Tip #100 Picture Perfect; Somebunny to Love

     Who can resist a bunny? They are so soft, and those ears are so comical they are cute! Now, maybe you are not a "bunny" person, and that's fine by me. But, just like kittens and puppies, bunnies seem to be irresistible to children - apparently even if the bunny is stuffed!
     It's not surprising that kids can have a very hard time adjusting to having an immediate family member or close family friend being in the hospital, and in some ways, even more so if recovery is extended to the home setting. Why? Hospitals are rife with IV poles, hospital gowns, nurses, doctors, pumps, machines, and all of that other "hospital stuff." It makes sense for the hospital to be that way, after all, that's where you go when you are sick, and you stay there until you are well enough to go home. End of story. Except, in some cases it is not "end of story,"it's the middle.
     Either way, not many people have an IV pole or hospital bed in their living room. Or, if you were, for instance, in a wheelchair for a child's whole life, they don't know anything different, so they are already acclimated. But if, for example, you are someone they are accustomed to see walking, then seeing you in a wheelchair at home can be overwhelming. Frankly, that can be overwhelming for many adults too.
     The solution? If only it were that cut and dry! There is no solution, but I've learned a few things over the years as a caregiver, professional, and the one recovering. Such tips include:
a) Tell children to ask any question(s) they want (but only if they want to),
b) Tell parents to stop telling their kids that they shouldn't ask questions (especially if you've just said the child is welcome to do so!). As an aside I'll say that I actually find it more awkward when people urge their kids "Don't stare" or "Don't ask that" in a hushed and urgent tone.
c) Should a child wish to touch something like an IV line, a pump, or something else (obviously not a wound or the like), do so together (so you can control it in order to avert disaster, LOL!, and also to help them feel less intimidated)
d) A dab will do you in terms of info. If they want to know why you have a feeding tube for example, then a good answer might be, because I need to eat just like you do, but my throat doesn't work well. Usually, that's all they want and/or need.
e) Don't do or say anything to make them scared or worried about you. They're kids. Sounds like common sense I know, but if common sense was actually common we'd all just call it sense.
     So where does the bunny come into the discussion? Right now. The tips above are helpful, but not all of the time, and certainly not helpful if the child is a toddler. I've learned (entirely accidentally), what helps toddlers become unafraid… A stuffed animal. Not just any stuffed animal, but a cute one that is affixed to your intimidating accessory. My niece and nephew - Ms. D and Mr. A - gave me a bunny to hug and love when I came home from a long hospital stay. They were both in their teens at the time, and it was a very sweet gift. I wanted to see it all of the time so that I could be especially reminded of them in that hard time - it buoy's the spirit in a huge way. In the end, Mr. Bunny has served me very well, and many little ones who've come through the door too. Who knew he'd be such a powerful ambassador of "it's ok, don't be scared-ness"?
     One last tip: as you will see below, Mr. Bunny has Velcro in his ears, which makes it possible to hang him on the IV pole, while making him removable for the kids to play with (and I've since seen a lot of monkeys, bears, and other stuffed animals with the Velcro features). When kids are being held by Mom or Dad, their eyes gravitate to Mr. Bunny, and then they want to touch him and play with him. Since they have to get close to the potentially intimidating item, they soon get used to - and even want to - touch the IV pole, and the pump, etc. Before long, most of the little ones start to go straight to that bunny - they gravitate to the pole, like it's always been there and is supposed to be there, because that's where the bunny lives.
     It's crazy to me that something so little seems to stop fear in its tracks… but time and time again, we noticed the pattern (and, as I mentioned totally accidentally at that!). Who knew that giving me "somebunny" to love would have such a big impact on so many wee ones, and thus for me too? Thanks again Ms. D and Mr. A, I love you bunches, and great job too!

Happy Hugging!

