Professional caregivers are exceptionally good at helping older adults live their healthiest lives. But no one knows your senior loved one as well as you and your family members, who have been close to them for decades. By using the below advocacy strategies and sharing your personal knowledge about your elderly parent’s health, their wishes, and their challenges, doctors, nurses, therapists, and other health professionals can better assess the care plan that is best for your loved one.
Here are some things you can do to best advocate for your senior loved one:
Empower yourself to be informed
Ask your parent to sign a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) release that allows their healthcare professionals to share your parent’s medical information with you. This will permit caregivers to answer your questions about your Mom or Dad’s health issues and treatments. To make decisions on their behalf, you’ll need additional legal documents, including medical power of attorney or a legal healthcare proxy statement.
Have a frank discussion about their wishes
One of the most important advocacy strategies you can exercise is to make sure your loved one’s wishes are known by their healthcare team. So it’s important to talk about what your senior loved one would want in a serious healthcare situation before an emergency arises and it’s too late. Not only can this save you from internal turmoil by knowing exactly what they want instead of questioning yourself, but it can also help you avoid family strife if your other family members might not agree with the decision. At the end of the day, there will be no question as to what Mom or Dad genuinely wanted for themselves.
Be present whenever possible
Medical professionals can’t spend the same amount of time with your loved one as you can, so take it upon yourself to observe how your senior loved one is feeling, note their symptoms during your time with them, and take careful notes so you can share that information with their physician.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions
Sometimes understanding complex medical issues can be difficult if you are not a healthcare professional, especially in an emergency situation or when emotions are running high. Still, you need to understand what’s happening, so don’t brush past the details and assume you know what the doctor is talking about. Ask questions to make sure you understand and save yourself from confusion or panic later.
Establish communications with caregivers
Try to set up a regular time to talk to the doctor, nurses and therapists in charge of your senior loved one’s care. You’ll have a lot more success finding out what’s really going on by getting on their schedule than by calling and hoping to catch caregivers when they’re not busy with patients.
Stay on top of their medications
Every doctor’s visit asks the question “what medications are you taking?” Therefore, make sure you come prepared with a list of all the prescriptions and dosages your elderly parent is currently taking. It’s also helpful to keep a list of all the physicians your senior loved one is seeing, as well as the dates of their upcoming appointments to coordinate visits and eliminate unnecessary trips. In addition, keep a copy of their health insurance card and their prescription card to ensure it’s available when they need it.
Keep things calm
One of the best things you can do to advocate for your senior loved one is to take as much drama out of their medical care as possible. Elderly patients, especially those affected by dementia, can quickly become confused and panicked during a hospital stay. Make sure they have everything they need, including their eyeglasses, hearing aids or dentures, as well as their medication and familiar items that will make them feel more at home during their time in the hospital. Spend time with them and try to make sure they feel supported.
Know who to talk to
If, after taking all these steps, you still have issues you don’t feel are being properly addressed, healthcare organizations have staff in place to make sure quality services are being delivered. Ask to speak to the hospital ombudsman or patient advocacy department to voice your concerns.
Having an empowered family member who can collaborate with healthcare providers to deliver the best care possible to senior patients can go a long way toward a positive healthcare journey. So, don’t be afraid to exercise these advocacy strategies to ensure your loved one is supported and following every necessary measure to stay in good health.
