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 several times can be time-consuming. If you want to share information with an even larger, but more interested group of people think about creating blogs or email addresses to send out updates one time rather than multiple times. Responding to blog comments or e-mail replies can happen at a time that is convenient to the caregiver, rather than every time the phone rings. Being in control of the required communication reduces the anxiety and stress caused by numerous interruptions during your day. I have found that using a blog for communication can also help reduce issues that arise from misinterpreting information when it goes from one person to another. E-mails or blogs serve as an "single source" of truth.
Medical History
A person who is severely ill usually requires numerous appointments with specialists, doctors, and hospitals. The most frequent and frequently asked questions by health care professionals included medications taken by the patient. In addition, there were frequent inquiries about other health care providers such as insurance prescriptions, surgeries, pharmacy visits and allergies. Recording this information into one place, either in writing or electronically makes sure you have all of the details 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 information. 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 medication. 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 assign the responsibility of providing medications with others when 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 side effects is significantly increased. Pharmacies offer medicine information sheets when dispensing medications. The information on medicine is also available through the Internet. Keeping the medicine information together in one place enables you to find quickly the information Elderly you require, if you suspect the one you care for has an issue with medications. If you suffer from a serious illness, you discover that several doctors prescribe medications. The list can help keep all doctors informed to prevent issues before they occur. If a side effect occurs, doctors usually have other medicine options.
Calendar
The person who is seriously ill often needs multiple health visits. I recommend using a calendar to record every appointment. It doesn't matter whether it's either paper or electronic. Having the calendar available minimizes the problems with scheduling too many appointments in one day or creating overlaps in appointments.
The tips 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 focus on the important subjects or other activities. The freedom from details can also help reduce the anxiety you experience when taking care for your loved one.
Suddenly a Caregiver
A family's experiences along with lessons to guide you navigate the daunting responsibility of becoming a family caregiver.