Patient Advocate for Clara Johnson
Donation protected
Dear community,
From April-June my mother was in three hospitals and three skilled nursing facilities. She had an infection in her
lumbar spine and spinal stenosis.After being close to death my mother bounced back and was able to be discharged
and go back home and receive home healthcare services. She is back in the hospital but this time she is in Intensive
Care. She has another infection, she is on oxygen and at first she seemed responsive to the medication but things took a turn for the worse this afternoon. She was given morphine, which she is allergic too and they thought she'd had a
stroke. They did a CT scan to make sure she hadn't had a stroke and no one called me even though I am the power of
attorney and her daughter. I wouldn't have known this happened unless I called them to find out how my mom was
doing. My mother is a 76-year old black woman who has been dealing with chronic health issues for over a decade. She has received subpar care and no one seems to be treating the problem only the symptoms. The healthcare system is
very broken and I'm convinced the only way to manage my mother's care is to hire a patient advocate. Most hospitals
have patient advocates but the advocates are accountable to the hospital not your loved one. That is why I'm hiring one for my mother so she can be accountable to my mother's healthcare needs.
I am a freelancer meaning I don't have sick days or time off. If I don't work, I don't get paid. If I don't get paid I cannot
pay my bills or support my mother in the best way possible. While it is a privilege to work for myself it is also incredibly challenging because I want to be with my mother 24/7 but simply cannot because of work demands and bills to pay. I
am hiring a patient advocate for my mother. A patient advocate is someone who has worked in the medical system and can advocate for my mother when I am unable to be by her side. Insurance doesn't reimburse for patient advocates and eventually all of us will need an advocate. Many people turn to advocates to support them in supporting their loved ones. I'm asking for support to hire a patient advocate for a total of 30 hours. The patient advocate is a nurse, she is able to navigate the medical system and she will be able to check on my mother several times a week if I am unable to be there. Even if I am there the patient advocate can explain what is really happening to us because in our experience the doctors and nurses haven't done a good job of explaining much of anything and I am in need of support.
I am asking for your support so I can better support my mother. Please consider donating today and know that it will be put to good use. The patient advocate can make sure my mother is cared for and hopefully my mom will be able to heal and go back home.
Thank you!
Michelle Johnson
From April-June my mother was in three hospitals and three skilled nursing facilities. She had an infection in her
lumbar spine and spinal stenosis.After being close to death my mother bounced back and was able to be discharged
and go back home and receive home healthcare services. She is back in the hospital but this time she is in Intensive
Care. She has another infection, she is on oxygen and at first she seemed responsive to the medication but things took a turn for the worse this afternoon. She was given morphine, which she is allergic too and they thought she'd had a
stroke. They did a CT scan to make sure she hadn't had a stroke and no one called me even though I am the power of
attorney and her daughter. I wouldn't have known this happened unless I called them to find out how my mom was
doing. My mother is a 76-year old black woman who has been dealing with chronic health issues for over a decade. She has received subpar care and no one seems to be treating the problem only the symptoms. The healthcare system is
very broken and I'm convinced the only way to manage my mother's care is to hire a patient advocate. Most hospitals
have patient advocates but the advocates are accountable to the hospital not your loved one. That is why I'm hiring one for my mother so she can be accountable to my mother's healthcare needs.
I am a freelancer meaning I don't have sick days or time off. If I don't work, I don't get paid. If I don't get paid I cannot
pay my bills or support my mother in the best way possible. While it is a privilege to work for myself it is also incredibly challenging because I want to be with my mother 24/7 but simply cannot because of work demands and bills to pay. I
am hiring a patient advocate for my mother. A patient advocate is someone who has worked in the medical system and can advocate for my mother when I am unable to be by her side. Insurance doesn't reimburse for patient advocates and eventually all of us will need an advocate. Many people turn to advocates to support them in supporting their loved ones. I'm asking for support to hire a patient advocate for a total of 30 hours. The patient advocate is a nurse, she is able to navigate the medical system and she will be able to check on my mother several times a week if I am unable to be there. Even if I am there the patient advocate can explain what is really happening to us because in our experience the doctors and nurses haven't done a good job of explaining much of anything and I am in need of support.
I am asking for your support so I can better support my mother. Please consider donating today and know that it will be put to good use. The patient advocate can make sure my mother is cared for and hopefully my mom will be able to heal and go back home.
Thank you!
Michelle Johnson
Organizer
Michelle Johnson
Organizer
Richmond, VA
