How do you all handle the paperwork side of caring for a parent?

Hi Adam - There are a few things you can do the next time you visit your Mom - Introduce yourself to her pharmacist and see if you can also be listed on the account / approved as OK to speak with. Is there a “pharmacy account”? Meaning, my Mom gets her Rx thru her closest Publix pharmacy and I created her account and added me as a secondary, so I get notified when scripts are ready etc.

Has she provided your name as an approved person for discussions with her physicians? It took a while - but I have all of her medical contacts, online portal information and list of medications.

Side note -  do you have the pin code to her mobile phone? That can be VIP in an emergency situation.  - Wendy

That feeling of being constantly behind is so familiar, and it makes sense when the work is spread across insurance calls, letters, refills, and referrals. What helped me most was giving paperwork one fixed time each week, rather than trying to catch it whenever a spare minute appeared. I keep just three short lists: waiting on someone else, needs action from me, and done. When something arrives, it goes on a list right away instead of sitting in my inbox and worrying me in the background. For a denied claim, I have learned to ask for the reference number, the exact reason in plain language, and the appeal deadline, and to write those down during the call. That one habit has saved me from having to explain the whole story again. With your brother, dividing by task rather than by a shared calendar might help: one person owns insurance calls, the other owns appointments and referrals, for example, with a quick weekly check-in. It will not make the paperwork disappear, but it can make it feel less like it is following you all week.

Adam, your week sounds exhausting, and the replies about keeping one notebook or folder are great. For anyone who’s been doing this a while: think back to the last time something slipped, like a missed refill, a referral that sat too long, or a denied claim. What was it, how did you catch it, and what did fixing it actually take?

​@AdamS523151 I feel your pain! The paperwork was one of the most overwhelming things about caring for my parents and my sister, along with coordinating the team. There are caregiving apps that can help for some things - like shared calendars and planning who will do which task and when, sharing updates and key documents etc. You can read this article for some ideas: 3 Free Apps to Help Caregivers Get Organized, Find Support . 

I used a note-taking app called Evernote and shared access with my sister. And we simply invited each other to any appointments we made for our parents so they would appear on both of our iphone calendars. That way we didn’t need keep up another shared calendar (as you said - who needs another thing to deal with?!) And we had a text thread amongst my sisters that we shared updates. 

And I use a To Do list app where I list my to do tasks (I have categories in mine - work, personal, Mom and Dad etc.). 

Also, if you just don’t have time to do it all you could hire an aging life care expert/geriatric care manager to do some of the follow up and coordination for/with you. This article explains what they are and how to find one. 

One thing I’ve found very helpful - I do have paper copies of certain key documents - like POA, med list, med history etc. and I kept them in a folder by the front door in case we needed to go to the ER or a doc appt. But I also have digital copies of everything available on my phone/ipad/laptop. So I can access the info from anywhere. I recommend apps and digital tools that synchronize across all of your devices so wherever you are you can check your to do list, key documents, calendar etc. 

i hope these thoughts and resources are helpful! 

Take care,

Amy Goyer, AARP Natl. Family & Caregiving Expert

​@AdamS523151 can I ask what state you live in? We have caregiving specific state resources that can help you on this journey. You can find them here: www.aarp.org/caregiverresourceguides. We also have an overall caregiving guide that can help in your planning: https://www.aarp.org/content/dam/aarp/caregiving/pdf/family-caregiving-guide/english.pdf?intcmp=AE-CAR-P2CGD-ENG

You can find more guides here: www.aarp.org/preparetocare

I can definitely relate. One thing that’s helped is creating a simple checklist instead of trying to keep everything in my head. I keep one place for insurance, medications, appointments, and follow-up calls, then tackle the highest-priority item each day. It’s not perfect, but it helps me feel less like I’m constantly putting out fires.

I’ve also learned that small organizational systems can save a lot of stress over time. I’m interested to hear what has worked for others.

Managed Care Coordinators or Care Coordinators assists with the medical claims and prescriptions. Contact the health insurance company or your local/ county senior assistance resources. I get calls and notifications inquiring if my family received the support required.

Hi @AdamS523151 , just recommended this on another thread.  Contact your Area Agency On Aging organization nearest you for resources and suggestions.  It can get very overwhelming.  

Good morning Adam, I understand the worry and frustration. I have been helping my parents and now just my Mom for @ 10 years. There are a few things I can suggest (start small), see if the Pharmacy has an App or additional user.

For example, my Mom uses Publix Pharmacy and I am able to ask questions as she has given permission for them to talk with me (I am also her Power of Attorney). I get emails of when prescriptions are ready and I can check when it's time for a refill if not automatic. Next time you are visiting your Mom, maybe take a field trip with your Mom to the pharmacy and ask to speak with the pharmacist to make an appointment to go over all of the medications (probably some could be removed from her account).

I have lots of other suggestions, but one of the most VIPS, if she is an active cell phone user - will she share the pin-code to her device? I only ask as so many things have 2-factor authentication.

Good luck and reach out if you have more questions or concerns 🙂 Wendy

@aidenwalker 

Since I have became what I think is an expert at Medicare coverage and all the ins and outs or I learned it really fast with research either on the CMS or Medicare site or various others then I didn’t have any problems but sometimes it was very time consuming but once I got the hang of all the exceptions to the rules then I got real good at it.   That has taken years and then you have to keep up with all the changes that affect beneficiaries. 

CMS.gov - Medical Bill Guides and Resources 

Some people hire professionals that act as Patient Advocates.

CMS.gov - Find a Patient Advocate    There are companies that do it too - I do not recommend that route for normal beneficiary problems.

There are other help sources also depending on what the need.

Medicare.gov - Get help with your rights & protections 

SHIP says that they can help with billing problems but I do not know if they mean insurance type billings or treatment billings.

Many times the problem can be remedied - by reading the coverage documentation and understanding all the various rolls of the parts of Medicare + any supplemental coverage. Knowing your mom’s coverage is paramount and having the policies and know how they work and when.

• Original Medicare OR a Medicare Advantage plan [Part C] (and have the policy) -
• Her free standing Plan D Prescription Drug Coverage if she has Original Medicare (her drug coverage is usually included if she has a Medicare Advantage plan)
• A Medigap (Medicare Supplemental policy) and what plan it is or some other coverage that acts as such - Medicaid, CHAMPVA, TriCare for Life, Retiree coverage, etc,

I can also definitely help here too but all the details have to be given - like problem details, plan type, Medigap plan - all the details make a difference. 

You have to keep up with the Annual Enrollment periods for (1) Medicare Advantage plans or (2) free standing Medicare Part D plans because they change yearly and so may the beneficiary’s needs - Annual enrollment is October 7 - Dec 15 EVERY YEAR.  Before that begins every year, the whatever insurance company will send an Explanation of Changes to the current policy - so you need to review that to see if the beneficiary needs another plan to fill their needs.  Even then, it is still best to review the options again during the annual enrollment just to make sure that the beneficiary has the best plan for their needs including price.  

So a good basic understanding of Medicare is good to have - 

Medicare.gov - Medicare and You - The Handbook  

I also used Excel to create spread sheets to keep with the care and billings - what they were for, etc.   

Using Medicare.gov to read about coverage is also great for normal stuff.  If it gets outside of the everyday norm, like for special coverage or special billing methods for coverage, then I have to resort to CMS.

It can be done easily after you understand Medicare. the various plans and the coverage.