Growing Older Can Be One Of The Biggest Challenges You’ll Ever Face. We Say: Challenge Accepted. But let’s make it a little easier, with a booklet to prepare you for medical appointments and an online resource for finding the right doctor.
Taking Control of Your Healthcare: A Guide For Seniors
These large-print guides will keep you organized for medical appointments. They come in booklet form (contact us to receive one) and are accessible online. Keep track of past appointments, notes, questions for your doctor, medical history, medications, all in one place.
Senior's Guide
(Click Here)Senior's Guide
A Caregiver’s Toolkit: What You Need to Know When Caring for Someone
“A Caregiver’s Toolkit” offers tips, local resources to help manage the challenges of providing care for a loved one.
English Guide
(Click Here)English Guide
GUÍA ESPAÑOL
(Haga clic aquí)GUÍA ESPAÑOL
Hospitool
The Hospitool is a guide that helps empower yourself and your loved ones to become effective partners with your healthcare team. From preparing for your hospitalization to questions to consider before being discharged, we’ve covered it all in this guide.
English Guide
(Click Here)English Guide
GUÍA ESPAÑOL
(Haga clic aquí)GUÍA ESPAÑOL
PX 101: Enhancing Patient Experience
At The Patient Institute, we have the volunteers to present the training and the tools to increase your team’s knowledge on improving your patients’ experience.
PX101 2-3
(Click Here)PX101 2-3
Receive Training Here
(Click here)Receive Training Here
Find Your Doctor
The Find Your Doctor Database, managed in partnership with the Bexar County Medical Society, helps patients find a Bexar county physician accepting new patients.
The site also offers links to:
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CHIP: Children in Texas without health insurance may be able to get low cost or free health coverage from the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) or Children’s Medicaid. Both programs cover office visits, prescription drugs, dental care, eye exams, glasses, and much more.
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Children’s Medicaid: Families with children who get Children’s Medicaid pay nothing and children with CHIP pay no more than $50 a year for health care coverage. Some families with CHIP also may need to pay co-pays for some services
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Your Texas Benefits: State benefit programs that help people with little or no money who are in need of services such as Health care: Medicaid and CHIP, SNAP food benefits, TANF cash help, and others
Taking Control of Your Healthcare
Taking control of your healthcare is one of the best things you can do for yourself. Your efforts now may save your life down the road:
- It is extremely important to find and start going to a primary care physician. Choose a primary care physician who you like and whose office staff is responsive and helpful.
- If you don’t already have a primary care physician, click on Find Your Doctor and follow the instructions to find one that is accepting new patients.
- You can also call the MARC, the University of Texas Medical School Medical Arts and Research Center, to find a primary care physician who will accept you as a patient there. You will need health insurance or Medicare to be seen there.
- If you are a Bexar County resident, you can also go to University Health System’s clinics. You can go to these whether you have health insurance or not.
Preparing For Your Appointment
The following link will bring you to a form that you can print and fill-out in preparation for your medical appointment(s). Preparing for your appointment allows you to prepare the answers that you will inevitably be asked to provide on forms when you arrive at your doctor’s office. How many times have you been at the doctor’s office filling out a form and not been able to remember how many milligrams of that medicine you take or when you had that surgery? This form will allow you to put the information together at home, where you have the information!
The form also has space to write down the questions that you would like to ask at the appointment. Not only that, but it has space to write down the answers as you get them! Did you know that 80% of patients forget what their doctor tell them by the time they leave their offices?
Please explore and use the form, as it has many features that will empower you to become a partner in your own care.
Prepare for Appointments
(Click Here)Prepare for Appointments
How To Talk To Your Doctor
How to talk to your doctor is an important part of getting the healthcare you need. For helpful tips when talking to your doctor, download the guide.
Talking to Doctors
(Click Here)Talking to Doctors
The Affordable Care Act
The Affordable Insurance Exchanges offer a choice of health plans at www.healthcare.gov. This plan has a lower the cost but a higher the deductible so you will have to pay more out of pocket.
Emergency Room Vs. Urgent Care
Get answers about when you should go to the emergency room or when an urgent care center can cover your needs. Also included is a FAQ section in regards to both kinds of facilities. Click here for the tip sheet.
ER? Urgent Care?
(Click Here)ER? Urgent Care?
Understanding & Dealing With Obesity
Exploring Obesity: A simple guide for insights and solutions that may work for you! Download our brochure for useful information and suggestions.