Tip #207 Picture Perfect; Pictures Really are Perfect

     I'd like to warn you that there is a slight possibility that you will think the photos below are graphic in terms of the icky factor. These photos are NOT anything violent, sexual, or anything else that could be even remotely inappropriate! In fact, I don't think that the pictures below are overly graphic at all, but I'm not you - hence the disclaimer. Why do I want to show you photos of this nature? For one reason and one reason only.... that you can see the impact that photos can have in your recovery (and how they can influence the type of care you have access to). How so?
     I'm going to skip a few lines here, so the pictures are not right up here, so keep looking if you want to see. If you don't want to see, then you'll have to trust me that photos are helpful in the recovery process, and maybe look at another post just now...

 Just how are photos helpful?

1) Have a time sensitive issue, and can't get in to see the specialist?
Here is a picture of a feeding tube in someones stomach. Tubes are not supposed to be black - they're clear. Since there's a black chunk, then something is not quite right. If you don't have (and more specifically cannot get) an appointment with your physician, then taking a photo of something that just doesn't seem right is a good strategy. Ask his/her receptionist/medical assistant for an address (email, snail, colour fax, etc) and send it in to the physician. Make a short (very short) note about it, and shortly thereafter (time line depends how concerned you are) follow up with said assistant. Ask them to see if  the physician has looked at the photos, and what actions will follow once the photo has been studied. You don't need to get all fancy and put arrows and text on it like the photo above, but if you can provide details in any form it can only help, and never hurt. Note though that a small amount of detail is best at getting the physician to actually look at the photos. Short (15 seconds max) video's are great too if it's tricky to catch a particularly "active" symptom in person.

2) Can't get to a particular medical team member (physically), and/or having difficulty describing things that happen between appointments with your medical specialist? 

So, your specialist is in a different city, or the same city but you are not able to physically be there (or vice versa)? A picture paints a thousand words. For instance, if you said "My legs are sometimes orange with purple polka dots" would that sound crazy to you - or to them? They really do that? Really? Yep. Really.

3) Wanting to more easily explain what a particular treatment looks like? 

 People often ask things like "What is acupuncture?" Does it hurt? What does it look like? etc.

Other photo uses?

• Take a picture of yourself semi-regularly to see how much better you are getting, especially since the last photo
• Mark specific milestones - maybe you are now sitting up for a few minutes, or able to do stairs, or able to make dinner -  or starting to achieve any new goal. 
• Has defective medical equipment delivered? Sometimes it's easier to show a picture of the equipment at hand, and pass it along (videos apply here too)
• Use photos via email or chat on Skype with a medical team member that can't get to you any more than you can get to them (maybe they live in a different city...).
• Send photos of your milestones to immediate family members out of town, so they too can see your progress. 
• Mark the very special times with loved ones, and look at those pictures regularly. It's good to be able to look back and be reminded of that day/activity that was special. And doing that is a good reminder that even in this crazy recovery phase, life still goes on, and fighting for help is worth it.

Well, you get the gist...

Happy shooting (with the camera only! LOL)

Tip #10 Frugal Fixes; The Case of the Coloured Baskets

     He knew she was lying; how could she have seen the man leave his house by the light of the moon as it was a new moon, and thus could not have provided any light...
     Okay, so I'd never make it as a novelist writing detective stories, but nonetheless I have helped solve a mystery or two in my time. I'm not talking about solving murders and robberies - but you knew that. No, it's the mysteries that revolve around medical events that have not yet happened; events avoidable if the right checks and balances are in place. What kind of events? Dangerous ones. Potentially harmful and even fatal ones; like medication errors.
     Medication errors are very easy to make in the home setting. This is especially true for people recovering from a traumatic injury or illness that now have a large number of medications to manage. In such a case as this, considering the kinds of things that can go wrong is a step in the right direction (without dwelling on it). If you want to avoid an incident of medication error, then consider the following (note, this is not an exhaustive list):
1) Who has access to said medications? Make sure no one accidentally takes medications meant for you - especially young children, someone with low vision, or someone who is easily confused.
2) Are there a number of people involved in your care? Make sure there are good protocols in place:

