Whether it is getting ready for a new school year or preparing your lawn for autumn, the change from summer to fall is often a time of additional planning, extra activities, and for many of us, it is a time of reflection. As our kids’ summer vacations wind down, we are faced with getting ready for packed lunches, establishing routines, and increasing our organization around the house. We think the change of seasons is a good time to also assess your current healthcare needs.. See the following five recommendations to evaluate where you and your family members are and set some healthcare goals for taking care of yourself and others within the next season.

1. Primary Care Physician-Do you have a primary care physician and if so, when was the last time you had a physical? Check when your last appointment was; if it was more than a year ago, strive to make an appointment for this season. If you don’t have a primary care physician, be sure to identify one and schedule an appointment.
   
2. Dentist– When was the last time you went to the dentist? Make your oral health a priority and make an appointment if it has been longer than six months since you have had an appointment. This might also be an ideal time to swap out that toothbrush if it has been awhile.
3. Screening Appointments– Are you at the stage in your life when you are due for a mammogram, colonoscopy, or skin check? Call to get these important tests scheduled for a day this upcoming season.
4. Medication List– Do you take prescribed or over the counter medications and supplements? If so, spend a few minutes writing them down or taking pictures of the bottles including the schedule of when you take them. We use an electronic documentation system, MedActionPlan. This method has been very beneficial for our clients. When this system is implemented and one of a client’s physicians recommends a change, everyone one healthcare team can view and assess the list of current medications to be sure to avoid undesirable reactions.
5. Assess your support– Are you in a situation where you or a family member needs additional support? Even if you don’t need extra assistance currently, but may soon, now is the time to start planning. A member of your medical team may have a recommendation or we are always happy to help, even if it is brainstorming during an informal discussion.

At 2×2 Health, whether we are in the same room with you or across the country, we want to be a resource to assist you and your loved ones. Our goal is for more and more people to be engaged and feel confident in their healthcare care experiences.

Wendy Benson, MBA, OTR/L

Just because someone is wearing a white lab coat and has a stethoscope in their pocket or around their neck, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they are a doctor. We often hear from our clients that they were in a doctor appointment or at the hospital and the person they thought was their doctor was, in fact, a different member of the team, like a pharmacist or a medical student. This is extremely common and even when you’re working side by side with medical professionals, it can often be confusing. Based on questions we regularly hear, we have listed various medical professional roles and their typical areas of responsibility. Please note that various healthcare organizations may define their roles and activities in different ways, but the following list can be used as a starting point to better understand who could be working with you during your healthcare journey.

Attending Physician– a physician with an MD (Medical Doctor) or DO (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine) who completed residency and practices medicine in a hospital or clinic

Fellow– a fully credentialed physician who pursues additional training usually in an area of specialty

Resident Physician– a medical graduate who practices medicine in a hospital or clinic. A resident physician is under the direct or indirect supervision of an attending physician

Medical Student– a student who is enrolled at a medical school, training to become a physician

Specialist– a physician who has completed advanced training and education in a specific area of medicine

Hospitalist– a dedicated in-patient physician who works specifically in the hospital, coordinating your care and discharge plan with the various specialists

Nurse– a medical professional who is trained to care for sick or injured people. The field of nursing also includes the promotion of health and the prevention of illness.

Nurse Practitioner– often referred to as an NP, a nurse practitioner is a nurse who is trained and qualified to treat specific medical conditions without the direct supervision of a physician

Physician Assistant– a healthcare professional who works under the supervision of a doctor. Physician Assistants, who are sometimes referred to as a PAs, are qualified to perform physical examinations, diagnose and treat illnesses, order diagnostic tests and can assist doctors with surgical procedures

Medical Assistant– an allied health professional who supports health professionals, often in a clinic setting. They typically take and record vital signs and assist with administrative and clinical tasks in a clinic or hospital setting.

