Patient advocacy is critical to helping people get the care they need. This is particularly important if people are older, have a chronic condition and/or are in an emergent situation. In the Covid-19 era, this has become a bit of a challenge. However, the following tips can help in seeing patients get the care they need.
Emergent
Situations: Encourage
them to go to the hospital if they are experiencing an emergency, such as
shortness of breath, chest pain etc. Assure them that the best place is the emergency
room. Some people are afraid if they go to a hospital they could become
infected with Covid-19. Hospitals have separate tracks for such patients.
Telehealth: Using last week’s post Virtualappointments and medical visits during the Covid Pandemic
• Help them
prepare by making sure they have the connectivity and conditions for a
successful visit.
• Go over what
they want from the telehealth visit, clarify questions etc.
• Take
notes while they have their visit. This can be such a different way
for them to see their provider it’s easy for them to miss things. Be in the
room with them, or if you are not in the same house, see about joining remotely. You will need to arrange
to be part of the telehealth visit before it occurs if you are going to join remotely.
Don’t expect to be able to do that at the last minute.
• If the
provider needs them to do things like weigh themselves, taking a temperature
etc. assist as appropriate.
• Review the visit
with the person afterwards.
• Help the
person compile a personal health notebook, which includes necessary information
like medications, allergies, power of attorney for health care, living will,
medical providers. Download forms at Create Your Own Health Notebook.
Hospitalization: Visitors, with a few exceptions, are
not allowed to visit hospitalized patients. While this is anxiety provoking for
patients and their families, it is the best way to reduce risk of infection.
• Most
hospitals have set up Covid-19 information at their website. Read through it to
understand policies and procedures and to know what they have put in place to
support communication and connectivity.
• If the person
doesn’t have a smart phone or tablet, get one that has video conferencing such
as Face Time, Skype, Facebook Messenger, Google Hangouts, Google Duo or Zoom
that allows face to face communication. It helps a lot to see how the person
looks. If it’s an emergency admission, you’ll have to leave the devise with the
hospital staff, along with other items they’ll need such as glasses, extra
socks, toiletries, notebook and pen etc. Do not drop off money or other
valuables. Note, some hospitals are providing iPads and tablets for patients to
use during their stay so check to see if that’s an option.
• Use phone
calls, texts, and video chats to stay connected with the person. This can be
their lifeline and will most likely be your primary means of communicating.
Tell them to call as often as they like, but make sure they call after the
doctor makes rounds, if medications are changed, new tests ordered etc. Calling
them will give them a boost.
• As you discuss with them their medical situation, keep a
hospital diary-write down what they tell you. Make sure you list the names of
the medical teams that are caring for them.
• Writing letters and sending cards are good ways to cheer
up a patient.
• Ask the nurse to write contact information of a family
member on the whiteboard in the patient’s room and at the nurses’ station.
Asked that this person be called if there is a change in the patient’s
condition, after doctor’s visits etc. This is particularly important if the
person is in critical condition and can’t communicate.
• Identify
who is the lead provider, “the quarterback,” who is caring for the person. These
are usually “hospitalists,” or critical
care specialists. The patient’s primary provider most likely will not be
involved in their hospitalization. Speak
to the primary hospital provider daily.
• One
person for the family needs to be the designee who talks to the medical team
daily and shares that information with everyone else. It helps if this
individual has some medical knowledge. It’s
frustrating and disruptive for staff when a family can’t organize themselves
and end up having various people calling throughout the day. Note that some
hospitals are setting up apps to help families stay connected with the patient.
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