Over the next several months, Guided Patient Services hopes to shed a light on some of the unique and powerful ways we have helped clients over the years.
Hopefully you will never need our services, but if you or a loved one ever do, I hope you will recall the invaluable guidance and support a health advocate can provide.
Jen, Sandy and Martha were three seemingly dissimilar women except for a single life-altering fact. All three found themselves dealing with cancer.
Jen had a family history of breast cancer and was vigilant about cancer screening. She sought the help of a health advocate on the day that her screening mammogram showed something new and required further diagnostic evaluation.
Jen knew what this potentially meant, and already her mind was racing. She found it difficult to keep the facts straight and focus on the information she was being asked to process.
Guided Patient Services was by her side at the next appointment and every appointment thereafter until she was given wonderful news. Her tumor was not cancerous and continued monitoring was all that was indicated.
Sandy had a similar experience but had begun the diagnostic workup on her own. She was relying on family to help her sort out the situation when she would return from appointments.
After learning that her breast mass was cancer, she quickly realized that the pace of interventions had to be swift to give her the outcomes she hoped for. As a mother of young children, making this a priority was challenging.
She needed someone whose only priority was her health. Someone who would keep it all organized, understandable, and most importantly, give her a sounding board as she weighed the treatment options.
Her private patient advocate knew her personal concerns and values, and found innumerable ways to bring support and peace of mind to a life-altering health crisis.
Martha’s husband called ten days into hospice care. Care was being provided in the home where they had lived most of the sixty plus years they were married.
Her husband knew that her metastatic cancer was progressing, but needed to be certain that they had done all that they could to slow the progression and to add value to the days that remained. The health advocate was able to conference with the medical and hospice teams to gather prognosis reports and assess what additional services could be incorporated.
The consensus of all care providers was shared and discussed with family. The current care plan was reviewed, and some necessary and welcome changes were made to improve not only the patient’s life experience, but also the family’s. Martha’s final weeks were peaceful and spent with those she loved at home.