Archive for November, 2011
Lipitor goes generic
As of tomorrow, my husband’s co-pay for his cholesterol-lowering medication, Lipitor, goes from $135 to $15, as long as he’s comfortable taking a generic, which is chemically identical to the name brand. But Pfizer, the maker of Lipitor, wants to keep him as a customer. It has offered him the same deal as a generic [...]
By the hour
I had an old, broken treadmill downstairs and it wasn’t worth fixing. We pondered what to do with it for several months before I finally decided to call in a junk hauler, 1-800-GOT-JUNK, and while I was at it, I gathered up a few other things — a broken chaise lounge, a broken vacuum cleaner [...]
Super failure for the “super committee”
So the super committee that was supposed to come up with a plan to reduce the defecit has admitted failure. That’s good news for Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, at least in the short term. But once again, physicians and other health care service providers face cuts of 30 percent in the rates they receive from [...]
How popular is health reform?
A new Gallup poll shows that 50 perent of Americans believe the government has a responsibility to make sure Americans have access to health care. On the other hand, the same Gallup poll shows 61 percent of Americans still want the system in private hands, not run by the government. This month’s Kasiser Family Foundation [...]
What if the Supreme Court says no?
The US Supreme Court has agreed to hear the health reform law case. Arguments will come in March, and the decision will be rendered at the height of the 2012 election campaign. The justices will decide whether the mandate to buy insurance is Constitutional, and if not, whether the entire law is struck down or [...]
A post-election sigh of relief
Ohio voters’ overwhelming rejection of a union-busting law comes as a relief to anyone who’s worried about workers’ rights, pay and benefits. Voters rejected the far-right view that workers can be treated any way corporate bigwigs choose to treat them. Unions are important because they increase worker pay and safety on the job. As unions [...]
Celebrating life and Mike
Sunday’s dinner was the best yet, with about 100 people attending, fabulous food, terrific music and a huge variety of auction items. The list of thank-yous is long. Thanks to Carol Duin for setting up the auction items for display. It looked beautiful. Thanks to Ruben Orengo and Robert Anders for the music. It was [...]
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.
To learn more, visit www.startfromseed.org, or call Program Director Chelsea Kouns at 804-814-9946.