By Steven Buttice, Founder and President, Living By Your Design, Inc.
Some of our attitudes change slowly about life. As we age, we are not quite physically or mentally sharp as we were in our 20s. This transition is usually slow. Perhaps, a person develops a high blood pressure condition then another condition. Another 10 or 15 years and a person has two or three chronic conditions for which they are treated. Conversely, sometimes it’s just one x-ray or one lab that causes a lot of medical treatment, and a person’s life changes from that point on.
As we progress through the medical care as mentioned above, the question becomes, “what’s the most important question to ask your doctor?” Can you guess what it is?
As conditions develop slowly, we often continue to go to our doctor by ourselves and ask a question or two and move on. It’s no big deal — right? As the conditions add up and we age, I have found most people in their 60s and 70s still go to their doctor alone, and we just continue to do what has worked for us in the past.
Medical care in today’s world has changed. We have more treatment options, more medications, and more interactions. In addition, the medical profession is gathering more information as to what causes disease and what we can do to help our own health. In today’s world, to achieve the best outcomes, we need to take more control of our own health. Especially taking medications timely and as prescribed, eating properly, and learning more about healthy eating, exercising our body and brain, and being aware of how our hobbies may affect our health now or in the future.
Understanding these facts, we must take ownership for our best health. As part of ownership, we should understand our medical conditions and treatment (care) plans. To understand these issues, we need to ask questions. Please know there may be a number of opinions and some faulty information “out there.” Use creditable medical sources if you research on the internet. Most importantly, communicate with your medical providers. Make sure your primary care provider has information about all the providers you see, all of your medical conditions, and all of the medications you take, including over-the-counter drugs, herbs, and other methods you may be using for a condition.
Ask all of your providers questions. This is best done by making a list of questions prior to seeing your doctor. Be considerate of his or her time.
So what’s the most important question to ask your doctor? The answer is the question you did not ask. Unless we get organized for the doctor’s visit, we will not commonly think of all of the questions we want to ask in the short time allotted for the visit. In addition, as we have several chronic conditions or a substantial condition, we may not process this information as clearly because we are so emotionally involved. It is a very good idea to have someone with you as you talk with the doctor. Perhaps a loved one, or you can even hire an advocate to help. Two minds are always better than one! Your organization prior to the visit and the assistance of another person will help you ask that most important question — “the question that was never asked.”
As always, feel free to contact our office if you want information on private care management or have questions.
For more information, contact Living By Your Design, Inc., focusing on the issues of the elderly: legal, financial, free guidance for residential placement and healthcare issues. Call 309-285-8088, or visit www.LivingByYourDesignInc.com. We are located at 809 W. Detweiller Dr., Peoria.