Lilly, 78, lives with her daughter and son-in-law in a comfortable home, with her own private bedroom and bathroom. Formerly a minister for a Church of Religious Science, she receives regular visits from family, and has a twice-weekly caregiver to provide additional support. Following the recent death of a friend, Lilly told coach Traci that she was experiencing difficulties sleeping, eating and concentrating. “Lilly scored a 6 on the PHQ-9 scale, which may indicate mild depression,” comments Traci. “I provided contact information for a grief support group called Our House and to Genesis, which provides mental health resources.” Lilly also experiences leg weakness and uses a walker. She explained to Traci that she was having problems getting in and out of the bath. “I suggested a sliding bath bench, and provided her with the contacts for The Durable Medical Aid Society, which quickly delivered the item” says Traci. Although she has an emergency response system, Lilly was also concerned about getting a system that detects falls. “I did some research and gave her contact information for Medical Care Alert and Alert 1, which have systems that include fall detection and provide a broader geographic range than her current system.”
Partners in Care Foundation uses “patient activation” models of health coaching to provide tailored support dependent on a patient’s knowledge, skills, ability, and willingness to manage his or her own health and care. Some patients are self-starters and all they need is connection to resources, while others need information, motivation and follow-up to close the gap. Here is the ninth of a series of stories about patients who have received health coaching over recent months. All names have been changed to protect patient confidentiality.
