Summa’s Center for Senior Health partners with caregivers

By Shawna Ramey, Akron LIVING WELL Magazine (formerly SENIOR Magazine)

Phyllis Johnson realized there was a “problem” with her mother after she received a phone call from a teller at her parents’ bank.

Her mother, Ruth Boyd, 78, who had been in charge of the family finances for over 50 years, was suddenly overdrawing her checking account.

“That just wasn’t like my mother,” says Johnson. “Mom never allowed my dad to handle the finances during their entire marriage – she did everything.”

Fortunately, a bank employee recognized that something was wrong and alerted Johnson. After some investigative work, Johnson discovered that her mother, normally a stickler for financial matters, was double-paying her bills.

“She was writing checks to cover bills that were already being paid automatically through direct withdrawal,” Johnson explains. “She was basically double-paying all of their bills – which was why their account was overdrawn.”

Johnson’s mother is a former food service worker who retired from Summa Western Reserve Hospital in Cuyahoga Falls. Her husband of 54 years, Leonard Boyd, 80, is a disabled construction worker who is coping with some serious medical problems of his own.

After straightening out her parents’ finances, she knew she needed to make some tough decisions about her mother’s care.

She scheduled a geriatric assessment for Ruth at Summa’s Center for Senior Health.

A geriatric assessment is a comprehensive evaluation designed to optimize an older adult’s ability to enjoy good health, improve their quality of life, reduce the need for hospitalization and long-term care and enable him/her to live independently as long as possible.

When Johnson and her mom arrived for their initial appointment, they met with the center’s collaborative care team – a physician, nurse and social worker who specialize in the care of older adults. The team evaluated Ruth’s medical, social and functional needs by conducting a geriatric assessment.

The assessment included an examination of Ruth’s current physical, mental and psychological health, plus a measurement of her ability to function and to independently perform the basic activities of daily living, such as dressing, bathing, meal preparation and medication management. Finally, a review of her living arrangements, social network, access to support services and financial options was made.

The assessment confirmed what Johnson suspected: her mother was diagnosed with dementia.

After her initial visit, the collaborative care team also identified Ruth’s current problems and documented any anticipated future problems. The team then discussed the results of the assessment and developed a comprehensive care plan designed specifically for Ruth and tailored to meet her unique needs.

A care plan is the outcome of a geriatric assessment and is really an “action plan” for future care. The plan lists all identified problems, suggests what specific interventions or actions are required and recommends the resources needed to provide the necessary support services.

At a follow-up visit, the collaborative care team met with Ruth and her family to explain the team’s findings, the proposed care plan and the team’s recommendations for future care. Before the end of the discussion, the team made sure that both Ruth and her caregivers understood what needed to be done and why.

“We do have a good support system in place. But it makes it tough when everyone works. No one can afford to stay home from work and give my mom the 24-hour care she needs,” Johnson adds.

The solution: Summa’s New Horizon’s Adult Day Care program on the campus of Summa Western Reserve Hospital. Ruth has been attending New Horizon’s for about a year, according to Johnson.

Johnson believes that one of the big advantages of using the services of Summa’s Center for Senior Health is their team approach. They can help you connect with all the services that are available to you within your own community through their partnership with the Area Agency on Aging, she says.

Johnson has one piece of advice for other families struggling to care for aging parents – get help. Even with a large extended family nearby, it has been a challenge at times to care for her parents.

“No one can do it all,” she says. “It really does take a village…”

Shawna Ramey is the business manager for the Summa’s Center for Senior Health. The Summa Center for Senior Health and its collaborative care teams can assist with many different health-related issues, including but not limited to: confusion and memory loss, chronic and disabling illness, depression and anxiety and trouble with daily activities like getting dressed or bathing.  For more information about the Center, call 330-375-4100 or visit www.summahealth.org/seniors.