Tuesday, February 02, 2010
Be prepared for when serious illness hits
Anyone who has ever been diagnosed with a serious illness — or had a loved one suffer this fate — knows how overwhelming the situation can be.
The healthcare system can be quite complex even under normal circumstances, never mind under stressful situations.
That’s why The Backus Hospital Education Department has organized a community event, “Diagnosed with a Serious Illness? What to Do Next,” part of its ongoing Family Matters series.
The free event will be held Thursday, Feb. 11, from 6:30-8 p.m. in the Backus Hospital entry level conference rooms. To register, call 860-889-8331, ext. 2495.
Backus Palliative Care Coordinator Liz Fracchia, a registered nurse; Barbara Sinko, a a Backus medical caseworker; and Mary Ann Duchene, a registered nurse with Backus Home Health Care, will be presenters of the program.
The event is one you won’t want to miss. Although you might not be in the situation now, most people are touched by serious illness at some point during their lifetimes.
The presenters, who have decades of experience among them, will talk about local resources available, what questions to ask healthcare providers and insurers, coping tips and home health resources.
This is information you want to have before you are impacted — it can help reduce stress, enhance quality of life and potentially improve outcomes.
As a registered nurse for many years, I can assure you that being prepared with this information now can pay off when an actual crisis hits, whether it be heart failure, cancer, kidney disease or any other medical situation.
Alice Facente is a registered nurse and clinical educator with the Education Department at The William W. Backus Hospital. This column should not replace advice or instruction from your physician. E-mail Facente or any of the Healthy Living columnists at healthyliving@wwbh.org. To comment on this or other Healthy Living columns, click below or go to the Healthy Living blog at www.backushospital.org/backus-blogs.
The healthcare system can be quite complex even under normal circumstances, never mind under stressful situations.
That’s why The Backus Hospital Education Department has organized a community event, “Diagnosed with a Serious Illness? What to Do Next,” part of its ongoing Family Matters series.
The free event will be held Thursday, Feb. 11, from 6:30-8 p.m. in the Backus Hospital entry level conference rooms. To register, call 860-889-8331, ext. 2495.
Backus Palliative Care Coordinator Liz Fracchia, a registered nurse; Barbara Sinko, a a Backus medical caseworker; and Mary Ann Duchene, a registered nurse with Backus Home Health Care, will be presenters of the program.
The event is one you won’t want to miss. Although you might not be in the situation now, most people are touched by serious illness at some point during their lifetimes.
The presenters, who have decades of experience among them, will talk about local resources available, what questions to ask healthcare providers and insurers, coping tips and home health resources.
This is information you want to have before you are impacted — it can help reduce stress, enhance quality of life and potentially improve outcomes.
As a registered nurse for many years, I can assure you that being prepared with this information now can pay off when an actual crisis hits, whether it be heart failure, cancer, kidney disease or any other medical situation.
Alice Facente is a registered nurse and clinical educator with the Education Department at The William W. Backus Hospital. This column should not replace advice or instruction from your physician. E-mail Facente or any of the Healthy Living columnists at healthyliving@wwbh.org. To comment on this or other Healthy Living columns, click below or go to the Healthy Living blog at www.backushospital.org/backus-blogs.
# posted by ----------------- @ 8:45 AM 