Lab Technician– a person who performs hands-on work at the bedside, in the clinic, and in laboratories. They often are the ones who collect and examine test body fluids like urine or blood

Pharmacist– a healthcare professional who are medication experts. Pharmacists prepare and dispense prescribed medications to patients as well as provides information about drugs

Rehabilitation Therapists (Physical, Occupational, and Speech Therapists)– These allied medical health professionals provide evaluations and services to patients who have impairments, functional limitations, disabilities or changes in function. It is typical that a therapy evaluation would be ordered if a patient is recovering from a stroke, surgery, or another significant change.

Who is on your team? A way that our clients have felt more informed is to keep a list of who is on their team with the persons’ names and roles written down. This can help us better understand who is recommending what. What do you wish you knew about your healthcare? At 2×2 Health, whether we are in the same room with you or across the country, we want to be a resource to assist you and your loved ones. Our goal is for more and more people to be engaged and feel confident in their healthcare care experiences. One way to become more engaged and confident is to ask questions. What do you wish you knew? We want to help you and those that you love.

 

Wendy Benson, MBA, OTR/L

 

“I really wish I knew __________ about my healthcare.”

                                                                                                – Everyone

 

At 2×2 Health: Private Health Concierge, every day we meet with people, we hear something like, “I wish I would have known you when I was going through my surgery last year,” or “I wish I would have known what to expect when my mother was going through her cancer treatments a few months ago.” Sometimes it is wishing that we knew about the resources available to help us when we feel the most vulnerable, while other times it may be wishing we has asked more questions at the beginning. Whatever your questions are, we want to help you navigate your healthcare journey successfully. We’ll share some of the most common themes of “I wish I knew…” over the next couple of months, beginning with, “I wish I knew how to prepare for my doctor appointment.” Sometimes it can be intimidating to ask questions, we can feel like we should know all the answers, but remember our doctors and nurses went to school for a long time to be able to answer these questions! When we ask questions in a respectful, genuine manner, we are showing our interest, our investment in our loved ones and ourselves. When we partner in an educated way with our medical team, we are better equipped to understand our current status and our next steps. Here are a several strategies to help you prepare for your next doctor’s appointment:

• Have someone go with you, it is important to have an extra set of eyes and ears to help with asking questions, taking notes, as well as hearing and understanding the information that is being discussed.
• Have a list of all your current medications
• Make a list of some questions in advance of the doctor appointment, examples of a few questions could be:
  • What is my diagnosis or are we still determining that?
  • Are there any diagnostic tests that you will be ordering today?
  • Can you tell me a more about why we are doing this test and what our next steps will be based on the results?
  • When will I know the results? How will I know what the results mean?   And who do I connect with if I have questions after getting the results?
  • What are my next steps and in what order? If I have questions or have trouble making a follow up appointment, what do you recommend I do?
• Ask for clarification when medical terminology that you are not familiar with was being used
  • I am unfamiliar with some of the terms being used and I really want to understand this, can you please explain it to me in layman’s terms?
    • Do not be afraid to ask for spelling!
  • When I describe this to my family, I want to be sure I use words that they can understand, can you please tell me more about this in a way that I be able effectively to communicate it back to them?
• Discuss what to expect after your surgery or treatment
• If there is recovery time associated with surgery or treatment, what does this typically look like? What is considered a typical healing time and at what point, should additional medical treatment be considered?
• Based on day-to-day routine and activities, are there activities that should be adjusted?
• If a new medication is being prescribed, be sure to know how much and how often to take it, if there are any special instructions, potential side effects and what to do when the current prescription runs out
• Ask for a clear understanding of what is typical and what is unusual with the condition or disease
• Keep notes or a journal of what each healthcare professional discussed and recommended
  • This is something that your family member or friend could help with
• Ask if there were organizations available to help with some of the challenges associated with your healthcare issues, and if the physician doesn’t know, maybe some of the other team members will

When we ask more thoughtful questions, we become better informed. What do you wish you knew about your healthcare? At 2×2 Health, whether we are in the same room with you or across the country, we want to be a resource to assist you and your loved ones. Our goal is to help people be engaged and feel confident in their healthcare care experiences and one way to achieve that is to ask questions.

