Mom sees a cardiologist, a primary care doctor, a neurologist, and a podiatrist. Each one has their own office, their own portal, and their own set of notes. Then there’s the pharmacy counter, where the prescriptions pile up. Somewhere in the middle of it all is you, the person who knows what everyone said, what everyone prescribed, and what still needs a follow-up call.
If you’ve ever caught yourself reciting a medication list from memory in a parking lot, or wondering whether Dad is really taking everything he should when no one is looking, you already know the feeling: you’re holding the whole picture, and it can feel like you’re holding it alone.
Here’s the good news. You were never meant to hold it alone, and the fact that you are isn’t a failing on your part or your parent’s. It’s a gap in how care is coordinated. This month, ACAP Indy Metro North is bringing local care professionals to the same table to show you how to close that gap, with practical steps you can start using the next day.
What you’ll learn
• How to build one centralized care plan: a primary care physician who oversees the big picture, a single pharmacy that sees every medication, and the signed consent forms that let providers share records.
• How electronic health records and health information exchanges can help your parent’s providers see the same information, and what to do when they can’t.
• Simple, repeatable ways to communicate with a care team, including a short framework for sharing the situation, background, assessment, and recommendations clearly (known as SBAR).
• What to do when care moves from one setting to another, such as hospital to home, rehab, or assisted living.
• How everyday needs like transportation, nutrition, and housing shape health, and how to bring them into the plan.
• How to keep the plan alive: regular check-ins, follow-up tracking, and a medication list that’s reviewed and updated so nothing gets duplicated, missed, or mixed up.