Caring for someone that is seriously ill is a challenging and time-consuming work. For the new caregiver, taking on the responsibility of a new caregiver in an already busy life can be overwhelming. This article will provide some organization strategies that will reduce amount of time and effort needed to accomplish the essential tasks, and helps to ease your stress .
Communication
During my caregiving experience I found that communicating with family and friends for updates was an overwhelming task. Communicating the same data repeatedly times can be time-consuming. To share information with an even larger, but more interested audience you could consider starting blogs or email addresses to send out updates one time instead of repeatedly. Comments on blog posts or e-mail messages can be made at a time that is convenient for the caregiver rather than each time a phone rings. Controlling the need for communication can reduce anxiety and stress caused by many interruptions in your day. I have found that using a blog for communication has also helped to reduce the problems related to the misinterpretation of information at it passes between people. E-mails or blogs serve as an "single source" of truth.
Medical History
A patient who is seriously ill often requires numerous appointments with specialists, doctors, and hospitals. One of the most frequently asked questions by health care professionals included medication taken by the patient. Secondary in frequency were inquiries regarding other health providers, insurance and pharmacy services, previous surgeries, and allergies. The recording of this information into a single location, either in writing or electronically ensures that you have all of the details easily accessible when you need it. If maintained, it helps to minimize medical mistakes. Trying to recall information at the hospital or in an emergency can be difficult. It often leads to omission of vital details or sharing incorrect details. Another benefit is a reduced stress level for the caregiver.
Medication List
A patient who is seriously ill often requires a variety of medications. Once again, if you track all medications in a single location together with a schedule for dosing, you help to avoid mistakes with medication. This also lets you take on the responsibility of distributing medications to other people when required which allows you to delegate that burden and focus on other tasks. If the list is maintained the list of medications provides an easy way to recall the information needed by health care professionals as well as emergency service personnel.
Medicine Information
When you take multiple medications, the potential of side effects is significantly increased. Pharmacies offer medicine information sheets when dispensing medications. The information on medicine is also available via the Internet. The fact that you can keep all the information about medicines in one place allows you to find quickly the information you need, should you suspect that someone you take care of has an issue with medications. With a serious illness you find that a variety of doctors are prescribing medications. This list will help you keep all doctors updated to prevent issues before they occur. If an adverse reaction does happen, doctors often have alternatives to medication.
Calendar
The seriously ill person often requires a number of health appointments. I recommend using a calendar to record each appointment. It does not really matter whether you use a paper or electronic version. The calendar is accessible and reduces the difficulties of planning too much on one day or creating overlapping appointments.
None of the tips I offer are groundbreaking, but each of these little organization tips adds up over time. Our minds are powerful, but often overwhelmed when trying to deal with too many issues at once or try to recall too many details. Freeing the mind from the details allows you to focus on the important issues or other tasks. Freeing the mind of the details also serves to reduce the stress that comes with you are responsible for caring for your loved one.
Suddenly a Caregiver
A family's experiences along with lessons to help you through the unexpected task of being a caregiver for Elderly your family.