The Resource Guide for long-term care from Wayne County's Department of Aging and Youth provides valuable insight on the role of caregivers in a patient's life. Much of the care-giving a patient will receive happens outside of the doctor's office and is given by friends and family, and sometimes just helpful neighbors. It is crucial for physician's and medical care-givers to understand the kind of care that patients need beyond medical and to appreciate those that give such care. Furthermore, patients who are home-bound and receive most of their medical care in their homes may need the physician to play additional roles. As Dr. Way discussed in his presentation on rural medicine in the Adirondacks, many patients require home visits because they simply have no means to travel to the physician's office, especially because the region is under served and medical facilities are few and far between. In a home visit, a doctor becomes more than just a white coat, they become the caregiver. Furthermore, the other caregivers in a patient's life do need to be taken into consideration by the physician. For instance, the physician must know what kind of care is available for a home bound patient. I also think that medical professionals can learn from caregivers in that the primary goal of the caregivers is to make the patient comfortable and happy, not necessarily to cure them. This is an important aspect of medicine as well and it can sometime be overshadowed or forgotten in the path to a cure. These are important facets of doctoring, as are mutual respect and communication. I think that honesty is also crucial in fostering a positive physician-patient relationship. Furthermore, I think that mutual understanding is central to such relationships. This was an important aspect of Dr. Way's practice in the Adirondacks as well.
I really like the idea you presented about physicians learning from caregivers! So often, the medical team is much too focused on a cure and have a hard time "giving up" when many times the patient doesn't see it as this, but rather as a more humane way to live the rest of their life. Caregivers have a tremendous impact on the patient's life and crucial to successful home care. Discussing the great impact of caregivers reminds me of Relay for Life, where caregivers are asked to walk a special lap in the opening ceremony and be recognized by everyone who is there for their commitment and love. It is really a special moment for everyone. It would be wonderful to see physicians pay this same amount of respect to caregivers and really work with them to better the patient's care.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting concept and you explored it with a lot of great insight. This summer I shadowed home care nurses through public health. During the house visits, it was clear that patient comfort is supreme. While it's true that sometimes things have to get worse before they can get better, there are also many situations in which the patient will have the best quality of life if we just focus on comfort and supportive care. I really like the idea of making an effort as a physician to understand all aspects of your patient's life including family and friends, caregivers, and living situations. Deeper understanding of one's patients seems to be the best way to provide effective care.
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