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Some lessons I’ve learned/been learning (the hard way) as my dad enters his 6th week on a ventilator from #COVID19, we lost a family member, and several other family have been hospitalized (thread):
1. Patient Advocates are unsung heroes, and hospitals need more of them. Wrangling grieving family for a heart-wrenching communication through an iPad that might only appear one-way is a taxing job that can provide a struggling patient with vital encouragement from family.
2. Living wills are so important for guiding families to make decisions, and the more specific they are the better. They should be written up with physicians who know the different scenarios that could emerge. Everyone should have one.
3. Having an up-to-date Power of Attorney, and having it on file with your insurance company, can be life-saving. My dad’s insurance company was content to let him die instead of transferring him to another hospital that could offer him the care he needed b/c POA was unclear.
4. Insurance companies are scum of the earth; to them, patients are numbers. In my dad’s case, I’ve found that persistence with hospital admin who can intervene with insurance companies is more effective than persistence with the insurance companies themselves.
5. Writing down names and taking notes with every call from a nurse or dr can save a lot of confusion. Calling back to clarify details after you’ve processed is ok! Friends/family who are able to interpret the medical jargon can help a lot with understanding everything.
6. Self-care while dealing with these family crises is tough. Talking through the situation and emotions w/ others who’ve been through/are going through it helps. I had no idea how many ppl close to me have also been quietly dealing with similar situations until I reached out.
7. Lesson for the new academic term: many students, staff, and faculty didn’t get a “break,” but quite the opposite. We all need to be as flexible and understanding with one another as possible in the new term, whether one has openly shared their struggles from #COVID19 or not.
8. This has been the hardest for me to learn: Don’t hesitate to ask for help, whether from hospital staff, family, friends, colleagues, your boss, a therapist, etc. It’s a very hard time for many, in different ways. Stay strong—you’re not alone.
