One of my biggest frustrations in helping my parents with their medical care is how quickly a generalist will toss you to a specialist who, in turn, only looks at that one small area, completely neglecting the rest. My new favorite thing (sense the sarcasm) is how my mom has brought up a breathing issue to a few of her doctors and they all shrug it off, assuming another doc is handling it. How I sincerely wish one doctor would have a finger on all of her issues and help us figure out what conditions affects or causes others and prioritize what and how things should be treated.
Do you feel like your parent has a doctor who looks at the "big picture"?
My parents have a "local" internist who oversees their care. When he could not coverably solve my Mom's thyroid problem, and did not want her to go to anyone locally. He suggested that my Mom do her own research and find a major medical center she felt she could trust, and go there. This she did, and she is in the best heath she has been for years.
My Dad's Mom would never tell her doctors' everything--from the medicines she was taking or which doctors. Needless to say, she became over-medicated..
Find a doctor YOU can trust---and hopefully, your par ents will trust him, also. It is sometimes necessary to have more than one doctor--even if your primary doctor "gets the big picture". He necessarily does not have all the expertize he wants to treat your parents.
Also, there are phyicisians who treat only geriatric patients. They are called geritricians--it is an up and coming field.
Keep your options open!
I had great luck with geriatricians when it came to the care of my elderly parents. They understand the issues faced by elders much better than internists, general practitioners and other specialists; they really do see the 'whole picture' when it comes to seniors.
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