When attending a doctor’s appointment, it is best to come prepared by following these recommendations to make the most out of a visit.
On any particular day, a physician likely has somewhere around 20 patients to see – combined with telephone calls, paperwork, and various other administrative responsibilities. It leaves precious little time spent with each patient, which is why it’s imperative to take advantage of that time and ensure you properly comprehend the outcome of each appointment.
At Generations at Home, our caregivers offer transportation and accompaniment for seniors to medical appointments, and suggest the following approach:
- Don’t be hesitant to ask questions. With such a time crunch, your health care provider may tend to communicate information to you rather quickly, and it’s up to you to hit the pause button to make sure you clearly comprehend everything that is being communicated and to speak up with any questions you might have, regardless of how small or seemingly unimportant you may think they are.
- And, plan ahead of time for those concerns. It is often challenging to process everything being shared with you within the few minutes spent together with the doctor. Creating a list of concerns beforehand can help guarantee nothing slips through the cracks. Some questions to consider include:
- What are the long- and short-term outcomes of my condition?
- What could be the reason behind this condition?
- Is there a remedy?
- Where exactly can I find additional resources?
- Will I require any medical tests?
- What are the possible adverse reactions from those tests?
- When will I be given the test results?
- What treatments are available to help with my health problem?
- What are the likely side effects of these medications?
- Are there changes in lifestyle I should think of making?
- Take excellent notes. Bring along paper and a pen, or use the notes section of your smartphone or tablet, and write down answers to your questions along with any other information the doctor provides. It can be beneficial to have a trusted friend or professional caregiver on hand throughout the appointment in order to make sure everything is understood.
- Include other medical experts. Don’t forget that although the instructions supplied by the doctor are paramount, other individuals within the senior’s medical team can provide worthwhile insight as well: nurses, pharmacists, physician assistants, dieticians, physical therapists, etc. Follow up with these professionals for extra assistance in carrying out the doctor’s instructions if warranted.
At Generations at Home, we are always here to help older adults through medical appointments and procedures in many ways, and to help carry out doctors’ instructions after returning home. We can provide transportation, medication reminders, preparation of meals that are in adherence with any prescribed dietary plan, and lots of other tasks to ensure the best possible health for seniors. Contact us at 727-940-3414 to learn more!
