Visits with Your Aging Parent's Physician
Your elderly parent may need more difficult medical appointments as they age since they will have more issues. Regretfully, individuals might only have 20 minutes or less to discuss these crucial issues with their doctor. To make matters worse, weeks of waiting for a follow-up appointment are expected.
The best course of action is to list things to discuss before your parents' doctor's appointment. After exiting the parking lot, you don't want to recall a fundamental question suddenly.
Advice for Speaking With the Doctor of Your Aging Parents
Visiting Angels Murrieta, which has spent decades helping elders and their families, has heard from many of its customers that they want to see more proactive contact between doctors and patients. Many people have reported dissatisfaction with issues that went unanswered or with opportunities to ask important inquiries during doctor appointments.
Here are some things to bring up at your loved one's next medical checkup to prevent this scenario.
1. Symptoms
You may be their go-to person if your parent struggles to recall or communicate health symptoms. Inform the doctor about any difficulty you are experiencing on a physical, cognitive, or emotional level. Give pertinent information about the health problems, including when they started, how they've developed, and any triggers for worsening or improving symptoms. The doctor can more precisely examine and create a customized care plan with the support of clear communication.
2. Mental Health
The World Health Organization estimates that 14% of seniors suffer from mental health issues. Mental health disorders are prevalent among older persons. Discuss the warning signs and hazards for the following with your parent's doctor:
- Stress and anxiety
- Depression
- Less enthusiasm for the things that used to bring them joy
- Too little sleep or too much sleep
- Socialization, as well as seclusion
Visiting Angels' companion care may help if your loved one feels alone or isolated. Our caregivers can engage in pastimes they love, such as reading, playing puzzles, or conversing with them at home.
3. Mobility and Fall Prevention
It might be challenging to balance protection and freedom when your parents age. According to the CDC, more than 95% of hip fractures occur as a result of falls, and 1 in 4 seniors experience a fall in the United States each year.
Consult the physician about mobility exercises to support your loved one in preserving their range of motion and independence. These could consist of:
- Strength exercises
- Exercises for flexibility
- Yoga with awareness
- Exercises for balance
- Physical intervention
Visiting Angels Murrieta offers a fall prevention program for seniors to help reduce the possibility of trips, falls, and slips at home.
4. Independent Self-Care
Find out whether your parent can safely carry out everyday tasks independently from the doctor. Typical self-care activities are:
- Cleaning and grooming
- Clothes
- Food consumption, chewing, and swallowing
- Traveling on one's alone
- Using the restroom
- Moving from one position to another
The doctor may advise making adjustments, including adding grab bars to the shower or using a walker or other ambulatory device, and requesting help from a home care agency, such as Visiting Angels Murrieta.
5. Care Options
Ask the doctor for advice on the appropriate degree of help if your family is thinking about getting in-home care, such as:
- To relieve the primary caregiver, provide respite care.
- 24-hour care if your parent needs ongoing assistance or supervision
- Palliative treatment for chronic illness comfort
The appointment is likely to provide you with a wealth of information. To ensure your parent's home care plan is followed and monitored, take thorough notes on all directions and symptoms.
Visiting Angels Murrieta Is Here to Help!
To find out how Visiting Angels may help your elderly parent and loved ones, contact the Murrieta home care office. Set up a free consultation for home care right now.