What are some things you wish you knew or would like to know about healthcare and your healthcare journey?

Wendy Benson, MBA, OTR/L

 

At 2×2 Health: Private Health Concierge, we LOVE our nurses! Earlier this year, Pope Francis called nurses “experts in humanity” and that they are “promoters of the life and dignity of the persons.” We couldn’t agree more! At 2×2 Health, we have the privilege of working with these amazing people every single day. As Pope Francis stated, “Like no other, the nurse has the direct and continuous relationship with patients, takes care of them every day, listens to their needs and comes into contract with their very body, that he tends to.” Our care team is our biggest asset at 2×2 Health and our nurses are more than healthcare professionals, they are also tremendous people doing fascinating things. The following is just a snapshot of what several of our nurses are inspired by and what they are passionate about outside of nursing!

• Lauren L. really loves the quote from Maya Angelou, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”   Her daughter, Hazel, received a book about Maya Angelou for her second birthday and it’s one of her favorites. She’s personally loved learning more about her life and legacy. According to Lauren, “Here’s a woman who truly knew what it meant to live a full life and to rise with grace during the lows that inevitably come with the peaks. I connect with this particular quote of hers because it’s applicable in every segment of my life; as a professional, as a friend, as a daughter, wife, mother, and individual.”

• Brandy was the running back on the Chicago Force; a women’s tackle football team, having the opportunity to play against 40 other teams throughout the U.S.   Brandy was selected to represent and be a key member of Team USA where she played in an international tournament; helping the USA bring home a gold medal!

• Alexandra is a Certified National Ski Patrol (NSP) Alpine Patroller where she volunteers her time for Outdoor Emergency Care/Rescue in recreational and wilderness settings where individuals can be extremely vulnerable. Alex is also a Crew Nurse within her position as a head-sail trimmer for Sailboat/Yacht Racing.

• Sheila has fun spending time with her family and friends. She also enjoys reading and assisting the Chicago-land Emergency Medical Service Company by providing assistance to employees and guests at Major League Baseball, National Hockey League, and National Basketball Association Games. She is such an avid Cubs fan that she and her husband named their son after Ryne Sandburg.

• Jessica has a favorite quote that we really love too, “To know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

• Damaris recently moved back into the city of Chicago after she and her husband raised their three sons in the suburbs. She is an avid photographer and scrapbooker! She loves that her three children live downtown too so they can spend quality time together! They all actively root for Chicago sports teams, Go Blackhawks!

• Elizabeth S. loves to travel anywhere there is a city, beach, or mountain. To her, “the best present is the gift of travel!” Her favorite destinations include Paris, Ireland, Mexico, California, and Arizona.

• Eileen really relates to a quote by Florence Nightingale, “The object and color of the materials around us actually have a physical effect on us, on how we feel.” This is a particular interest to Eileen, she says, “There is abundant research that demonstrates the impact that the physical environment has on patient healing; including light, air quality, colors, views to nature, and natural light. In addition, the environment has a direct impact on the staffs’ ability to stay healthy and thus be able to provide care to patients. These are core principles used to design clinical spaces today. Florence was far and away ahead of her time.”

• Lauren M. enjoys exercising and boxing when she is not working as a nurse. Her favorite gym is Shred 415! Lauren recently boxed in her first official match raising money and awareness for a charity in Austin, Texas.

• Heather has several favorite quotes including one by Chrissie Wellington, “It’s when the discomfort strikes that one realizes a strong mind is the most powerful weapon of all.”

• Brittany served in the Illinois Army National Guard in the early 2000s and served in Kuwait and Iraq in 2003 and 2004 as a combat medic. We are so grateful for the service of all of our veterans!

In summary, the 25 individuals on our growing team all wear a lot of different hats and have a range of passions and priorities in their lives. We are invested in our nurses’ careers and are fully committed to their overall lives and happiness. At 2×2 Health, we are here to support and care for you through all of your needs. We take pride in being actively engaged in our communities. And most importantly, we strive to continuously lift our 2×2 family up! A big 2×2 thank you to all of our amazing nurses and to nurses everywhere!

