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Does anyone have experience with Palliative Care?
Chronic Pain | Last Active: Jul 29 9:27am | Replies (154)Comment receiving replies
@becsbuddy Sounds promising. I am looking right now for a new pcp and was hoping to find one specializing in geriatric medicine. My pcp has turned me over to an assistant physician, who barely knows what to say to me. She's also a by-the-book kind of person, allowing for no slight differences in folks. Alas, although we are a Midwestern medical center, no one has such a speciality, so I will be asking all my doctors if there is someone who seems a bit more involved with seniors. Since we are a center, and all my information is in that laptop doctors carry everywhere, I don't understand the lack of sharing of said information. In some cases, I suspect it's monetary concerns. Knowing my recovery from emergency surgery at a hospital would prevent my getting two simple blood tests I was scheduled for across the street at the clinic, I requested the hospital contact the clinic, get an order, and do the tests, or whatever would be the procedure. The answer was silence. And two months later, as I guessed, I'm still unable to get my tests. Looking forward to learning here, as I did with Palliative Care, so I thank you in advance.
Replies to "@becsbuddy Sounds promising. I am looking right now for a new pcp and was hoping to..."
@trishanna Gee whiz, I just don’t understand why the medical field gets so complicated! You would think/hope the doctors would be able to refer you to a doctor you need. The doctor you want is called a geriatrician or geriatric specialist. You might try 1. the hospitals web site under looking for a doctor, 2. the local medical society, 3. local nursing homes or independent living (they must have a doctor on staff).
Will you let me know what you’re able to find out?
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You did not say where you are, nor where your present PCP is at. Try a search on WebMD or check with a skilled nursing facility to find out what physicians see patients at the SNF. There are some Nurse practitioners that are grounded in senior care. Geriatric care is challenging, and many times require a specialist, such as a cardiologist, pulmonologist, or neurologist. It is getting harder to find a well-rounded PCP. What kind of emergency surgery did you have. I hope you are doing well. I looked at the links @trishanna sent you. It is not a very helpful site and is designed for caregivers. They also charge an outrageous amount. More interest in profit than. actual patient care. Check with your local Medical Society or a church group. Word of mouth is usually your best source for a referral. Not sure what your health policy is, however many medicare plans have case managers and they can help. You mention 'palliative care'. There are several types, hospice care (for those with terminal illnesses who prefer to die at home. What you have may not be immediately life-threatening, however, difficult to treat. I can help you much more if you can tell me what your challenge is. Pain? Weakness, Paralysis, dementia? Do you have any support, family, friends? Let me know