Do you know their wishes?

Do you know their wishes?

Suppose your loved one was unconscious in the midst of a health crisis. If you had to make treatment decisions for them, would you know what to say? Making the choices that are right for your relative requires knowing their preferences in advance. Have you had that...
Cleaning out the medicine cabinet

Cleaning out the medicine cabinet

It’s good news when your loved one can switch to a lower dose of a drug or quit a medication altogether. But what should you do with the unwanted pills, patches, or inhalers? Children and pets need to be protected from potentially fatal exposure. Yet chucking...
Managing a loved one’s digital life

Managing a loved one’s digital life

If your loved one has embraced use of a cell phone, tablet, or other digital device, it has likely facilitated caregiving and communication. In fact, much of your relative’s day-to-day life may happen online. It’s convenient: bills get paid online....
Help with choosing a hospital

Help with choosing a hospital

Ever wonder how well your local hospital performs in terms of patient care and safety? Online tools can help you find out. Look to the stars. Medicare gathers hospital data regularly. It posts the information on its Care Compare website. To make comparisons simple,...
Making medical decisions in a crisis

Making medical decisions in a crisis

If you are named as healthcare decision maker for your loved one, you may be called upon to make very important decisions on very short notice. At a time like this, it’s easy, and very human, to get caught up in fear. Unfortunately, fear does not make for the...