According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) approximately 20% of patients experience adverse events in the first 3 weeks after discharge, with 61% of those events regarded as preventable or avoidable.

I recently had a client that experienced numerous hospitalizations in a short period of time. I have been working with this client for over a year. I know her health history, I know her providers, and I know her current medications. This hospital recently migrated their electronic health records which could have been a contributing factor, but had it not been for a watchful eye, this client could have experienced serious consequences due to not one, but several, unsafe hospital discharges.

How can you help assure you or loved one has a safe discharge?

The term “medical gaslighting” has also been gaining interest. Medical gaslighting is a term used to describe when a health care professional dismisses, invalidates or belittles a patient’s concerns or symptoms. While anyone can fall victim, it tends to be more prominent in women. For example, research suggests women are 50 percent more likely to be misdiagnosed after a heart attack and 33 percent more likely to have a wrong diagnosis after a stroke. Another study compared the medical outcomes of men and women who came to emergency rooms for stomach pain and found that women were 33% more likely to wait longer than men and receive less pain relief medication despite having similar symptoms.

When you think of October what comes to mind? Pumpkins, corn mazes, ghosts, goblins and who can forget the much-anticipated pumpkin spice latte? Now, narrow it down and think about healthcare and the month of October. What comes to mind now? Pink ribbons, 5K’s in pink tutus, and mammograms- so important for us ladies. If you haven’t already, get out there and schedule your mammogram. Trust me, it really isn’t that bad.

But did you also know October is National Health Literacy month?

Heartfelt thoughts go out to all affected by the devastation caused by Hurricane Ian.

Now that the storm has passed and we are seeing the devastation, I worry most about the seniors who, with limited notice, limited resources and limited family or loved ones, had no choice but to try and ride out the storm. Florida has the highest percentage of seniors. The average age in Naples, Florida is 65.4 years old. Nationwide 1 in 5 seniors live alone.

What about those who were alone and either did not have anyone to check on them, or did not have anyone who could get to them in time to help? I always say it is important for everyone to have a healthcare advocate, whether family, friend or professional and Hurricane Ian proved that once again.

Here are two examples where a healthcare advocate could prove helpful in a natural disaster:

What is sepsis?

The CDC defines sepsis as: the body’s extreme response to an infection. It is a life-threatening medical emergency. Sepsis happens when an infection you already have triggers a chain reaction throughout your body. Without timely treatment, sepsis can rapidly lead to tissue damage, organ failure, and death. Sepsis is not the infection itself; rather it is the body’s response to an infection that damages its own tissues. Bacterial infections are the most common cause of sepsis, but viral infections such as Covid and pneumonia can lead to sepsis as well. You can’t “catch sepsis” as Sepsis is not a contagious disease. However, if the infection that caused the sepsis is contagious you can pass along the root infection.

As a bedside nurse, one of the most rewarding, yet often the most frustrating aspects was always discharges. Let’s face it, when someone is admitted to the hospital, they are leaving one way or another. It makes sense then that discharge planning should start at admission. I would venture to say that most, if not all, hospitals preach this practice. Most hospitals have case managers or discharge coordinators that work diligently to try and make this happen. However, what I have observed is that families are still not prepared. They do not understand discharge instructions, what services will be needed once at home or the next facility and what medical follow-ups they will need and must schedule. Medications are often not in order, or understood.

An estimated one in seven Americans between the ages of 40 and 60 are caring for both their children and their parents. According to a Harvard Business School study, 73 percent of employees in the United States are caring for a child, parent, or friend. The study found that 80 percent of employees surveyed admitted that caregiving affected productivity at work and 32 percent of employees left a job because of their caregiving duties. Another study found that employee caregivers miss about 12 hours of work a month because of caregiving responsibilities.

Sandwich generation was first coined in 1981 and is used to describe caregivers sandwiched between generations. One of every eight people between the ages of 40 and 60 in this country is caring for a parent and a child. Twenty-two million people are part of the sandwich generation with that number expected to grow exponentially in the coming years.

My next blog post was supposed to be about one of my favorite octogenarian clients who had the most amazing spirit. To know her was to love her. I could, and did, sit for hours with her. She never failed to put a smile on my face; her vibrant personality, her wit and her tenacity were contagious.

Instead, I am going to tell you about saying goodbye to Ms. Janice.

Mr. R is a current client and like all my clients I am thankful he chose me to be his patient advocate. I am not only thankful Mr. R is my client, but I am also thankful for the sacrifice Mr. R gave to our country.

Mr. R was a young coast guard serviceman when 9-11 hit. He spent the first 38 days at ground zero. He then went on to become a New York City Fire Fighter and continued to give to his community until his retirement.

I feel like I say this every year at this time, but it is December, and it is hard to believe the year is almost over. December is also the month Haven Healthcare Advocates launched. I am so proud of the work we have done and the families we have helped. For the next couple of weeks, I would like to take some time to highlight several of our clients from this past year. While I am thankful for each and every one of our clients that gave us the opportunity to advocate on their behalf, I also want to share these stories in hopes that their experience may help another family.

As an independent healthcare advocate what do I hear most often from new clients and families? “Thank you, I feel better already just knowing someone is on my side.”

Here are strategies for caring for aging parents from a distance. Plan a family meeting, use technology, plan regular visits and hire professionals are a few options.