IT'S ESTIMATED FOUR OUT OF EVERY TEN US ADULTS NOW CARE FOR A SICK OR ELDERLY FAMILY MEMBER.
AND A RECENT PEW RESEARCH STUDY INDICATES NEARLY HALF OF ALL ADULTS FULLY EXPECT TO
CARE FOR AN ELDERLY PARENT OR RELATIVE.
AS WE KICK OFF THE FIRST SEGMENT IN OUR FOUR PART SERIES ON CARE GIVING, OUR NEXT GUESS
KNOWS INTIMATELY THE IMPORTANT ROLE CARE GIVERS PLAY.
UNDERSTANDING DEEPLY THE CHALLENGES AND THE FEARS THEY FACE.
WE WELCOME DR.
JOHN SEGAL.
GOOD MORNING DR.
GOOD MORNING HOW ARE YOU?
I AM SO GLAD YOU ARE HERE BECAUSE THIS IS A TOPIC THAT'S REALLY NEAR AND DEAR TO MY
HEART AND I KNOW IT IS FOR YOU TOO BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT ONLY A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS MAN
A DOCTOR, BUT YOU HAVE AN EXPERIENCE AND I WOULD LIKE YOU TO SHARE THAT WITH OUR VIEWERS
IF YOU MAY.
YES IT'S BEEN AN AMAZING JOURNEY FOR MYSELF.
AND WHEN I WAS YOUNG, I WAS TEN YEARS OLD MY FATHER WAS DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER AND MY
MOTHER AND MY BROTHER AND MYSELF HAD TO TAKE CARE OF MY FATHER FOR YEARS SO IT WAS THREE
YEARS IN THE HOUSE HELPING THE SITUATION.
MY MOTHER WAS WORKING FULL TIME...
AND YOU WERE ONLY TEN?
...I WAS TEN.
YES AND MY BROTHER WAS EIGHT.
AND WE WERE HOME HELPING EVERY SINGLE DAY SO IT WAS VERY CHALLENGING FOR US AS A FAMILY
AND AT THE END WHEN MY FATHER PASSED AWAY MY MOTHER ENDED UP GETTING SICK...
OH DEAR.
...AND ENDED UP GOING TO THE HOSPITAL AS WELL.
SO IT BECAME VERY DIFFICULT.
SO I HAVE SEEN THE CHALLENGES OF A CARE GIVER FROM A YOUNG AGE AND THEN RIGHT AFTER THAT
A FEW YEARS LATER MY GRANDMOTHER GOT STRUCK WITH ALZHEIMER'S...
OH DEAR.
...SO ANOTHER GAMUT OF THE SPECTRUM AND SHE MOVED IN WITH US AND WE HELPED CHANGE THE
DIAPERS, WE HELPED WALK HER TO WHAT SHE NEEDED.
AND THEN NOW MY GRANDFATHER, WHO STILL GOD BLESS HIM, 102 AND A HALF...
OH GOODNESS.
...HE HAS OUTLIVED EVERYBODY IN HIS NURSING HOME AND HIS ASSISTED LIVING HOME.
BUT I BECAME GUARDIAN OF HIM TO HELP HIM THROUGHOUT THE PROCESSES.
SO I HAVE BEEN FROM A YOUNG AGE THROUGH AN AGE NOW THAT I AM AT.
BUT BE ABLE TO HELP FROM ALL GAMUTS OF THE CARE GIVING SPECTRUM.
WHAT CHALLENGES DO YOU FEEL THAT CAREGIVERS FACE?
IT'S REALLY BEING ALONE...
YEAH.
...AND CAREGIVERS THEY DON'T KNOW WHERE TO GO THEY ARE AFRAID OF THE SYSTEM.
MHM.
...SOMETIMES THEIR DOCTORS ARE WELL ABOVE THEM.
SO THEY JUST DON'T WANT TO BE ALONE AND THEY NEED HELP AND THEY NEED FAMILY SUPPORT.
I KNOW YOU STARTED A COMPANY WHICH REALLY HELPS CAREGIVERS GET THAT INFORMATION THAT
THEY NEED.
CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT IT?
AND I ALSO KNOW IT HELPS THE PATIENTS AS WELL.
