In our complicated medical system, advocating for your family’s health isn’t always easy. How can you ensure that your family gets the care and treatment they need? Whether you’re seeking medical care for your family’s physical health, or you’re looking for mental healthcare, these guidelines can help you become a more effective health advocate for your whole family!
Find the Right Doctors
Advocating for your family’s health means choosing medical professionals who truly have your best interests at heart. If you or any of your family members are dissatisfied with your current physician, or they tend to dismiss your concerns, it’s time to start looking elsewhere. Today, you can seek reliable medical care online, which opens up new options.
Remember, mental health is just as important as physical health, and if your family is struggling in this area, you can seek out the best online therapy options. Your information will remain confidential and secure, your family won’t have to spend time commuting to an office, and session fees will probably be cheaper. When you look for a therapist online, you’ll be able to work with a broader variety of professionals. To figure out if a particular therapist is right for your family, you can usually book a free trial consultation first.
Organize Your Medical Documents
It’s important to keep any medical documents for your family organized so that you can send them to your doctor in a timely fashion. This will help you schedule appointments faster, get copies of new records easily, and transfer your information to any new healthcare specialists.
Model and Encourage Healthy Habits
It almost goes without saying, but one of the best ways to promote health in your family is by maintaining healthy habits. Most people can benefit from more activity, so look for opportunities to walk more often around your neighborhood. You can also make healthy progress with your diet. Even something as simple as replacing a bag of chips with an apple or nuts as a snack can make a difference.
You’ll also want to strive to make your home healthier as well. You can improve the indoor environment with a few plants and increased sunlight. More light may reveal clutter, so work on clearing that up as well. Lastly, support your mental health with a meditation practice. You can get benefits from meditating as little as five minutes a day!
Learn to Read Studies
Sometimes, in order to get the treatment you need, you’ll have to research your own condition first. You’ll need to get the hang of reading and interpreting medical studies and scientific papers. Patient Empowerment Network recommends going over the abstracts and summaries closely, reading each paper twice, and looking up any words or concepts that you don’t understand.
Support Senior Relatives
Are you responsible for the welfare of any of your senior relatives? If you’re concerned that one of your senior loved ones is no longer able to live independently, it’s time to start researching assisted living facilities and nursing homes. Make sure to carefully read reviews for facilities in your area, as well as in-depth facility reports. You’ll also need to assess the costs and payment options. Take time to visit any promising facilities in person, too.
Double-Check Medical Bills
Dealing with hefty medical bills can be one of the most difficult aspects of navigating the healthcare system. Even if you have great insurance coverage for your family, you can still end up with a surprisingly large bill once in a while. To potentially reduce your medical bills, you should always ask for an itemized list of charges. Experian states that with an itemized bill, you’ll be able to spot any dubious charges and contest them, which could result in a smaller bill overall.
If you’ve ever felt like medical professionals were not taking your family’s healthcare needs seriously, becoming a better advocate can help your situation. Advocating for yourself can be tough at first, but it will get easier with practice. With these recommendations, you’ll live healthier and begin to feel comfortable in your role as your family’s health advocate.
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