How Caregivers Can Keep and Organize Medical Information of Loved Ones with Memo

Posted by Mandy Quinn on January 16th, 2022

If you haven’t done so already, try to consolidate and organize your loved one’s medical information. Paperwork, prescriptions, allergies, appointments, multiple doctors, insurance communication — it can become overwhelming if you don’t find a way to organize it all.

The kind of information that is most helpful to keep and have organized and ready when going to the doctor:

• Lab results
• Radiology Results
• Cardiac Test Results
• Current Medication List
• Hospital Discharge Summaries
• Other Clinical Notes from doctors and specialists
• Family History and Contact Information

Information is power. Therefore, when caregivers keep critical information and copies of medical results of their loved ones with memory disorders organized, they enable doctors to access the latest information, obtain a second opinion, and learn to understand all medical conditions.

What To Keep In Mind When Choosing Ways To Organize Medical Information

Here are a few points to keep in mind:

• Ease Of Access- Caregivers must consider how to bring information to the physician. Is it easy to make a copy or print results? Can other doctors and nurses be invited to see the records?
• Security- How secure is the medical information? Information kept online should be encrypted. This keeps data safe.
• Sharing- You should consider how easy it will be to share the information with third parties. Especially if there are other family members involved in the care.

How To Keep And Organize Medical Information Of Loved Ones With Memory Disorders

1. Paper Binders- Of course, an oldie, but it is undoubtedly a goodie when it comes to staying organized. It is easy and inexpensive to set up, you can use tabs to keep records organized, and helps you to find information for doctors quickly.

2. Generic Digital Document Storage- This involves scanning all records and information and saving it in a folder on a computer. This option can even serve as a backup to the paper binder technique. Documents can be uploaded to the patient’s portal, emailed to clinicians, and accessed freely by other family members. If you choose this option, be sure to name files correctly for easy sorting.

3. Personal Health Record Online- These are websites created for storing health information from varying providers. Go with websites that have mobile apps for easy access.There are free sites such as Microsoft HealthVault which is a well-established Personal Health Record storage provider that encrypts all your information and can be accessed by all your family members when needed.

Conclusion

It is okay to have a binder or folder to keep your loved ones’ medical information organized. Nevertheless, keeping digital copies offer an excellent backup! Remember, organized medical information will facilitate the best care for your loved ones!

About Author

The Cottages have been operating in Texas since 1997 and are family owned and operated by The Cottages Senior Living. The Cottages are state-of-the-art certified assisted living residences for people living with Alzheimer’s and other memory disorders.