Lack of Response From Physician Offices

Dear Debbie:  Doctors, and their offices, usually bustle and are often tied to a timer.  As caregivers, our hearts and bodies are weary, and it adds greater frustration when we feel overlooked or dismissed. Particularly if we busted our rears to take off time from work and struggle to get our loved one there on time …only to wait for an hour.  In those moments, it helps to remember that we have “caregiver authority.”  We don’t always know the science of what our loved one faces, but we know our loved one.  Our questions are valid. Our frustrations are valid.  Allow doctors and their staffs to feel the weight of who you are as an individual and as a caregiver.  You train people on how to treat you.  Changing physicians is always an option, but it’s often unwieldly to get a new doctor. If you are confident that the physician (s) have the right skill-set, then an advisable path is to develop a strong relationship with that physician. They may start off dismissive, but with practice, clear objectives for each appointment, and a bit of borrowed courage from fellow caregivers, you can become a strong and respected advocate that is taken seriously by the doctor and entire staff.