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Coordinating Medical Care: A Guide for Family Caregivers

This session will provide information and resources on care coordination for family caregivers, including tips for organizing medical care, being an advocate, and navigating the healthcare system effectively.

jamesdrussell
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Coordinating Medical Care: A Guide for Family Caregivers

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  1. Coordinating Medical Care • A Guide for Family Caregivers • VNA Community Healthcare

  2. Agenda for this Session • What is good care coordination? • Organize medical care • Be an advocate • Coordinate care

  3. What is Care Coordination? • Organizing medical care activities and information to get the best possible health results for the person • you are helping.

  4. Care Coordination Challenges • We will go around the room and introduce ourselves • In one minute or less, describe one care coordination challenge that you have faced

  5. Care Coordination Steps

  6. Organize to Stay Sane DO THIS NOT THIS

  7. Organizing Steps • Navigate the health system • Keep track of medical information • Manage your insurance • Maintain medication lists and refills • Plan ahead with advance directives

  8. Navigate the Health System • Use your primary care doctor for most things • Specialists for complicated illnesses • Save the ER for real emergencies • Always check insurance

  9. Things You Should Track • Appointments • Provider contact info • Test results • Internet passwords • Insurance paperwork • Visit notes • Medications

  10. Organization Tips and Tools Exercise Look at the care coordination tools on the table Pick some that might work for you • Discuss other tools you use and organizing tips • Be prepared to recommend 3 good tips or tools

  11. Find Reliable Resources • Federal and state agencies • UCONN personalized health information research program • 211 for community resources • Consumer Reports Choosing Wisely • Agencies on Aging • On the internet – look for reliable sites

  12. Manage Your Insurance

  13. Manage Medications Keep medication lists updated Organize meds in one place NO Keep up with refills

  14. Have the Hard Conversation Health care agent Living will Healt Will Finances Resuscitation Care choices

  15. Advocate • Go to all medical visits with your relative • Make a list of health concerns • Bring current medical information • Ask good questions • Write down instructions

  16. Put Yourself in Charge Video • Watch the video • How did the communication go? • What worked? • What didn’t work well? • Are there ways you might be able to improve your up two way communication with medical professionals?

  17. Medical Communication Tips • Set the stage • Be clear about what you want • Ask “what if” questions • Ask questions about medical findings and treatment choices • Clarify instructions before you leave

  18. Did You Get What You Need? • Think about the last medical visit or phone call • Did you get what you wanted? • Did you ask the right kind of questions? • Did you get the information you needed? • What could you do differently the next time?

  19. Coordinating Your Job as a Caregiver

  20. How Often Do You Think This Happens? Medical professionals communicating about a case.

  21. Not So Much

  22. The Essence of Care Coordination

  23. Fall Through the Cracks Brainstorm • Brainstorm a list of situations where you have seen medical things “fall through the cracks” • Discuss how you can be the “glue” that keeps care and information coordinated

  24. Your Job is to Be the Glue High Risk Situations Hospital Admission Shift or doctor changes in the hospital Hospital or nursing home discharge After a medical procedure or one day surgery Discharge from home health care Multiple “care coordinators” calling

  25. Care Coordination Sample Script • Dr. Jones, my husband has a number of doctors and you don’t all seem to be communicating with each other. • We have had several instances of duplicate medications being prescribed. • Would it be possible for you to call or write a note to his primary care doctor and nephrologist? • If you have access to the hospital online record, could you please check to see what other doctors have prescribed?

  26. Coordinate Care Coordinators • If you get a call from a “care coordinator”: • Write his/her name and phone number • Ask what organization they represent • Find out why they are calling • Find out how they can help you. If they can’t, politely refuse to talk, if you don’t want to

  27. Balancing Act • Write down 3 strategies that you use to balance your life as a caregiver

  28. Caregiver Survival Rules • Care for your own health • Get an outside perspective • Ask for help • Rest • Laugh • Join a support group • Focus on accomplishments

  29. Helpful Information • What information provided today do you feel you can put into action when you get home? • What are some of the things that still concern you?

  30. Questions? • Thank You! Guilford office: 203.458.4200 Hamden office: 203.288.1623

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