Caring for someone that is seriously ill is a challenging and time-consuming. For the new caregiver, taking on the responsibility of a new caregiver in an already hectic schedule is a challenge. This article offers some organizing strategies that will reduce time and effort required to complete the tasks required and help to ease your anxiety at the same time.
Communication
During my caregiving experience, I discovered that communication with friends and family members for updates was an overwhelming task. Communicating the same data several times takes time. To communicate information to a wider, yet interested audience, consider creating an online blog or sending out an e-mail to send out updates one time rather than multiple times. Comments on blog posts or e-mail responses can occur at a time convenient for the caregiver instead of each time a phone rings. Controlling the need for communication can reduce stress and anxiety associated with many interruptions in your day. I discovered that using blogs for communication also reduced the issues with misinterpreting information as it is passed from one person to another. E-mail or the blog serves to be the "single source" of truth.
Medical History
A person who is severely ill usually requires numerous visits to specialists, doctors as well as hospitals. A common and frequent question by health care professionals included medications taken by the patient. Secondary in frequency were concerns about other health professionals, insurance, pharmacies, past surgeries and allergic reactions. The recording of this information into an organized location, whether by hand or electronically, ensures that you have all the information easily accessible when you need it. If maintained, it helps to minimize medical errors. The task of recollecting information in the hospital or in an emergency can be difficult and often results in the omission of vital information or sharing incorrect information. Another benefit is a lower stress level for the caregiver.
Medication List
A seriously ill patient often requires numerous medication. If you keep all medications in one location, along with a dosing schedule you help to avoid mistakes with medication. This also lets you assign the responsibility of providing medication to others as needed, giving you the freedom to divide the 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. Information on medicines is also accessible on the Internet. By putting all of the medical information in one place allows you to locate quickly the information you need, should you suspect that someone you care for is experiencing issues with their medications. With a serious illness you find that a variety of doctors are prescribing medication. The list helps you keep your doctors up-to-date so that you can avoid problems from the onset. If a side effect occurs, doctors typically Companion have other medicine options.
Calendar
The person who is seriously ill often needs multiple health visits. I recommend using a calendar to keep track of every appointment. It is not a big deal whether it's a paper or electronic version. Having the calendar available minimizes the issues of scheduling too many appointments in one day or creating overlaps in appointments.
None of the suggestions I share are revolutionary, however every one of these tiny organization tips adds to the end result in time. Our minds are powerful, but often overwhelmed when trying to deal with too many issues at once or try to keep track of too many things. Untangling the mind from 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 task of being a family caregiver.