As experienced as you might be with your senior’s health, going to the doctor with her can still make you nervous. Talking with her doctor can be so intimidating that you might feel as if you’re forgetting important details. These tips can help you to feel more confident and prepared for your senior’s doctor’s appointments.
Take Notes and Make a List of Questions Before the Appointment
Before the appointment, you might know exactly what you need and want to cover with your senior’s doctor. It’s during the appointment that you’re more likely to blank out. Prepare for that by giving yourself some detailed notes and questions that you can refer to during the appointment itself. You might want to be as detailed as possible because that can help you to give that same level of detail to her doctor.
Make Sure You Mention All New Symptoms
If you’re noticing any symptoms that are new for your senior, you definitely need to bring those up. Symptoms are a part of how your senior’s doctor manages her health and discovers new potential issues. When you make notes of new symptoms, it helps to be able to include information about how long that symptom has been occurring.
If You Keep a Log, Bring It
One of the easiest ways to keep up with symptoms and new issues is to keep a health log for your senior. You can start one at any time, so don’t feel as if you’re doing anything wrong if you don’t already have one set up. If you’re already doing something like this, make sure you bring it with you to the appointment. A quick flip through the health journal might be all your senior’s doctor needs to spot issues for you.
Actively Take Notes or Record the Appointment
You may need to mull over some of this information afterward at home, too. Take notes during the appointment so that you don’t miss anything. If you’re really worried you’ll miss something, ask your senior’s doctor if you can record the appointment. Most smartphones have either a built-in app or the ability to download an app that allows you to record voice memos.
Being your senior’s caregiver means handling stuff like this, even when it’s scary. She needs you to be her advocate, so it’s important to find ways to make doctor’s appointments and other situations easier on you, too.
