Once a family member is admitted as a patient in a hospital or even a rehab center, you, as the caregiver, should immiediately set your "inner clock" to hospital time and get adjusted to its ebbs and flows. Even the best hospitals may be short-staffed, which means that the patient must wait until a staff member is available to facilitate the patient’s transfer from bed to wheel chair, or wheel chair back to bed, to take the patient for a shower, or an x-ray, test or scan, or assist with toileting.
There are other, more critical issues that will need to be handled as well, including patient care decisions, financial issues like health insurance coverage, eligibility for Medicare or Medicaid, and knowing what will/will not be covered when it comes to tests, scans, procedures. etc. If it’s starting to sound overwhelming, it can be. The primary caregiver will need all the family support she can get. So if a care manager is not within your budget, select a family member who has the time and skills to review the bills, to be sure the charges are correct. This is important, as mistakes are sometimes made and the earlier you notice an error, the easier it will be to get it corrected.
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Health & WellnessHealthy eating habits, cooking tips, and restaurant reviewsHow To Be a Patient Advocate For a Family MemberPosted by Susan Einhorn on November 17, 2011 - 11:36am Tags: primary caregiver, patient advocate, caregiver, advocate | ||
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