Navigating Healthcare For Elders

Navigating healthcare for yourself or for your older loved one can be challenging and often stressful. Navigating healthcare for elders comes easier when you're equipped with tools and resources. As I've supported clients, I've noticed healthcare providers overwhelming patients with information all in a short visit. I've also noticed healthcare providers giving stacks of referrals to even more providers, healthcare providers not honoring a patient's boundaries and unique needs, and there being a lack of clarity on what steps to take next when navigating caregiving for you older loved one. My purpose is not to bash healthcare providers in general, because there are great providers working within this broken healthcare system, but to point out where more support is needed and ways that advocacy can help.

While some of my perspective comes from supporting clients, I also have lived experience as a disabled person who has had to navigate the healthcare system for my own needs. Just this week, I had a doctor who chose to talk to me about my weight when that was not what I was there to discuss. While the notes mentioned that I was there to talk about the pain in my eyes, the doctor completely missed this as he chose to congratulate me on losing weight. Flattery is nice, but let's focus on why I made the appointment. Being an advocate, and needing to advocate for myself, I addressed this with the doctor and he made sure to address what I was actually there for. If you experience any sort of cognitive disability, or lack the tools to advocate for yourself, it can be even harder to set boundaries with healthcare providers and make sure that your needs are addressed.

If you need time to absorb information and reflect on it, then it may be a good idea for you to request that your doctor communicate with you through the online patient portal. I have had doctors that preferred to talk on the phone and this can lead to pressure to make additional and often unnecessary appointments and can cause confusion as you feel rushed to understand what they're telling you. Reading information in the patient portal can give you the time you need to understand what is being said and to respond exactly how you want to respond without being rushed. This is something that you can request for communication and you deserve to have your needs met!

You also have every right to tell your healthcare provider that you are overwhelmed with medical appointments. Having this conversation can lead to you and your healthcare provider collaborating on what appointments are a priority so that you don't over extend your finances, time, and energy. Often, these providers want to address all of your issues without considering copays, health insurance deductables, your means to get to an appointment and set time aside for it, and the physical and mental energy that the appointments take from you. Healthcare providers can have the best intentions, but they don't know your unique needs unless you make them aware.

Understanding what steps to take next when caring for you older loved one is part of what I do. It may seem like a great idea to go to your healthcare provider for this information, but they are not always equipped to address aging and caregiving in a way beyond healthcare needs. As a gerontologist, I have a holistic understanding of how we age physically, mentally, spiritually, and how to support this aging while taking the whole person into consideration.

If you need help navigating healthcare, or coordinating care for your older loved one, call AgeWell Advocacy at 803.486.5322.