www.beaconpatientsolutions.com :: (617) 651-2140

The Patient Advocate You Need

Special Edition: April 27, 2020

Hi Subscriber First Name,

I hope you are finding ways to stay informed, connected to others, and active while safely remaining physically distant.

I’m using my weekly newsletter (previously distributed monthly) to share resources to help you, your family and community members, colleagues, and friends navigate the healthcare system during this period of uncertainty.

This week I am focusing on what may be missing from your refrigerator.

As always, you can help others learn more about the importance and impact of working with an independent board certified patient advocate and the solutions I work toward simply by passing my name and this newsletter along to friends, family members, and colleagues.

Navigating the complexities of the healthcare system can be stressful and time consuming. Contact me so that I can help ease the burden.

Thank you for your support,
Ailene Gerhardt, MA, BCPA
Independent Board Certified Patient Advocate
Founder, Beacon Patient Solutions LLC

This week’s newsletter includes:

• Blog Post: What’s missing from your fridge?

• Useful Community Resource: Mutual Aid Groups

• Being Prepared In Case You Face Serious Illness

• How I Can Help

• Reliable weblinks for COVID-19 information

View past newsletters: 4/20/20, 4/13/20, 3/30/20, 3/23/20, 3/16/20

It may seem like a strange question for an independent patient advocate to be asking, but I assure you it is an important one.  In the past few weeks, we have learned to adapt to a new way of life.

One in which we make an itemized grocery list and hope that the online service from which we are ordering OR the store itself has the items we are most interested in on its shelves. Going to or ordering from a grocery store is now a planned event, one that takes preparation and careful thought.

So, while we are focused on what it is in our refrigerator, it is important to give thought to what may not be ON our refrigerator.

Useful Community Resource: Mutual Aid Groups

The mutual aid concept is that people from a community volunteer to offer resources according to what they have and others need. This can take the place of low-risk individuals volunteering to go grocery shopping for high risk individuals, picking up and delivering medications, making face coverings and masks for others, or even sharing crafts, recipes, and virtual companionship. The guiding philosophy is We all have something to offer, and we all have something we need.

Visit the USA Mutual Aid FInd Your Local Group page or AARP’s Mutual Aid page to connect with a group in your community.

Interested in learning more? You can read about Mutual Aid groups helping during the pandemic via Vox, Vice, New York Times, and AARP. Here’s an example of Boston based groups.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
Resources for Preparation in Case of Serious Illness

Navigating our own healthcare needs at this time when the system is extremely stressed can be challenging. It is extremely important to have your personal health record organized and have a “Go” plan and bag in case you need hospitalization.

• My blog post about navigating your healthcare during this time offers tips on how to be your own best advocate, how to prepare for upcoming appointments and READ MORE

• Many newsletter readers shared that the detailed list of what to include in a “Go” plan was very helpful and I have posted it as its own entry on the blog. READ MORE
  

• Ariadne Labs and The Conversation Project: Being Prepared in the Time of COVID-19: Three things you can do now

I’m Available to Help…

Schedule a Consultation: Sometimes, the opportunity to ask questions or talk through a healthcare situation is the only immediate service a prospective client may initially need. To assist, I offer the opportunity to schedule a one hour phone consultation to meet that need. Email me to find out more.

Patient Advocacy Needs Continue: During this challenging time, patient advocacy needs continue. I’m available to help with reviewing medical bills for accuracy, insurance claim denials, appointment preparation, and more. Visit my client services page to view the full range of services offered.

Are you or do you know a solo ager? The SOLO AGERS Advocacy Initiative was created to meet the support and planning needs of Solo Agers. Initiative members work one-on-one with me to identify and organize healthcare concerns, carefully craft their support team, and learn how to navigate the opportunities and challenges of solo aging. Now is the perfect time to get started!

Reliable Resources to Stay Informed:

CDC: Coronavirus (COVID-19) and Resources for Home: Plan, Prepare, and Respond to Coronavirus Disease

The John A Hartford Foundation Resource page: information for older adults, family caregivers, and health care providers.

About Beacon Patient Solutions LLC:
Beacon Patient Solutions LLC helps clients navigate the choppy waters of today’s complex healthcare system by empowering them to become educated and confident health care consumers. We are client focused, uniquely knowledgeable, and engage clients to ask the right questions, seek good answers, and secure reliable resources.  We provide patient advocacy services in the Greater Boston Area, throughout Massachusetts, and nationwide. Visit our website to learn more:  www.beaconpatientsolutions.com.