Caring for a loved one can be a full-time job. This may be a parent, child, sibling, partner or friend.  It can be both emotionally and physically draining.  Especially during the holidays, when everyone tends to have more on their plate, caring for a loved one can become increasingly overwhelming. You may be struggling trying to celebrate the holidays as best as possible with your loved ones, yet accommodations and change of plans may be necessary to accommodate medical issues. The question becomes: how can you best enjoy the holidays with your loved one when he or she is sick?

Spend quality time with your loved one

Work with a private patient advocate. A patient advocate can help lessen the load, especially during this time. For example, organizing medical records, communicating with the healthcare team, and adequately preparing for upcoming appointments. This will provide the opportunity for you to spend quality time with your loved one. 

Streamline medical care

An experienced private patient advocate can help your loved one attain the proper care they need, most efficiently. For example, your private patient advocate can review medical records to determine gaps in care and areas that have not yet been explored. She can communicate with specialized providers and coordinate timely appointments to further help diagnose and manage your loved one’s medical condition. The goal is to help provide your loved one with the best quality care for their condition as quickly as possible. 

Avoid medical errors 

A private patient advocate can both help identify medical errors and monitor the process to help prevent errors from occurring from the start. This is essential, especially around the holidays where factors such as short staff, increased patient load, and burnout can all contribute to increased medical errors. 

Make time to Take care of yourself 

When your loved one is sick, it is so easy to focus on helping them that you overlook caring for yourself. Lack of sleep, stress, and lack of healthy food are all factors that can contribute to decreasing your immune system and increasing the chances of you becoming ill. Nonetheless, your energy level decreases and you feel drained. This not only can impact your physical energy, but also your emotional energy. A private patient advocate can offer you the time you need to stay strong so that you can best support your loved one. 

Let a patient advocate help you care for your loved ones. The holiday time is a great time to start. Take time to spend memories and offer emotional comfort to the people you care most about. This is a great medicine that only you can offer. Turn this often hectic time of year into one filled with relaxation and good memories.