• Have them tell you the expiry date, and the name of the drug before handing it to you
• Give each med a "home" so they're easy to find, and use them in the order they came (oldest- but not expired, to newest)
• Have each person receiving a delivery from your pharmacy check that a) the med has your name, and b) the med is actually the one you ordered/reordered

3) Minimize mistaken identity issues between meds. There is a lot of room for error in this department. For instance, if you have two or more medications that come with nearly identical labels and/or packaging, VERY CLEARLY label them (in colour, or capital letters, etc)

4) Ensure that it is safe to have this medication (again) now. Each time you are about to take a med, make sure that you and/or your attendant look on the whiteboard (or however you track your meds) to note the last time you had this med, and that you are taking the right med in terms of your symptoms

      So where is the frugal fix in all of this? Using a basket system (as in the picture) makes it easier to accomplish most of the suggestions above. The blue, red, and brown baskets in the picture of the refrigerator collectively cost less than $10. In fact, most dollar-type stores carry them in varying sizes and colours for a dollar or two. If your meds don't need to be refrigerated, and/or require much smaller baskets, this system can still work, just don't use the fridge, and use size appropriate baskets. However, if you are going to adopt this system I suggest that you consider doing the following:

• Choose different coloured baskets for each med or group of meds
• Label the outside of the baskets with large lettering
• Place a a piece of brightly coloured card stock or cardboard to separate the current supply from the new refills within the basket. 
• Place stickers with the date of expiry written in colourful marker on any medications that have a very short shelf life (e.g. some IV meds come as seven IV bags that last only a week; in this case label each bag)
• Periodically review the system, to ensure that everyone is following the protocols the same way, and consistently.

     Not all of these issues and/or strategies may apply to you. Still, whether or not they apply I hope that this gets you thinking more critically about something we often forget to pay attention to - how dangerous meds can be if not administered properly. So, make friends with your pharmacist. When you look at your meds processes, make a plan that makes it hard to for you and/or others to make dangerous mistakes. Sit down with your caregivers/attendants to make sure that whatever system you've adopted, everyone knows the plan and how to carry out that plan. Implement whatever it is you need to in order to make you as safe as possible. Mistakes still happen, but I think they happen much less when you have all of your ducks in a row. Or, I guess in this case, all of your coloured baskets in a row...

Happy Detective-ing!

      

Tip #272 Picture Perfect; Getting Floored

“One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor”  George Carlin quote

     Well, you're not likely drinking the tequila while you're recovering from a surgery, an accident, or some other event that now requires you to have a house that is compatible with a wheelchair. And for that matter, I don't think it's a good idea at all! What struck me about the quote however, was that the picture in my head of someone stumbling down the stairs, or falling onto the floor because they don't have the ability to control their bodies all that much, given the tequila. Why is that even remotely relevant? Because people recovering from severe illness or trauma also have an inability to make their bodies cooperate with them at all times. As a result, they get to become friends with the floor now and then, too, and the floor itself impacts their mobility. It can be tricky and frustrating, and especially so when they get back to a non-adapted home.  

     With that in mind, I have 2 suggestions for you.

1. If you or a loved one know that you will need to use a wheelchair at home, then I advise you to get the wheelchair before being discharged from the hospital. Then, have someone who is mobile sit in the wheelchair, and try to navigate through each hallway and room. Why? This creates much less frustration, nicks in walls, and bruised bodies. Ideally, they would help to correct these issues for a good transition to home for the one recovering.
2. You can buy plastic mats in large squares, for about $30 dollars each, place them over carpet, and in doing so create a flat surface that makes it significantly easier for you or your loved one to wheel over. There are two pictures below - a close up and one that shows the duct tape junctions. It's a very inexpensive way to temporarily adapt your home for minimal amounts of both money and effort. Here's a link for Staples store: chair mat   Note: you may want to get a few of the more expensive ones instead of several small ones for larger areas. An exacto knife works well for cutting them down to size if necessary. 

