Being a caregiver for someone severely ill can be a difficult and time-consuming. For the caregiver who is new, taking on this new responsibility in an already busy life can be overwhelming. This article provides some organizational tips that reduce the time and effort to perform the necessary tasks and serves to lessen stress .

Communication

As a caregiver I realized that communicating with family and friends to update information was a daunting task. Sharing the same information repeatedly times is time-consuming. If you want to share information with a larger but curious group of people you could consider starting blogs or email addresses to provide updates once instead of repeatedly. Responding to blog comments or e-mail messages can be made at a time that is convenient for the caregiver rather than each time the phone rings. Gaining control over the needed communications reduces anxiety and stress that comes with multiple interruptions throughout your day. I found that using blogs for communication also reduced the issues that arise from misinterpreting information at it passes between people. E-mails or blogs serve as an "single source" of truth.

Medical History

A person who is severely ill usually requires frequent appointments with specialists, doctors, and hospitals. The most frequent and frequently asked questions by health care professionals included medications taken by the patient. In addition, there were frequent inquiries about other health care providers such as insurance and pharmacy services, previous surgeries and allergies. Recording this information into a single location, either in writing or electronically makes sure you have all the relevant information readily available in case of need. When it is maintained, this can help to prevent medical mistakes. Recalling information at a hospital or during an emergency is difficult and often leads to omission of critical information or sharing the wrong details. The other benefit is less stressful experience of the person caring for.

Medication List

A person who is severely ill frequently requires multiple medications. Once again, if you record all medications to one place and include a dosing plan, it helps to prevent medication errors. It also allows you to share the responsibility of providing medications to other people when required which allows you to delegate that burden and address other tasks. If the list is maintained the medication list will allow an easy recall of the information required by health professionals as well as emergency service personnel.

Medicine Information

When taking many medications, the chance of adverse reactions increases significantly. Pharmacies provide medicine information sheets for the medication they dispensate. Information on medicines is also accessible on the Internet. By putting all of the medical information in one place allows you to locate quickly the information you need, should you suspect that someone you care for is experiencing issues with their medications. With a serious illness you find that a variety of doctors are prescribing medication. The list helps you keep your doctors up-to-date to help avoid issues at the beginning. If an adverse reaction occurs, doctors typically have other medicine options.

Calendar

The person who is seriously ill often requires numerous health care appointments. I suggest using a calendar to keep track of each appointment. It is not a big deal whether it is a paper or electronic version. The calendar is accessible and reduces the issues of planning too much on one day, or creating multiple appointments.

None of the tips I provide are revolutionary but each of these small organizational tips add up over Elderly time. Our minds are incredible but often overwhelmed when we try to address too many topics at one time or try to remember too many things. Freeing the mind from the details allows you to focus on the truly important topics or other tasks. Eliminating the mind from the details can help ease the stress that comes with taking care for your loved one.

Suddenly a Caregiver

Sharing a family's experience and lessons learned to guide you navigate the daunting obligation of becoming a family caregiver.