Seneca, SC – Simplify Elder Care by Communicating

Family caregivers tend to take on more roles as their parents’ health declines. It’s not uncommon for an elderly loved one to see multiple doctors and take several medications. This causes added stress on caregivers who must keep track of all this information. Plus, seniors tend to resist sharing information with family in an effort to maintain their independence while their physical and mental capabilities decline.

Your parent may not take your advice or listen to anything you have to say because of traditional family roles. After all, parents are older and therefore wiser – or so they think. It can be challenging to discuss important issues with aging loved ones, but by using their doctors to initiate some of these conversations, your parents just might listen.

The first step is to start attending your loved one’s doctor appointments. Have a list of questions prepared ahead of time so you don’t forget. Have the doctor broach subjects that are difficult for you to discuss with your loved one. Perhaps your parent won’t listen to you about driving safety or the importance of proper nutrition. However, he or she likely has a lot of respect for the doctor and will listen to him or her.

Get to know the doctors and ask how to best contact them; some are more reachable by phone, while others are technologically savvy and prefer email communication. You should also give the doctor your contact information so that you can be easily reached in the event of an emergency.

Don’t assume that doctors communicate with each other. You should provide each doctor with a list of other doctors your loved one is seeing and ask them to update each other after each visit. That way, everyone is in the loop.

Your parent should also let the doctors’ offices know that you should be listed as a liaison. Doctors are busy and want to communicate with one family member only; they don’t want to be receiving calls and emails from multiple family members. You may need to sign some consent forms or have a health care proxy in place.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it. If you work full time or have a family of your own to care for, it might be wise to hire an elderly home care provider who can transport your loved one to appointments. Many senior care providers have experience communicating with doctors and may be able to provide helpful information to both you and the doctor.

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring elder care services near Seneca, SC, contact Heart of the Carolinas Home Care at 864-991-3116.

Providing Home Care Services in Greenville, Simpsonville, Greer, Anderson, Spartanburg, Mauldin, Seneca, Laurens,Charleston, Columbia and the surrounding areas.

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Edward Harrison

Founder at Heart of the Carolinas

Edward Harrison founded the Heart of the Carolinas Homecare in 2007 when he saw there was a need for caregivers that provide non-medical home care services, at a price that most people could afford. It was standard in the industry to require hourly minimums and it was common to be assigned a caregiver, not matched with one based on your individual personal needs. Edward understood that to make a successful relationship between caregiver and client, skills were not enough, personality and compatibility plays as much a role as do skills.

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