Are you the person who is taking your elderly parents to their doctor’s appointments? If so, it is important that you know what is going on at these appointments. It is also important that you fully understand what each doctor is saying and what is happening with your parent’s treatment plan. Here are some tips for how you and their elder care aides can talk to your elderly parent’s doctors, so you can get all the information you and your parents need.
The number one thing that you need to make sure of is that the doctors are listening to you and your elderly parents. If the doctors aren’t listening to the symptoms your parents are talking about, they won’t be able to get an accurate diagnosis or the treatments they need. If this is happening and your elderly parents are attending appointments on their own, it may be time for you or an elder care provider to go to the appointments with your parents.
Does your elderly parent have a difficult time writing? Do they forget information that is needed for forms? If this is the case, it may be best if you or an elder care provider went with your elderly loved one to properly fill out the form. That way, when you head into the doctor’s appointment and the doctor asks questions, they will know what to talk about. This mostly pertains to symptoms your elderly loved one wrote down and any medications they may need to know about that other doctors prescribed.
It is also crucial that you and your elderly parents understand all aspects of their treatment plan, especially if things have changed. The best way to ensure that you know what is going on is to make a list of questions you have before the appointment. That way, you aren’t forgetting what you wanted to ask on the day of the appointment. In addition, it would be a good idea to bring a small notepad, so you can take notes of any treatments or changes to the treatment plan that the doctor has for your elderly loved one.
These are some of the best tips for talking to your elderly parent’s doctors. If you have further information you need or want from the doctors, make sure to speak to them about that. It is better to ask a lot of questions than not to say enough at the appointment. The doctors that your elderly parents are seeing should make the time to ease any concerns you or your parents have.
Source: https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/doctors-appointments-tips-caregivers
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