ARE YOU A CAREGIVER?
CARING FOR AN AGING PARENT, RELATIVE, OR MAYBE A LOVED ONE?
IF YOU ARE YOU ARE CERTAINLY NOT ALONE.
IN FACT FOUR OUT OF EVERY TEN ADULTS CARE FOR PARENTS AND RELATIVES.
SENIORS SUFFERING FROM CHRONIC ILLNESSES INCLUDING HEART RELATED DISEASES AND THE MANY ISSUES
OF OLD AGE ITSELF.
WELCOME TO THE SECOND IN OUR FOUR PART SERIES DEDICATED TO THE AMERICAN CAREGIVER.
BACK IN THE STUDIO AS WE OBSERVE AMERICAN HEART MONTH IS DR.
JOHN SEGAL, CEO OF DISCOUNT MEDICAL SUPPLIES.
WELCOME BACK DR.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HAVING US BACK.
AND I'M REALLY GLAD YOU ARE BACK AGAIN BECAUSE IN OUR FIRST SEGMENT WE LEARNED SO MUCH ABOUT
THE CAREGIVER AND THE PATIENT.
AND SO MUCH INFORMATION THAT WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT.
THIS MONTH IS AMERICAN HEART MONTH.
TELL ME HOW THE CAREGIVER TODAY CAN HELP THE PATIENTS THAT ARE SUFFERING FROM HEART DISEASES,
CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE.
WE COULD ON AND ON AND NAME THE LIST.
WELL IT'S TOUGH FOR THE CAREGIVERS THEMSELVES BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THEY HAVE TO ABIDE BY WHAT
THE DOCTORS WISHES ARE NUMBER ONE...
MHM.
...NUMBER TWO HELPING WITH THEIR DIET, THEIR NUTRITION.
NUMBER THREE I WOULD SAY DEFINITELY EXERCISE.
HELPING TO GET THAT PERSON OUT OF THE HOUSE INTO THE SUNLIGHT I THINK IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
WE FORGET ABOUT THAT.
AND NUMBER FOUR, LAUGHTER...
MMM.
...I THINK THE CAREGIVER NEVER LAUGHS.
NEVER REALLY TAKES CARE OF THE PERSON SO IT'S VERY DIFFICULT BECAUSE THEY FORGET ABOUT THEMSELVES
WHEN IT IS SO CHALLENGING WITH A FAMILY MEMBER.
SO WHAT ARE THINGS THAT ONE CAN DO WHEN YOUR CAREGIVER NOT JUST FINANCIAL, BUT WHAT OTHER
SUPPORTS CAN THEY LOOK FOR IN THAT TIME OF NEED?
WELL THERE IS A LOT OF SUPPORT GROUPS OUT THERE.
YOU CAN GO TO YOUR VA HOSPITAL.
YOU CAN GO LOOK FOR A OMBUDSMAN IN YOUR AREA.
ALSO THE AREAS ON AGING ARE FANTASTIC CENTERS TO GET YOU IT'S BASICALLY YOUR MAIN PORTAL
TO THE AREA AND ALL THE SUPPORT THAT IS OUT THERE, BUT I THINK WHAT PEOPLE AGAIN FORGET
IS THEY FORGET ABOUT FAMILY AND FRIENDS TO HELP THEM THROUGH THIS SITUATIONS BECAUSE
FRIENDS CAN ACTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST SUPPORT...
MHM.
...WHERE THEY CAN COME AND TAKE THAT FAMILY MEMBER OUT FOR LUNCH.
TAKE THEM OUTSIDE AND GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF A REPRIEVE AS WELL.
NOW THERE IS OTEHR SUPPORTS AND THERE IS SOMETHING I WANT YOU TO SHARE WITH OUR VIEWERS AND YOU
CREATED AN ONLINE STORE AIMED AT HELPING CAREGIVERS.
TELL ME EXACTLY WHAT IT IS AND HOW IT HELPS THEM BECAUSE I THINK IT'S SO VALUABLE FOR
THEM TO HEAR.
YES WE CREATED DISCOUNTMEDICALSUPPLIES DOT COM BECAUSE OF US.
WE WERE CAREGIVERS AND WE WANTED TO GIVE BACK TO EVERYBODY SO WHEN THEY WALK INTO A STORE
OR THEY GO ONLINE TO BUY THEIR MEDICAL SUPPLIES, WE DIDN'T WANT IT TO BE OVERBURDENING TO THEM...
MHM.
...WE DIDN'T WANT THEM TO BE SCARED OR FRIGHTFUL.