Be well and please thank the community of nursing for their continued commitment and dedication.

Wendy Benson, MBA, OTR/L

At the beginning of any sports season, we hear and read a lot about teamwork. Babe Ruth once said,

The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don’t play together, the club won’t be worth a dime.

In Chicago, many of us are Cubs or White Sox fans, but regardless of the team we root for, we know teamwork is essential, and it’s not just limited to baseball. Babe Ruth’s focus on teamwork can translate into the importance of teamwork when it comes to healthcare. Next time you or a family member has a health care situation, we recommend asking yourself or family member the following questions:

1. Who is on your healthcare team?
2. Is there a key position or role that is missing?
3. If you have more than one physician, how is your treatment plan being communicated?
4. How is your medical information being conveyed to you and your family?
   
5. Who is the coach of your healthcare plan?
6. Do you have a specific, clearly identified goals?
7. When changes occur, who is included in these discussions and who communicates it to all the appropriate team members?

One of our valuable team members, Damaris Boutros, MS, RN, avid Cubs fan and Senior Clinical Coordinator at 2×2 Health describes how important a collaborative team is when focusing on your healthcare. Damaris spends a great deal of time bringing people together to ensure that the clients’ individualized needs are at the forefront and that all the team members are coordinated in their efforts to enhance our client’s healthcare experience. She shares that the ideal healthcare team is: “compassionate, focused, deep, and well rounded.” Our clients really enjoy working with Damaris as she really takes the time to truly understand their goals and is adept at bringing the best “players” together for a seriously effective dream team.

Now, if only the weather was warm enough to enjoy a baseball game. . .

 

 

Wendy Benson, MBA, OTR/L

At 2×2 Health, several of us are devoting time and energy to our overall health and wellbeing. We partnered with A.J. Morton, founder of Next Level Fitness in Chicago, to engage in a program that focuses on nutrition and personal training.

As we identified our goal and priorities A.J. and his team have helped us align our actions with our goals. The key, according to A.J., is to help reach your own individualized goals with attention and intention.   My five favorite points of the plan include the following:

1. Importance of Protein

“Simply put, we wouldn’t exist without protein. Protein plays a lead role in nearly every function of your body. It is part of every cell in your body and it is used to help build muscle, organs, and other tissues. It is also important for brain health and makes enzymes, hormones, and other necessary chemicals,” states A.J. when emphasizing the need for protein.

A.J. uses the following quote that I really like:

“If life gives you lemons, ask for something higher in protein.” Anonymous

2. Healthy Fats

Healthy fats include olive oil, avocado, nuts, seeds, omega 3’s, etc. Healthy fats are helpful for your body and are important for: making hormones, brain health, energy levels, supporting your thyroid, strengthening your bones and immune system. Through A.J.’s program, I have tried a number of delicious homemade smoothies that incorporate a number of these. One of my favorites includes avocado, blueberries, and walnuts, YUM!

3. Water Consumption

Staying hydrated is one of the best ways to take care of your body. According to A.J., water is essential for our body to function at its highest level.   It also helps to increase our energy levels, promotes weight loss, improves digestion, improves the quality of our skin, and can help with headaches. I like the quote in the Next Level Fitness Plan that states, “If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water.” – Lauren Eisely

4. Always Be Prepared

This can mean to have your workout clothes in a place where they are easy to grab or it can mean to schedule time in your week to grocery shop for healthy options. A.J. shared that being prepared will mean the difference between success and failure. Set yourself up for success by making a grocery list, scheduling time to shop for healthy items, and commit to times to strengthen and condition your body.

5. De-Stress Your Life

A.J. has such a productive way of defining what is important. His philosophy is, “If it is not going to help you grow, contribute, or reach your personal goals, then it is probably wasting your time. Getting rid of the ‘extra stuff’ protects your most valuable resource, your time. Guard your time like your life depends on it because it does.”

