Suggestion for Caregivers - Get Organized

Caring for someone that is seriously ill is difficult and time-consuming. The new caregiver's task of taking on this new responsibility in the already hectic life of a caregiver can be overwhelming. This article will provide some organization strategies that will reduce time and effort required to complete the essential tasks, and helps to lessen anxiety at the same time.

Communication

As a caregiver I realized that communicating with friends and family members to update information was a daunting task. The same info several times can be time-consuming. To communicate information to a larger but interested audience you could consider starting blogs or email addresses to update information once instead of repeatedly. Responses to blog comments or e-mail replies can happen at a time convenient for the caregiver instead of each when a phone rings. Controlling the need for communication reduces the anxiety and stress that comes with numerous interruptions during your day. I discovered that using blogs for communication can also help reduce issues related to the misinterpretation of information when it goes between people. The blog or e-mail serves as an "single source" of truth.

Medical History

A person who is severely ill usually needs frequent visits to specialists, doctors as well as hospitals. One of the most frequently asked questions by health care professionals included medications taken by the patient. Secondary in frequency were concerns about other health care providers and insurance companies and pharmacy services, previous surgeries and allergies. Recording this information into one place, either manually or electronically, will ensure that you have all of the details easily accessible when you need it. When it is maintained, this can help to reduce medical errors. Recalling information at a hospital or during an emergency can be difficult and often results in the omission of critical details or sharing incorrect details. The other benefit is lower stress level of the person caring for.

Medication List

A patient who is seriously ill often requires multiple medication. Once again, if you track all medications in one place together with a schedule for dosing, it helps to prevent medication errors. This also lets you share the responsibility of providing medication to others as needed and allows you to share that workload and address other tasks. If Elderly maintained the medication list will allow an easy recall of the information when requested by health care professionals and emergency services.

Medicine Information

If you are taking multiple medications, the chance of side effects is significantly increased. Pharmacies offer medicine information sheets when dispensing medications. Medicine information is also available through the Internet. The fact that you can keep all the information about medicines in one location enables you to quickly access the information you require in the event that you suspect someone you take care of has issues with their medications. When you have a serious health issue you find that a variety of doctors are prescribing medication. The list helps you 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 requires a number of health appointments. I suggest keeping a schedule to keep track of each appointment. It does not really matter whether you use either paper or electronic. A calendar that is available reduces the problems with scheduling too much in one day or creating overlaps in appointments.

The tips I offer are groundbreaking, but every one of these tiny organization tips adds to the end result in time. Our minds are powerful, but often overwhelmed when we attempt to tackle too many subjects simultaneously or attempt to recall too many details. The ability to clear your mind of the 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 one.

Suddenly a Caregiver

A family's experiences along with lessons to help you deal with the unanticipated task of being a family caregiver.

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