Information to Have Ready When Bringing Your Parent to the Doctor When They are Ill

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Home Care Services in Warren NJ

Home Care Services in Warren NYAs a family caregiver you never want to see your parent ill. Getting sick, however, is a reality of life and at some point it is likely that your loved one will need to seek medical treatment for an illness. When this happens, it is important that you are properly prepared to ensure that they get the care that they need. Part of this is making sure that you have all of the information that you need with you when you bring your parent to the doctor for evaluation and diagnosis.

Information that you should have ready when bringing your parent to the doctor when they are ill include:

  • Current diagnoses. You cannot assume that every doctor that your parent visits is aware of all of the health conditions that they are experiencing. This is especially true if your parent receives most of their treatment from specialists and they are visiting a primary care physician for a basic illness. Being able to tell the doctor all of the formal diagnoses that your loved one has received will enable the doctor to better diagnose them and ensure their treatments are appropriate.
  • Medications. If your parent is currently taking any medications, bring along as much information about them as you can. This will help the doctor to isolate any symptoms that may be related to those medications, as well as ensure that they do not prescribe anything that may be dangerous if taken with these medications.
  • Allergies. Though they should be listed in your parent’s medical record, it is important that you have a complete list of all allergies to medications and topical treatments that your parent suffers, as well as what happens if they come into contact with those allergens.
  • Symptoms. Before you bring your parent to the doctor write down all of the symptoms and changes that your parent has experienced recently. This will help to ensure that they give the doctor all of the information that they need to come to an accurate diagnosis. It is also important that you are able to tell the doctor why these symptoms or changes are upsetting or unusual so that they can focus on them, or reassure you.

If your parent is suffering a serious illness or has been getting ill more frequently recently, now may be the ideal time for you to consider adding home care to your care journey with them. The personalized care and assistance from an in home senior care services provider can allow your parent to focus more on healing and can also address specific issues that might make them more vulnerable to illness, infection, and other issues. This can enable your loved one to age in place safely, comfortably, and healthily while also encouraging independence and autonomy tailored to their specific level of challenge and limitation. This means that they can live the lifestyle that they need and deserve while giving you peace of mind that they are in good hands even when you are not available to be in the home with them.

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring professional home care services in Warren, NJ, please talk to the caring staff at Generations Home Health Care today. Providing Home Care in Somerset, Essex, Union, Morris and Hunterdon Counties. Call us today at (908) 290-0691 or (973) 241-4534.

Susan Myer, RN, BSN, CCRN, CDP