Understanding & Dealing With Obesity
(Click Here)Understanding & Dealing With Obesity
“Welcome Stranger” an Alzheimer’s Caregivers Guide by Mr. Sherman Macdaniel
Little has been written specifically focused on how to lessen the stress suffered by the dementia caregiver. This guide is not intended to be a primer to understanding Alzheimer’s disease but rather to provide a few meaningful ways to make the job of care giving less onerous and life more pleasant for both parties.
The title of this manual is purposeful. An Alzheimer’s patient becomes a stranger in that their behavior, likes, dislikes and actions change from what we have previously known and lived with in prior years. Regrettably, we cannot predict nor anticipate patient behavior, which implies we are now dealing with a stranger; a person we do not know. Yes, the appearance may be familiar, perhaps some habits and routines continue in the beginning, but as time goes on the patient eventually will become a complete stranger! The caregiver must embrace an attitude of warmth and hospitality toward the patient, much as they would do in welcoming a new acquaintance. Hence……“Welcome Stranger’’.
Alzheimer Caregiver's Guide
(Click Here)Alzheimer Caregiver's Guide
GUÍA ESPAÑOL
(Haga clic aquí)Guía para cuidadores de personas con Alzheimer
Need Copies of the Guide?
Please complete the form below to order copies for your personal or business use.
Helpful Terminology
We are here to help decode the language of aging.
Click on the word below to learn more.
Acute care is provided to those patients who are expected to recover from their medical condition and continue to live their normal life without further medical assistance after the recovery process.
Source: nlm.nih.gov
ADLs or activities of daily living are described as non-medical activities that are required at home. These include, but are not limited to: dressing, bathing, eating, and toileting. Most senior care company caregivers are the ones responsible for providing patients with assistance in this area.
Source: New LifeStyles
Adult Day Care Centers are designed to provide care and companionship for older adults who need assistance or supervision during the day. Programs offer relief to family members and caregivers, allowing them to go to work, handle personal business, or just relax while knowing their relative is well cared for and safe. There are two types of adult day care: 1) Adult social day care provides social activities, meals, recreation, and some health-related services. 2) Adult day health care offers intensive health, therapeutic, and social services for individuals with serious medical conditions and those at risk of requiring nursing home care.
Source: eldercare.gov
Advance directives are legal papers that tell your doctor and loved ones about the kind of care you want if you become very ill, and you can’t make choices for yourself. Some important advance directives to have are a living will, power of attorney, and a Do Not Resuscitate Order.
Source: Taking Control of Your Healthcare: A Guide for Seniors
Alzheimer’s is a type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior. Symptoms usually develop slowly and get worse over time, becoming severe enough to interfere with daily tasks. Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia, and accounts for 60-80% of dementia cases.
Source: alz.org
Assisted living facilities provide individualized health and personal care assistance in a homelike setting with an emphasis on personal dignity, autonomy, independence and privacy. Facilities can be large apartment-like settings or private residences. Services include meals, bathing, dressing, toileting, and administrating or supervising medication.
Source: New LifeStyles
A family caregiver is someone who is responsible for attending to the daily needs of another person. Family caregivers are responsible for the physical, emotional and often financial support of another person who is unable to care for him/herself due to illness, injury or disability. The care recipient may be a family member, life partner or friend. (caregiver.org) A hired caregiver can be found through a qualified home health agency or independently, through online or social sources.
Continuing Care Retirement Community is a combined independent living, assisted living, and nursing in a single setting. Normally requiring an entry free, offering a living unit, meals, and healthcare up to the nursing level.
Source: New LifeStyles
A chronic illness or condition holds one or more of the following characteristics: permanency, residual disability, rehabilitation, requires long-term care, supervision, or observation. It is any condition or disease that cannot be completely cured and lasts for a long period of time.
Source: nlm.nih.gov
The percentage of the cost a person pays after he or she has paid their deductible.
Congestive heart failure, or CHF, is a condition that occurs when the heart cannot efficiently pump blood. Through the progression of the condition, the heart muscle walls may eventually weaken. As a result, the kidney begins to retain fluids and other parts of the body become congested.
Source: heart.org
The fixed price a person pays for a medical visit or service after their deductible has been paid.
A cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR, is an emergency method used to care for someone whose heart stopped beating or has stopped breathing. CPR can be provided in the form of mouth-to-mouth breathing, pressing on the chest, using breathing tubes, or using electric shock to restart the heart.
