Sharon, a 59-year-old accountant from Winnipeg, lives with type 2 diabetes. Recently she encountered a series of unexpected challenges in her life. Sharon was facing emerging issues with her diabetes that after years of being under control flared up without warning, and her aging mother was diagnosed with dementia. Sharon instantly became the primary caregiver and needed to figure out how to access care she had never needed access before. On top of everything else, her newly retired sister who has Parkinsons’s disease moved to Quebec and was struggling to find a doctor.
"When my mother was diagnosed with dementia, it felt like our world had turned upside down," Sharon recalls. "We were lost, overwhelmed with questions and uncertainty."
Amid these life developments, Sharon’s sister was becoming more and more stressed about finding a new doctor for her own health needs. "She was in tears on a regular basis, feeling helpless and frustrated. It was a tough time for all of us."
MedicAlert's HealthNavigator emerged as a ray of hope for Sharon. "HealthNavigator became a bit of a North Star when we needed it the most," Sharon says. "It was like having a knowledgeable friend who understood the healthcare system inside and out."
"HealthNavigator played a pivotal role in helping find what we needed in our respective provinces. When my sister finally connected with a neurologist in Montreal, she was relieved. The nurse we worked with through HealthNavigator made the impossible, possible," Sharon recalls.
As someone with diabetes, Sharon understands her sister’s anxiety. For Sharon it was deciphering test results. “I’ve managed my A1C very well for a long time. I’m not sure if it was the added stress of everything going on in my life, but when my bloodwork came back it wasn’t like anything I’d experienced before. Walking through what the results meant with one of the nurse navigators saved me the anxiety of waiting to speak to my doctor who couldn’t see me for three weeks.”
The stressors brough on other challenges that Sharon was able to address with the help of Health Navigator, too. "Before all of this, mental health wasn't a frequent topic of discussion in our family," Sharon reflects. "However, my mum’s dementia diagnosis brought on some significant emotional challenges. HealthNavigator assisted us in finding a therapist to support me and my mum during this journey."
Moreover, HealthNavigator provided invaluable assistance in preparing questions for her mother's specialist visits. "I really had no clue what I should be asking about, what my rights were if I didn’t have medical Power of Attorney, or even if I should be looking at assisted living as an option at this stage. The nurse navigator was great in helping me put together a list of questions that ensured we were well-prepared for the appointments. The neurologist said we were one of the best prepared families she had ever seen!”
One aspect that set HealthNavigator apart was its unwavering support for both patients and caregivers, Sharon emphasizes. "Caring for a loved one with a health condition can be overwhelming, and MedicAlert recognized this. They provided resources and guidance specific to where we live in Winnipeg. Mum doesn’t need everything yet, but I know a lot more about community support organizations that could provide the assistance we need when the time comes."
Health coaching services are another vital part of the HealthNavigator package that became invaluable for Sharon. "Having someone keep me on track with my diabetes management proved immensely helpful. The encouragement and advice I received played a significant role in improving my A!C levels and my overall health.”
Sharon, who used to pride herself on knowing exactly what to do when it came to managing her family’s health, notes that HealthNavigator has made a tremendous difference. “My journey with MedicAlert's HealthNavigator has been transformative, even lifesaving," Sharon reflects. "I was wrong when I thought it would be easy to figure things out on my own. Healthcare systems can be complicated. And when everything comes all at once, it can be overwhelming. I am profoundly grateful for the support we received and the peace of mind it brought to our lives. It’s worth every penny, and then some!"
*HealthNavigator is available to MedicAlert members who are enrolled in our 1, 2 and 3-year service plans which include many additional programs and services.