 

 

 

If you would like to contact A.J. you can email him here:  aj@nextlevelfitnesschicago.com

Beth and I have really enjoyed partnering with Next Level Fitness and are interested in what works for you. What helps you feel healthier, stronger, less stressed, or more focused?

Wendy Benson, MBA, OTR/L

When ringing in the New Year many of us take time to reflect on the past while eager to look toward the future. In 2017, the 2×2 Health family accomplished many things while growing personally and as a business. As the New Year approached we felt it was time to grow by one more member!

Introducing Murphy! He is full of energy and loves meal and snack time! 

            As much as Murphy is loved, the following month with Murphy has created a new set of challenges. This adjustment period has helped me to reevaluate my schedule and put things into perspective. When bringing in a new pet, or any big change within ones environment, it is normal to feel off-balance at first. During my time of adjustment and adapting to life with Murphy I used the following reminders to stay grounded!

1. Acknowledge your feelings: Often we can try to hide from how uncomfortable we feel, but experts agree that when we “name” our feelings, it is easier to proactively address them. In our home, we discussed that although my daughters were extremely happy and excited to have a new puppy, how it is completely natural to be anxious about holding a new squirmy little puppy because we don’t want to hurt him, and we also don’t want him to chew on us! After talking about it understandable it is to feel this way, we practiced over and over (with treats for Murphy of course) and it got a little easier and was a fun exercise.
2. Prepare as much as possible: In addition to reading books together on raising a puppy, we also sought an expert, a trusted veterinarian and her recommendation for a trainer. This experience reinforced to me how there are resources all around us, people we can count on to help us through various transitions and life experiences. It can be comforting to know that there are people who specialize in potty-training puppies!
3. Attitude and what we do is “ours” to control: So much of what we experience in our lives are directly related to our attitude and how we respond to situations. According to Dr. Wayne Dyer, “If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” When Murphy didn’t quite make it outside and had an accident on the floor, one of my daughters exclaimed, “At least it isn’t on the carpet!” I had to applaud her attitude, she certainly changed the way I viewed the clean-up duty.
4. Enjoy the shift in your “new normal”: Although I am getting up earlier due to the new puppy training and feeding routine, I am really loving the extra snuggles I am getting from Murphy in the morning. Admittedly, the schedule is a little more hectic, but it is also filled with more laughter and fun for all of us.

Any change, positive or negative, can add stress into our lives. If Murphy has taught me anything, it is to give myself a break and realize that it is completely normal to feel this way.

Have you occurred any big changes in 2018? How have you handled them? We would love to hear your pieces of advice for coming to terms with shifts in routines!

Thank you for reading and here’s to Murphy learning to chew only his toys, not my daughters’ fingers, and to a very happy and healthy 2018!

 

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Wendy Benson, MBA, OTR/L

The holiday season often involves nostalgic sights and sounds but if you or someone you care about has difficulty hearing during family events, it can be stressful and less enjoyable.   Vikram Sobti, MD, MBA, co-founder of the company Audinix, and I have had multiple discussions about the holiday season stress for those hard of hearing.  According to Dr. Sobti, many people struggle with hearing loss and don’t even know it.   The sense of hearing is so critically important, when we proactively address it, it can stave off dementia, depression, and feelings of socially isolation.  Audinix offers Primary Care Physician groups the ability to provide more comprehensive hearing care, including screening for hearing loss.  Dr. Sobti also provided the following six helpful strategies that can be used when communicating with those who have trouble hearing.

1. Be mindful of controllable background noise: Holiday music can help set the tone, but adjust the volume so that it does not prohibit guests from being part of the conversation
2. When talking to someone, don’t block your mouth: Without realizing it, some people cover their mouths with their hands or napkins and that can impair the ability those who use the additional cues from lip reading and expressions
3. Face the person you are talking with: This helps both from the direction that the sound is traveling as well as seeing helpful cues from our mouths, expressions, and eyes
4. Speak clearly and enunciate your words: Try not to mumble and be mindful of the way we pronounce our syllables and words without dropping the volume at the end of each sentence or thought
5. When you are not sure, ask: Prompt the person you are talking with a question, is the volume and speed of my speech ok or am I difficult to understand? This will help the individual provide you feedback in a productive way while also showing them that you care
6. Listen: Take a breath, use the pause, and ask questions to learn more about their perspective. What can you learn from the person you are interacting with?

