One of the most effective things you can do to ensure continuity of care is
to set up a meeting with your parent’s primary doctor within a week of
discharging from the hospital. This is a great time to share the
information you have collected along the way. If you have been taking
notes and building up your parent’s personal medical file, then you will
have a head start over most.
Here are some great questions you can ask the primary physician.
-What Chronic medical conditions does my parent have?
-Is this condition treatable?
-Do I need any special equipment?
-What can I expect or how will the condition progress?
-Do you suggest additional care, or is the current setup adequate?
-What can I do?
-Can you help me understand the medication?
What side effects should we be watching out for?
-Should we see a specialist?
-Is this condition hereditary?
– Is the treatment covered by insurance?
-I have been noticing this behavior, which is not normal…
Good luck with your first visit. Make sure you take a little extra time
planning on getting there. Walkers, wheelchairs and the pace of your
parent make things a bit more challenging.