Do you guys have an action plan? I don’t, but it sounds like a good idea.
An action plan lists things that need to be taken care of during a relapse. Think about:
•Who will take care of your children if you have any.
•Who will manage your money and finances.
•Which hospital or other facility you’d like to go to.
•Who to tell if you have a relapse.
Action plans also can include legal documents. Write these when you have few or no symptoms, and ask your doctor and lawyer to help you.
•An advance directive tells your wishes for treatment during a relapse. An advance directive can be very useful if you have severe symptoms of fear or suspicion of others during a relapse.
•A durable power of attorney says who will be in charge of making decisions when you can’t decide things yourself. This document is very helpful if you refuse treatment during a relapse when you would otherwise accept it.
•A power of attorney lets you choose someone to help you deal with money during a relapse. Find someone you trust to co-sign financial documents, such as credit card applications or mortgages, to protect yourself financially while you are having a relapse.
I dont have a action plan. I never had a relapse before…so I never thought of doing it. It sounds like a good idea though. I guess my parents would help me out with everything if I had one. I live with them so it would be easy for them to take charge.
I do have an action plan and a crisis management team. If I do relapse in a big bad way, the money, the insurance, the decision making is already sorted and my wants have already been discussed.
Another thing to mention… before the crisis… now would be the time to sign the releases that HIPPA would normally block.
In doing so, the doc can talk to the person I designated as my primary care. (in this case, my parents) and it lets my doc and my therapist talk. (I had to sign different releases for that one.)
Because there are times when docs wouldn’t even tell my Mom what meds I was taking even though she was the one paying for them and picking them up for me. HIPPA can really be a road block between doctors and family.