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At 2×2 Health, we offer premier, concierge-style care coordination. As highly trained experts with clinical and caregiving backgrounds, we know it takes a deep understanding of the science, emotions, and relationships of caregiving to provide a truly, patient-centered experience.  We welcome families and healthcare professionals and believe everyone is part of the same care team, one built on mutual respect and sharing a common goal.  No matter where you are on your healthcare journey, we are here for you.

 Healthcare with you.  Healthcare for you.        

Wendy Benson, MBA, OTR/L

Stacey Dohman, Katie Kennedy, and Mark Brady are people I trust when it comes to eating fresh and healthy. Stacey is a dietitian and District Manager at Sodexo and National Dining Director of Covenant Retirement Communities. Stacey has a great deal of experience in healthcare, university settings, and long-term care facilities.   She has a passion for real food and maintaining a balanced lifestyle. She knows that a healthy balance means: good nutrition, regular physical activity, getting enough sleep at night, managing stress, and meaningful time with family and friends.  Stacey has a BS degree in Family and Consumer Science from Western Illinois University as well as a Master’s Degree in Nutrition from Texas Woman’s University. Stacey is married with two young children and loves finding recipes that are nutritious that the whole family will love.

I also spoke with Katie Kennedy and Mark Brady who developed Timberfeast. Timberfeast is a small pasture-based livestock farm committed to raising the healthiest, most delicious meat to nourish individuals and their families.  Mark and Katie describe themselves as farmers with a deep interest in health, holistic healing, and nutrition.  They met through the shared passion of raising their animals on pasture, in a natural and healthy way.  Their farming practices benefit the earth and produce highly delicious products.  They operate a farm in Chatworth, Illinois, 80 miles south of Chicago where they raise chickens and turkeys who roam and eat in the grass pastures.  Not surprisingly, when the animals eat grains, those grains are grown locally by a small farmer within a few miles of them in a natural, organic environment.  Mark and Katie’s explain that their philosophy is truly time-honored; that delicious and nutritious food comes from animals that eat and live well.  They are in the second season of their farm and have fresh Thanksgiving turkeys and fresh pastured chicken and eggs, among other items.  Timberfeast offers weekly pick-ups and home deliveries around Chicagoland throughout the year and is currently taking orders for Thanksgiving. Their website is:  https://www.timberfeast.com/

So here we go… Top 6 Reasons to buy local:

1. Tastes Better In-season produce has much more flavor than fruits and vegetables shipped from across the country — or the world.
2. More Nutritious In-season fruits and veggies are harvested just as they’ve developed abundant nutrients. In contrast, fruits and veggies transported from far away are picked before they’re ripe and nutritionally mature. This allows the produce to survive days or weeks in a truck, but it reduces the amount of nutrients available.
3. Helps Your Community Purchasing produce and meats locally builds your local economy instead of handing over the earnings to a corporation in another city, state, or country.
4. Better for Environment Some foods are shipped literally thousands of miles; that is a big carbon footprint that could be avoided by purchasing local and seasonal foods.
5. More Variety Eating with the seasons also brings variety to your diet — and that helps you get the full complement of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that nature offers. Rather than start every morning with, say, half a grapefruit (a winter fruit), you might switch to pears or cherries in fall and blueberries or raspberries in summer.
6. More affordable While grocery stores will carry an assortment of fruits and vegetables throughout the year, buying produce that is in season can be much cheaper than produce that has traveled a significant distance.

