Judy Thomas – Making a Difference – Evidence-based Practices Can Improve the Lives of Older Californians
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Older adults are at risk for poor health and functional outcomes because of the challenges they face. They often have multiple chronic conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes, and arthritis that require complex care coordination to manage their symptoms and prevent complications. The Coalition seeks to improve the quality of life for older Californians by promoting evidence-based practices in medical homes (including palliative care) through education, training, technical assistance (TA), advocacy, research, and evaluation activities. The Coalition works with its members to develop innovative solutions that meet the needs of an aging population including improving patient safety; reducing hospital readmissions; decreasing emergency department use; increasing access to primary care services; improving medication management; implementing a program that helps providers deliver high-quality end-of-life care while saving money on unnecessary tests or procedures called Choosing Wisely®; and addressing disparities in healthcare delivery for low-income seniors who do not qualify for Medi-Cal but cannot afford insurance.—————————— Timestamps: [00:00]Pre-Intro remarks from Judy Thomas [01:37]Introduction to Judy Thomas [02:15]What are some things an average person can do to stay in control of their healthcare during the pandemic? [03:03]Who could consider completing an advanced directive? [03:37]In your state, it’s called an advanced directive. What state is that? [03:55]What are the benefits of completing an advanced directive? [04:27]What things should one keep in mind when filling out an advanced directive? [05:22]Walk us through POLST, P O L S T what does it stand for? What does it mean? And the importance of it? [07:08]For those of us that are not familiar with it, would you give a quick overview what palliative care and preparation, what we need to do for that? [10:39]What is so important about looking at patients holistically? [11:51]How does palliative care also involve the patient’s caregiver? [13:05]Where is palliative care provided? And is it usually in a hospital setting? [14:35]Can you just give a distinction between palliative care and hospice? [15:52]How far in advance should people begin planning and thinking through their care options? [21:24]What made you make the shift from law to focusing on the Coalition’s collaborative work? [22:42]How did your career in law prepare you? Not only the education or the degree but also your passion and your drive, for this current role? [23:59]What do you think is your biggest strength that enables you to have a unique, impactful effect on your clients? [24:42]Where can people go to get more information on compassionate care and palliative care? [25:10]Do you have anything else that you would like to share?—————————— Bio:Judy Thomas CEO of the Coalition for Compassionate Care of California, a statewide partnership of healthcare providers, non-profit organizations and associations, state agencies, and individuals working to ensure all seriously ill Californians receive quality, compassionate care. The Coalition for Compassionate Care of California brings together multiple organizations, often with divergent interests, to develop, implement, and promote improved health care practices and standards across the continuum of care. The California coalition also has a national impact on transforming the culture of care for people who are seriously ill through advancing the cause of palliative care in America. Learn about Judy on LinkedIn.
Arif Kamal – Palliative Needs-Based Care for Older Adults
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Older adults need care that is based on their needs, not the facility or doctor’s demands. Palliative and hospice care for seniors should be available to those who want it without judgment so they can end life with dignity and peace in a comfortable environment surrounded by loving family members. As a society, we need more services like this which will ensure older people have access to medical help when needed but also leave them feeling dignified at all stages of their lives.——————– Timestamps: [00:00] Introduction to channel[01:00] Introduction to Dr. Arif Kamal, M.D.[01:56] Tell us a little bit about yourself?[02:25] What is palliative care? Who needs it? And how is palliative care and hospice similar or different?[07:35] How are these services different?[10:12] These services can be quite expensive. Do you believe these services should be covered by insurance companies?[13:51] What programs have you seen to take advantage of the new health care laws that make it easier for patient-centered care and hospice care?[17:29] What are some ways palliative care teams typically accomplish improving comfort and quality of life for older adults with a terminal illness?[24:34] So, you work together with the care team to meet those goals?[25:03] Explain why a movement towards needs-based care instead of a disease or prognosis-based care and what are there some of the ways in which we can improve health care system to a needs-based?[30:07] How will giving needs-based care helps decrease the inequality gap?[34:20] How does palliative care focus on the needs of the caregivers?[39:01] Why is it so important for professionals to get involved in their community, to provide support for those in need, especially younger people who may feel overwhelmed by the illness they’re caring for at home? (Very common, especially during COVID.)[41:25] If people want to reach out to you, learn more about your work, and support that, how do they do that?——————– Bio: Dr. Arif Kamal is a Professor of Medicine at Duke University and a palliative care physician. He is a passionate advocate for delivering high-quality palliative care to patients/older adults with serious illnesses and achieving better patient outcomes. Learn more about Arif:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arifkamalmd/Website: https://www.preppedhealthllc.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/arifkamalmd——————–