I enjoy looking at food magazines. One of the magazines I was reading recently was a summer edition that had some nice drink recipes, including Jimmy Buffett’s original Margarita. That interested me because I bartended all through college – and was a good one, if I do say so. I also noticed that almost every drink recipe included instructions to “pour over ice and shake well.”

At this point, you may be asking, what does a margarita recipe have to do with healthcare? Hopefully by the time you finish this article you may see some analogy, and possibly even have an “aha moment.”

I am blessed that my mom and dad, both in their early 80s, still live in the house they have lived in for years. From my house, I can be there between 15 to 30 minutes depending on traffic and how fast I drive. As their caregiver, it is important for me to be close.

Mom has been a patient of Frederick Pelz, MD, for a number of years. She looks forward to her appointment with Dr. Pelz and his nurse, Sandra. Dr. Pelz is board certified in Geriatrics and Internal Medicine and is a physician in Baptist Medical Group.

Mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in May, 2013. Like most cases, Alzheimer’s usually comes on gradually and you start noticing little things – not thinking too much of it at first. But then you start noticing more.

During one of the times I accompanied my mom to Dr. Pelz’s office, both he and his nurse Sandra, told mom and me about Baptist Onecare, MyChart. Of course, like many older Americans, my folks don’t have the internet (nor do they want it). However, this application enables my sister and me access to mom’s health records. Both of us downloaded MyChart to our iPhones, and we now have her information right at hand.

MyChart was easy for me to access. Its support line was very helpful when I called. They were able to tell me what I was doing wrong and help me fix it. (Of course, most technical issues like this can be traced to a problem being somewhere between the chair and the keyboard.)

There are a lot of things this system can do and I am discovering more useful things as I access it – labs, diagnostic results, consults etc. One thing that got my immediate attention was the segment regarding medications. My parents are just like anyone else’s – they have medicines in their medicine cabinet that have been there a long time. They never throw any of their pills away.

One area, safety concerns me the most. I will periodically look at their medications; the dates, dosages etc. I am able to email Dr. Pelz and he returns my email by the next day. At the beginning of mom’s office exams, we reviewed her medications and were able to address any concerns. (I used the word “we” to include Dr. Pelz, his nurse, and me, son and caregiver.) It really doesn’t matter if you refer to it as Accountable Healthcare or Affordable Healthcare, it can’t be done without information, education and action.

As with all caregivers, you worry, you stress, and often you neglect your own health. But keeping up with my mom’s health has helped me be more informed about my own health issues as well.

In my opinion, the majority of patients are not purposely non-compliant. They just need the help of a competent bartender who can pour over ice and shake well. And, as I mentioned in the first part of this article, I’m a good bartender and mom enjoys a good margarita.

Bill Appling, FACMPE, ACHE, is founder and president of J William Appling, LLC.  He is a national speaker, presenter and a published author.  He serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Memphis and is on the boards of Hope House and Life Blood.  For more information contact Bill at j.william.appling@outlook.com.