5 Questions To Ask Your Healthcare Providers

As a caregiver, you spend a lot of your time making sure the person you’re caring for gets the support they need. But caregivers need support too!

If you have questions or concerns about your role as a caregiver, don’t be afraid to ask a healthcare provider for advice. It could be your own doctor, the doctor of the person you’re caring for, or any other medical professional that you see on a regular basis.

Here are five questions to ask healthcare providers about support for you as a caregiver.

Question One: What do you need to know about our caregiving situation?

The more healthcare providers know about your situation, the easier it will be for them to give you useful advice.

Fill them in on specifics, like your relationship to the person you’re caring for, how long you’ve been their caregiver and any specific challenges that you have encountered or may still dealing with.

Question Two: Can you connect me with others who are or have previously been in a caregiver situation like mine?

Healthcare providers may be able to refer you to support groups or connect you to other caregivers that you can talk to one-on-one.

Chatting with people who know what you’re going through can provide valuable insight into your situation, and will help you feel like you’re not alone in your daily struggles as a caregiver.

Question Three: Do you have suggestions on how I can build my confidence as a caregiver or improve my caregiving knowledge and skills?

Healthcare professionals can encourage and reassure you by providing useful tips and advice about your situation.

It’s also a good idea to ask if they can recommend any resources that you might find helpful, such as websites, pamphlets or reference books.

Question Four: What’s your role, and how do you communicate and coordinate with other healthcare providers?

It’s perfectly okay to ask a healthcare provider to explain their role and how they can best support you.

It’s also helpful to get a sense of how they coordinate with fellow medical professionals, and whether they can put you in touch with other healthcare providers for additional advice about your role as a caregiver.

Question Five: Can you help me arrange for day programs or respite?

It is so important as a caregiver that you take time now and then to care for yourself. Healthcare professionals can provide referrals to caregiver support and home care services, which will allow you to take some me-time.

Remember, the better you feel, the better you’ll be able to care for your loved one.

While these five questions are a great place to get started, they are by no means the only things you should ask.

Every caregiver’s situation is different, and you probably have a lot of other questions about caregiver support that are more specific to you. So… ask them! Don’t ever feel embarrassed to ask a healthcare professional for advice; they want to help!

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