Greater National Advocates Blog

November 10, 2021 You worked and you thought and you worked some more. By golly, you have a plan. It is a good plan. You are so proud (and relieved). Now, it is time to work the plan. I mean you are so excited and you just know that this is the...

This is the first in a series of blogs written by patient advocacy pioneer and longtime educator, Karen Mercereau. Hello everyone, I am Karen Mercereau, RN, iRNPA, and I have been actively involved in the field of Patient Advocacy since 2002. I...

November 3, 2021 Have you ever wondered if the medications that you are taking or someone that you love is taking are helping you, hurting you or even working at all? Have you ever wondered if you are having an unexpected reaction or side effect...

October 27, 2021 Right, Wrong, Good, Bad – those are the words we use to describe our decision-making choices. What makes a decision right or wrong? What makes a decision good or bad? Yeah, I know, it’s like porn. You can’t describe it, but you’ll...

Guest Blog: This blog was written ad submitted by Aussy Aportadera, a writer who covers topics that explore Lifestyle, Business, HR, and other related issues. She's published articles in Esquire, Smart Parenting, and FemaleNetwork.com Healthcare...

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...