Setting the Wheels in Motion: Sharon’s Notes
Part 1: How can I use supported decision-making?
I would like to have a team of people help me with some decisions by offering me information and support.
Part 2: Who should be on my team:
I want to have a mix of team members with different skills:
- Someone knowledgeable about cerebral palsy and aging
- Someone who has managed changes in their vision and hearing and lives in the community
- Someone who is good with money management
I want these people to support me, not take over my decision-making.
Part 3: What are my goals?
My Big Picture Goals:
- Health: avoid falls, injuries, Emergency Department (ED) visits, and hospitalizations; maintain good vision and hearing; remain active as I age
- Finance: be able to live on my income, avoid fraud and abuse
- Community Living: stay in my apartment, continue to participate in community activities at my church and senior center, remain active in the community as I age
- Additional goals: figure out what daily activities I need help with and update my Healthcare Power of Attorney (POA)
These are my people and how they help me:
- Kate helps me with general support. She is my Power of Attorney. Kate can also help me learn to use technology for scheduling and banking. We have weekly phone check-ins and monthly dinners. Also, I can call her if I have an emergency.
- My pastor Ray helps me with general support. We have weekly check-ins.
- Dr. Beth, my primary care physician, and Mrs. Jones, the practice receptionist, can help me with health issues during my appointments. They can help me make sure I have regular appointments and necessary health screenings, including vision and hearing evaluations, and falls assessment. They can also help me understand my medical bills.
- Laurel, the assistant director of the community senior center can help me learn about services offered at the senior center, including hearing evaluations, falls prevention classes, and a daily call registry. She can help me when I go to the senior center. Also, she can help me sign up for other benefits available to seniors.
- Mr. Douglas, my apartment manager, and Ken, my neighbor, can help me if I need to call EMS in an emergency. They will also call Kate if anything happens to me.
Part 4: How often should my team meet?
I will talk to my niece, my doctor, my pastor and the senior center and see if they agree to be on my team. If they can’t do it, I’ll ask them for other ideas. I would like the team to meet with me once a month in the beginning, until I get some things sorted out. Then we can decide on a schedule.
Availability for SDM meetings:
- Kate, Ray, Laurel, and Mr. Douglas agree to be part of a meeting at least three times a year when given enough notice.
- Dr. Beth is unable to commit to a meeting given her schedule but is willing to have Mrs. Jones attend if she cannot be there.
- I do not want to invite my neighbor Ken to the formal meetings.
Flexibility and focus on me:
- Kate and I will talk with each support person to explain SDM and the purpose of the team meetings and confirm their interest and availability.
Things I need to do and may need help with:
- Setting up appointments
- Getting a hearing evaluation and deciding what type of hearing aids will be beneficial and affordable
- Learning more about cataract surgery and the recovery process and getting a medical ID bracelet
- Enrolling in a fall prevention class.
- Signing up for the senior daily call registry program.
- Updating my power of attorney forms with my niece and sharing them with Pastor Ray and Dr. Beth. I will also keep copies in a safety deposit box at the bank.
- Setting up auto payments for my monthly bills
Other things my SDM Team can help me do:
- Scheduling SDM Team meetings
- If someone can’t attend making sure they receive the necessary information
- Making sure I stay in control of my life plans and decisions
- If my health changes and I need more support
- If there are staff changes at the medical practice or senior center
- Deciding if new support people should be added to my SDM Team
Example of Sharon’s Supported Decision-Making Plan
| HEALTH | I can manage these things on my own | I would like some support to make these decisions. | I think I need someone to make these decisions or do this for me | Resources |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taking care of my health | I schedule my medical appointments as needed. I use a paper calendar for my appointments.
I would like to evaluate my apartment for ways I can decrease the risk of falling. Signing up for the community senior check in service (they call once a day to see if you’re doing ok). |
Setting up appointment reminders on my phone.
Talking with my doctor and the senior center about where to get a hearing evaluation. Talking to my eye doctor about cataract surgery. |
Home Safety Checklist
Older Adult Fall Prevention, STEADI Website Area Agency on Aging Senior Center |
|
| Medical Emergencies and Making Important Health Decisions | Call 911 when I have an emergency, like I once did in the past.
Get a medical ID bracelet so people can help me in an emergency. I have a healthcare power of attorney, but it might need to be updated. |
If I fall and have a serious injury and need immediate help, my neighbor, apartment manager or niece can call 911. | The EMS and hospital can call my niece so she knows what is happening and can make a medical decision if I am unable to. | Healthcare Power of Attorney Resource Guide
NC Healthcare Power of Attorney Form |
| Keeping track of my Health information | I keep my medical papers in a locked box in my bedroom.
I’ll let my niece know where these papers are stored. |
I think I need some help preparing for medical appointments, so I don’t forget the important things. | Listing my niece on the HIPPA forms. | Ask Me Three |
| FINANCES | I can manage these things on my own | I would like some support to make these decisions. | I think I need someone to make these decisions or do this for me | Resources |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Managing my Money | I have a checking and savings account, debit and credit cards, and review my bank statements monthly.
My Social Security is a direct deposit. I will sign up for a class on avoiding scams at the senior center and ask the bank to alert me if something seems off. |
I would like to set up auto pay for some of my bills: utilities, internet, phone.
I would like my niece to help me review my budget and decide if I need to make any changes. I’ll start looking at my banking statements every week. |
Simple Financial Tools Resource Guide |
