I am continuing my audio blog, moving away from my experiences with my journey with my mother to patient and healthcare stories. It is my hope that these stories will be informative and instructive. When you hear them, you may think, is she making this up. No, they are real.Von Healthcare Whisperer

This show is two healthcare professionals talking about their expreinces of death and dying both professionally and personally. Mary Elizabeth Parker, PT,PhD, NCS, PCS, medical liaison for U.R. Our Hope, has dedicated her life to those with undiagnosed and rare illness. In her work, she has been a witness to the death and dying of children and been…

Surviving death is about the days after all the details are done, memorials and estate issues, and the grief begins to take hold. I am going to talk about what it is like to suddenly find yourself alone with your loss, the emptiness and the sadness. A conversation as difficult in our society as dying. How I learned and witnessed my own rawness and …

This is the continuing story of my mother's passing. In this episode I will talk about what happens after the death, the details like dealing with planning two memorials, social security, finances, wills and final bills. I don't think a person is prepared for what has to be dealt with. I want to provide some insight as to what it is like during thi…

This episode is about my experience of my mother's final days. How hospice care was critical, how the assisted living staff dealt with the process and the details after death. It is a time of joy and sadness, grief and celebration. It will be about the impact of the year of care giving and the road to recovery when all is said and done. The informa…

This episode continues the journey of dealing with my mother's dying and the facility indifference. I will be talking about my insights into being a caregiver. I know many others have had similar experiences, the loneliness one can feel and how family and friend support make the difference.Von Healthcare Whisperer

This is a continuation of my journey with my Mother. This episode I will talk about what has happened lately and the constant worry one has as a caregiver. I never know when the next problem will arise or what it may entail.Von Healthcare Whisperer

The endless drama continues. I have learned to never let my guard down and expect the unexpected. I am going to talk about DNR and specialized Physician signed specific orders on what you want at the end of life. A DNR may not be enough and even then, nobody may read it.Von Healthcare Whisperer

The world of assisted living and hospice is not easy. Walking the road with my mother as she is dying is painful and inspiring. Some days I feel very lucky to have this time and other times my head is spinning.Von Healthcare Whisperer

Just as Meghan Trainor says in her song"It's all about the bass", I say with assisted living and hospice, "it's all about the regs". I have kept my mother safe by knowing what her rights are and what the regulations are. This blog will be about how I faired knowing certain regulations.Von Healthcare Whisperer

What a crazy ride this journey is. Minefields galore. My mother continues to decline and I can hardly keep up. This blog is about working with hospice and getting the assisted living to respond. Lessons learned that I hope will help youVon Healthcare Whisperer

I continue talks about caring for my Mom in assisted living and hospice. My hope is my experience will help others. I have just returned to New Mexico and witnessing the changes that have occurred in the last two weeksVon Healthcare Whisperer

This is the continuation of the journey through assisted living and hospice. My goal is that by listening, you will gain insight into the process. This blog speaks to some key factors caregivers needs to think about when selecting an assisted living and hospice, what to do when things don't seem to be going your way and keeping your loved one safe.…

Here is another installment about life with Mom in assisted living and hospice. There bever seems to be a dull moment. She continues to decline and I continue to try to keep her comfortable and safe.Von Healthcare Whisperer

This is a continuation of my experiences dealing with assisted living and hospice. It is my experience of dealing with with all the issues and the constant rebalancing. My hope is the information from my experience will be of help to others. This blog will be about hopsice and talking to my Mom about dying…

My blog continues about what it is like to be the caregiver for a parent in assisted living, nursing home and hospice. In this episode, I will speak about Hopsice and my Mother's choices about her death. I will talk about the prospect of her death and how the Hopsice services have helped.Von Healthcare Whisperer

This is day three of my blog and the saga continues with the facility, hopsice and care manager. What a life being a caregiver! I hope to offer some tips on the best way to get what is needed for a loved one in this situation. Even though I have advocated for clients in similar situations, it doesn't make it easy. I think I am just faster at knowin…

