La Jolla Senior Care News

How a Home Care Provider Can Help Your Seniors Ask Uncomfortable Questions at the Doctor’s Office

Home Care Pacific Beach CA

Going to the doctor is something that few people enjoy, but these appointments are often made even more uncomfortable when your aging loved ones are coping with new symptoms or concerns that warrant a discussion with the doctor, but they are too uncomfortable to ask. Many people do not feel comfortable discussing their bodies or health concerns with anyone, even a doctor, and may be more willing to just continue coping with problems rather than actually bringing them up with their doctor at a checkup, or making a special appointment specifically for those problems.

Avoiding talking with a doctor about new or worsening symptoms or any other concerns can result in serious problems, so it is vital that your parents open up about anything that is bothering them. When they are simply not able to do this, however, a home care provider can be a valuable support system.

Having an in home health care services provider can be extremely helpful when it comes to bringing your aging parents to their doctor’s appointments and making sure that they get the most benefit from them. This care provider can not only provide transportation and mobility assistance, she can act as an extension of you within the appointment, asking questions, taking notes, and making sure that your parents understand what is happening.

It is through these services that she can help your seniors confront potentially uncomfortable topics regarding their health and wellbeing. Suggest these ways your parents’ home care provider can make these situations more comfortable for them:

  • Discuss the issues ahead of time. The care provider already helps your parents deal with many issues throughout the day and may be involved in sensitive activities such as bathing and toileting assistance. This closeness may make it easier for your seniors to talk with her about what they are experiencing than it would be for them to bring it up with the doctor. By doing this, they can let her take the lead during the discussion with the doctor, or allow her to fill in details they would rather not bring up themselves.
  • Ask from her perspective. If your parents are not comfortable bringing up their own discomfort, pain, or questions, encourage the care provider to bring them up from her own perspective. She can frame the question as if she has noticed certain symptoms or issues and she is just curious what they could be, or what the doctor thinks about them. This eliminates the need for your parents to feel like they are complaining, but still gets the important information.
  • Private discussion. Have your care provider bring a list of questions and issues that you write down for her. During the appointment, have her ask if she can have a private conversation with the doctor. She can then discuss the uncomfortable issues without your parents being present so she can later share what she learns with them. If the concerns warrant testing or examination, the doctor can frame suggesting these measures as routine or as something that he wants to do, eliminating embarrassment for your seniors.

La Jolla Nurses Homecare can help your aging parents remain in their own homes, call 858-454-9339. We are a home care agency providing quality and affordable senior care in La Costa, CA, and the surrounding communities."]” data-sheets-userformat=”[null,null,767,[null,0],[null,2,10667209],[null,[[null,2,0,null,null,[null,2,0]],[null,0,0,3],[null,1,0,null,1]]],[null,[[null,2,0,null,null,[null,2,0]],[null,0,0,3],[null,1,0,null,1]]],[null,[[null,2,0,null,null,[null,2,0]],[null,0,0,3],[null,1,0,null,1]]],[null,[[null,2,0,null,null,[null,2,0]],[null,0,0,3],[null,1,0,null,1]]],2,2,null,0]”>For more information about how the caregivers at La Jolla Nurses Homecare can help your aging parents remain in their own homes, call 858-454-9339. We are a home care agency providing quality and affordable senior care in La Costa, CA, and the surrounding communities.

Brittnei Salerno

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