Whatever you choose, know that the easier you can make life, the happier it will be for all involved in the recovery process. A little work goes a long way!

Happy flooring!

Tip #301 Picture Perfect; An apple a day...

    They say that an apple a day keeps the doctor away. Unfortunately, when recovering from severe illness and/or trauma,  I don't think a truckload of apples could have the power to do that! Don't discount apples entirely though - there are some very good uses for apples in the recovery process, however unconventional. Allow me to introduce you to the "Slushicle" and why you might like it (see picture to your right).  A Slushicle is a hybrid of a popsicle a slushy, and ice chips, and made with real, diluted apple juice.
     Why would you want a slushicle, ice, or a popsicle in the first place? Well, for starters, medications are often required in recovery the process - that's just the way it is. And, although every medication works in a different way or on a different issue, there are some very common side effects such as nausea, vommitting, and dry-mouth. Gee, isn't that wonderful? Can't wait to take the next dose (LOL)!  But I digress.... The point is that similar to ice chips or popsicles, a Slushicles can help to alleviate those symptoms in most people. And as an aside, kids love them too it seems, they're the "special popsicles" they get when they're sick that make them feel better. Who knew!
     If you have one of those fancy refrigerators at home that you can just put your glass to and magically have ice chips, that's great! In that case you might not want to make Slushicles, but then again, you might... And for those of us with magic-less ice makers, here are some of the benefit of Slushicles over traditional popsicles or ice chips. Slushicles a) are yummier, b) they don't freeze as hard as only water and so they are easy to break by hand, c) they're easier to eat than an actual popsicle - especially if you are in bed d) they make it easy to adjust the portion size for what works for you... e) because they can be crushed by hand so easily, there's no need to buy/use an ice machine, blender, slushie maker, ice pic, etc. and f) they're not high calorie, nor are they hard on the mouth for those with mouth sores from medical treatments.
      I'm sure that you could make these yummy concoctions with different kinds of juices, but beware that all juice is not created equally. Some of the more acidic juices (even straight apple juice) aren't so helpful for mouth sores, or a very upset stomach. Some types of juice/drinks freeze differently than they taste normally (iced tea becomes bitter), and some freeze harder than others, making it tricky to crush it with your fingers. And, apple juice, well, it's just good, and good for you too:)
     A slightly more unconventional way of having this apple concoction is by not "having" it at all. As it turns out, they make a great little ice pack. As long as the bag is sealed well it can take some good pressure without leaking, and without risk of frostbite. For instance, if there are sores on the back from chicken pox, or hives it's easy to put the bags where you want them to soothe the inflamed skin. And, they'll melt before the cold can do any harm. I wouldn't recommend eating them after using them as ice though.
     So, if you want to make these beauties for yourself, here's how: dilute apple juice with water (almost half and half), and put 30ml (2 Tbsp) of it in a small snack-size ziplock bag (sandwich sized in the picture above). Stick them in the freezer and then you're done. Once frozen, the ice inside the bag is very easy to break with your fingers. Dump the contents into a glass with a spoon and presto-magico, you have a slushicle.
Note: If you're planning on making them, the big trick is to let most of the air out of each bag, and to lay them as flat as possible in a tupperware container, stacked on one another before freezing. If you want to make them regularly, I'd also suggest buying a 60ml syringe (you can buy them at a home care supply place, some larger pharmacies, and/or even some vet clinics too!).
  
Happy slushicle-ing!

Tip #18 Picture Perfect; Are You Hot or Not?

     No, I'm not talking about your appearance... I'm talking about being physically warm! Are you nice and toasty warm? If our house didn't have any heat today, we'd have been frozen solid - we had several inches of snow today. It sure is pretty, but it's darn cold too!

     If you are a homeowner, there is a lot to know in terms of the "mechanics" of your house (hot water heater, fuse panel, etc.). This beauty is our new wood furnace. Why should you care about my furnace? Well, it would be odd if you did I must say, so it's a good thing you don't. But my point is that you've now seen just as much of our wood furnace as I have. It's downstairs and, well, I'm not. But, lucky for me, my thoughtful hubby took a picture of it for me.

