Do You Have Your Own Doctor as a Family Caregiver?

As difficult as it might seem to believe, some family caregivers are on a first name basis with their elderly loved one’s doctors but don’t have a doctor of their own. If that’s the case for you, that can present some problems for you in the long run.

Preventative Care Is Essential

You already know that if you can stay ahead of health issues for your elderly loved one, she’s much better off in the long run. The same is true for you, though. If you’re not keeping up with preventative care for yourself, you’re more likely to be blindsided by health issues that seemingly crop up out of nowhere.

You Have Your Own Health Concerns

If you already have health conditions of your own, you absolutely need to be managing them properly. As a family caregiver, you’re spending a lot of time and energy caring for your loved one. You need to be paying at least as much attention to your own health concerns so that they don’t become unmanageable. Should that happen, you might take yourself out of the running as your loved one’s primary family caregiver.

You May Have Your Own Critical Issue

Even without your own health problems, you may find yourself with a health emergency or illness that requires less than a hospital visit. Without your own family doctor, you may have a very difficult time getting in to see a doctor as a new patient. Having your own doctor already and establishing at least a preliminary relationship with your new doctor gives you a contact should you need one.

This Is Part of Caring for Yourself

Having your own doctor that is separate from your loved one is a part of caring for yourself the way that you should be. Many family caregivers ignore self-care in favor of hoping that nothing will happen that takes them away from caregiving. Unfortunately, that isn’t how reality tends to work for most people. You need solutions well before you have a true problem.

Having your own doctor that you can call whenever you need to is extremely important for you to keep your own self-care plan on target.

If you or an aging loved one are considering caregivers in Elizabeth, NJ, please contact the caring staff at Care Street Home Care of New Brunswick today. Call (732) 607-8870.