Many family caregivers are thrust into a role for which they are ill-prepared. Meeting with medical professionals can be intimidating, as we live in a culture where doctors in white coats are seen as beyond reproach and are sometimes unapproachable. But as all family caregivers know, it is their job to ensure that the family members needs are seen to that person depends on their advocacy.
Patients and caregivers often feel that physicians and medical professionals are too busy to hear their concerns. Below are a few tips to make sure so that you get the most out of your doctors visits. Before your appointment be prepared,have salient and detailed information for your physician.
For example my father has not been feeling well, is not as easy for a doctor to assess as my father has had a fever for two days that was over 100. He also had tingling sensations in his left leg for four hours.
Keep a list of all health concerns and put them in order of importance. This list will help you bring up any auxiliary issues, and keep both you and your physician focused on what matters to you. The likelihood that you will retain everything that the doctor explains to you,especially if it is not good news is slim.
Help yourself recall the information your physician tells you by using the 3 Rs-record, write or rope in a relative or friend. Take notes during the conversation or directly after, when information is fresh in your mind. Taking a small tape or digital recorder with you can also be helpful.
Having a second set of ears listening may also help you decipher the full meaning of the information later on.
Ask for clarification when a term or concept doesn't make sense to you. Specialists sometimes use a lot of medical jargon. Make sure you are effectively communicating. Doctors often are very busy people. Listen to what they are saying. Do not waste anyone`s time, including your own, by rambling on in conversation.
Make certain they know your feelings. A doctor can only guess until you say something. Both doctors and caregivers are in the business of helping people. Go in prepared to make sure you get the most out of the experience and keep in mind that you came to help another person. As nobel prize winner Martin H. Fischer once said, In the sick room, ten cents worth of human understanding equals ten dollars worth of medical science.
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