This is the second audio blog post about my journey with Mom, her dying and dealing with the Assisted Living/Nursing Home staff. Today, I will talk about the Ombudsman program and how it can help solve problemsand deal with issues in the residents favor.Von Healthcare Whisperer

This blog is in addition to my radio show. It is my journey with my Mother since she had he stoke one yeear ago. It is about my experience dealing with the world of geriatric care, assisted living, nursing home, hospice and my mother's personal care aides. I hope it will provide insight and valuable information that can help someone else on this jo…

This show is the amazing story of Jade Grace, who grew up with a mother who lived in an iron lung. The iron lung was a tank respirator used to help people artificially breathe used often during the polio epedemic. It's use was usually only for several weeks until the lungs regained strength. For some like Jade's mother, it was for a lifetime. She l…

Welcome back to the Healthcare Whisperer Show! With our move from Boston to Seattle we have not been broadcasting. But I am back! I feel very lucky to be restarting my show with the amazing story of two sisters, Dr Sandra Haber and Sat Nirmal Kaur Khalsa. Dr Haber is a Phd psychologist who after 9/11 selflessly dedicated her time to provide care fo…

Healthcare Whisperer welcomes back Mary Elizabeth Parker to the show. She is here to discuss her recent trip to Washington, DC to be a part of Rare Disease Week. She was involved in many events including meeting with several congress people. She will be discussing upcoming legislation, research and what is happening at the NIH Rare Disease Departme…

This show is an opportunity for listeners to call in and ask question about Obamacare. Are you one of those millions of people who have been trying to get buy insurance through the exchange? Feeling frustrated? Or are you just afraid of the new health law and are confused about what it means to you. This show is for you. Mary Elizabeth Parker and I…

I am happy to announce that Pat Rullo is returning to the show to discuss patient safety issues. Pat is the author of Speak Up and Stay Alive an amazing book and manual on staying alive and being safe in the hospital. Her book is the story of her journey while caring for her mother in the hospital. She learned very quickly that even with the best d…

Have you ever been denied coverage by your health insurance? It is one of the most frustrating moments especially when you know the care should be covered. This is when the battle with the insurance company begins to get a reversal of the denial. It is an uphill battle because at the onset it seems as if they hold all the cards. My guests Debbie an…

Healthcare Whisperer welcomes a mother, Diane Roof and daughter, Jen Hashisaki caregiver team to the show to discuss their journey into the world of hospice. This story began when Diane's mother fell, was hospitalized and went to rehab. Neither Diane or Jen, ever thought the fall would bring them face to face with the need for hospice services. It …

Imagine one day you wake up and you can't hear. The medical community is stumped except to say maybe it was the cold you had. You hope it will resolve itself and your hearing will return. But that does not happen and there is permanent damage to your hearing. What would you do? Healthcare Whisperer welcomes Monique Hammond to the show. Her recently…

This show is going to focus on how to find and hire a patient advocate when you find yourself engulfed in the complex healthcare system. Once the realization occurs the system is getting overwhelming and the stressful, how do you find someone to help you? Anne Llewellyn,RN-BC, MS, BHSA, CCM, CRRN, editor-in-chief of Dorland Health will be the quest…

In past shows, I have had guests who related their heartbreak and struggle to find a diagnosis for a child or loved one. The journey is perilous, arduous and all consuming. For some, it can take years while others watch their loved one decline with no treatment or cure insight. This show will feature families who searched and fought the healthcare …

Healthcare Whisperer welcomes Gail Gazelle, MD, an Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School, to the show. Dr Gazelle will be talking about her journey as hospice doctor, her evolution to patient advocate and finally her commitment to helping doctors with burnout through coaching. As a physician, she has a deep understanding of the stress, dema…

