Elder Care Cafe

Over the last ten years, I’ve made several visits to the emergency room, either with my mother or my father. The last visit was in March, 2007 when Dad went into a diabetic coma.

Those who have found it necessary to go to an emergency room in the last few years know of the crowded conditions and long waits. My mother was in her upper seventies and in great pain late one Sunday night when we sat for hours waiting for her to first be seen by the triage nurse, then, after more waiting, taken to a room and seen, finally, by a doctor.

The next day she had her gallbladder removed. It was a horrible experience for someone of her age and already showing signs of dementia.

My Dad’s last experience was a little different because he went into the diabetic coma at home and I called 911. He was taken by ambulance, and immediately placed in a room.

Along the way, I have learned there are steps people can take ahead of time in case they need to accompany someone to the emergency room in order to ease the wait and facilitate proper communication with hospital staff.

• Carry a list of all current medications. Both of my parents were in the habit of keeping a list in their wallets. Keep the list updated.
• Know their medical history.
• Know who their current physicians are and have their phone numbers and addresses with you.
• Know at least the approximate date of their last visit to their doctor and/or specialist, and the reason why.
• Know their recent surgeries, where, when, and why.
• Have their insurance information available.
• Make sure to facilitate conversation between health care providers and your loved one, especially when any form of confusion or dementia is apparent. Help your loved one understand what the doctor is saying, what tests are conducted, and why.
• Let the doctor know if any confusion on your loved one’s part is normal for them, or is possibly due to the current circumstances or illness. Doctors need to know if a patient is suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s, or if their confusion could be for another reason.
• Consider a living will or medical directive. If your loved one is unable to make decisions for themselves either due to their mental state or if they are physically incapacitated, you need to make sure you are legally allowed to intervene.
• Anticipate admission. Depending on the circumstances, be prepared to stay with your loved one throughout the emergency room visit and possible admission.
• Maintain contact with their key family members and/or friends, as appropriate, during their ER visit and any following admission or surgery.
• Have a notebook and pen handy to keep notes of conversations with doctors, staff, items or information you may need to obtain, and any requests for items from home if your loved one is admitted.

Emergency room visits are stressful under any circumstance. If you are prepared ahead of time with pertinent and relevent information, you will save yourself a lot of time and potential headaches.

As your loved one grows older, it is less likely they will remember such information as current medications, recent doctors visits, or past surgeries. Keeping the information handy for just such occasions will help you and everyone else involved come through  semi-unscathed.

What would you add to this list? What has helped you in emergency situations?

Related Posts:

• 11/04/2008 -- Family Caregiver Class Offered by NFCA
• 10/06/2010 -- How Are You Handling Caregiver Stress?
• 02/21/2009 -- Attitude and Elder Care
• 08/19/2008 -- Collect Key Information Prior to Doctor Appointments
• 08/15/2008 -- Doctor-Patient Communication Tips for Caregivers