Helen*, 77, was referred to Partners in Care for a HomeMeds Plus medicine safety check and in-home assessment, following her discharge from the hospital for anemia. Helen lives alone, and has a history of falls and heart problems. She also uses an oxygen tank to help ease the symptoms of COPD.
Just a few minutes into the visit, the coach discovered that Helen had not picked up prescriptions for several of her medications. She also discovered that Helen had been prescribed a course of physical therapy, but was unsure how to follow up on the contact details she’d been given. With her agreement, the coach immediately called Helen’s case manager and alerted her to the situation, and also encouraged Helen to do the same whenever she was confused by information she’d received from her doctor. The coach also provided Helen with an application for Access transportation services, to enable her to get to a pharmacy and to her doctor appointments without worry.
Due to her history of heart problems and falls, the coach also encouraged Helen to get a Life Alert®, a medical alert system specifically designed to send out an emergency alert in the event of a fall or other serious health issue. However, during the course of their conversation, Helen also revealed that she was having trouble reading her phone. This added bit of information helped her coach find an even better solution – a free Jitterbug phone, which combines the functionality of a cell phone (with increased button size for easier use), with an urgent response button for medical emergencies.
The other major issue Johanna was facing was food preparation. Living alone and struggling with anemia and COPD made it hard for Helen to shop regularly. Her coach provided her with an application for Project Angel Food, which provides nutritious meals to people too sick or debilitated to cook for themselves.
Helen was extremely appreciative of the help and advice her coach provided. “I felt so stuck before. My coach made me aware of a lot of services that I didn’t know existed.”
* Not client’s real name