For most of us, when we go to the doctor with symptoms, we are diagnosed and treated. Imagine going to the doctor and being told there were no answers as to why the symptoms were occurring. Then imagine, this is your child and all the specialists referred to have no answers. What if you were told this was a rare illness and no one knew how to diagn…

The horrific bombings at the finish line of the Boston Marathon has had a profound impact on all of us whether we were there or watching on TV. The images are forever part of our lives now. Events of this magnitude have the potential to cause Post Traumatic Stress (PTSD). What is happening is, the brain is having great difficulty filtering and unde…

Healthcare Whisperer welcomes Reverend Glenn Mortimer to the show to discuss his work as a healthcare advocate for his parishioners and caregiver for his mother. Both roles have taught him about the perils of the healthcare system and how to overcome barriers. His work as a minister, takes him to many hospitals, rehabs and nursing homes in the Grea…

Healthcare Whisperer welcomes Trisha Torrey to the show to discuss why having a patient advocate on your team is an essential ingredient when navigating the healthcare system. Trisha Torrey is Every Patient’s Advocate, a name she gave herself after a heinous misdiagnosis in 2004 which prompted her career change to patient empowerment and advocacy. …

Healthcare Whisperer welcomes Michele Rosenthal to show to discuss her experience of surviving multiple misdiagnosis of a rare illness (1:.0000005) and what it takes to overcome the shock of medical trauma and its aftermath. She has committed her life to sharing her knowledge and experience from her journey to health. As a keynote speaker, award-wi…

Ida Schnipper is the guest this week to talk about her journey with breast cancer. She has recently finished treatment and wishes to share the experience. She will provide helpful tips to help understand the process and treatments. Ida is an award-winning nurse and health care executive with over 20 years of experience. In addition to her oncology …

I thought it would be good to continue our discussion on dementia. This show, Howard Block will be here to discuss his work as an Alzheimer's consultant and care manager to families. He has worked extensively for the last 20 years in the field of dementia. Howard approaches his work with dedication, committment and honesty. He has helped many famil…

This show will continue the discussion on patient safety. Helena Doyle joins me to discuss how she has kept her mother safe during multiple hospital visits. Through these experiences, she has learned how to navigate the complex hospital systems and keep her mother safe. She has become an amazing empowered caregiver. Her story and lessons will inspi…

Healthcare Whisperer welcomes Karen Curtiss founder of CamapignZERO - Families for Patient Safety. The organization's mission is to provide people with information and checklists on how to stay safe in the hospital. Her Journey to help others is rooted in personal experience, the loss of her father from a series of Never Events, to her husband who …

Tracy Cloninger was a healthy, wife, mother of two, exceptional athlete and teacher when she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. She never thought her life would be turned so upside down not just by the cancer, but the healthcare system. Her story is one of struggle to get the medical community to first, give her the care she desperately needed and …

Finding the right healthcare team can be a challenge for patients and caregivers. Ken Farbstein, patient safety advocate, founder of Patient Advocare and author of Getting Your Best Health care: Real-World Stories for Patient Empowerment, will be discussing the best ways to find a care team. Through caregiver stories and experience, Ken will be pro…

Our guest for this show is Michele Rosenthal, a PTSD survivor and founder of the website, www.healmyptsd.com. Her site with over 8,500 visitors a month, is an amazing resource for survivors, caregivers and healing professionals. She will be discussing her personal journey and healing with PTSD. She will be offering advise on engaging in your care, …

This week our special guest is Alba Frasco who is currently receiving treatments for breast cancer. She became an empowered patient when she was misdiagnosed and had to fight the system to get someone to listen to her. She has great insight into what questions to ask medical professionals, how to trust your instinct and getting a second opinion. He…

The Empowered Patient welcomes Siri Bani Ludlam to the show to discuss how she successfully navigates her mother's nursing home and gets what she needs. Her favorite tip is "Don't take NO for an answer". And that is exactly what she has done to make sure the nursing home is providing the care required. She will also speak to the emotional impact on…