During the Wealth & Power experience at the 2021 ESSENCE Festival of Culture, Physician and Family Care expert Dr. Jen Caudle joined ESSENCE Lifestyle Director Charli Penn to talk all about how we can best care for our aging or sick loved ones. They touched on topics including doctors visits, at-home needs and what to expect if you're just beginning your caregiver journey with your loved one.
The conversation, presented by Tylenol, also heard the ladies unpack the causes and helpful preventative measures for some of the preexisting conditions that are more prevalent in Black communities, as well as how we can choose the pain relievers that are right for us.
Scroll through the check out a few tips for caring for a sick or aging loved one and check out the video above to watch the conversation in full.
01
Many Life-Threatening Health Issues Don't Come With Symptoms
"I think a big misconception is that you have to have symptoms of things in order to have high blood pressure, or heart disease of high cholesterol or other problems. The truth of the matter is, most people with high blood pressure will have no symptoms at all. Most people with high cholesterol—it doesn't usually produce any symptoms...and the list goes on and on and on. So, while there are certain medical conditions that may bring out certain symptoms, understand that blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes even, will have no symptoms. So, we cannot use how well we feel as a guide or a judge to determine when we should go to the doctor."
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02
Include Your Doctor In Your Journey As A Caretaker
"Make sure that you're communicating your needs as a caretaker to their doctor. And also, that we are looking after our loved one's diet, exercise and nutrition. Then, as a caretaker, take stock of things around the home and in your lifestyle for your loved one that might be helpful to have. Whether that's a commode, bed rails, shower rails, transportation assistance, these are things that we as their doctor can help you with."
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03
Don't Be Afraid To Ask The Important Questions, Big Or Small
"I think one of the most important things that you can do is, don't be afraid to ask questions. It's really really important to know that the things you may think are small, are often actually very big and may really impact your life and the life of the person you're taking care of."
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04
Make Sure You Understand What A New Diagnosis Means And What It Doesn't Mean
"Any new diagnosis can be scary and, of course, the tendency of most people is to go to Dr. Google and say "Oh my God what does this mean?!" Take note of your questions, write them down or put them in your phone and then take them to the doctor. Ask your doctor what this new condition is and if you don't understand, ask more questions."
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05
Consider Bringing Another Loved One With You To Doctor's Visits
"Consider even bringing another loved one [to doctor's appointments], along with yourself and the person you're taking care of, to have another set of ears to kind of bounce information off of and to have a couple different sets of ears process the information. Remember, as a patient and as a caregiver, this is your time [with the doctor]. When you leave the office, you should feel like you understand, like you have a plan, like you're clear on things and even if you're not, you should feel like you have the right to ask."
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06
Keep Lists Of Medications, Dosages And Frequencies
Have a document or a list of your loved one's medications, their doses and the frequency. Not just 'the little round pill' or the "green blue pill." Know the doses, the names, etc. Also, their medical history, their surgeries, even family history can be very important."
