Sunrise Senior Care

The old adage states that “two heads are better than one,” but when it comes to getting a second opinion about pursuing a medical procedure for a loved one, caregivers often hesitate. For one thing, they worry about offending the specialist who made the recommendation in the first place. After all, specialists can spend a decade or more acquiring the expertise that stands behind their judgment and know vastly more about the medical issues than the average caregiver. Caregivers may also feel that they just don’t have enough time to go through the process of tracking down another physician and having their loved one’s records copied and transferred to the new physician’s office.

Sunrise Senior Care

Most caregivers know without being told that caregiving is taxing physically and emotionally—and the facts bear them out. According to a study by the Commonwealth Fund, caregivers develop chronic conditions at nearly twice the rate of non-caregivers, and estimates show that between 40 percent and 70 percent of caregivers have clinically significant symptoms of depression. Their own poor health is the reason most frequently cited by caregivers for a decline in the quality of care they can provide their loved one. That’s why it is so important for caregivers to schedule an appointment for an annual physical exam—and keep it.