Archive for July, 2010
Meet Dewey
Meet Dewey, whose previous owner was about to send him to the pound. We’re at my office right now and he’s slobbering with excitement all over the carpet. We’re not sure how he’ll get along with Beasley and the cats, but if that doesn’t work out, we’ll find him a home where nobody will take [...]
Should doctors’ notes be read by patients?
Should I be able to read what my doctors write in their notes? Of course. Legally, the records belong to me, and I can request copies any time. After Mike died, I got the chance to read his records from Dr. Patrick Hammen in Savannah. That’s where I discovered his doctors knew he was succeptible [...]
‘I don’t have to worry.’
I was at a party over the weekend with a young woman from France. The talk turned to health care, and she said she never has to worry about it at home. “I get sick and I get taken care of,” she said. “It’s as easy as that.” She admitted she probably pays more in [...]
At least some things are getting fixed
The Obama Administration announced this week that many preventive care services will be free for people whose insurance plans are covered under the new rules. Initially, that means about 41 milion Americans; iIn 2013, some 88 million will be covered. Even those of us with insurance usually pay for checkups (my co-pay has gone from [...]
Here in North Carolina
As I’ve written several times, a lot of how health care reform looks will depend on what the individual states do. States have the option to set up their own high-risk pools or let the federal government do it. North Carolina has had Inclusive Health, a high-risk pool for over a year, and the new pool [...]
Bluegrass
What a night. Buncombe Turnpike (above) and Paul’s Creek Band (below) were outstanding. They played a two and a half hours of original and traditional bluegrass. We definately had the two best bands in the region playing for Mike. Thanks again to both bands, to Phillip Trees, who allowed us to use the Fletcher Feed [...]
Support for reform is rising
We’re still not quite to 50 percent approval, but a Kaiser Family Foundation report finds that 48 percent of Americans now approve of the legislation, up from 41 percent a month ago. (see the report at http://www.kff.org/kaiserpolls/8082.cfm) We’re about evenly divided on whether a legislator’s vote will affect how we vote in November. Roughly one-third [...]
Have a beer in May
Stop into Altamont Brewing, 1042 Haywood Road, West Asheville, any time in May and ask for their "charity" beer of the day. Buy one and Life o' Mike gets $1. In fact, we get a buck for each one sold. So go in every day and have one to support Life o' Mike.
Thanks, Altamont!
Patient Pals & Family Friends
Life o' Mike has a peer support program for people with one or more serious or chronic medical issues or disabilities.
We aim to reduce isolation and fear among people who have conditions, including psychiatric illness, HIV/AIDS, diabetes, mild dementia or other cognitive disorder or disability, thereby reducing depression and complications as people learn to improve self-management of their medical conditions.
Patient Pals help alleviate feelings of isolation and frustration. They can help people develop a list of questions to ask the doctor and then accompany the person to the doctor to make sure all the questions are answered, taking notes to be sure the person understands the doctor’s answers.
Our trained volunteers also accompany their “Pals” to art exhibits, movies and walks outdoors, meet for coffee, call to check in and more.
Our Pals have experienced weight loss, improvement in diabetes, HIV, psoriasis, depression and more, just because they have someone who cares about them. Some relationships develop into longer-term friendships; other Pals move on to more independent lives.
Family Friends are there to help caregivers and other family members grow into their new role.
We need volunteers, who are asked to donate a minimum of one hour a week. Training is free and includes information on active listening, ways to help and when to know more help is needed.
And of course, we need funding.
To learn more, call Leslie Boyd at 828-243-6712 or e-mail lifeomike@gmail.com.
Start From Seed
Life o' Mike has a new program- Start from Seed (SFS).
SFS is a volunteer doula program aimed at providing non-medical, comprehensive support to low income, high-risk women and families of Buncombe County focusing on three areas:
1. We help new doulas with certification and training in return for their participation as a volunteer doula for SFS
2. We mentor volunteer doulas with their first few clients
3. Our volunteer doulas provide birth and postpartum doula services to low income, high risk moms, providing support and tools to empower them as a new parent.
A birth doula is a trained and experienced professional who provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to the mother before, during and just after birth; a postpartum doula provides emotional and practical support during the postpartum period.
Start from Seed clients are referred to us from the Buncombe County Department of Health’s Nurse-Family Partnership Program, Western North Carolina Community Health Services, and Mission Hospital. The Program is intended and designed for growing clients’ inner strength and helping them gain empowerment to help them cope with the emotional, physical and mental challenges of childbirth, labor, and motherhood.
Our new moms and their infants have many needs. If you would like to help them get off to a good start, please visit our Start from Seed web site: Start from Seed, or call Program Director Chelsea Kouns at 804-814-9946.