference in generational thinking …

Tom Barton

Owner, Barton Home Care