67 year-old Sandy has multiple sclerosis and is unable to walk. She spends most of her time in a hospital bed or a wheelchair. She is supported by her three daughters, Clare, Chloe and Carol, with most of her direct care being provided by Clare, with whom she lives. Coach Traci visited Sandy at home shortly after her discharge from hospital following a UTI. “Sandy has Medi-Cal but I suggested Clare apply for IHSS, to help financially reimburse her for the care she is giving to her mom. I gave her the paperwork to get started and explained how to fill it in. I also recommended that Sandy get an emergency response system and have mailed her resources to obtain one from Life Alert. This will provide some much needed peace of mind for her family.”
Traci recently reached out to Sandy to check on her progress. Clare has applied to IHSS and is awaiting a response. Sandy is doing well and said, “I really like the program. I have to fight the system, which gives me headaches. It is very helpful to have you as an advocate, and gives me a big boost.”
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 ninth of a series of stories about patients who have received health coaching over recent months. All names have been changed to protect patient confidentiality.
