Attend Medical-Care Visits
As you assume responsibilities for assisting and caring for your parents, it is important that you meet their health-care team. With the understanding that your loved ones still have their rights to privacy, you will probably want to begin attending medical visits with them. You can step out if they need to discuss something private, but you should begin to become aware of their health-care issues and give input where needed.
While it may take weeks to get an appointment, the wait to see the doctor (or other health-care practitioner such as the nurse practitioner or physician assistant) on the appointed day may seem even longer. Medical offices are often overbooked and emergencies happen. Some patients take longer, and phone calls and other interruptions set even the most organized office back. Be prepared to wait. Bring a book to read or something to help pass the time. You might even want to bring a snack.
When visiting the doctor with your parent, try to keep other distractions to a minimum. Don't bring young children along if you can possibly avoid it. Teenagers aren't big on waiting rooms, either. Plan for the worst possible scenario. If for example, your parent has bladder-or bowel-control problems, consider using an adult diaper for the day and bring wipes and extra diapers. A change of clothing can be kept in the car. Use the bathroom before you leave home, and ask to use the restroom when you get to the office as well.
It's important that the few short minutes you spend with the health-care practitioner be centered around the reason for the visit and not on social graces and small talk. You should be focused on why you are there and what needs to be done. Be prepared to ask questions, listen, and then ask questions for clarification. Bring a notepad to write instructions or other notes.
One of the most common problems starts with the greeting. The practitioner usually enters the room and asks the patient she is. Most people automatically answer, “Fine, thank you.” Okay, so why are you at the doctor's office? Patients should learn to lead with the primary complaint, saying something like, “Not so good today” or “I've been better,” and continue to tell about their problem. They can also get right into it with something like, “I've been having these terrible pains in my stomach lately” or “This cough is driving me crazy!”
You only have a few minutes of the practitioner's time; make the most of it. Be prepared with a list of your parent's symptoms. When did they start? Does something make them worse? What makes them better? Do they affect her life by affecting how she sleeps, eats, drinks, breathes, or moves?
In addition to the information provided by the patient, the practitioner is probably going to ask for or expect you to comment on the problem from your perspective. Can you add something? Perhaps you notice something your parent hasn't or she's left out an important component. Listen carefully to the response and any instructions from the doctor. Jump in if you have reason to think something won't work or has already been tried. Ask questions if you need more information, and be sure your parent understands or asks questions.
