One of the key steps in managing your medical needs involves your doctor. Who is your doctor? Do they care about you? Do they listen to you? It is important to surround yourself with a good team of doctors and medical staff that care about you and your family.
You may have one doctor or you may have a team of doctors, therapists, nurses, and caseoworkers. It is vital that you feel comfortable with them to be able to voice your concerns, and communicate your needs. Your comfort level, with them, creates a firm foundation that will help you trust your doctor and the care they are giving you.
Here are some questions for you to ask yourself the next time you see the doctor:
Does your doctor listen to you?
Do you listen to your doctor?
Does your doctor have compassion and understanding?
Are they knowledgeable in their area of expertise?
Do you have a good relationship with your doctor?
Do you trust your doctor?
Creating a relationship of trust and honesty with your doctor opens the door for you to feel confident not only in the care you receive from them but also the care you give to your family.
Penny
www.cominghomeguide.com
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Where are you?
Where are you at in managing your health care needs? Are you the one with the illness? Are you a parent or caregiver managing your child's chronic illness or disability? Maybe you are taking care of your elderly parents or grandparents and you need to help them organize their health care needs.
Where do you start? It can be very overwhelming when you start to manage the health of your family. Especially, if you are managing a chronic illness, or disability. Your days may consist of medications, therapy schedules, doctor's appointments, ordering medical supplies, medical tests, lab work, the list goes on. And this is just for one person in your family. We are not even talking about managing your household, your work, or your marriage. It can certainly feel neverending.
I remember when we entered the "medical maze" when our daughter was diagnosed with a chronic illness and severe disability. Our world was turned upside down. The constant medical care that she needed was emotionally, physically and mentally exhausting. I felt I had no control over anything.
I began to stop focusing on the illness and I started to become more involved in our daughter's care. I became a proactive parent instead of always feeling like I was on the defense. I began to organize my time in scheduling her various medical appointments. I made a list of her medications, the strength, the dosage, the form it came in, how often she received it, the doctor who prescribed it, and the date when she started and stopped it. I did this with every area of her medical needs.
I realized that once I had things written down and organized the stress was gone. I was ready, I was prepared, and I felt confident that I was doing the best job I could to take care of her. The peace of mind that comes when YOU are managing you or your loved one's health care needs is priceless!
Penny
www.cominghomeguide.com
Where do you start? It can be very overwhelming when you start to manage the health of your family. Especially, if you are managing a chronic illness, or disability. Your days may consist of medications, therapy schedules, doctor's appointments, ordering medical supplies, medical tests, lab work, the list goes on. And this is just for one person in your family. We are not even talking about managing your household, your work, or your marriage. It can certainly feel neverending.
I remember when we entered the "medical maze" when our daughter was diagnosed with a chronic illness and severe disability. Our world was turned upside down. The constant medical care that she needed was emotionally, physically and mentally exhausting. I felt I had no control over anything.
I began to stop focusing on the illness and I started to become more involved in our daughter's care. I became a proactive parent instead of always feeling like I was on the defense. I began to organize my time in scheduling her various medical appointments. I made a list of her medications, the strength, the dosage, the form it came in, how often she received it, the doctor who prescribed it, and the date when she started and stopped it. I did this with every area of her medical needs.
I realized that once I had things written down and organized the stress was gone. I was ready, I was prepared, and I felt confident that I was doing the best job I could to take care of her. The peace of mind that comes when YOU are managing you or your loved one's health care needs is priceless!
Penny
www.cominghomeguide.com
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Welcome!
So you are home...now what? What can you do to empower yourself, educate, and train you and your family to manage your healthcare needs on a daily basis?
Whether you are home recoverying from a hospital stay or you have a loved one that will need constant 24 hour care one of the first things to do to begin to manage their medical needs is to "Get Organized"! Organizing all of the medical information helps to prepare you and your family for the medical changes that will take place within your home and in your life.
Do not get overwhelmed by the illnes, disability, or how many doctors, therapists or medications you have to write down. Take one step at a time, and begin today managing you or your loved one's health!
Penny
www.cominghomeguide.com
Whether you are home recoverying from a hospital stay or you have a loved one that will need constant 24 hour care one of the first things to do to begin to manage their medical needs is to "Get Organized"! Organizing all of the medical information helps to prepare you and your family for the medical changes that will take place within your home and in your life.
Do not get overwhelmed by the illnes, disability, or how many doctors, therapists or medications you have to write down. Take one step at a time, and begin today managing you or your loved one's health!
Penny
www.cominghomeguide.com
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Coming Home attends UMDF Conference 2009
Coming Home participated as a vendor and attended the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation (www.umdf.org) 2009 Family Symposium. This was a great opportunity to network and share with families the importance of "organizing, planning, and managing" your health care needs.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Coming Home Event with Inspiring Abilities Expo
Coming Home participated as a vendor in the Inspiring Abilities Expo on March 7, 2009.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Coming Home completed pilot program with Hendricks Regional Health
Coming Home completed the pilot program with Hendricks Regional Health in March 2009. The Coming Home Medical Organizer was given to patients at the time of discharge. The organizer allowed them to utilize the provided forms (and accompanied CD templates) necessary to maintain all of their medical information. The program was a huge success!
Click here to read the entire Pilot Program Summary
Click here to read the entire Pilot Program Summary
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Coming Home in Partnership with Doozie, Marketing & Design
Our friends at Doozie, Marketing & Design were instrumental in the creation of the Coming Home Medical Organizer.
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