Raphael, 34, a PhD student in computer science at UCLA, has cerebral palsy and spastic quadriplegia. Coach Traci has visited him at the home he shares with his mom on three occasions. Raphael was hospitalized for shortness of breath and wheezing, and had also visited the ER during a recent trip to Austin, TX for the same issue. “Raphael and his mom would benefit greatly from a compact, electric hoyer lift, which would make it much easier to transfer Raphael. During his visit to the ER in Texas, he injured his left ankle during a transfer as his mom struggled to lift him. I reached out to Raphael’s PCP and they immediately placed an order. The lift has now been delivered.”
Although Raphael has difficulties breathing, with a persistent cough and fluid retention, his insurer denied pulmonary rehabilitation. “I followed up with his PCP, and explained the situation,” explains Traci. “Raphael has now received a Bi PaP breathing machine and an appointment has been made with his pulmonologist.”
Partners in Care Foundation uses “patient activation” models of health coaching to provide tailored support dependent on a patient’s knowledge, skills, ability, and willingness to manage his or her own health and care. Some patients are self-starters and all they need is connection to resources, while others need information, motivation and follow-up to close the gap. Here is the eleventh in a series of stories about patients who have received health coaching over recent months. All names have been changed to protect patient confidentiality.
