If you have a bleeding disorder, you know it can play a role in every aspect of your life, and can also affect many parts of your body. To stay healthy, you need a comprehensive care team, because bleeding disorders do not only affect you physically, but also mentally.
With a comprehensive care team, there are many members who can help you with all the elements of your life that are affected. Social workers can help you with insurance, career planning and family matters. Psychologists can help you adjust to living with the bleeding disorder. A comprehensive care team is a useful resource to help you with care throughout your life.
The Basics of Comprehensive Care
Comprehensive care is an approach to the care and treatment of bleeding disorders that involves many members working with you on a variety of levels. A team of experts will meet with you regularly at your Hemophilia Treatment Center (HTC) to plan your care. This team can help you prevent bleeds, handle emergencies and educate you on how to best care for yourself.
Team members deal with more than just your body; they also care about what you are feeling and thinking. They can help with everything from day-to-day problems to lifetime goals, adapting to your lifestyle and helping you determine how best to deal with hemophilia. The goal of comprehensive care is for the person with hemophilia to live a long and normal life, giving you freedom to direct your own life by helping you learn to care for yourself as much as possible.
Here’s a list of some of the team members who might be assigned to your team:
• Hematologist
• Nurse Coordinator
• Dentist
• Geneticist
• Social Worker
• Psychologist
• Orthopedist
• Physical Therapist
• Occupational Therapist
If you have questions about specific ways comprehensive care can help you, contact your HTC.
How does your comprehensive care team help you?
Sources:
National Hemophilia Foundation: http://www.hemophilia.org/NHFWeb/MainPgs/MainNHF.aspx?menuid=249&contentid=385