You are taking a day off. You’d like to get all of your mom’s appointments done in one afternoon. You’ve scheduled her yearly check-up, dental exam, an appointment with her eye doctor. It’s easiest for you, but it may not be ideal for your mom.

Spreading out appointments is often better. If you really want to fit in more than one appointment in a day, start with two and see how that goes. You may find it is too much and that you need to spread them out.

Here’s why that often happens….

-Too Much Can Be Overwhelming

Any medical appointment is going to lead to nervousness. Too many appointments in one day can be overwhelming. Break them up. Schedule a visit with the eye doctor one week and a dental appointment a week or two later. This gives your parent time to de-stress and mentally prepare for the next.

-Follow-Up Care Can Be Expensive

After a primary appointment, your mom may need follow-up care. Insurance will cover some of it, but she will be paying deductibles and co-pays. On a fixed income, health care expenses can be a burden. By spacing out appointments, you space out potential medical bills.

Get estimates at each appointment. Find out what insurance will cover and figure out how much your mom will need to spend. Talk to the different offices to see if there are affordable payment plans available that may help. As you balance what she can afford, you’ll be able to prioritize when to arrange necessary care.

-Don’t Make it Easy to Cancel

There are two leading reasons for cancellations. One is that a senior refuses to go. To avoid this situation, don’t tell your mom that she has an appointment. Ask her if she wants to go out to lunch. Once you have her out of the house, get her to the appointment and promise lunch after. If you get to the office and she refuses to leave the car, you’ll have experienced doctors and nurses who can help you.

The other reason involves transportation. You can’t get the day off, and your mom doesn’t drive. Without a ride, she can’t get to the appointment. Have you considered having caregivers available? Caregivers help with meals and housework, but they also offer transportation services.

Discuss other ways caregivers can help your mom. A home care agency can go over your mom’s daily routine and come up with ways to help her with activities, personal care, and health. Call a home care agency to learn more.

If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Homecare in Los Gatos, CA, contact the friendly staff at Home Care Professionals today.

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andy@hcprosonline.com

CEO at HomeCare Professionals

Andy Howardis a Bay Area Native who holds a BA in Political Science (University of Colorado at Boulder, ’97). After college Andy worked in the surging tech industry.His Grandmother however, would suffer a significant decline in health and ultimately needed in-home care. The experience of a loved one depending on outside help to age in place proved to be pivotal for Andy as he left the tech industry in 2002 for an opportunity in the home care world with a large provider. After having success in home care, but being frustrated by corporate constraints Andy founded HomeCare Professionals in 2005.He methodically built the company one client at a time by focusing on hiring quality caregivers to ensure positive outcomes. Currently Andy serves as the CEO of HomeCare Professionals and is also highly active in the non-profit organization California Association of Health Services at Home (CAHSAH) which advocates for a higher standard of in-home care for those who wish to remain living at home in California.

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