Copyright 2000 Globe Newspaper Company
The Boston
Globe
August 6, 2000, Sunday ,THIRD EDITION
SECTION: CITY WEEKLY; Pg. 10
LENGTH: 775 words
HEADLINE:
CITY WEEKLY / SENIOR SET Nancy Boland Johnson reports on senior affairs for
regional newspapers.;
BOOKLET HAS SOLID ADVICE FOR FAMILIES OF NURSING-HOME
RESIDENTS
BYLINE: By Nancy Boland Johnson, Globe
Correspondent
BODY:
Thousands of American families
face nursing home challenges every day. When a loved one enters a nursing home,
families assume a new role, making sure that others provide good care.
"Solving Nursing Home Problems," a recent AARP publication, is a guide
for people who care for someone in a nursing home. "The booklet will help you
identify sources of assistance, understand how laws protect your loved one and
you as a family member, and how to recognize common care problems and ways to
prevent them," said Chryste Hall, AARP Massachusetts communications director.
When you have a problem, try to discuss it with the
nursing home staff, the booklet recommends. It is important to develop a
cooperative relationship with all personnel. This can help keep small problems
from becoming serious. Medicaid and Medicare nursing homes are required to allow
families to form family councils and to meet privately in the facility.
The booklet states: "The family council should not be only a forum for
nursing home staff to tell you what they want you to know. Councils should also
provide an opportunity for families to talk freely among themselves and present
concerns or grievances to the staff."
Residents and family members have
a right to talk to surveyors when they inspect the facility where a loved one
lives. Nursing homes must show you the results of their most recent state
survey. They must disclose any plan of corrections they were required to take to
address deficiencies found by surveyors.
"Families sometimes fear if
they complain or make an issue of a situation, someone will take it out on the
resident when they are not there," said Deborah Banda, AARP Massachusetts state
director. "Fear should not prevent you from insisting on good care for the
resident. Nursing home workers say that families who call attention to problems
get results."
The law says that nursing homes must provide: a copy of
residents' rights requirements; the name, address, and phone number of the
long-term care ombudsman; and information about filing complaints of abuse,
neglect, or theft of personal property with the state survey agency.
For
a free copy of the booklet, call AARP Massachusetts at 720-5600.
Consumers can now shop online for prescriptions. Most online pharmacies
are lawful. However, the Mayo Clinic Health Letter reminds consumers to be leery
of Web sites that sell unapproved drugs.
In some ways, online shopping
for medications works similarly to shopping at a local drugstore. When
purchasing over-the-counter products, you search by name or category. After you
select the product you want, you go to the "check out" and pay by credit card
and give your mailing address.
The Mayo Clinic Health Letter explains
that ordering prescription drugs online is similar to ordering from mail-order
pharmacies. You set up an account (in this case, online) with the pharmacy. You
also must provide insurance information. You mail or fax a prescription from
your doctor. Your medication is then mailed to you within a few days.
Web pharmacies can be helpful for people who can not get out easily or
who live far from a pharmacy. Internet pharmacies say they save you money. If
you know your prescription costs at your local pharmacy, you can comparison-shop
online to see if you will save money. Web pharmacies say another advantage is
that they are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. However, some local
pharmacies also have similar schedules.
Licensed pharmacists should be
available to verify that prescriptions are filled correctly and that customers
are told about potential side effects or possible drug interactions.
The
Mayo Clinic Health Letter warns consumers that "foreign-based sites that promise
cheap prescription drugs may be providing drugs that have expired or are not
approved for use in the United States."
The Food and Drug Administration
offers these tips to consumers who buy health products online:
Do not
buy from sites that offer prescription drugs for the first time without a
physical exam, sell a prescription drug without a prescription, or sell drugs
not approved by the FDA.
Avoid sites that do not have a registered
pharmacist to answer questions.
Avoid sites that do not identify
themselves or do not provide a US address and phone number.
Beware of
sites that advertise a "new cure" for a serious disorder or a cure-all for a
wide range of ailments.
When shopping online, use common sense. Look for
companies that come recommended.Send news items of senior services or programs
for elders to Senior Set, The Boston Globe, Zone Sections, PO Box 2378, Boston,
MA 02107-2378.
LOAD-DATE: August 6, 2000