Source: Taking Control of Your Healthcare: A Guide for Seniors
For those with a need for more intensive care such as rehab, therapeutic activities, meals and counseling, research your local adult day programs, which are often affiliated with hospitals, nursing homes, religious organizations and nonprofits. It can be a less expensive option than hiring in-home care.
Source: AARP
The amount the you have to pay out of pocket before your insurance plan kicks in and helps pay for medical costs.
Dementia a general term for a decline in mental ability severe enough to interfere with daily life. Memory loss is an example. Alzheimer’s is the most common type of dementia, accounting for 60-80% of cases. Dementia is not a specific disease. It’s an overall term that describes a wide range of symptoms associated with a decline in memory or other thinking skills severe enough to reduce a person’s ability to perform everyday activities.
Source: alz.org
A do-not-resuscitate order, or DNR order, is a medical order written by a doctor. It instructs health care providers not to do cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) if a patient’s breathing stops or if the patient’s heart stops beating. A DNR order allows you to choose whether or not you want CPR before an emergency occurs. It is specific about CPR. It does not provide instructions for other treatments, such as pain medicine, other medicines, or nutrition. The doctor writes the order only after talking about it with the patient (if possible), the proxy, or the patient’s family.
Source: nlm.nih.gov
A geriatric assessment is a multidimensional evaluation of an elderly patient’s health to determine their physical, functional, emotional, and cognitive needs in order to improve their quality of life.
Source: nlm.nih.gov
A program of palliative care consisting of medical, social, and support services provided to persons with a terminal illness and a physician’s prognosis of six months or less to live.
Source: New LifeStyles
- Home care: Includes providers of licensed healthcare services in the home and companies that provide non-medical assistance with such tasks as bathing, dressing, meal preparation, and transportation. (New LifeStyles)
- Home healthcare: Agencies offered skilled nursing services, wound care, distribution of medication, physical and rehabilitation therapies (Senior Living Choices)
Sources: New LifeStyles, Senior Living Choices
Ideal for seniors who are able to live independently, and desire to live in a community with others of a similar age. Some consist of apartments or houses, whiles others consist of interior apartments within one central building. Some provide meals in a central dining room, transportation, and most provide social and recreational activities.
Source: San Antonio Seniors’ Guide
A living will, also called a directive to physicians or advance directive, is a document that lets people state their wishes for end-of-life medical care, in case they become unable to communicate their decisions. It has no power after death.
Source: alllaw.com
Long term care focuses on patients who require medical attention for an extended period of time. Care is provided for those who need help carrying out normal daily activities due to cognitive issues or loss of muscular control and strength. Rehabilitation, skilled nursing, palliative care, supervision, and many other social and personal care are examples of services offered under long term care. Long term care may be provided at nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and at home.
Source: nlm.nih.gov
Communities offering specialized programs for residents suffering from Alzheimer’s or other forms of memory loss. These programs can be offered by residential, assisted living, nursing centers and more.
Source: New LifeStyles
Licensed facilities providing 24-hour skilled nursing care and rehabilitation for those who have more extensive medical needs and health requirements. Residents may stay for a short-term period of time for rehab, or may need to stay for long-term care.
Source: San Antonio Seniors’ Guide
Palliative care is specialized medical care for people with serious illnesses. It focuses on providing patients with relief from the symptoms and stress of a serious illness. The goal is to improve quality of life for both the patient and the family. Palliative care is provided by a specially-trained team of doctors, nurses and other specialists who work together with a patient’s other doctors to provide an extra layer of support.
Source: getpalliativecare.org
Power of attorney is an advance directive that lets you pick someone to make medical choices for you if become very ill and you can’t make choices for yourself. This person might be a husband, wife or child. It could also be a friend or relative.
Source: Taking Control of Your Healthcare: A Guide for Seniors
Your primary care doctor is the main doctor you visit first to provide you with basic care for your health concerns. They may refer you to a specialist or other healthcare providers as they see fit to assure you receive adequate care.
Source: Taking Control of Your Healthcare: A Guide for Seniors
A referral is a request submitted by your doctor to transfer your care to a specialist. This may come in the form of a note or may be completed by the doctor’s office.
Source: Taking Control of Your Healthcare: A Guide for Seniors
Respite means a period of rest or relief. Respite care provides a caregiver temporary relief from the responsibilities of caring for individuals with chronic physical or mental disabilities. Respite care is often referred to as a gift of time.
