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A Personal
Experience.................. We are all going to be faced with having to care for our parents and their age-related conditions - from simple forgetfulness to debilitating illnesses. I wasn't prepared for what happened to my father as he was hitting 80 years old. Dad was always a healthy man in spite of 50 years of smoking two packs of Camel cigarettes a day. He quit "cold turkey" over 15 years ago. Dad's only hospital experience was for a simple hernia operation over 40 years ago. He always enjoyed good health. He looked great, so much in fact, people thought he was 20 years younger. Even at 80 he drove everywhere, maintained his house and enjoyed talking with everybody. Two or three times a year he'd fly down Orlando, Florida to visit and spend a month or two. I really enjoyed our quality time together and he loved being with his grandchildren and great grandchildren. Everyone who met him liked him. He had a great personality, very social, outspoken, friendly and eager to help others. In fact, for over 20 years he and Mom (before she passed away) volunteered several days a week, caring for patients at a nursing home. They were both active in "Senior Power" a countywide senior advocacy group, serving on the Board of Directors, Vice President and as President of the organization. They were recognized and honored numerous times by local and county officials for their involvement in helping others. I thought, for sure Dad would see his 100th birthday. Then, there were "events." He started to be "forgetful". Sometimes he'd get lost for hours in his car on short trips around the neighborhood he knew so well. My brother, who lived 30 minutes away, used to get frantic with worry. Dad then started to suffer shortness of breath on short walks. It developed into dizziness and then fainting spells. Once he fainted, hit his head and had to be hospitalized. He was diagnosed with high blood pressure, hardening of the arteries, blockage of his carotid arteries and emphysema. His memory lapses indicated he may be in the early stages of Alzheimer's. Dad could not fully understand what his condition was or how he should take care of himself. During his last trip to Florida he fainted again and I took him to a local hospital. I was unprepared as I did not have information on his doctor's names, the drugs he was taking, the New York hospital's addresses or important contact names and numbers. After this episode he was prescribed four or five medications and I was very concerned about side effects and interactions. He had to have an oxygen tank next to his bed and would need "cardiopulmonary rehabilitation therapy?" What was that? Where could I get information my brother and I could understand and use? I researched and read numerous books and care guides. All stressed the importance of gathering and recording information; creating lists of contact numbers in case of emergency, a document locator record, records of medications, physicians, insurance, etc. I didn't have any of this at hand. I could not find one book or an "organizer" that gave me the facility or mechanism to create such a record so I could prepare a sort of "care guide" for my brother and I. . So I gathered the information I needed and hand-wrote, then typed up lists and started getting into surfing the Internet for the first time to research his drugs and conditions. I then did some simple formatting, created some forms and organized them with all the information should another "situation" occur. I gave copies to my Dad to have at home and one to keep in his car. I gave one to my brother and kept one for myself. We were prepared. Dad had his copy in hand when he went to a new specialist. The doctor and his staff were so very impressed that he had all the information they needed. Dad or my brother would have never remembered all of it. Now his new doctor could quickly get Dad's information on his condition, what drugs he was on - past and present, insurance information, medical records, and so much more. The doctor and his nurse commented that in 20 years of practice they had "never seen anyone so prepared with essential information". I knew then I was onto something that could help other families with similar situations, especially those with chronic and progressive illnesses such as Alzheimer's, Cancer, Multiple Sclerosis and scores of others. I worked for 18 months refining the graphics and content, planned out and created a simple "user-friendly" website so that others in similar situations could benefit. Dad was on his out to his car to meet some lady friends for lunch when he passed away suddenly, at age 82, of a heart attack attributed to all his conditions. I miss him very much In honor of my father, Joseph A. Testagrossa, I dedicate this website, organizer and programs. Sincerely,
Ross J. Testagrossa, President
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