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Communicating with doctors and advocating for your loved ones are among the most stressful aspects of caregiving — but also among the most rewarding.
I know I’ve had a positive impact on the quality of care my parents and my sister have received. Still, managing often complicated, confusing treatments can be overwhelming, and no one is perfect at it. Even doctors have told me they struggle when it’s their turn to take on this role.
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All we can do is make, or help our loved ones make, the best decisions we can with the most thorough information available. That’s why communication is crucial. Here are some tips for working with your loved ones’ health care team.
1. Get legal authority to coordinate care
Make sure your loved ones have advance directives in place. A medical power of attorney (POA) or health care surrogate designation gives you or someone else on the caregiving team the legal right to talk with practitioners, manage your family member’s health care and make decisions if the person is unable to do so.
In addition, most hospitals and doctors have patients sign a Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act (HIPAA) release form, which indicates who is authorized to receive a patient’s medical information. This will help even if you don’t have POA.
In the absence of these documents, the health care team may still talk with you about medical matters if it’s clear that you are the caregiver or next of kin, but it’s at their discretion. (See here for what caregivers should know about medical privacy.)
2. Be prepared for appointments
If you make their job easier and faster, medical professionals will be much more responsive to you if you can do these things:
Prepare your loved ones. Ensure that your family member is aware of the appointment and see if they have any questions they want to ask the provider. Allow plenty of time to pick them up and transport them, including time to use the restroom.
Download and complete forms. Before seeing a practitioner for the first time, download new-patient forms from the office’s website and complete them.
Bring records. Bring a medical history, medication lists, test results, notes on symptoms and health records.
Ensure referral notes have been received. If you are seeing a specialist, make sure the office has notes from the referring doctor. You may be able to upload documents to a doctor’s online patient portal.
Prioritize your questions. As you assemble your list of questions, figure out the top three questions you want answered. Many providers won’t have time to get through your entire list. Use a format that will allow you to quickly jot down responses.
Bring copies of your research. If you’ve read about a condition or new treatment you think might help your loved one, bring articles as a reference, and give your doctor copies.
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