Caregivers, does your loved one’s doctor welcome your input?
Caregivers, you can and should play an important role in your loved one’s doctor visits. However, in our survey, we found only half of caregivers feel their contributions are always welcomed by the doctor.
If you can relate not to worry! You are not alone. Over the coming days, we will be sharing communication tips, examples and resources that we hope will help support your participation at your loved one’s visit.
The doctor’s office can be a busy place, and sometimes we only get a short time to spend with our doctors. This can make it difficult to have effective and productive conversations. For this reason and others, it’s important to utilize every healthcare appointment as an opportunity to advocate as much as you can for your loved one.
Doing this takes preparation, and we hope over the coming days you find the shared tips and resources useful to help get the most out of each doctor’s visit. As you use these resources, keep in mind how important you are to a successful doctor’s visit for your loved one because:
-
You can help provide important insights and updates on treatment and symptom management since your loved one’s last visit, as well as potentially important non-medical issues
-
With this information, the doctor is then able to better provide the most appropriate care and guidance
-
After the visit, both you and your loved one will have the information needed to stay on track
