|
|
Salem News
Letter: Help seniors with complex medical issues by becoming an AYS volunteer
Click to read online
To the editor:
As 2010 begins to unfold here on the North Shore, many of us are making New Year's resolutions. Could this be the year when one of your resolutions results in achieving great personal satisfaction, while at the same time, making a significant difference in another's quality of life?
Let me tell you about a unique program that is making that kind of difference.
The At Your Side Medical Advocacy Program (AYS) is one of the most enriching volunteer experiences I have ever been associated with in all my years of directing volunteer programs at Boston and North Shore hospitals and as the director of Resident Life at Brooksby Village.
Dr. Jonathan Fine, founder of Physicians for Human Rights and retired director of At Your Side, developed AYS based on a simple but effective model. The program matches volunteers to elders with chronic medical conditions and multiple health providers who are finding it difficult to navigate through the complexities of today's health-care maze.
AYS volunteers are compassionate individuals who are excellent listeners and who have had experience in dealing with the health-care system as a professional or a result of previous personal experiences. If you recognize yourself as having these qualities, you are needed!
You would join a diversified group of retired and semi-retired professionals including doctors, business managers, social workers, nurses and others who are making a difference in the health and wellbeing of a growing number of aging individuals with complex, chronic medical conditions.
As an AYS volunteer, you would support an older person's interactions with health care providers. All AYS advocates are aware that the doctor's first response to an elder's health-related question might not always be easily understood. In these situations, advocates help to clarify the response so that the elder may gain a better understanding of his or her condition and as a result can make better informed decisions about his or her own care.
Whether it is helping to create a list of recent concerns and symptoms before a medical visit, seeking to clarify the instructions for a new medication, asking the provider to speak louder for a person with hearing loss, or even asking a secretary to write down scheduled appointments in larger font, you would be trained to address these and many other needs in practical and helpful ways.
The response by the health care providers on the North Shore to the AYS advocates has been very positive. Many physicians appreciate the assistance provided by advocates, who will work with the elder patient to update prescription lists and health histories before a doctor's appointment and then support the patient in pursuing understandable answers to their questions and concerns.
Another critical function that has resonated with providers is the advocate's assistance to ensure that the treatment regimen is fully understood by the patient. Physicians know all too well that, like bread without yeast, even the best treatment plan will ultimately fail if not understood and followed by the patient.
How do AYS advocates get started? After an interview and screening process, followed by several training sessions, AYS volunteers spend, typically, four to eight hours a month visiting or contacting their elder clients or advocating at medical appointments. Additionally, they may also attend optional monthly meetings with their fellow advocates to exchange recent experiences. These meetings often involve discussions on how to seek optimal care for various chronic diseases and such issues as confusion, anxiety and depression — while at the same time always protecting the privacy of their clients.
Contact the staff of At Your Side at 978-750-4540 or atyourside@nselder.org to learn how you can improve the health-care experience of a North Shore elder in 2010 and beyond.
NELDA QUIGLEY
Member, AYS Board of Advisers
Beverly
(Editor's note: Nelda Quigley is the former director of volunteer services at both Beverly and Brigham and Women's hospitals. She currently teaches a course titled "Senior Community Management" at Endicott College. At Your Side is operated by North Shore Elder Services Inc. of Danvers in collaboration with SeniorCare Inc. and the Independent Living Center of the North Shore and Cape Ann.)
|
|
|