Source: minddisorders.com
If your parent is fairly independent, with no major physical or mental problem, a senior center might be a good place to connect with others, exercise or to take some classes. Most communities have a center, and facilities often provide transportation.
Source: AARP
A specialist is a doctor who primarily concentrates on a specific field of medicine. Eye doctors (ophthalmologists), heart doctors (cardiologists), and ear, nose, and throat doctors (otolaryngologists) are a few examples.
Source: Taking Control of Your Healthcare: A Guide for Seniors
An urgent care clinic is also called a walk-in clinic and is for common medical problems that are NOT life-threatening emergencies, but should be taken care of quickly. You might go to a walk-in clinic is you can’t get an appointment with your primary care doctor right away or if you need to see a doctor at night or over the weekend.
Source: Taking Control of Your Healthcare: A Guide for Seniors
Whether you’re a family member caring for a loved one or a professional caregiver, you need resources to be effective. Take time to reduce your stress, connect with others, and learn from experts.
Click on the organization titles below to learn more about their offerings.
Crises
24-hour Crisis Helpline: 210.223.7233
The Center for Health Care Services improves the lives of people with mental health disorders, substance abuse challenges, and developmental disabilities. Our services for adults, children, elderly, and veterans include Mental Health, Developmental Disability, and Substance Abuse. Visit the center’s website.
Housing/Living at Home
Home 2 Home 4 Seniors is a free consultation and resource for families looking for senior housing or care in a family’s desired geographic location. We save you time and money finding solutions for any given situation; be it home health, independent living, dementia care, assisted living facilities or nursing home. Visit their website.
Northeast Senior Assistance provides services that help seniors live independently in their own homes, around their familiar settings and environment, which is where they want to be, and give them peace of mind. These include transportation/rides, grocery shopping/delivery, telephone reassurance, handy helpers, socialization at special events, and information and referral services. Visit the NESA website.
Caregiver Education/Consultation
Heal the Healer provides a one-day gathering for intensive exploration and training on the ways formal or informal caregiving affects the caregiver. To uncover the unspoken wounds and the weights of this kind of serving; To provide a safe context for truth-telling about one’s caregiving experiences; To give permission to release people and pain; and To learn strategies for physical, emotional, and spiritual wholeness while under the caregiving assignment. Visit their website.
The Caring for the Caregiver program, UT Health School of Nursing supports family caregivers of persons with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias through our practice, education, community engagement, and research. We offer regular programs of education and support for family caregivers including: Essentials of Caregiving, Skills Training Workshops, and Memory Cafes. Visit their website.
Next Avenue is public media’s first and only national service for America’s booming 50+ population. Our mission is to meet the needs and unleash the potential of older Americans through the power of media. We do this by providing news, information and advice to help our audience navigate their lives and inviting them to join in an ongoing conversation about the issues and transitions we all face. Visit their website.
Caring.com is the leading online destination for those seeking information and support as they care for aging parents, spouses, and other loved ones. Our mission: to help the helpers. We equip family caregivers to make better decisions, save time and money, and feel less alone—and less stressed—as they face the many challenges of caregiving. Visit Caring.com
CaregivingCafe.com caregiving forums are a way to find other caregivers with whom to share your experiences, interested, challenges, and joys. They are also a way to spread some good news when you have accomplished something important to you or found a solution to a situation. It may be just the thing that a fellow caregiver needs to hear! Visit CaregivingCafe.com
Alamo Area Council of Governments provides information, resources and programs on caregiving, respite care, and many other helpful topics for caregivers. Visit the AACOG website.
The Alamo Caregiver Support Coalition is a sub-committee (Family Caregiver Support) of the Bexar Senior Advisory Committee which advises the Bexar Area Agency on Aging in matters related to seniors and persons with disabilities. Visit the coalition website.
You are not alone. Whether you need information about early-stage caregiving, middle-stage caregiving, or late-stage caregiving, the Alzheimer’s Association is here to help. Visit alz.org.
Quality of Life
AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that helps people 50 and older improve the quality of their lives. The caregiver section covers topics on The Latest in Caregiving, Caregivers Share Their Stories, Locate Resources, Caregiving Issues, and much more. Visit the AARP website.
Golden Manor Jewish Senior Services works to address the needs and enrich the lives of all seniors in the San Antonio area. GMJSS is a resource and support for programs and services that benefit Jewish seniors. Services include transportation, programs, and kosher meals. Visit their website.
