Tony, 87, lives with his wife in a single family home in Venice. He was recently admitted to hospital with a low blood count necessitating a blood transfusion. Coach Priscilla visited him at home shortly after he was discharged. Tony and his wife have taken the precaution of installing safety bars in the bathroom, and indicated to Priscilla that they knew how to use them appropriately. Priscilla did the usual safety assessment of the rest of the residence and did not observe any other safety concerns. “Both Tony and his wife are keen to continue to manage their activities of daily living independently” notes Priscilla.
“Tony did express concern about the prospect of an upcoming surgery, and his wife shares his worries. Tony feels he is too old to go through another procedure, so I counseled them to speak openly with Tony’s doctor and to discuss their concerns with family. I suggested that they think about what supports they might need in the future. I also asked whether they had considered preparing an advance directive. They were open to the idea, so I provided them with the appropriate documents and explained their purpose.”
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.
