We're all in this together...

An article appeared today in the New York Times entitled "Overattentive Families May Be Underrated." While health care professionals sometimes find questions from a patient's family member(s) irritating and taking up too much of their time (not that I've ever personally encountered this); family members can and do contribute a great deal to the well being of their loved ones. The article (written by a physician) concludes:

"The most effective families, it seems to me, are those who genuinely appreciate the efforts of frequently overwhelmed health care providers and who seek to work with them to help care for their relatives. At the same time, as a concerned family member, you may know the patient better than anyone else, and if you see something that doesn’t seem right, speak up. The doctors may not thank you, but perhaps they should."