leslie
Hangin’ with Thom
I’m out in Goldsboro, NC, tonight, staying with my high school friend, Thom Welch. Thom retired from the Air Force today, and he invited me and our friends Pat and Barry Ryan, to the retirement ceremony. The four of us graduated from North Attleboro High School in 1970. Barry got a PhD in public health [...]
The policy details matter
I spent the morning in a meeting of the panel that is making decisions on what North Carolina’s insurance exchange will look like. I know most people would have found the meeting unbearably dull, but the points being discussed could make the difference between an exchange that works best for consumers or one that works [...]
Go bankrupt or die — or both
A couple of stories caught my eye this week: A young Canadian skier who was gravely injured in an accident here in the US and ultimately died. The Utah hospital that tried to save her then billed her family some $550,000 (That’s one estimate of the amount; others are as low as about $280,000). An 18-year-old young woman [...]
New poll shows most want health reform
A new poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation finds that 44 percent of Americans have an unfavorable view of the Affordable Care Act; 37 percent have a favorable view. But the people who want to see the law expanded or kept in its current form (50 percent) is still larger than the percentage of people [...]
Just two brief mentions
I watched the State of the Union address last night and two things jumped out at me: John Boehner looked constipated, and health care was barely mentioned. I counted two brief mentions, one when the president said he would not go back to the days of unchecked power for insurance companies to raise rates, cancel [...]
Frustrations over Medicaid in North Carolina
North Carolina’s Secretary of Health and Human Services, Lanier Cansler, resigned from his post recently, effective Jan. 31. When Gov. Bev Perdue was elected, I ran into Lanier at a party and asked if he was going to be the next HHS secretary. I got an odd stare in responsse, and then he smiled and [...]
The local numbers
I was filling out a grant letter of intent this morning with one of my board members. She was looking up the numbers and I was interpreting them, and they’re pretty dismal. For one thing the two top causes of death here are suicide and infection — both largely preventable. An estiumated 40,000 people in [...]
The folly of “you can’t be poor if …”
Despite the rises in the poverty level and the cuts to programs that help people in poverty, some on the Right would have us believe that you can’t be poor if you have a refrigerator and a TV, or even if you have indoor plumbing. There are plenty of people whose refrigerator came with the [...]
This year, I resolve …
Happy New Year, everyone. This promises to be an historic year, either in that We the People take back our Democracy or that it succumbs to corporate interests. Across the country, corporate interests are trying to subvert the election process with laws that place obstacles in the paths of voters — especially those voters who [...]
If you can’t get the paper to do a story …
Amber Cagle Amber Cagle has leukemia. She was diagnosed in December and is undergoing chemo at Wake Forest University Hospital. I don’t know much about her except that she’s an animal advocate and she needs financial help. Fortunately, she is getting treatment, but the bills will take her the rest of her life to pay [...]
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.