Alamo Service Connection is a one-stop for information, referral, and assistance for seniors, people with disabilities, and veterans. Visit the ASC website.
Catholic Charities offers Seniors Services which include Financial Wellness and Care, Guardianship Services, Retired Senior Volunteer Program, Foster Grandparent Program, and Project Cool. Visit their website.
Alamo Area Parkinson’s Support Group serves the Parkinson’s disease (PD) community in San Antonio and South Texas through advocacy, education, support programs, and financial support to research. Visit the AAPSG website.
Jewish Family Services provides affordable counseling to clients of all ages including psychiatric services, services for seniors and case management services. Visit their website.
End of Life
Loss of Life Advocates was created to provide support and guidance to those who have recently lost someone they love, or who need help preparing for a loved one’s final transition. Helping families with: Instructions on closing down a loved one’s estate/business/home, guidance on what to do after an unexpected loss, support gathering important paperwork after a terminal diagnosis, and referrals to resources for survivors. Visit the LOLA website.
Helping you with Transportation, Legal Services, Socializing & Staying Fit, Hearing & Vision Assistance, and more.
Click on the organization titles below to learn more about their offerings.
Transportation
Northeast Senior Assistance provides services that help seniors live independently in their own homes, around their familiar settings and environment, which is where they want to be, and give them peace of mind. These include transportation/rides, grocery shopping/delivery, telephone reassurance, handy helpers, socialization at special events, and information and referral services. Visit the NESA website.
Call a Ride for Seniors has been providing transportation for seniors since 1984. Visit the CARS website.
For those customers who cannot ride the bus because of a disability, VIAtrans Paratransit Service offers paratransit transportation service. Individuals must apply for this shared-ride program to determine eligibility. Visit the VIA website.
The AARP Smart Driver Course, offered by AARP Driver Safety, is the nation’s largest classroom and online driver safety course and is designed especially for drivers age 50 and older. Visit the AARP Website.
Legal Services
Marquardt Law Firm team’s mission is to empower our clients to tax-efficiently protect and preserve assets, reduce family conflict, and maximize government benefits. Elder law attorneys walk with elderly clients and their adult children through the Medicaid and Veteran’s Aid and Attendance application process so our clients can maximize the tax dollars they have already paid during their working years, which helps our clients save money and allows the government to cover the high cost of long term extended care. Visit the law firm’s website.
For over 20 years, the Legal Hotline for Texans has given free legal advice, self-help publications, and referrals to Texans over the age of 60 and Texans who receive Medicare. Visit the hotline’s website.
Texas RioGrande Legal Aid is a non-profit organization that provides free legal services to low-income residents in sixty-eight counties of Southwest Texas. Visit the TRLA website.
Hearing and Vision
Telecommunications meets hearing loss: ClearCaptions provides an innovative suite of communication services for people with hearing. Visit their website.
Owl Radio is a free community service of the Low Vision Resource Center and is co-sponsored by Texas Public Radio and the San Antonio Express-News. The service provides daily radio broadcasts of newspapers, magazines and other information for persons who are unable to read regular print due to a visual, physical or reading impairment. Visit the Owl Radio website.
The San Antonio Low Vision Resource Center assists visually impaired people with education, mobility assistance, support groups, and socialization. The club’s monthly meetings include presentations designed to keep members informed about the latest medical research into eye diseases and how local resources can assist them. Visit the center’s website.
Miscellaneous Resources
Porter Loring Mortuaries is San Antonio’s oldest family-owned funeral home, still operating under the same family management. Visit the mortuary website.
My San Antonio Mobile Notary provides a variety of concierge notary public and legal support services for: Power Of Attorney, Wills, Living Trusts, and more. Visit the notary website.
Genie Bath Systems: by removing the high barrier to entry in our walk-in tubs, you can fearlessly open the bathtub door and enter without the risk of losing your balance, and slipping on the floor. Visit their website.
SA Access App is a comprehensive, user-friendly app that helps Bexar County residents navigate the health insurance world. It was created by UTHSCSA students as a community service-learning project. Visit the App website.
COVID-19 BEXAR COUNTY RESOURCES
We at The Patient Institute understand that living through the COVID-19 pandemic can be overwhelming. We have collected the following resources for the Bexar County community that we hope will provide you with tools and information to help you through this time.
Socializing and Staying Fit
Igo Branch Library
American Volkssport Association (AVA)