Idea for Caregivers - Get Arranged

Being a caregiver for someone severely ill can be a difficult and time-consuming. For the caregiver who is new, absorbing the new responsibility into an already busy life can be overwhelming. This article provides some organizational tips that reduce the time and effort to perform the necessary tasks and serves to reduce your stress .

Communication

As a caregiver I realized that communicating with family and friends to update information was a daunting task. Sharing the same information repeatedly times can be time-consuming. If you want to share information with a larger but curious group of people you could consider starting blogs or email addresses to provide updates once instead of repeatedly. Responding to blog comments or e-mail replies can happen at a time that is convenient for the caregiver rather than each time the phone rings. Being in control of the required communications reduces anxiety and stress that comes with multiple interruptions throughout your day. I found that using a blog for communication has also helped to reduce the problems related to the misinterpretation of information as it is passed between people. E-mails or blogs serve as an "single source" of truth.

Medical History

A seriously ill patient often requires frequent appointments with specialists, doctors, and hospitals. The most frequent and frequently asked questions by health care providers included medication taken by the patient. The most frequent were inquiries about other health care providers such as insurance prescriptions, surgeries, pharmacy visits and allergies. Recording this information into a single location, either in writing or electronically makes sure you have all the relevant information readily available in case of need. When it is maintained, this can help to prevent medical mistakes. Trying to recall information at a hospital or during an emergency is difficult and often leads to omission of critical information or sharing the wrong details. The other benefit is less stressful experience of the person caring for.

Medication List

A person who is severely ill frequently requires a variety of medications. Once again, if you record all medications to a single location and include a dosing plan, you can avoid mistakes with medication. This also lets you share Elderly the responsibility of providing medications with others when needed which allows you to delegate that burden and take on other tasks. When maintained the list of medications provides an easy way to recall the information when requested by health care professionals as well as emergency service personnel.

Medicine Information

When taking many medications, the chance of adverse reactions increases significantly. Pharmacies provide medicine information sheets for the medication they dispensate. The information on medicine is also available on the Internet. By putting all of the medical information in one place allows you to locate quickly the information you require, should you suspect that someone you care for has problems with medication. With a serious illness you realize that many doctors are prescribing medications. This list will help you keep all doctors updated to help avoid issues at the beginning. If an adverse reaction does happen, doctors often have alternatives to medication.

Calendar

The patient who is severely ill usually requires numerous health care appointments. I suggest using a calendar to track each appointment. It does not really matter whether it is an electronic or paper version. A calendar that is available reduces the difficulties of scheduling too much in one day or creating overlapping appointments.

None of the tips I offer are groundbreaking, but each of these little organizing tips will add to a larger sum over time. Our minds are amazing, but they are often overwhelmed when we attempt to tackle too many subjects simultaneously or attempt to recall too many details. The ability to clear your mind of the details lets you concentrate on the most important issues or other tasks. The freedom from details can also help reduce the stress you feel when carrying the responsibility of caring for your loved ones.

Suddenly a Caregiver

A family's experiences along with lessons to help you through the unexpected responsibility of being a family caregiver.

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