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Do I have the virus?

As testing capacity for Corona Virus increases health officials have expanded the list of symptoms that people should be aware of based on an update from the federal Center for Disease Control and Prevention as more has been learned about the new coronavirus.

People should now ask their doctors to be tested if they have the following symptoms:

▪ Fever higher than 100.4 Fahrenheit.

▪ Cough.

▪ Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing.

▪ Chills.

▪ Repeated shaking with chills.

▪ Muscle aches.

▪ Headache.

▪ Sore throat.

▪ Loss of taste or smell that’s new.

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Getting Your Way in Healthcare

The reckoning that comes with a once in a century pandemic brings many things to light. I am hearing so many who are afraid, or impressed with the kindness (and simplicity) of life. I’m feeling (and hearing you) process the grief of what (and who) we have lost. I’m hearing more families, clients and friends consider if their future and the future of their kids is in order.

Do you have your affairs in order? Many of us are reckoning with our mortality. Perhaps you know someone who is fighting for life, or has died. Or maybe you are just seeing it front and center in the news each night. Whether related to Covid 19 or just the increased awareness of our own mortality, front and center in the news, The pandemic reminds us that changes to our health can happen unexpectedly. “So much is out of our control, but we can shape our experience with illness and dying by planning ahead and making death a family conversation.” Sarah Farr

Read more about Sarah’s thoughts in this New York Times article addressing the upsurge in this phenomenom.

  • If you want some help reviewing (or creating) legal forms, or
  • Discussing what your wishes are

If you are inclined to try it on your own: Here is the link to Advance Directives forms in each state: https://www.aarp.org/caregiving/financial-legal/free-printable-advance-directives/ . What are you waiting for?

Please contact me to help you Navigate this process for now and in the future; Kate@BellinghamPatientNavigator.com

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How can I help?

I consult according to need – ranging from a single session to ongoing involvement and monitoring of a care plan. My services are provided on a private-pay, fee-for-service basis; There are no competing interests. I do not receive any compensation from the services or providers I recommend.

Perhaps you want a professional on your team for:

  • Evaluating care needs, implementing and monitoring services
  • Enabling elders and adults with disabilities to remain safely in their homes
  • Helping you live your best life, at home and on tour.
  • Recommending and facilitating a move to an appropriate care setting if staying at home is no longer a viable option
  • Guiding families through application and qualification for Medicaid services when private funds are dwindling

I can also serve as an ongoing liaison between family members and multiple service providers:

  • Health care
  • In-home services
  • Travel companion
  • Relocation services
  • Legal assistance
  • Financial services
  • Adult day programs

Professional relationships to connect you; I work with:

  • Physicians
  • Elder Law Attorneys
  • Senior Real Estate specialists
  • Home Health/Home Care Providers
  • Skilled Nursing Facilities
  • Adult Family Homes
  • Hospitals
  • Retirement Homes/Assisted Living Facilities
Photo by Josh Appel on Unsplash

 


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Medical Travel Companion

Do you dream of traveling, but are in need of an extra helping hand? Medical and Travel Assistance is the answer to make this happen. Perhaps you are wanting to go to a Grandsons wedding, or that dream trip to a National Park.   How about a caring Nurse and professional companion to make it all possible?   

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Travel nurse companions can help those with physical or intellectual disabilities in their care with day-to-day activities or medical needs while also providing peace of mind for family members. Many adults require help with everyday tasks or might not have family or friends available to accompany them. Nursing companions empower seniors to take advantage of their independence during travel, so they’re more likely to enjoy trips without limitations or interference from worried family members.

Family members can also find travel companions very beneficial as they don’t have to worry about various “what-if” scenarios while their loved ones are away. Family back home can stay in touch with a travel companion as a non-intrusive way to make sure a loved one is taken care of.

Medical Travel Companions offers transportation and concierge services creating independence for customers who love to travel but require assistance with a concierge companion. This could be help with; hospital discharge, airport “transit care”, trip to the doctor/shops, two week international holiday, VIP escort

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What we do

Helping you or your loved one Navigate the Complicated Healthcare System

I assist families and individuals of all ages in navigating through complex medical situations.
Clarification of personal values as they relate to medical treatments
Assisting clients to: Make informed choices regarding available options and resources within the healthcare system. Identify and secure what matters to them. Be available for absent family members.
Working with clients at all levels of care in the healthcare system,
Helping clients understand diagnoses and procedures
Assist in considering alternate treatment options
Coordination of medical services, case management, discharge planning, arrangement of community-based services, assisting with complex medical decision-making, helping arrange second opinions and securing services from other medical systems, and advocating for clients with insurance systems and healthcare providers.

Interpreting in the Medical Office

Health care interpreters facilitate communication between patients with Limited English Proficiency and the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and their physicians, nurses, lab technicians and other health care providers.

 Under the Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). If you feel that you need an interpreter in order to understand what your health care provider is telling you, then the provider is required to provide you with one. You can, of course refuse an interpreter, however professional interpreters improve clinical care

There are many services which provide interpretation. As a sign of our times: Stratus Video will unveil a mobile app that enables clinicians and others in a hospital to request an in-person interpreter in the same way they would request a car from Uber.

The Stratus InPerson app mimics the Uber set-up, with thousands of certified interpreters across the country standing at the wait to pop over to a hospital and help interpret languages between caregivers and patients.

“We’ve been working for the last two years on this product for the in-person interpreting market segment, where an interpreter stands right next to a doctor and patient,” said David Fetterolf, president of Stratus Video, which currently services more than 1,300 hospitals.