Do you go in for exam with your parent?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a doctor , a lot of my patients population are elderly. Usually I like it when they have a family member with them because sometimes it hard for elderly to keep tracks of things and able to explain what we discussed with their family later. Some patient asked me to talk to their kids/ primary care takers on the phone and explain what s going on during visit. I am very happy to do that.

The worst is usually elderly pt from snf, who has no idea what’s going and came with transport personnel who are equally clueless. No detail of what patient s medical history. Only one word llike .. leg pain. Or blood clots, wounds etc nothing else. Exam wasn’t helpful. Because the term blood clot can be many things

I strongly recommend if your parents are in nursing home and they are not the sharpest mentally anymore, please go to dr appointment with them. Nursing home usually could not careless. Sometimes I even have to call NH to confirm medication. The beginning of my career, I call NH to ask how pt was doing etc. but no one could actually answer me so I stopped calling .

Sadly most pts at snfs are mentally written off by their families or have no family

[Anonymous]

Yes, when they wanted me to. For both of them, it was when they were very sick and needed support. My mother had cancer, and my father had congestive heart failure that, after many years, had gotten very serious.

[Anonymous]

Once my mom died, I went with my dad to see his PCP and pulmonologist. Also went to every oncology appt with my sister. As she got sicker, I would ask her, before we got to the appt, if she had any questions she wanted to ask the doctor. I took notes too. I think she appreciated it because she would often ask me questions about what the doctor said. I don’t think she could have done those appointments on her own.

[Anonymous]

We had her hire someone to go in with her. There were too many control issues when I took her to appointments. She wasn't processing it all because of anxiety (no dementia as per doctor). She would get difficult and snappy with me and the doctor or nurse and then was agitated as I drove home. It was so much better having I think a nurse go with her though expensive. We did this through a case manager who kept a binder of all medical information. They knew how to advocate, ask the right questions and work with difficult behavior, though they did charge extra because of how difficult she was. the nurse then communicated with aides and I didn't have to be screamed at by my mother if anything didn't go as planned.