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Whether you are eating an apple and kale salad for lunch or choose to make an evening meal of turkey and sweet potatoes, if you shop for your food locally, it will taste better and have more nutritional value.   Many areas of healthcare, including dietary restrictions, can be overwhelming.  If you or a loved one is dealing with a complex health issue and need help addressing your diet, or if you simply have a question for one of our nurses or dieticians, please don’t hesitate to give us a call.  No matter where you are on your healthcare journey, we are here for you.

Healthcare with you.  Healthcare for you.      

Wendy Benson, MBA, OTR/L

When a family member is in the hospital, it can be a frightening experience. We often ask ourselves, “What can I do to help?   Because many our clients have similar concerns when their loved ones are in the hospital, I reached out and talked with an expert in the field, Karen Curtiss

Karen is the Founder of CampaignZERO Families for Patient Safety and the author of the book, Safe & Sound in the Hospital: Must Have Checklists and Tools for Your Loved One’s Care.

Wendy: I love the tagline of your organization, “To all the world you are just one person. But to one person you could mean the world.” It is so powerful, tell me what inspired you to start Campaign Zero Families for Patient Safety.

Karen: It is great to talk with you– I am so happy for the chance to share CampaignZERO with you and your readers. I started CampaignZERO because I was determined to transform my family’s multiple tragedies into better healthcare outcomes for others. I scoured medical textbooks, reviewed clinical studies, and talked with patient safety experts across the world to learn about how hospital care is managed; where there are potential cracks in care, and the best practices to prevent them.

Wendy: I’m sure you learned a great deal! We’d love to hear about a few of the main points.

Karen: When we have a loved one in the hospital, it can be challenging to know what to do, or say, or what questions are important to ask. There are many things within our control that we don’t even realize; areas where we can be an active care partner for our loved ones, especially to help make sure they don’t suffer any complications that require a longer hospital stay.

First and foremost, it is so important that every patient has someone with them. Studies show that patients forget 80% of what they hear. Add the often overwhelming and confusing shared information, it is completely natural to feel intimidated by the environment and situation.

Second, at Campaign ZERO, we offer multiple free checklists you can follow to help you feel more confident navigating hospital care and preventing common complications like infections, blood clots, bed sores and falls—all which are common.

Wendy: Can you give us a few examples of simple things we can do to help our loved ones when in the hospital?

Karen: Absolutely!

1. Use a notebook to take notes and keep track of important details—information shared by the medical team, medications tests and test results, questions you think of when the physician and nurse aren’t present, their names and the roles they play in of those providing care
2. Everyone needs to wash their hands before touching the patient. This applies to everyone: visitors, medical professionals, and even the patients themselves, especially before eating. If soap and warm water is out of reach for the patient, an alcohol gel works great as well. Use alcohol wipes or bleach wipes to “detail” these high touch items: TV remote, telephone, bed rails, bedside chair and table, call buttons, facets, doorknobs, etc.
3. Encourage discussion between the caregivers and your loved one. Every morning, ask “What is the plan of care today?” Don’t be afraid to speak up and voice your loved one’s goals and to ask “why” about anything. Sometimes knowing the reason why for certain recommendations helps the patient feel more motivated to follow their doctors’ recommendations.
4. Be helpful and show appreciation—when possible, assist the healthcare team with simple day-to-day activities; help keep the hospital room neat and tidy, introduce visitors to the care team, and compliment those who are especially caring and attentive.

And finally, take your CampaignZERO checklists to the hospital and follow them

Wendy: Thank you, Karen, this information and the resources on your website are so helpful. I appreciate your time and thank you for all the free resources you have provided for those who need them! Additional information on CampaignZERO Families for Patient Safety and the checklists can be found at: http://www.campaignzero.org/

Karen: My pleasure! I’m excited that we are all working together and partnering with the health care providers to positively impact the health and safety of our loved ones.

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If you are in a situation where you or a loved one is facing a complex healthcare issue, we are here for you. At 2×2 Health: Private Health Concierge, we are compassionate experts who work with you and your family to support you. We inspire confidence and navigate complexity. We are not just here to change how care is managed, we’re here to change lives for the better.

Healthcare with you. Healthcare for you.

Wendy Benson, MBA, OTR/L