    Why did I need to see it? At one time, when I was quite ill, the water heater needed to be reset. I couldn't go downstairs, and so I described what was what in the basement to my friend K. K came upstairs with pictures. She had listened to my instructions (press the red button on the third grey "appliance" beside the red furnace on the left side of the wood pile - what's so confusing about that? LOL!), and came upstairs with pictures on her BlackBerry, asking for clarification. It was SO handy to have the pictures, and order and hot water were restored!

     So, when we got the new furnace, I got instructions and a picture to go with them. I recommend having someone do this for you, too. It makes life so much easier - and in this case, warmer too!

Happy picture-taking!

Tip #79, Picture Perfect; Spicy Medication Trays (Part 2)

     My last post was about using a magnetic spice rack for medication preparation. The goal of such a crazy plan is to give the one recovering an opportunity to be more independent,  and the caregiver an opportunity for more rest and less stress. Well then, here we go!

Magnetic Spice Rack Medication Tray Instructions and Details

Note: The tray should contain everything you need to do meds yourself!

First: When purchasing the magnetic spice rack, look for wide based spice containers, a long and wide base, and a good quality magnet on the bottom of each container. This tray from Canadian Tire has worked very well, and was about $35 (CD). If you can, it's handy to have 2 or 3 of them. Have a look at the Can. Tire one here if you'd like, and look below for how they're transformed.

 

Note: The one downside about this tray is that this spice rack was meant to stand on a counter like a frame, and so the back looks like the back of a frame that would sit on your desk, only it's metal. There were 2 options to fix this that we could think of:

1. Use a grinder to get rid of it. Or,
2. Pad the bottom of the spice rack with thick cardboard and duct tape. If you don't do either of these steps, be aware that the bottom is a pain, and it may catch/tear materials (like sheets, or pants). Both work, but my opinion is that #1 was the best result.

Now the actual details: 

1. Prepare your Med Bag. The idea of the Med Bag (which sits on the tray) vs. the tray itself is that the med bag is like your grocery bag - it has everything you need for that meal/med time. Then, the tray is like your mixing bowl, counter, plate, and cutlery. Of course each bag will be unique to it's owner, but I hope that the following list gives you some idea of what might be right for you. Suggestions are based on 1 bag for 1 medication time (each medication time should have it's own (large ziplock) bag - which is very important in avoiding medication errors! Supplies:

• A labelled (medium sized) resealable bag that contains ONLY the medications/supplements pertaining to that medication dosing time (which may include some meds that are drawn up into syringes, or already crushed pills in a small dixie cup covered with glad press and seal, etc). NOTE: every prepared medication MUST be labelled individually.
• Required number of extra syringes or small plastic medicine cups required for that med time
• Required number of tongue depressors, stir sticks, or plastic spoons necessary for that dose.
• A small towel to put between you and the tray (like a tablecloth).
• A cleaning wipe (in a labelled resealable bag) in case of "spillage"
• A paper-towel for any of the messy work 
• An extra medium sized resealable bag in case you have liquid garbage that you can't get up to get rid of

Picture above: stack of med bags  Each med bag is labelled for it's administration time (Friday January 25th 10am medications, etc.)).

