GAP Views

It may be emotionally healthy for a patient or the patient’s family to accept the diagnosis of a life-altering chronic disease. But from my perspective as a patient advocate, it is never healthy for a doctor to tell a patient to just accept debilitating symptoms of the disease without offering possible solutions. In fact, doing so is dismissive, disrespectful and disheartening.

It is a naïve thought, but I am going to share it anyway. Wouldn’t it be great if health care was not categorized as either physical health or mental health? Why isn’t it all just called health care? We have one body, in which all of the systems are connected and affect each other. As kids we danced the Hokey-Pokey at birthday parties. There is a lot to be said for putting our whole selves in when it comes to health care.

As the pandemic forces the world to change, doctors and patients have turned to virtual care. For people with dementia, the benefits of telemedicine — delivering clinical services remotely — is an adjustment, but one that has benefits: Sparing people trips to the doctor’s office, which can be costly, disruptive and stressful. It also has its drawbacks. Patient advocate Roseanne Geisel explores its impacts and offers guidance.

“Our current word choices indicate a population that is aging and declining, both physically and mentally, as well as in value.” Read how the pandemic has brought a culture of ageism to light — and how choosing our words more carefully can go a long way in respecting our elders.

“One day I realized that dance was my medicine. And, when I took my medicine, I was more patient and focused, and my emotional and spiritual tank was filled with more of everything I needed to be a better caregiver and daughter to my parents.  I again realized that self-care was not self-ish,it was essential to my ability to be resilient, and to recharge and thrive instead of merely survive. Self-care is really self-love.” Trish Laub

“Including a patient advocate on your care team may be the difference between being comfortable with the outcome of a loved one’s illness and worrying that more could have been done.”

“Even health care professionals, with the demands on their time, may use insensitive word choices in front of patients and their loved ones.  “I try to ensure that my clients are treated with respect and dignity during medical appointments. I was stunned when I heard a neurologist tell a patient, ‘You are not demented,’” said Roseanne Geisel, a board-certified patient advocate in Northern Virginia.”

May is mental health month.

“People who have a mental illness can have loving relationships and rewarding careers. They can be brilliant or passionate about a subject, hobby or cause. “