June is Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month. The focus for this month is on supporting those living with Alzheimer’s and/or Dementia.

June is National Safety Month so it only seems appropriate to talk about elderly fall risk and prevention. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 out of 4 adults (65 and over) will have a fall; 1 out of 5 falls will lead to a serious injury.

Medication Safety is an important topic to cover during National Safety Month. As we age, we tend to add more and more medications to our drug regimen. Adding medications may increase the risk of drug interactions. The older we are, the harder it is on our bodies to break down and process these medications.

For the past 6 years, the clinical care at Commonwise has been overseen by one dynamic Registered Nurse, Amber Best Roberts, and a litany of gifted Care Managers and Caregivers. To say we appreciate our nurses is a tremendous understatement. Happy nurse appreciation week!

Inevitably, when navigating care for parents, adult children ask me whether they should purchase policies for themselves.

When opening a policy, your provider may ask you what you want to do with the assignment of benefits (AOB). You have two options: assigning to yourself or the home care provider. There are pros and cons to each.

When the time comes, either you – or one of your adult children – will need to open your policy to receive reimbursement. Make sure you have kept track of your paperwork, policy numbers, and managed your POA accordingly.

As the Commonwise Home Care (Charlottesville) Director of Nursing, I recently had the opportunity to help a client return to his home after he had spent almost half the year in facilities. I quickly realized what an honor this was and that watching him become reacquainted with his home will now and forever be a highlight in my nursing career.

Like any insurance, the quality of your coverage depends on the type of policy you purchased. However, there are a few constants that are important to know as you begin the process of opening your policy and setting up care. Here are three items common to every policy that you should familiarize yourself with.