Personal Health Advocate Services
I am on YOUR side and will help make the system work for YOU
Whether you or your loved one is facing a current healthcare crisis or wanting to prepare for future needs, Anam Cara RN Health Advocates will be there to help you navigate the medical industry without the unnecessary medicalization of your lives. With over 40 years of experience as a Registered Nurse in California, and with expertise in critical care, geriatric care, and hospice and palliative care, I am prepared to meet you where you are in your life journey and to be that “soul friend” to accompany you through a fragmented medical system.
Initial Triage Assessment
This is usually a phone call lasting 20-30 minutes where we can gather information about your current needs and answer any questions you have about how we assist you and the services we provide. If you decide to proceed with us we then:
- Complete an initial comprehensive assessment of your personal situation.
- Compile an accurate medication list.
- Develop a plan of care based on the goals we will discuss during our assessment and to be shared with your significant others and healthcare team with your permission
- Prepare questions for your healthcare team.
- Arrange transportation to appointments.
- Attend appointments to provide support and ask appropriate questions.
- Provide information for community resources.
Complex or Crisis Management
- ER or inpatient complex decision support (serious condition, diagnosis and treatment options, end of life)
- Care coordination with ER or Hospital physicians, Nursing staff, Case Managers and Discharge planners
- Family care conference coordination and communication regarding ER visit or hospitalization
- Assistance with hospital discharge planning: clarify and reinforce hospital discharge instructions and provide education on any new medications
- Complex resource acquisition and coordination (multiple home care providers-medical, non-medical, hospice, durable medical equipment)
Transitions of Care
Whether transferring from the hospital to home, from a Skilled Nursing Facility to the hospital, or any number of transitions, these can be dangerous times as often information isn’t communicated from one provider to another, medication lists aren’t kept current and hospital instructions aren’t clearly communicated. These are the times we will be there to be certain you have everything you need and your team has the information they need to meet your goals and reduce the possibility of errors or omissions.
Eldercare
We make visits to provide socialization and make safety recommendations so you can remain independent for as long as possible. Provide resources for meal assistance, transportation assistance, personal care assistants. If you’re admitted to the hospital unexpectedly, make a visit so your providers have current health information and are aware of your wishes.
End of Life Care & MAID (Medical Aid in Dying)
We provide end-of-life guidance, including information on California’s MAID (Medical Aid in Dying) law and how to access it. We facilitate discussions with your loved ones and healthcare team regarding your wishes for end-of-life care and assist you in completing your Advanced Directive for Healthcare as well as your POLST (Physicians Order for Life-Sustaining Treatment) forms so you get what you desire if something happens unexpectedly, which it often does.
Provide education regarding important topics that many healthcare professionals are uncomfortable discussing, such as the quality of life for elderly patients who elect to attempt CPR.