The recent presidential election seemed to ignite the country regardless of which party a person supported. There are so many issues, the state of the country, healthcare education etc. One way that you can continue to participate is to learn more about your state and government officials. Most, if not all, governments have a website that lists the name of state and national senators and representatives. These in turn link to the individual government representative’s personal website where there is usually a contact me link with a mailing address, telephone number or email address. Utilizing the email address is usually the most effective way of voicing an opinion. As shown in the last election one person can gather others to make a difference. Begin by participating yourself and then share the information with others. Together we can make a change.
Archive for November, 2008
Caregivers often become immobilized and indecisive because the decisions to be made are life changing and there is a great degree of guilt. How many of us find ourselves in losing battles or losing situations. As my uncle would say “you’re damned if you do and you’re damned if you don’t”. It is these situations where laying out the facts sometimes helps. Often the emotion of the situation gets in the way and it’s difficult to see any clear path. However even when the facts are laid out, the decision may not be any easier. It’s at this point that individual or family counseling may support decision making. I have so many families that are hesitant to hire an in home caregiver because they fear their family member will react negatively. The trade off is that the caregiver is becoming physically ill and exhausted and if help is not accessed the result will be that their family member will require placement – exactly the action the caregiver is trying to avoid. Many of these actions or inability to act are the result of longstanding habits and patterns. This is why, many times it takes a professional counselor to get to the root of the issue in order to move the situation forward. If you find yourself in this situation seek support through support groups or a professional counselor. Sometimes it takes an impartial party to really help us see where we’re being too rigid or set in our ways. Sometimes it takes an impartial party to help us change ourselves and a situation for the better.
How many times have you taken a family member to a doctor appointment where there were signs in the office stating “patients who arrive 10 or more minutes late will need to reschedule their appointment”? And how many times was your physician more than 10 minutes late? One of my pet peeves about physician offices is the lack of respect for the time of others. I have often walked out of an appointment because a physician was late. What I’ve learned is that even if one has to wait it’s best to attempt to get the first appointment in the morning or the last appointment of the day. I have even called a physician’s office from the waiting room to ask about a delay in seeing a physician and received a better response sometimes that from the person sitting at the front desk. Sometimes one must be the squeaky wheel to get attention.
I recently met a young person in her 30’s who was involved years ago in a traffic accident. She was sitting at a red light and began to proceed when a state patrol car hit her at 140 miles an hour in pursuit of a speeding car. Needless to say she was seriously injured both physically and mentally. Due to Colorado rules the maximum settlement a person received in this type of situation is $150,000. While I have no idea her settlement I do know that this amount of money would never be close to the amount she will need to care for herself for the rest of her life. She has a brain injury, is unable to work and has difficulty with organization. There are no living family members. She is doing her best to get by day to day but realizes that soon she will no longer be able to pay her rent or buy food. While I’m sure there are many law suits that are unjustified, this individual was truly left behind because the system did not work for her. I wonder how many others have experienced a similar situation?
We are approaching a new year, 2009. At this time of the year many of us look back at the past year and make resolutions for the New Year. Health is always at the top of my list and based on statistics in the U.S. should be on everyone’s list. In spite of one of the best healthcare systems in the world, we have a greater number of individuals with chronic longer term diseases like heart disease and diabetes. A report in the Denver Post stated that most of the nation’s children are overweight and this will result in higher health care costs over the coming years. One would question what is wrong with healthcare that we don’t educate about positive habits and prevention yet we’re willing to pay insurance companies millions of dollars to solve our health problems. It’s easy to complain about the cost of insurance, but does everyone ever consider their personal contribution to the cost? I doubt it. I believe that each time an individual goes to a physician or has a procedure that they should receive a report on the total cost of the procedure and be expected to pay a portion, whether it’s a co-pay or another amount. Perhaps this would make us begin to think about how we treat our bodies and change the way we look at health versus assuming that poor health will be solved by pills or procedures.
With the holidays approaching it’s easy to get caught up in all of the hustle and bustle of shopping and decorating. While we are definitely attending and hosting some celebrations, I’ve stopped decorating. The problem with decorating is that once the decorations are placed they have to be taken down and put away which for me has become too much work. It’s easier for me to purchase a few poinsettia plants, a small plantable fir tree or a rosemary bush. Since I’m a plant lover my decorating turns more to plants than decorating a tree with lights and ornaments. Many years ago when we lived in California, my husband purchased a plantable fir tree for the holidays which we then put in the yard. During the time we remained in California this small 2 foot tree grew to over 10 feet. It was amazing and I was proud of the fact that we did something to help the environment versus cutting down a real tree. How many of you have different holiday preferences or traditions that make the holidays a little less stressful?
Blood tests are a fairly routine activity at least once a year when we typically see our physicians. Tips to ensure a no-hassle test include requesting a copy of the “order” from your physician. Today fewer and fewer physician offices actually perform blood draws in their offices. Typically we’re sent to a lab like a Qwest or a Lab Corp. If you arrive at one of these locations without orders they will not draw your blood. Another tip is to make sure that your physician writes on the order that the results can be released TO YOU. When your blood is drawn check the labels on the containers to make sure they are marked WITH YOUR NAME. So many times test results get mixed up between individuals because of faulty labeling by lab staff and it’s a hassle to have to return to have the same test repeated. Results are normally available within a day or so and you can call to have them faxed to you or mailed to you with the written permission of your physician on the form. This ensures that you receive your results in a timely manner and have time to ask questions before your next physician visit or to actually call your physician to ask a question.
I know many of you have personal experience with someone who greatly needs assistance due to job loss, insurance issues or drug costs. It is those of us who, when we “hear” of names or situations can help by referring persons to the National Patient Advocate Foundation. Last month I announced that I became the Colorado SPL (state policy liaison) for the National Patient Advocate Foundation http://www.patientadvocate.org, (800) 532-5274, or emails to the address of help@patientadvocate.org. I will soon be posting information on my website regarding who is an appropriate referral for assistance. Check back soon.
The current state of the economy has everyone concerned. Whether it’s about the banking system, the automobile industry, the price of gasoline or healthcare, the issues are plenty. It’s clear we can’t rely on a healthcare system that needs an overhaul. While the incoming 2009 administration favors leaving “Medicare intact for older and disabled Americans” it also promises “to guarantee affordable, accessible health care coverage for all Americans.” Considering that the current Medicare hospitalization system (Part A) will be out of funding in 2019 and the current Medicaid system is overburdened because Americans have been taught to “rely on the government”, this guaranteed promise is nearly impossible without increasing taxes. And since there is difficulty administering the current government plans while keeping costs in check, how can the government proceed to initiate new plans without fixing the current system? More campaign promises unfulfilled.
We all read stories in the newspaper or see them on the news, but when they become personal they become real. Last week I gained exceptional clarity about the difference between “hearing” a name and talking about a situation versus actually “meeting” a person and learning about the situation. Admittedly I do a significant amount of both in working with my clients, however for some reason this particular case became especially relevant. Perhaps it’s because the individual involved is 25 years old and demonstrated exceptional grace, humor and humility in the midst of an exceptionally difficult situation. The level of involvement and empathy is so much greater when one directly experiences the situation of another. This is how we become advocates for whatever cause we choose to support. What interests you, what are you willing to advocate for?
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