Ask An Angel – 4/25/13

Our Ask An Angel correspondent is Arlene Petersen, Life Care Navigation Specialist in the area of senior home care.

Q. I take my mother to her doctor visits and find that it can be a stress filled time because we always seem to forget to bring something up. What can we do to alleviate any stressors?

A. Going to a doctor appointment can be a stressful event, whether it is for you or for an elderly loved one.

Most often we go to doctors to get something “fixed,” though admittedly it would be good if we all went for more “well visits” rather than “ill visits.” With this stress comes some nervousness often resulting in forgetfulness. Sometimes we feel rushed and then we forget to ask questions. But here are some ideas for helping to overcome this “forgetful” stage:

Write all your questions down and bring your notes to the visit.

Keep a designated notebook, just for your mother’s care and use at each office visit.

Don’t be afraid to ask your questions.

Have a pen with you at the visit and take notes. A small spiral notebook works just fine for this. (Write the year and/or date on the outside cover).
Bring a complete list of current medications taken, including vitamins and any other supplements.

Understand you or your loved one’s medical history (bring records if necessary).

Once you’re home and notice you have forgotten to ask something, call the doctor immediately – don’t wait.

Many find it best to have a separate notebook for each person in the family. Keep running notes in that book from every doctor’s appointment and use that notebook as an ongoing reference for future visits and discussions with the physician’s office (you may be surprised at how often the doctor’s office personnel do not record information or record it improperly). Some questions to consider asking when you are going to visit your or your loved one’s physician might be:

What are you looking for in today’s visit?

What are some of the interactions from the medications?

What blood work is being done and why?

What signs or symptoms should we be watching for?

What specific areas should we be focusing on to improve our loved one’s health?

What course of action am I responsible for?

When should we follow up with you?

There are many, many more questions, many situational in nature, which you could be asking – this was clearly a sampling of areas to touch on. The problem most often encountered is that of “not” asking any relevant questions.

Be prepared and don’t hesitate to ask any questions that come to mind, or that you have written down prior to the physician’s visit. After all, this is all about you or your loved one’s well-being.

• Have a question for our angel correspondent? You can send our angel an email to apetersen@visitingangels.com or send your question via mail to Ask An Angel, 65 Woodbury St., South Elgin, IL 60177.

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