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When I volunteered at the nursing home, they always provided transportation for residents to attend clinic appointments. However, they also required that a family member or friend accompany the resident throughout the appointment. On those rare occasions when the resident had no one to help, the nursing home looked to us as volunteers to accompany them.
Now, as a cancer patient, I’m the one who often needs an escort to appointments. I’ve learned a few lessons along the way, and I hope my experiences will help all of us to provide better support for our residents when they need to visit a clinic.
Choose the right companion
Perhaps you have no option as to who can accompany your friend or family member to clinic appointments. But if there is a choice, look for someone who can remain calm, objective, well-organized, and be a good listener.
When I go to see my oncologist, my daughter accompanies me to most of my appointments. I’m so fortunate because, as a physical therapist, she understands the medical jargon and knows good questions to ask. She’s also able to update other family members on the results of my clinic visits.
Be clear on the companion’s role
Be sure the expectations of the companion are the same as the expectations of your loved one. Is the companion there primarily to provide transportation or to keep your loved one company as they wait to be seen? Will clinic staff expect the companion to assist with transfers or toileting? Are they prepared to take notes and help the resident remember what the physician said?
Does the resident feel comfortable having the companion there during the physical exam? I boot my daughter out of the room during exams because there are some parts of my body I don’t think my daughter needs to see. Other people might choose to have their companion stay in the room during all or part of the exam.
Prepare questions in advance
Whenever possible, touch bases with the resident in advance and jot down a brief list of questions for the physician. It’s all too easy for important questions to get lost in the shuffle during the busyness of an appointment. Also, let the physician know up-front that you have questions, so they’ll allow enough time.
Include the resident in conversations
I occasionally saw this problem when I accompanied residents to clinic visits as a volunteer. Especially if the resident used a wheelchair, some healthcare professionals talked to the companion and overlooked the resident. If you see this happening, please redirect the conversation back to include the resident.
What would you add? How can we better support our friends and family at the nursing home when they need to visit a clinic?
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