2. Prepare Spice Tray. You're almost there... just a few things to add:

• Travel Pack of Wet Wipes (hand wipes.... one or two in a resealable bag can work too).
• Cups for the spice containers (reminder: you can't put medications into metal containers, so instead they go into paper cups. 16 ounce cups work best for this model. Smaller dixie cups do work, but there is less spillage with the larger cups). Label each cup - 4" x 1"white mailing labels work really well. Marker works well too, but it takes a little longer to write on each instead of using printed labels.
• Cup 1: Water Cup (Keep a thermos of warm water for mixing nearby)
• Cup 2: Equipment Cup (for extra stir sticks/syringes, etc)
• Cup 3: Garbage Cup
• Cup 4: "Extra" Cup (actually labelled extra). Use this as a "working" cup. For instance, as you unpack and open each syringe and put it's wrapper in the Garbage Cup, put the actual syringe in the Extra cup.
• Cup 5: In this case it says Protein (if you look in the picture below), but it is meant for powdered medications/supplements that get mixed with water at the last minute. They are messy to sort out in bed if they are not pre-measured. This also works for crushed tablets and powder-filled capsules. In each case the water cup is used for mixing at the appropriate time.
• Cup 6: You get the gist.

A few fast notes:

• Label, label, label, label. Yep, and label some more. Very important. 
• Stack cups. You can use 1 tray for 1 day, even if there are 7 medication times. Stack 7 garbage cups, 7 water cups, etc.  NOTE: In this case don't have any meds on the tray - keep even powdered meds in the med bags (same type of cup, and glad press and seal (way better than saran), but LABEL and pull out only at that med time).
• Write the meds that you must take on the outside of the med bag for each med time (the big outer med bags are reusable over and over again. Labels stick on well, but come off easily when needed). That way nothing is forgotten.
• Make a master list or take a picture of everything you want to go into the med bag or onto the med tray. Then it's easy for any of your caregivers to grab what you need (as in picture to right).
• You can have a whole day's within immediate reach, spill free.

Happy reaching!

Tip #78, Picture Perfect; Spicy Medication Trays (Part 1)

     What do spice racks and medications (meds) have to do with each other? Nothing really. But, you can make a medication tray using a magnetic spice rack. Why would you want to do that? Well, if the one recovering requires any assistance at all to manage medications under certain circumstances
then the options are limited. A spice tray med tray like this may be right for you if any of the following factors apply:

• You have liquid medications (as do most people who use feeding tubes for example, or for those who struggle with swallowing, and/or recovering from strokes, etc.).
• Some of your medications/nutrition supplements need to be mixed with water just before they are taken (protein for example, or pills that don't come in liquid form and so need to be crushed and then mixed with water)  
• You are on bed rest, or are bed-bound
• You require assistance with meds for any other reason and your caregiver can't be there full time, they might want to draw up/organize the meds for the day or weekend (this would allow them to prep meds once instead of appearing multiple times, everything out and putting everything back several times a day, or allow you to only have someone come once a day...)
• You can't stand or sit for long periods of time (but can be up/sitting long enough to administer the meds as long as you don't have to prepare them as well).

Note though that if it is only pills that you need to contend with then you may or may not want to use the spice tray option. In that case most pharmacies have several options of medication organizers available for single doses per day, multiple doses per day, per hour, or per week. Some pharmacists will also prepare blister packs for you if necessary (A blister pack is very similar to how most of today's chewing gum comes - but for meds you will find the correct combination of meds where each piece of gum would be found).

    Okay, back to the tray. I know some of you right now want to say "Val, even if all of those factors apply, why would I (recovering) want to give someone else one more thing to do (making the tray)" or, "why would I (caregiver(s)) spend an hour putting it all together - it seems like a lot of work to do it all at once?" Good questions.  My personal answers:

1. For the one recovering: Independence, sense of accomplishment, and feeling like less of a burden to others, and let's not forget morale. It gets harder and harder to believe that you are or will get better, or that you were ever capable of doing anything for yourself. Then, meds are set up for you and you accomplish this big job (taking your own meds) and you feel better about yourself. And yes, while it feels like asking a caregiver to do one more thing to put the trays all together, you are going to feel better when that tray is sitting beside you and you don't have to wake up your caregiver who fell asleep watching TV, or get them up when they are pooped and you really really don't want to have to ask them to get up at all. I think it's better for them too, not just for you.
2. For the caregiver: Relief/Respite and Efficiency: As a caregiver you may not be able to be with the one you're caring for each medication time. Or, you may be, but don't want to be taking 30 minutes 7 times a day doing meds. Fair enough. Doing the prep work is so efficient; everything is out and it doesn't take much more time to draw up 2 syringes of Tylenol than it does one since it is all out. Finding the Tylenol labels once instead of 6 times in a day is faster too, etc. If you do prep for a day or a few days, or even for just one medication time of the day it may give you a much needed break. It can also give you peace of mind to know that your loved one has access to the meds they need, when they need them, and in a form that they are capable of taking under any circumstances. Alternately, if your loved one has a nurse or other qualified caregiver, you can request that they make up the trays for you and save yourself even more time and work and use your time to do some self-care or spend time with your loved one doing something fun instead.

