What should I do about doctor visits for a person with mental retardation?

People with mental retardation should see their doctors and dentists regularly. You should ask each doctor how often the person you care for needs to visit and for what reasons. Be sure that someone who knows the patient and why he or she is seeing the doctor goes along at each visit. Before the visit, write down any questions you may have for the doctor.

Some people with mental retardation may be hard to manage or out of control. The doctor can help you make a plan to help with this behavior. The patient may need to take medicine to calm down before going to the doctor’s office. This should keep the patient and other people in the office safe.

If the doctor gives the person you care for a new treatment, you should keep a diary of how he or she does with the treatment. This will help the doctor know if the treatment is working.

What if a person with mental retardation is hurt or acts strangely?

Some people with mental retardation cannot tell you if they are sick or in pain. Acting differently may be the way they show pain or illness.

This is true in a lot of people with Down syndrome. Tell the doctor if you notice new signs of pain.

It is important to call the doctor if the person gets hurt, because people with mental retardation may have weak bones.

Who should make medical decisions for a person with mental retardation?

Adults with mental retardation may not be able to make decisions about their own health. They should have someone who is legally responsible for making these decisions for them. This person should be named in a legal document called a health care “durable power of attorney,” which allows the person to make health care decisions for the patient. This person is called a health care attorney-in-fact.

The attorney-in-fact should talk to the doctor about treatment decisions or end-of-life care for the patient. The doctor should write these decisions in the patient’s medical chart.