If you ask me, I find it silly when a patient gets the barest information about his or her condition when it’s their bodies the doctor will be fixing up. In a senior’s case, you’ll find that the doctors and health care providers are most likely to inform a patient’s relative way before they even approach the patient himself. I tried asking my doctor about that, the second time I found myself in an emergency room with an age-related condition—all drugged up and cross-eyed from all the bodily fluids I lost, and he busy talking to my frantic househelp and boy, you can just imagine the shock I saw in his face. He told me he was sorry and I made him vow that whatever it is that they will ever find in my body, he is to tell me straight and would make him pay dearly if I hear it first from anyone else. His side of the story: it became a habit for him to tell the relatives first and ask them questions just because it is easier to do that than to squeeze out incoherent information from a confused, maybe-demented, old patient like me.
Well, I am not confused, I may be near dementia but certainly not demented and I would like to stay informed, thank you. However, these things happen. Aside from my personal experience, I have witnessed it happen several times. I know there are patients who prefer this kind of setup but there are a lot of us who would like to know what will happen, what happens now and what happened from then on. But how exactly can seniors be a step ahead and stay informed during these times? Well you just have to make sure your doctor will.
Part of being an informed patient is doing your own homework. If there are medical terms you just don’t understand, ask your doctor about it, even if it means interrupting their monologues. If he gets angry with your questions then perhaps you are better off with someone patient.  Moreover, do some investigative work regarding your condition and the proposed procedure. This is the only way to widen your knowledge about the subject so the next time you talk with your doctor, you’ll know what questions to ask.
While you’re at it, your doctor’s credentials are worth checking too. Know how many years the doctor has been practicing and his success rate with the procedure. To check this, you may have to contact past patients of his and ask for referrals.
When you decide to go on with the procedure, it will also help you stay informed if you ask of the specifics of the procedure such as pre-procedure process, and recovery time. More importantly, ask how much the procedure would be and don’t be afraid to ask for a discount, if you need one.