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Posts Tagged ‘elder care doctor’s visits’
The Caregiver, Dementia and Doctor’s Visits
Last week the Adult Day Center program director called to tell me that she thought we should take Gladys to the doctor. They were concerned because they had to help Gladys to the bathroom four times within one hour. I knew Gladys made frequent trips to the bathroom but four times in one hour was even excessive for her, so I made an appointment to see if she had a urinary tract or bladder infection.
One of the problems with taking Gladys to the doctor is her dementia. Once we get to the doctor’s office and the doctor starts to ask her questions, she doesn’t remember how often or even “if” she had pain or discomfort. Since she doesn’t like to complain, Gladys usually won’t tell me if she is in pain, so I can’t help the doctor when he asks about pain and discomfort.
On November 6th I sat in on a teleclass given by the National Family Caregivers Association, entitled Communicating Effectively With Healthcare Professionals. One of the tips they gave caregivers was to keep notes about complaints, discomfort and pain and take those notes to doctor’s visits. This is a habit that I am trying to form and I’m trying to get in the habit of asking Gladys if she is in pain. It should make it easier to answer the doctor’s questions.
So many issues, so much to learn.
