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Managing The Stress ~ Making The Decisions ~ Discovering The Meaning |
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Caregiving |
Solutions To Your Caregiving Situations Throughout Your Caregiving Years |
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Effective Health Care Team Physicians Must Win Your Business By Denise M. Brown Vivian is desperate to get help for her mom. She called her mom’s physician two days ago—and she has yet to receive a return phone call. She has absolutely no idea what to do or who else she can turn to. She worries about taking her mom to the Emergency Room; their last experience made her swear off any future visits. But, something’s not right with her mom. If only the doctor would call back… Perhaps an extreme example, but an illustration of how important the right doctor can be in your caregiving experience. A doctor who returns calls, makes referrals to community resources and help, asks how you are--well, that’s a doctor that’s served up a huge prime rib dinner for the price of a steak sandwich. So, how do you find the right doctor? Angela Heath, gerontologist and owner, Health & Co., a consulting firm, offers these suggestions to family caregivers: 1. A physician may view a family caregiver as “watch dog”; the right doctor is open to the importance of your role in your care recipient’s well-being. 2. Check with medical boards to ensure the physician is licensed and certified. 3. Even if Medicare won’t pay, consider spending the money on a consultation with a physician under consideration. With a consultation, you’ll discover how a physician works, how well the physician communicates, and how the office staff interacts. It’s money well spent if it saves you from frustration down the road. Remember, physicians have to win your business; you, and your care recipient, are the customer. The physician and his staff are hired by you to provide quality care. When working with a physician, Heath offers these suggestions: 1. Write down questions prior to an office visit so that you’re prepared. Even better, let the office scheduler know that you have questions you’d like to ask the physician: Ask, can you fax them ahead of the appointment for the doctor to review? 2. When working with multiple providers (such as an internists and several specialists), make sure that all information goes back to the internist, who can act as the middle man to ensure all aspects of care are being treated. 3. If you are unclear about any instructions with treatment, procedures and medications, be sure to ask for clarification and literature that helps you process the information. 4. If you are a long-distance family caregiver, ask the office nurse to schedule time for you to have a phone conversation with your care recipient’s physician to understand diagnosis, current care needs and future care needs. 5. Be sure your care recipient, when appropriate, gives permission for his or her physician to discuss his or her medical condition and treatments with you. Physicians Must Win Your Business 20 Tips to Help Prevent Medical Errors Quick Tips for Working with A Physician Your Thoughts: How Did You Create An Effective Health Care Team Five Steps to Safer Health Care |
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