YES WE STARTED DISCOUNT MEDICAL SUPPLIES BASICALLY ON MY PREMISE.
I WANT TO HELP EVERYBODY FROM A YOUNG AGE THROUGHOUT LIFE AND THAT WAS THE MAIN REASON
SO ALL OF THE MEMBERS THAT WORK WITH US ARE CAREGIVERS SO THEY KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO
CARE OF PEOPLE.
MHM.
SO WHEN YOU COME TO OUR WEBSITE WE HAVE OVER THIRTY THOUSAND PRODUCTS THAT YOU MAY BE LOOKING
FOR, BUT IT'S NOT A SCARY PLACE TO GO BECAUSE WE WALK YOU THROUGH SYSTEMATICALLY WHAT YOU
ARE LOOKING FOR.
WE CAN DO IT THROUGH LIVE CHAT OR YOU CAN ACTUALLY NEVER EVEN LOOK AT THE WEBSITE AND
THEN JUST CALL US UP.
AND OUR STAFF IS SO SOPHISTICATED THEY WILL JUST SIT THERE BECOME YOUR FRIEND AND WALK
YOU THROUGH WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR.
WHICH IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE INCLUDING MYSELF AND MY MOM WE ARE NOT THE
MOST COMPUTER SAAVY PEOPLE AND A LOT OF PEOPLE STILL TODAY ARE NOT SO THAT WOULD HELP IN
TERMS OF JUST THE PHONE AND WALKING THEM THROUGH IT.
THAT'S CORRECT YEAH.
SO IF SOMEONE LET'S SAY HAS UM A PATIENT AT HOME AND IS A CAREGIVER WHAT KIND OF PRODUCTS
WOULD THEY BE LOOKING FOR AND WHAT DO YOU OFFER?
I KNOW YOU HAVE MANY BUT WHAT IS THE MOST COMMON?
I WOULD SAY PAIN MANAGEMENT.
PAIN RELIEF IS NUMBER ONE TYPICALLY...
HUGE.
...INCONTINENCE.
UM LOOKING FOR DIAPERS FOR THE OLDER AND ALSO...
WHICH IS NOT EASY TO DO.
...IT IS VERY DIFFICULT AND SCARY IN FACT.
PEOPLE ARE AFRAID TO GO OUT INTO THE STORE AND BUY THEM SO WE HELP THEM THROUGH THEIR
PROCESS AND WE DELIVER IT DISCREETLY TO THEIR DOORSTEP WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT AS WELL.
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THIS IS I JUST FEEL LIKE YOU ARE HELPING NOT ONLY THE CAREGIVER, BUT
THE PATIENT.
IT IS VERY TOUGH FOR PEOPLE AND CAREGIVERS AS WELL BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT AGAIN THEY
DON'T HAVE THAT HELP THEY ARE EMBARRASSED SOMETIMES.
THEY FEEL ALONE AND THEY ARE AFRAID TO ASK FOR THE HELP AND THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE ARE.
WE ARE CAREGIVERS SO WE REALLY KNOW WHAT THEY ARE FEELING BECAUSE WE HAVE ALL BEEN THROUGH
IT.
SO WE KNOW THE CHALLENGES AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE TO DO IS HELP SUPPORT THEM.
AND NO DOUBT YOUR EXPERIENCES SO YOUNG, WHICH UNFORTUNATELY WERE SO UNFORTUNATE AT LEAST
HAS BROUGHT SOMETHING SO POSITIVE AS WELL.
THANK YOU.
CAN YOU TELL ME THE WEBSITE BEFORE WE LEAVE?
YES DISCOUNTMEDICALSUPPLIES DOT COM.
THANK YOU SO MUCH DR.
REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
AND GOOD LUCK TO YOU.
THANK YOU.
THIS HAS BEEN THE FIRST BY THE WAY IN A SERIES DEDICATED TO AMERICA'S CAREGIVERS WERE GOING
TO HAVE MORE ON THIS SUBJECT IN A FUTURE SHOW IN THE MEANTIME IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO LEARN
MORE PLEASE VISIT US AT THE BALANCINGACT DOT COM OR GO TO FACEBOOK /THEBALANCINGACTFANS.
SHARE WITH US YOUR OWN CAREGIVING THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU.