Being diagnosed with a chronic healthcare condition is one life event that will sharply put your mortality into focus. Even if your condition is not considered immediately life-threatening, living with things like hypertension, high cholesterol, arthritis, or diabetes may change how you look at life and trigger you to make changes for the good. Today, Barby Ingle looks at what a few of these changes might look like so that you can live your best life.
Talk to Your Partner
Upon diagnosis, one of the first things you should do is talk to your partner, who will be your greatest ally and biggest source of support. If possible, allow your spouse or partner to visit your doctor the next time you go for a follow-up. At the very least, they can take notes, ask questions, and help you schedule future appointments.
Consider Your Living Arrangements
Even if you’re not feeling the full effect of your condition now, it’s never too early to look toward the future. If you need to move to accommodate your changing physical function, look at your local real estate market now. However, this can change from month to month, so if you don’t decide on a new home immediately, check back frequently to see housing inventory and currently available interest rates. Many people with chronic conditions look for a one-story home incorporating universal design elements. This makes navigating more accessible, mainly if your condition affects mobility or vision.
Before you start shopping for a home, there are some key steps you need to take. The first step is ensuring your finances are in order, including getting pre-approved for a loan. This can help you understand what loan programs are available to you and the amounts you are eligible for. It also shows potential sellers that you have already taken the necessary steps to purchase their property. Additionally, it will be essential to list must-haves and nice-to-haves for your potential home.
Consider Assisted Living
While this might not necessarily be something you want to consider, assisted care is another option, depending on the severity of your diagnosis and how much help you can count on from friends and family. You might want to check out your local facilities now and see if any of these would present you with a better situation down the road. When you tour these facilities, don’t just ask about prices. Instead, ask detailed questions about amenities and the kind of care you can expect, and be proactive about asking for any clarifications. After all, you deserve it!
Check Your Health Insurance
No two health insurance policies are the same, and if you’ve recently changed careers and switched to freelancing or consulting, you may not have health insurance at all. This can be scary, as we’ve all been taught to believe that any pre-existing condition can result in a healthcare denial. Fortunately, this is no longer the case, although Health Prep explains having a risky career or lifestyle may preclude you from independent insurance. If possible, consider joining your spouse or partner’s health insurance plan. Alternatively, if the Marketplace has fallen, you can try policies through the Freelancers Union or COBRA, although the latter is often prohibitively expensive.
Open (and Maintain) Communication with Your Healthcare Providers
There’s a good chance that you will come in contact with many doctors, nurses, and caregivers as your condition changes over the years. You may want to try organizing your files using PDFs, which are much easier to share than most Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, or Excel files. If you have these files, you can use a handy tool to edit and convert them as needed; check it out for a free trial. In addition to having files you can share with your providers, you also want to ensure that you have a spreadsheet with the different members of your healthcare team available to provide that to your caregiver.
Trust & Will offers many intelligent tips to help you find the perfect person if you don’t have a family caregiver. If you have insurance, consider your benefits to see if adult caregiver services are covered. Caregiving is not cheap, but you do not want to save money here by hiring somebody not qualified to help you manage your health.
Get to Know Your Condition
One of the most important things you can do for yourself once you are diagnosed with any new healthcare condition is to do your research. It’s easy to get lost in your thoughts the moment your doctors talk to you. Ask them for literature or direct you to reputable websites you can view outside the office. And, no, WebMD does not count as a reputable source. Even if the information you find on this popular healthcare insight platform is correct, you still need the guidance of a licensed healthcare provider. It is important to remember here not to get carried away looking at your symptoms and believing they indicate something worse than you’re already facing. You don’t need the stress and must trust that your healthcare team will keep you healthy.
Nobody wants to be diagnosed with any condition that means a future with a potentially diminished quality of life. But today’s tips, from talking to your partner to organizing your documents, managing your health insurance, and even researching your condition, can all help. One final piece of advice: regardless of what happens, positive lifestyle changes should be on your list of things to discuss with your provider.
Barby Ingle is a fierce advocate for those challenged with chronic care conditions. Feel free to reach out with any questions!
Published by International Pain Foundation, iPain Blog, Team Pain
