Taking your senior parent to a medical appointment can be difficult and unpleasant for them, especially if they have medical conditions that make walking difficult. It can also be difficult to take the time off to get them to a medical appointment and get them home again if you have to take time off of work to do it. Live-in home care for seniors can make medical appointments easier for you and your senior parent. Seniors who have live-in home care services have someone who can drive them to appointments, attend the appointments with them, and help them get safely home so that you don’t need to take time off of work.
If you are taking your senior parent to a medical appointment here are five things you can do to make the visit easier for them and for you:
Plan Ahead
Write down the date of the appointment on the calendar and make sure you remind your senior parent about the appointment as it gets closer. The night before the appointment mention it again. Make sure that your senior parent has clean clothes, takes a shower, and has their hair washed the night before the appointment so that you’re not rushing to help them get ready the day of the appointment.
You should also get gas for the car, make copies of any paperwork they need, and do other preparations in advance so you won’t have to make extra stops or go through a long check-in process. Some medical facilities allow online check-in, so you may want to see if that’s an option.
Write Down A List Of Concerns Or Symptoms
At the moment of the appointment, it’s easy for your senior parent to forget to mention important information. Write down all of their current health concerns, symptoms, or questions for the doctor in a notebook. Leave room for the answers too. That way you’ll have a record of the appointment and the answers to the questions.
You can also email the questions to the doctor or the doctor’s team, or make notes in MyChart for your senior parent.
Use Valet Parking
If the hospital or medical facility offers valet parking, take advantage of it. Don’t expect your senior parent to walk in the elements across a giant parking lot. It’s easier for them and easier for you to pay a few dollars for the valet parking. Some facilities don’t even charge for valet parking.
Use Music To Calm Anxiety
Load some of your senior parent’s favorite music on their phone or an old phone or music player and give them some headphones. While you are checking them in and going over their insurance paperwork with the receptionist your senior parent will be much more comfortable listening to some music in the waiting room. If your senior parent has dementia listening to music can be a great way to keep them busy so you can check them in.
Pack A Bag
Always have a bag packed for a medical appointment that has bottled water or juice, snacks, a book or something for them to read, a sweater in case they get cold, and other items that may be necessary depending on the weather. If your senior parent has dementia include some fidget items that will keep them distracted while waiting for the appointment to start.
If you or an aging loved one is considering Live-in Home Care Services in Monroe Township NJ please get in touch with the caring staff at Expert Home Care today at (732) 937-5320.
Providing exceptional live-in home care in New Jersey, including Monroe Township, Edison, New Brunswick, Red Bank, Lakewood, Princeton, Morristown, Flemington, Stockton, Bridgewater, Hillsborough, Montclair, Livingston, Summit, and surrounding communities.
We have been providing Home Health Care to New Jersey families since 1985, and have grown to become one of the largest licensed providers of Live-In Home Care in the upper New Jersey area. Our many years of New Jersey home care experience has produced a company that over 8,000 clients have come to rely on confidently, for help.
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