     Okay we're almost there. We know why we would want to use the spice rack, when to use it, and now the burning question: why are we using a magnetic spice rack? I looked for something that would do the job online, in medical supply stores, and under every rock. Luckily I have a brilliant sister-in-law B who suggested the spice rack upon hearing her hubby and I having a discussion about what he could weld together (amazingly supportive aren't they? We're so blessed!). Just a few notes now... Well, some
Very Important Notes***

• Remember to, in all cases, consult with your physician and/or pharmacist before taking or pre-pouring/packaging/preparing medications in any way.
• You cannot safely (according to the pharmacist) store medications in metal containers (something about possible leaching into the medications)! We use 16 ounce paper cups to solve this issue.
• One must always label every medication that is drawn up ahead of time (4"x1" white return address labels work really well for this job), and 
• clearly separate each set of medications from other sets/doses of the same meds meant for later in the day. 
• Some medical professionals will not condone this at all, and others will support this method of med preparation. Do not use this at home if any of your medical team members have an issue with this method of preparing medications.

If you think you might like to try the spice-rack med tray, See Tip #79, Picture Perfect; Spicy Medication Trays Part 2.

Happy Spicing, Medication Prepping, Independence-ing! 

Tip #51 Picture Perfect; The "Schedule" Whiteboard

     Okay, so I'm not going to bore you and talk about the last 2 posts about various whiteboard uses to keep track of important medical information such "timed meds" and "last changed" items. But I will direct you to posts #49 and #50 should you wish to know more useful tracking tools when recovering at home.
     The third whiteboard I suggest you may find helpful is one with daily and weekly scheduled items. In both cases (daily and weekly), there is room for flexibility (if 9:00 am tasks are not started till 10:00 then everything gets bumped an hour as well, so you can stay on track, and stay safe.  And, this way your caregivers/family members/patients will all be on the same page for what is expected to happen and when, and takes a lot of the pressure off any one individual to remember everything that needs to get done.
     I suggest getting a set of whiteboard markers and an eraser from a business supply store. They come in packs of 4 for about $5 in most places. I especially like making the boards colourful as a) it's easier to see/read, especially for those with memory or vision issues, and b) it's just prettier and feels less like a hospital room and more attractive despite the fact that it is a whiteboard in your living room/bedroom, etc!

Examples under Daily Schedule:

• 9:00am Medications x, y, and z
• 9:30am 1 tin Boost meal/nutrition supplement
• 11:30am Medications x, a, and b
• 12:30pm Shake with protein
• 3:15 Medications c.d. and y
• 4:50 Eye drops, physio exercises, Medication b
• 5:30 Half a can of Boost meal/nutrition supplement
• etc.

Examples of Weekly Schedule (items that occur each week and/or only applicable to the current week)

• Monday: Change bedsheets, count medications and make pharmacy order
• Tuesday: Make 30 Popsicles (some people can't have solid foods and get sick of broth, jello, and apple juice, etc.
• Wednesday: Caregiver Joe cannot make it - Bob coming instead. Weigh in, and record weight on chart
• etc.

(PS I cheated a little... this whiteboard was SO big that I incorporated timed meds on it, but you get the gist:) Happy Scheduling!

