Greater National Advocates Blog

It started out as a few hours a week. An afternoon here. An evening there. A Saturday or two. You handled whatever arose. No big deal. You love them and it was manageable. It happened so slowly that you did not even realize that you became a...

Editor's Note: This blog was submitted by GNA member Paul Ennis as a means to share his years long project of developing his own highly personalized advance directive document. Paul is sharing this document as an example of how clear, detailed...

October 13, 2021 Link to Blog https://bit.ly/3lDvkWv A couple of the inserted images did not come through on this site. October 13, 2021 What do you do when you have multiple “To do” lists or your “To do” list has a “to do list?’ Do you get laser...

I know how important it is to be prepared for a medical emergency. In fact, I teach others on how to prepare and be ready for medical emergencies all the time. I thought I was ready too, but I had a rude awakening a couple weeks ago. I was in a...

As Final Exit’s Surrogate Consultant, people often ask me for advice on the best Advance Directive (AD) to cover their medical and end-of-life (EOL) wishes. Unfortunately, the answer is not that simple. An AD is a “legally recognized” document...

One of the most heart wrenching things to witness is when people struggle with past pains and hurts. It’s not uncommon to stuff these sorrows down and avoid ‘dealing with them’. By not adequately acknowledging these wrongs – whether by abuse, loss...

My kids always talk about how they didn’t learn practical stuff in school - such as how to file their taxes. This summer, I saw the perfect sign in a store: “Good thing I learned about parallelograms in school instead of how to do my taxes. That...

How do you know when you are broken? What was the first big obstacle that found its way right in the middle of your path? You know, the one that kicked your ass. The one that made you doubt everything that you though you knew. That situation that...

In December 2020, I presented a webinar within the Health and Patient Advocate community about working with complex mental health clients. What sparked the webinar's immediacy was that many of us have seen a dramatic increase in clients struggling...

Tried to get an appointment with a specialist and got denied? Now what? Unfortunately, as a private patient advocate, I have heard this story all too often. You research and find a doctor that specializes in your condition, then you try to make an...

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The American Cancer Association reports that aside from skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer in American women. In 2020, over 325,000 new cases of breast cancer in the US are expected to be...

My client, Patty, reached out last spring with grave concerns about her 75-year-old sister, Caryn, who was living independently in Pennsylvania and who was exhibiting significant short-term memory issues. Patty was initially confounded about where...

You wouldn't want your babysitter to be distracted, frustrated, or inattentive while watching your children, would you? That's why it's important to think about choosing a physician the same way you would choose a babysitter or nanny for your...

When you have an appointment with a new healthcare provider, be sure to bring your Health History with you. Bring a list of each medication you are on and their doses or the containers for each medication you are on, including any over-the-counter...

It is disturbing to learn how much ambivalence there is about the amount of chemicals and toxins that are absorbed through the skin and into our bodies from commonly used household and personal care products and cosmetics as well as exposure to...