SO WE WALK THEM THROUGH THE PROCESS WHETHER IT'S AN ONLINE CHAT WHETHER IT'S TALKING TO
ONE OF OUR REPRESENTATIVES WE GUIDE THEM INTO THE RIGHT PRODUCTS THAT ARE BEST FOR THEM,
NOT THE MORE EXPENSIVE PRODUCTS PER SE.
SO SOMEONE IS THERE ACTUALLY LIVE TALKING TO THEM AND SAYING, "HEY THIS IS WHAT WE CAN
WALK YOU THROUGH AND HELP YOU OUT?"
YES WE ARE ACTUALLY THERE FROM 9 AM TO 12 AM MIDNIGHT MONDAY THRU THURSDAY AND THROUGHOUT
THE WEEKEND AS WELL SO WE CAN GET THERE WHEN THEY NEED US.
AND WE WALK THEM THROUGH WHAT IS THE RIGHT SIZE?
HOW MUCH DO YOU WEIGH?
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?
OR WHAT ARE YOUR DAILY ACTIVITIES AND THEN WE CHOOSE THE RIGHT SIZE AND THE RIGHT FIT
FOR THEM AND IT'S VERY DIFFERENT FROM JUST GUESSING AMONG THOUSANDS OF DIFFERENT PRODUCTS.
AND IF THEY DON'T HAVE MAYBE A LIST OF THINGS THAT THEY NEED FROM A-Z, YOUR PEOPLE CAN ALSO
HELP THEM AND SAY, "HEY WE ALSO RECOMMEND THIS."
YES WE'LL HELP THEM BY THEIR CONDITION.
SO IF THEY HAVE DIABETES OR HEART DISEASE PER SE WHATEVER IT MAY BE WE WILL WALK THEM
THROUGH AND GIVE THEM THE TOP SELLING PRODUCTS THAT ARE BASICALLY NEEDED FOR THEM AND WHAT'S
RECOMMENDED BASED ON THEIR SITUATION.
CAN YOU NAME SOME OF THOSE PRODUCTS THAT USUALLY ARE REALLY THE ONES THAT ARE GO TO?
INCONTINENCE.
UNFORTUNATELY DIAPERS ARE PROBABLY OUR NUMBER ONE PRODUCT.
WOUND CARE.
WALKERS.
ROLATORS.
AND THIS MONTH ESPECIALLY BLOOD PRESSURE MONITORS AND BLOOD PRESSURE CUFFS.
SO DOCTOR AFTER SOMEONE IS LET'S SAY GUIDED THROUGH THE WEBSITE AND THEY GET THE STUFF
THEY NEED FOR THEIR PATIENT OR THEIR LOVED ONE, IS THAT THEN BROUGHT TO THEIR HOME?
IT IS WE SHIP DIRECTLY TO THEIR DOORSTEP SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO BE EMBARRASSED ABOUT WHAT
IS COMING IN THE PACKAGE AND WE THINK THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR THEM AND REALLY THEIR
SELF-ESTEEM.
AND I CAN ONLY IMAGINE HOW MUCH EASIER IT IS FOR THE CAREGIVER TO NOT HAVE TO WORRY
ABOUT GOING TO GET SOMETHING RATHER THAN SPENDING TIME WITH THE LOVED ONE THERE.
WE LIKE TO PARTNER WITH THEM.
SO WE ARE YOUR PARTNER WE ARE YOUR FRIENDS AN D WE ARE GOING TO HELP YOU WE ARE NOT TRYING
TO SELL YOU SOMETHING.
WE WANT TO HELP YOU THROUGH THIS SITUATION BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES YOU DON'T HAVE A PERSON
TO TALK TO AND WE WILL BE THERE FOR YOU TO TALK WITH YOU AS WELL.
IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU ARE AN ADVOCATE, WHICH IS WONDERFUL.
YES I AM.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
WE WILL SEE YOU AGAIN NEXT TIME FOR PART THREE.
I LOOK FORWARD TO IT THANK YOU.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO IT TOO.
THANK YOU DOCTOR.
WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE WITH THIS SUBJECT IN A FUTURE SHOW IN THE MEANTIME IF YOU WOULD
LIKE TO LEARN MORE INCLUDING MORE ABOUT AMERICAN HEART MONTH, VISIT US AT THE BALANCINGACT
DOT COM OR LOG ONTO FACEBOOK/THEBALANCINGACTFANS.
SHARE WITH US YOUR OWN CAREGIVING THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU.