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Providing Assistance to Family Members
Marianne called Rona Bartelstone Care Management services because she was concerned about her parents
complicated health care needs, their increasing social isolation, and their reluctance to burden their
children. Mr. & Mrs. Smart are a sophisticated couple with a strong marriage of 48 years. At 75 & 71
years of age, respectively, Marianne had concerns about the increasing demands for caregiving on Mr. Smart
and the increasingly complex medical needs of Mrs. Smart.
Mrs. Smart is dependent on oxygen and has limited energy. Mr. Smart has become the primary caregiver
despite some frailty on his part. They are both intelligent and articulate individuals who had been
used to traveling and having a busy social life.
Although their daughter is near by, they did not want to interfere with her busy life for issues that
are related to health care issues. The daughter, Marianne, was aware of the increasing frailty of both of her
parents and was concerned that they have appropriate assistance to assure to best quality of care,
even if they did not want her to be burdened with the care.
The Rona Bartelstone Care Manager spoke to Marianne to understand her perspective and then met with
Mr. & Mrs. Smart to understand their concerns and help them arrange for the best quality of care. After
an initial assessment the care manager helped with several tasks that are helping them to better manage
their lives. These tasks include:
- Obtaining portable oxygen to allow them to participate in outside activities that would reduce their isolation and allow them to maintain their social lifestyle
- Medical advocacy with their health care providers to assure proper attention to and interpretation of medical needs
- Referral to a new primary care physician, who is better able to address their healthcare needs
- Education and emotional support for Mr. Smart in his new role as a primary caregiver for his wife
- As a result of this, Mr. Smart was able to accept in-home respite care to give him a break from caregiving activities, so that he wouldn't become too stressed
- Emotionally supportive counseling for the couple to help them cope with their increasing frailty and the impact of that on their relationship and their lifestyle
- Assistance in planning for future care needs so that they could be educated about options and plan financially for their needs
- Emotional support for the daughter to help her accept her parent's need for independence and to provide reassurance that there health concerns are being addressed
Mr. & Mrs. Smart have developed a close, trusting relationship
with their Rona Bartelstone Care Manager, who is helping them to maintain
their lifestyle and plan for future needs in a manner that is
consistent with their wishes and their resources. At their request,
the Care Manager keeps their daughter informed of her involvement
and her parent's plans for future care, should the need arise.
This has enabled the family to maintain their roles with minimum
conflict around caregiving issues.
Mr. & Mrs. Smart feel more confident about their care and know that they have a knowledgeable, trusted professional as part
of their life planning team. The daughter is also happy to know that there is a professional person upon whom they can rely
if there should be more serious health care issues in the future. Mr. & Mrs. Smart continue to meet with the Rona Bartelstone Care Manager
on an as needed basis.
For more information on any of the above and how we can help you, please contact:
Rona Bartelstone Care Management & Home Healthcare
phone: 1.800.678.7224
email: info@rbacare.com
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