Effective Communication Between Caregivers and Doctors

Family caregivers spend a lot of time taking their family member to doctors’ appointments.  If you are like me and were unexpectedly thrust into caregiving, you may have some apprehension about how well prepared you are to communicate with doctors.

On November 6th I sat in on Part I of a Teleclass that was sponsored by the National Family Caregivers Association.  The purpose of the teleclass was to help family caregivers communicate more effectively with health care professionals.  Most of the notes that I took from the teleclass are below.  The information is in no particular order:

Who is Our Health Care Team - note their names and what they do, keep all information in the same place

• The Doctor’s Staff
• The Pharmacist
• The Adult Day Care Staff

What I Need to Know About The Doctor’s Office

• Who can answer my questions when I need to call the office
• What is the best time to reach the doctor if I need to speak with him/her
• When I call the doctor’s office, tell the nurse or receptionist the main thing that I need
• Ask how to handle emergencies
• Who is responsible for filing claims
• What forms need to be signed
• What are the costs for services
• Informed of HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act)

Patient Documentation - Keep an up-to-date file with the following information:

• Medical records
• Family Contacts
• Insurance information
• Prescriptions
• Over the counter drugs
• Reactions to past medical treatments
• Past surgeries and illnesses

Health Care Notebook

• Diary of doctors’ visits
• Concerns and questions for doctors
• Is patient eating and sleeping well
• Has patient slowed down
• Concerns about pain - is it worse
• Memory issues
• Are there other ways to treat illnesses
• Lifestyle changes as a result of illness
• Why are certain tests being conducted
• Prioritize questions to ask (just in case time runs out)

Legal Information

• Living Will
• Durable Power of Attorney

Unfortunatley, I was unable to attend Part II of the teleclass but I hope this information is helpful.

Related Reading:

The Caregiver, Dementia and Doctor’s Visits

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