How do I cope with all the medical appointments?

[fairporter]

My father, aged 87, has heart disease, had a minor stroke, has possible glaucoma and now Alzheimer's. I work part time and I am struggling to take him to all the medical appointments, at least one every week, sometimes2 or 3. I am his only child and he relies on me as he doesn't remember what the doctor said. I have to take careful notes to keep up to date myself as it all gets very complicated.

Is there anywhere I can get help with this?

 

[fredsnail]

Are the appointments at the same place ie hospital?

I wonder if you could ask for the appointments to take place on the same day rather than have 3 trips?

 

[Spamar]

Any chance of getting them at a hospital closer to you? Our main hospital is 25 miles away, but many of the consultants do a surgery at the local cottage hospital, only 4 miles away. They also do X-ray, physio and things like that. The cardiologist does one at a healthcentre about 13 miles away. Would be worth asking.

 

[susy]

Anyone know of any service out there that has a person that can step in and take the sufferer in?
Does your dad get a copy of the letter sent to the GP about the visit and what was concluded? It usually takes a few weeks after the visit to get it? This is standard practice at our hospital. At least if they did this you might get to understand (although later) what is actually going on.

 

[Beate]

Have you got an Age UK sitting service in your area? They told me they also take people to appointments. Worth asking.

 

[Witzend]

There must be some sort of service for people who do not have anyone to take them, and can't manage public transport. For several years I used to give lifts for a volunteer org. that provided them for such people, and there were a lot. However nobody I took had dementia - just mostly frail elderly. So that sort of arrangement would not solve the problem of knowing what the dr said. I never sat in on appts and was never asked to.

I would ask his GP and the hospital about any lift service - all our 'lifts' were referred by someone official - but presumably this sort of thing could be problematical for someone with dementia, since they would have to remember a) the appointment, and b) to get ready in time.