• A small notebook and pen for taking notes • Copies of advance directives and insurance information • Toiletries (lip balm, lotion, toothbrush, etc.) • A pair of glasses, hearing aids or mobility aids if needed Having a bag ready to go can make a hospital stay more comfortable and reduce the stress of scrambling for essentials at the last minute. Know your insurance coverage. Unexpected medical bills can be as stressful as the hospital stay itself. Take the time now to: •Review your insurance policy to understand what is covered, including hospital stays, specialist visits and rehabilitation services. •Identify in-network hospitals and providers to avoid unexpected out-of-pocket costs. •Keep track of deductibles, co-pays, and out-of-pocket maximums so you aren’t caught off guard financially. If you have questions, contact your insurance provider to clarify your benefits. Have a care plan in place. Who will take care of things at home while you’re hospitalized? Planning ahead can ease the burden on family and ensure continuity of care. Consider: •Arranging for child or pet care, or care for a loved one who depends on you in case of an emergency • Making a list of essential household tasks (bill payments, mail collection, etc.) • Discussing your hospital and post-hospital preferences with a trusted family member or caregiver If you have ongoing health conditions, working with a nurse advocate can help coordinate care and ensure you receive the best possible treatment. Speak up — be your own advocate. If you find yourself unexpectedly admitted to the hospital, don’t be afraid to ask questions. Advocate for yourself (or your loved one) by: • Asking about treatment options and potential risks before consenting to procedures •Keeping a log of doctors’ names, tests and treatments to track progress and avoid errors Peace of mind starts today. A sudden hospital stay can be a stressful experience, but taking a few steps now can make a world of difference when the unexpected happens. Planning isn’t about expecting the worst — it’s about ensuring the best possible care when you need it most. Take charge now and experience the peace of mind of being prepared. Dr. Porter is CEO and founder of MyHealth.MyAdvocate in Palm Desert. She has over 30 years of nursing practice experience dedicated to unraveling the mysteries of health care processes and advocating for patients, families and caregivers. For immediate assistance, you can reach her at (760) 851.4116 or visit www.myhealthmyadvocate.com. When devastation and despair looms, it can be challenging to find the good in our daily lives and keep the things that scare us at bay. InNight by Elie Wiesel, a Romanian-born American professor, political activist, Nobel laureate and holocaust survivor, the author’s 12-year-old self asks persistent questions about suffering answered by his poor village mentor, Moishe the Beadle, who offered, “Every question possessed a power that did not lie in the answer.” It may be less crucial to focus on an existential question that can never be answered than to dive deep into exploring the layered intricacies and nuances that birth more questions. Truth hides and we seek. When faced with perilous life situations, the notion that everything is for the good can be hard to grasp. In these circumstances, many people often turn to faith or a higher power to ask, beseech or cry out. As Martin Luther King Jr. said, it is only when it’s dark enough that we can see the stars. Even in the worst circumstances, it is important to remember that something helpful, some truth, may be found. Living life “b’ simcha” (Hebrew for “living in a state of joy”) can empower one to embrace an attitude and mindset of all things working together for good. In fact, happiness is derived from the Middle English word “hap” as in happenstance or haphazard, implying random chance or luck. It’s a fallacy that if you are lucky enough to be born into ideal circumstances, then you will be happy, and if not, there is not much you can do to change your sense of satisfaction in life. How we view our life circumstances is a way of thinking, something we can consciously direct. Put simply by Plato: “Reality is created by the mind. We can change our reality by changing our mind.” It isn’t luck or happenstance that ensures our happiness, but the way we think about and process the circumstances we encounter along the way. Resiliency is an important factor in having a mindset that everything is ultimately working out for the good. As I wrote in my doctoral dissertation, “Study of Attachment Through Relational Models of Therapy” “Many individuals, regardless of lifestyle, cultural diversity, differences in family patterns and relationships, face serious crises at some point in the life cycle. They become temporarily less functional, in some cases dysfunctional, in response to persistent stressors, whatever the etiology. Some have called upon certain internal assets and strengths that allow them to rebound from adverse situations, and in some cases, severe traumatic events.” There lies within the human spirit a desire to forge ahead, push through no matter how difficult the circumstance, with the belief that if one leaps, the net will appear, and, to focus less on our material wants and needs and seek to positively impact the lives of others. Is it all for the good? Without offering mind-numbing hope as we all continue living life on life’s terms, within the depths of my soul where questions and answers ultimately unite as one, I emphatically believe it is. Dr. Amy Austin is a licensed marriage and family therapist (MFC#41252) and doctor of clinical psychology in Rancho Mirage. She can be reached at (760) 774.0047. www.DesertHealthNews.com March/April 2025 Through the Generations The Valley's Leading Resource for Health and Wellness 18 www.myhealthmyadvocate.com Our goal is to improve patient experience and outcomes by ensuring clients understand and receive appropriate treatment, quality care, and accurate billing. • Talk with doctors on your behalf • Review treatment plans • Unravel medical billing • Provide in-hospital bedside care • Assist with hospital discharge to home or other facilities • Oer wellness visits O ering 30 years of experience navigating the health care system. Tammy Porter DNP, MLS, RN-BSN, CPHQ, CCM (760) 851-4116 myhealthmyadvocate.com Serving Coachella Valley, Riverside, San Bernardino and the surrounding areas, and nationwide virtually. A Nurse Advocate Your Trusted Guide Through the Health Care System by ensuring treatment, • Simply Caring For You visits A hopeful mindset can help see us through seemingly hopeless times. www.canaanhomecare.com 41-750 Rancho Las Palmas, Ste. N-1 Rancho Mirage, CA 92270 HCO# 374700391 760.904.4122 x200 CanaanHomeCare.com ADLs: dressing • ambulation • bathing transferring • toileting • grooming IADLs: meal prep • housekeeping • errands medication reminders • transportation Grand Opening of our newRancho Mirage location Helping 5,000+ Southern California families since 1982 Dedicated conciergecare managerand professional caregivers available to support you 24/7 Personalized in-home care solutions for all of life’s cognitive andmobility challenges www.restorehealth.me www.restorehealth.me Ketogenic Weight Loss Functional Medicine Cancer Remission Anti-Aging Live Longer and Healthier — All Naturally Personalized health services offering non-pharmaceutical solutions to reverse disease Joseph Scherger, MD, MPH Medical Director Naturally Longer and Healthier — Is It All For the Good? By Amy Austin, PSYD, LMFT Planning for Sudden Hospitalization Continued from page 17
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