Their Passion is Helping Seniors
A phone call can remove guesswork in health care search
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They’ve been called angels, lifesavers, a godsend. They are the warm, caring voices on the other end of the phone when seniors need help.
Common Questions from Navigator Clients
- My parents really shouldn’t be driving anymore. What can I do to help them?
- Where can I find transportation to my doctor appointments for awhile?
- My dad doesn’t think he needs help, but he just can’t live alone anymore.
- I can’t afford my prescriptions. Can Medicaid help?
- Mom can’t get to the basement to do the laundry any more. What can she do?
- Will my insurance help pay to install grab bars in my bathroom?
- Where can I find a warm water exercise class for my arthritis?
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Nancy Roach, Nancy Fitzpatric and Lori Baker answer 400 calls each month from people who have nowhere else to turn. Some callers need quick, simple advice: “Where can I find a dietitian to help me with my diabetes?” Some callers are desperate: “My dad has dementia. He needs help in a hurry and I live halfway across the country.”
Three licensed social workers comprise TriHealth Navigator for Senior Services, a free, comprehensive resource center for senior citizens. They spend their days navigating older adults, and their families or caregivers, through the complex network of health care options available to seniors in Greater Cincinnati. Referrals come from all over Greater Cincinnati; help is not limited to people affiliated with TriHealth.
Nancy Fitzpatric answered the call when Sue Ann Denier of White Oak needed help. “My mom was about to be released from Good Samaritan Hospital following surgery. She couldn’t return to her home, and she needed more care than I could provide her in my home,” Denier recalls. “I wanted to find a place that was close to me, and Catholic-affiliated, because I knew that would put my mom at ease.” Fitzpatric helped place Denier’s mom, Christine Bertke, into Bayley Place in Delhi. Denier recalls, “Nancy was calm, efficient, and laid out the steps I needed to take for mom. And she followed up with me later to make sure everyone was happy.”
Nancy Roach was there when Mozell Butler, 88, called. “They were foreclosing on my house,” says Butler. “I no longer had a job and my sister, who had helped me pay the bills, died. The realtor knew I needed advice and told me to call TriHealth Navigator.” Roach sprang into action finding Butler an attorney, a subsidized apartment, and help with her bills. “She even talked to my pharmacist about Medicare and Medicaid,” says a grateful Butler. “My medicine is cheaper now.” Nine months later, Roach continues to call Butler to make sure she’s healthy and happy. “I stop by her apartment once or twice a month to check on her.” Roach knows that older adults can get bombarded with phone calls from people who want to sell something. “I help Mozell decide who she can and can’t trust.”
A genuine desire to help seniorsWith 52 combined years of service at TriHealth, Roach, Baker and Fitzpatric are seasoned veterans. Their desire to help the elderly is both genuine and heartwarming. They understand it can be difficult for an elderly person to call for help. So when a caller seems especially confused or frustrated, “we try to avoid saying ‘I’ll call you back,’” says Roach. Whenever possible they keep the caller on the line, and use their cell phone to resolve the caller’s problem. “That way we never have to hang up, which really makes a difference to a caller who is desperate or confused.”
Within days of learning about TriHealth Navigator for Seniors, White Oak physician David Mouch MD recommended one of his patients call for help. “I got a tremendous report back from my patient, which indicated the Navigator team was extremely helpful. My patient was thrilled,” he says. Dr. Mouch is anxious to spread the word about the service, which he calls “a true lifesaver when a senior doesn’t know where to turn. We’re so lucky to have this fantastic resource, and it’s free!”
It takes patience and determination to work with a frustrated senior, or an exasperated family member. According to Jayne Miller, manager of Seniors’ Health and the Navigator progam, Roach, Fitzpatric and Baker have that perfect blend. “I am very proud of the work that the Navigator staff does; they have the education, experience and caring personalities to help callers with any need,” she says. As they work they’re calm, organized, compassionate and anxious to help. “Sometimes I wish I could reach through the phone and give the caller a hug,” says Baker.
Sue Ann Denier felt an instant connect with Nancy Fitzpatric the first time they spoke. “Nancy was so personable, we could really relate to each other. She’s an only-child, too, so she understood how scared and alone I felt,” Denier recalls. “I’ve always trusted TriHealth because the community is so wonderful. Nancy is another example of why I feel that way.”
Many calls are from seniors who are worried they need to leave their homes. They often are relieved to find that, with the proper resources, they won’t need to move. “We’ll help arrange for Meals on Wheels, nurses to visit the home, someone to do light housework or install grab bars in the shower,” says Roach. Unfortunately most people don’t know these resources exist. “It’s not unusual for a caller to ask for help with one issue, and we are able to find so many additional ways they can be helped,” says Baker.
Many resources are free, but sometimes Roach, Fitzpatric and Baker need to deliver the bad news – that insurance or Medicaid won’t cover the cost of something the caller needs. When this happens, the caller isn’t dismissed with a “good luck to you” attitude. “We work hard to find the most affordable options,” says Baker.
If you or a senior you know needs help, call TriHealth Navigator for Senior Services at 513-569-6200 or find out more on Navigator's Web site.
This article was originally published in the Spring 2008 issue of Compassion, a quarterly magazine from Good Samaritan Hospital and the Good Samaritan Hospital Foundation. ©TriHealth, 2008.
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