Tip #50 Picture Perfect; the "timed medications" whiteboard

     My last tip (#49) was about the "last changed" whiteboards. The kind of information tracked on those boards are typically items that don't happen every day or multiple times in a day. For instance (and prepare yourself for the example if you are faint at heart), if your pain medications cause you to be constipated, it helps you track when the last time you were able to have a bowel movement, and if you have blood taken each month, it helps you track when you did it last, etc.

     The whiteboards in this discussion are "timed medications." You may only need to take one pill/shot/drink of medicine once a day everyday. If so, this whiteboard is not going to be all that helpful. But, if you are taking 2 or more medications each day, and especially if you are taking them multiple times in the day, the timed meds board is quite helpful. I suggest hanging it on a wall in an area you can see from your bed/couch/comfortable area during recovery. Suggested items for the whiteboard:

• Any medication that happens more than once a day and shouldn't be taken too close to the last dose. For instance:
• Pain meds that you can only take every 4 hours (and can be dangerous if the doses are less than 4 hours apart).
• Medications that can't be taken within a specific period of time of another drug/food. For instance:
• You can't have dairy one hour before certain antibiotics, and for 2 hours after
• You can't have certain laxatives until 2 hours after other medications as they will render the medications nearly useless
• You simply have a lot of medications per day. So it becomes a checklist of getting all of your meds done.

Why don't I suggest that you just write these things on a piece of paper? Because:

• Paper gets thrown out or misplaces and 
• You don't always think to go looking for the paper in a day, but the whiteboard is in your face, so hard to forget/ignore
• It enables family members/caregivers to see where you are at, and to remind you if you have missed a  dose/ have an upcoming dose.

Have a look (and PS, if you use permanent markers for the med names, and dry erase for the times, it's easier to wipe off the med times and keep things clean. If you have a change to make with the permanent markers then scribble completely over it with the dry erase, and all of the marker will come up!:

Well, happy safeguarding!

Tip #49 Picture Perfect; The "Last Changed" Whiteboard

     When was your last B12 shot? Your last IV line change? How about your last bowel movement? Pardon me for getting personal! But, know that if you are recovering from severe illness at home, you will likely have nurses, physio-therapists, etc., and if you do, they will ask you these questions and more (of course adjusting them to your particular situation). That's where the whiteboard fits in. I know it sounds crazy to have to write down the last time you had a bowel movement... you'd think that that is something you'd remember, but it is an important question many will ask you, and the more accurate are, the better shape you will be in. And, you can write it in a way that no one else knows (in this example sup is short for suppository, and thus makes sense without having family or friends having any idea what you're speaking about). 

     One very big tip is that you should make the whiteboard as EITHER "Date item was changed/administered/altered" OR "Date item is TO BE changed/administered.altered"It's very confusing otherwise. Also note that there are other options for monitoring timed medications as part of a different set of whiteboards (see Tip #50).  If you want some suggestions/examples  of the types of items I believe are most helpful to have recorded for yourself and your medical team, look at the list below this  picture. Thanks!

Suggested items: 

• Any medication that you don't take every day (here fentanyl is changed every 2 and a half days).
• Any medication that you only use occasionally, but have to track for the nurses/ team members (Here B12 is given every 2 weeks)
• Last Bowel Movement (Here is listed as sup, and the orange refers to a feeding tube adaptor which gets changed every 3 days
• The date (very important!)
• Notes for the day. Examples:
• Don't forget to call the pharmacy and order specific meds
• Ordered refills on such and such a day, will be delivered on...
• Don't forget to change your medication patch
• Didn't have my 10am med dose until 12pm, so can't have it again until 4pm, instead of 2pm
• Goals for today (walk around table, sit up 20 minutes, physio x3, etc)
• Your last blood test (eg. if you have blood taken every few weeks or months, record the last time you did it as a reminder for the next time it needs to happen) 
• Caregiver schedule
• Any other items that would compromise your safety should you not have them done on time, or that would compromise your safety if they occur too close together.

Happy Writing!