Health Care Advocacy

One of the most important services we provide is health care advocacy. Far too many health conditions can worsen if a patient’s medical history and current health care regimen are not fully evaluated. In today’s environment, a medical provider’s average time spent with a patient is about 20 minutes. This may not be enough time to fully comprehend all the intricacies of patient’s life story and often leads to managing a specific symptom instead of providing the holistic care required for people to achieve optimum wellness.

That’s where we come in. We take the time to understand a client’s full life story and medical history. Because of our strong health care background, we know what to look for and what information a physician needs to provide superior care. So when we accompany clients to medical appointments, we have the knowledge to impart information, ask the right questions and safeguard our client’s health. Our expertise allows us to streamline care for even the most complex medical conditions, including cancer, stroke, diabetes, congestive heart failure, kidney disease, pulmonary disorders and dementia, among many others.

Transitions

The most challenging time for anyone facing a health situation is during the transition from one care environment to another – home to hospital, hospital to rehab facility, hospital or rehab facility to home. When you are admitted to the hospital, it’s critical that you have someone with you who knows your history and specific needs. We’re with you every step of the way, to ensure you’re receiving the proper care, treatment and medications – right when you need them. Because of our extensive health care backgrounds, we can raise questions immediately if a specific medication or treatment seems contraindicated or unnecessary. Through meticulous discharge planning, we make certain that every transition is a safe one. Whether it is ensuring that the home is outfitted with necessary medical supplies or that quality care is being delivered by a well-trained staff, we pay attention to the critical details that make a transition seamless.

Nutrition

According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, unhealthy eating and inactivity cause between 310,000-580,000 deaths every year, more than any other single cause. Our team understands the importance of nutrition in maintaining optimal health and helps ensure that our clients are educated on the importance of eating a healthful diet geared to their individual health conditions. Our nurse care managers are experts in evaluating clients for nutritional risk and understand the complexities of the endocrine system and how dietary choices impact health. We work with nutritionists and physicians to implement plans that are successful. When our clients are battling diabetes, renal disease, obesity or struggling to sustain an appetite, we provide them with the counseling and support to make healthful choices that positively impact wellness.

Palliative and End-of-Life Care

Providing comfort throughout any health care challenge is critically important to a person’s overall well-being. Palliative care is specialized medical care for people with serious illness and is focused on providing relief from the symptoms and stress of a serious illness by reducing pain or treatment side effects. This can happen while a person is still seeking curative treatment or after deciding to stop treatment. Palliative care may help you and your loved ones better understand your illness, talk more openly about your feelings, increase your quality of life and help you decide what treatment you want or do not want. Your goals for treatment guide your care.

End-of-life care begins after curative treatment of the disease is stopped and when it is clear that the person is not going to survive the illness in the coming days, weeks or months. Hospice is an important Medicare benefit that can fund palliative care services for terminally ill patients whose death is imminent.

Our nurse care managers are experts in palliative and end-of-life care. As seasoned clinicians, they are knowledgeable on pain management strategies and work closely with their client’s interdisciplinary team in ensuring that their client’s quality of life and comfort are at the forefront of a compassionate holistic approach to care.