My mother’s generation didn’t question doctors. If a doctor said it was so, that was law. That’s not my generation.
I remember going to Dr. Rothchild as a 4-year-old and questioning what was happening during my appointment. I was fed up with being poked and prodded, and I hauled off and kicked him. He was really surprised, not so much hurt. He asked me what had provoked me. I told him I was getting back at him for all the hurt he had caused me. Granted, I was a child and didn’t understand the need for examinations and tests. Still, if I had been informed at every step and given the empathy and compassion I required, even as a 4-year-old, I don’t think I would have lashed out.
As my mother got older, she was concerned that she wasn’t understanding everything her doctor told her. She asked me to go with her so that she had another pair of ears listening and another voice to help her ask her questions. When I started going to my mother’s doctor appointments with her, it became evident that there was a huge disconnect between what happened during the appointment and what ended up in the final report. I even had a doctor tell me that it was irritating that I attended the appointment with my mother. “Was I trying to find fault? Was I not trusting what the doctor said?” I kept thinking, “Don’t we both want my mother to be healthy?” This wasn’t some kind of a competition. We were on the same team, weren’t we?
Doctors are humans. They have the same kinds of faults the rest of us do. Some of them dismiss the elderly as those who are not able to understand or those who do not deserve the full explanation. Help your doctor reclaim the essence of why they became doctors, wanting to heal people. If they stray from the path, gently lead them back. Your Epic Elders deserve their doctors’ utmost – in attention, in care, in compassion, in concern. Doctors have a chosen mission, a worthy calling. Your loved ones deserve their utmost attention and care. Make sure you ask for their best!
If you or an aging loved-one are considering Elder Care Services in Orlando FL, please contact the caring staff at Flourish in Place Home Care Solutions today. Proudly serving Orange, Osceola, Seminole, and Brevard Counties. Call 407-845-9797.
