Being a caregiver is rewarding and challenging, requiring compassion, medical insight, and resilience. Ann Nancy Rhodes, a nurse practitioner and author of Caregiver Success, shares her expertise on caregiving, drawing from years of firsthand experience. Her journey sheds light on navigating crises, communicating with healthcare professionals, and empowering caregivers to manage the role with skill and empathy.
I found that medicine was going in a different direction than I wanted in 24 patients and for general care. People did not know how to prevent a medical crisis, so they landed up in the emergency room for simple problems that could have been solved at home. I had a house called company for ten years, and it was a wonderful experience taking care of about a thousand people who could not get to a medical office for care. Most of them never saw the hospital again. I brought all their needed services into the home, including X-rays and ultrasound. I used the community as my network, and we were all busy. Taking care of the costly medicare patients and giving them a better quality of life in their homes.
To be a successful caregiver means anticipating needs and challenges before they arise. It involves understanding the progression of care, preparing for potential issues, and having strategies to address them. This proactive approach allows caregivers to respond calmly and effectively, creating a supportive environment for their loved ones while reducing stress for everyone involved.
– Ann Rhodes
The book I wrote contains information about the art of listening to compassion, being an advocate, finding a good aid, networking with your community, etc. The second portion is about everything from A to Z. That can happen to you as you age. Now that I am a baby boomer who has retired from the medical field, I am helping others as a constant caregiver, Including myself. My YouTube channel shows people medical information and then morphed into more of a blog for my daily situations and visions of retirement as a 67-year-old woman on Medicare.
There are many ways of communicating with the healthcare provider. The main thing is to be an advocate for yourself and others. Be organized. Keep records of the tests that were done, including blood work and X-rays. I have a book that I bring to the doctor’s office, and I share information about other medical problems that I may have forgotten if I hadn’t had my book. People also need to know that they must take care of themselves better. You can even exercise in a chair if you can’t walk. What are you doing to keep your mind sharp? Are you socializing with others? Are you Spiritually connected….. etc.
Ann Nancy Rhodes emphasizes that caregivers need to be well-prepared, not only to address the immediate needs of their loved ones but also to foresee potential challenges. Effective communication is essential, as it helps caregivers advocate for their loved ones and ensures they receive the best possible care. Moreover, self-care should always be noticed; caregivers must prioritize their well-being to sustain their ability to provide support.
Ann Nancy Rhodes has dedicated her career to home care, starting as a home care nurse for over 20 years before becoming a Nurse Practitioner in 1999. After a decade in primary care, she recognized a vital need: high-quality care for the frail and homebound. Driven by this mission, she founded her own house-call company, serving patients at home for eight years. This experience motivated her to create resources that could prevent unnecessary suffering and hospitalizations.
Discover further wisdom from industry experts by exploring our curated collection of knowledge.
