Most Covid patients are sedated with medications and supported by a ventilator for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).
Each time a friend or family member asks how I am, I tend to tell them I am okay, hanging in there, doing my best. While these are all true, I don’t often tell them that some days I am simply not okay. How about you? Can you relate? People want to...
Perspectives From an ICU Nurse: Sometimes I am Not Okay
This blog was originally published in December 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Each time a friend or family member asks how I am, I tend to tell them I am okay, hanging in there, doing my best. While these are all true, I don’t...
Health Insurance — What Exactly Am I Buying?
Many complain about their inadequate health insurance coverage. Often, the cause is a lack of understanding regarding the true costs of coverage, as well as the inherent administrative barriers that exist. The goal, always, is to get educated...
COVID-19 Advice: What To Tell Clients
In previous newsletters, I’ve related personal experiences with my older adult parents as a means of sharing my views on how best to manage a variety of healthcare obstacles and situations. The COVID-19 Pandemic is no exception. One of the many...
Planning For Hospitalization During COVID-19
Planning for hospitalization is something we do continuously, especially with our most vulnerable clients — those that are older, living without family members close by, or living with multiple, chronic conditions and/or alone. But COVID-19 has...
Addressing Mental Health of Seniors During Lockdown
Guest Blog by: Bunni Dybnis, MA, LMFT, CMC COVID-19 has dramatically changed our world. The news, warnings, restrictions, instructions, double messages, shortages, politics, financial implications are never-ending. Most are resilient. After the...
Delays Persist For Non-COVID-19 Patients
In the United States the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting almost every state as there are shelter in place orders by the governors and restrictions are being placed on whether patients can get in to see their providers. As of Monday, April 27, we...
The Intervention: What Are We Willing to Invest for the Greater Good?
When I started writing about healthcare, one of my first newsletters addressed “ going upstream ." One of the up-streamers I read about was Dr. Jeffrey Brenner in Camden, New Jersey. He developed a model of care, almost 20 years ago, that featured...
Treatment COVID-19
COVID-19 Treatment Today’s topic will focus on treatment options for COVID-19. As people are anxious to return to work and resume pre-COVID-19 socialization, scientists are working to find effective treatments. Science takes time, and there are...
Social Isolation, loneliness and anxiety during COVID-19 pandemic
Social isolation, loneliness, and anxiety Feeling lonely and anxious during the COVID-19 pandemic has become more prevalent due to the social distancing and self-quarantining restrictions. Uncertainty of the coronavirus outcomes causes anxiety...
Check your MPA skills......
Many seniors have what is called a Medicare Advantage Plan MA (most have Prescription Drug plans included MAPD) but never really take full advantage of all the benefits of the plan. Especially now during this COVID-19, shelter in place, isolation...
Check with your MPA Skills......
Many seniors have what is called a Medicare Advantage Plan MA (most have Prescription Drug plans included MAPD) but never really take full advantage of all the benefits of the plan. Especially now during this COVID-19, shelter in place, isolation...
Making Memories: Wonderful Activities During Covid-19
Although thinking about and reviewing our lives can be difficult, taking time to process whatever had been special to us over the years, may provide some solace to ourselves, our family and our friends. It is also a great way to utilize the extra...
The Call
Imagine if you will…the phone rings, you don’t recognize the number but pick up anyway and hear, “Hello, this is Dr. Kennedy from Central Hospital, is this Debbie Watsoneau?” (Your heart temporarily starts to race)..and you respond,..."Yes...
When Advocacy Gets Personal: That Time I Was Daughter
I thought it was odd that my Mom would be calling me on a Friday night after 10:00pm. Especially since I was out of town on a retreat, quite a bit north of Chicago near the Wisconsin border. I remember my clothing still smelled like the beach...