Last year my husband almost lost his leg due to a diabetic ulcer at the bottom of his foot. An innocent fall over a Christmas tree started a wound that he could not feel due to a condition called neuropathy.
Nearing 12 months and close to $90,000 in bills he’s 99.9% healed of the incident-yet not the condition!
This is a good time to reassess what we could have done to avoid it, plus better prepare, and protect ourselves from this unexpected event and some possible new event.
We had excellent hospital, doctor network, home health care and wound center treatment. Without them I really do not know if we would be in the great shape we are in today!
We had choices that I truly believe saved my husband’s leg, and possibly his life!
Could the difference be the network selection and team that co-ordinates the outcome of one’s fate?
If that be true, we had the finest Charlotte has to offer…
Reality sets in when you become an overnight “caregiver” of your husband, and the roles reverse!
71% of caregivers are woman, and because of that we see the need firsthand of short term and long term care. Who is gonna be there for me? A good question to ask! We need answers and solutions for the inevitable that’s just around the corner for us.
Did you know that about 72% of nursing home residents are woman, and we have a 50% greater likelihood than men of entering a nursing home after age 65.6!
Facts that I don’t want to think about. Why? Fear, I’m afraid it’s going to cost too much, or I don’t want to accept the fact I’m getting older and may have an illness or Alzheimer’s , or something that will require “dependence” on someone else.
Please, not me you say? Well the truth and statistics don’t lie. We are living longer, and with an increased life expectancy the need for care is most likely.
So, with effective positioning and having the right coverage in place we may not become a burden to our families with cost and caregiving responsibilities. The proper coverage can help preserve our independence. And most important we can have a choice of where we receive care.
My caregiving days have just begun. So has my awareness of what I will need to do for myself.
Don’t go unprepared, get some good “trusted advise” for your care and protection. The knowledge you need to personalize your own plan is available now. It’s your choice. The ability to choose when you can still make a decision can make all the difference.
