Being part of a community of faith is a critical aspect of your daily health. You need to be connected to a church family that can be there to help support, encourage, and care for you along the way.
Now you may think, "what does my faith life have to do with an illness?". It has everything to do with it! It has been shown that people with a positive outlook and good attitude about life are stronger mentally and physically which helps them with their daily health challenges. They choose to look at the glass as half full instead of half empty. In so doing, they cultivate seeds of faith into a life of beauty. Here are some ways to nurture your faith.
Seeds of strength and courage
There is something to be said about being calm in the midst of a storm. Dealing with a chronic health issue can exhaust you in every way. Having strength and courage to walk through the fire will bring about an inner peace that is soothing to the soul.
Sow the Word
Reading and mediating on God's word will strengthen your faith during the ups and downs of the emotional roller coaster.
Start to change
As you develop your faith your perspective on life will start to change. The little things in life that used to cause you to worry won't be as important anymore. Choosing to see the glass as half full will begin to ease the fear and anxiety you have of the unknown.
Surround yourself
Surrounding yourself with a church family helps to create a circle of care for you and your family. Your church family will be there to help you along the way.
Serve others
Nurturing your faith in the church gives you an opportunity to help serve and minister to others. Helping others is good medicine for the mind, body, and soul! It is an opportunity to give back, reach out, or share your story with others. And with this opportunity brings blessings!
As you cultivate and care for these seeds of faith they will help to bring restoration and healing in you and through you.
For some great insights, support, and encouragement go to www.InclusionFusion.org. Coming Home is honored to be invited as one of their guest speakers. During the week of November 12-16 they will be hosting a FREE web summit. There will be a wealth of information that will help to nourish your mind and strengthen your community of faith!
Penny Hanlon
www.cominghomeguide.com
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Things to keep in mind
It all begins with understanding and managing the information you already have.
Here are some key points to remember:
One step at a time
"Don't try to eat the whole elephant at once". It may take you some time to put together all of your medical information. Here are some forms that you will want to focus on and fill out first.
Current Status
Medications List
Physicians
Baseline only
Do not carry a "filing cabinet". The forms are set up to be one page. Write down the most current information.This will make it easier for your doctor to read.
Set-up at home
Organize a real filing cabinet at home. As you add and change things along the way managing your health will require you to store your medical information in your home.
Using the Coming Home Medical Organizer will help to equip and empower you as a parent or caregiver in taking care of your loved one.
Penny Hanlon
www.cominghomeguide.com
Here are some key points to remember:
One step at a time
"Don't try to eat the whole elephant at once". It may take you some time to put together all of your medical information. Here are some forms that you will want to focus on and fill out first.
Current Status
Medications List
Physicians
Baseline only
Do not carry a "filing cabinet". The forms are set up to be one page. Write down the most current information.This will make it easier for your doctor to read.
Set-up at home
Organize a real filing cabinet at home. As you add and change things along the way managing your health will require you to store your medical information in your home.
Using the Coming Home Medical Organizer will help to equip and empower you as a parent or caregiver in taking care of your loved one.
Penny Hanlon
www.cominghomeguide.com
Friday, September 7, 2012
History of Coming Home
We Were Unprepared
When we left the hospital we were not prepared to deal with the challenges of life at home. In our eagerness to get home we failed to realize how unprepared we were in caring for our daughter; especially her medical needs.
Then We Treaded Water
Once we got our heads above water, we realized it was time to tread. Treading was exhausting. She had multiple doctor visits, medications and changes to them, complex diagnosis' and the extensive information that goes with learning about them, and her vital statistics that appeared to be in constant flux. We needed to remember all of this information at the drop of a hat. As time went on there was too much to keep track of; we could not go on this way forever.
We Started Organizing
Over time we noticed that we were answering lots of questions. Most of them were the same ones, day after day, week after week. What was her date of birth? What medications was she on? Did she have any allergies? Has she had any tests done if so when was the date and time? Who is her doctor? Almost like clock work, each doctor visit, every nurse phone call, medical and insurance forms, government agencies and organizations all requested the same information.
The Stress Was Decreasing
As we collected and organized our daughter's health information we noticed that we were not as stressed. We could now listen during doctor visits. Our organizer gave us a starting point to manage our daughter's health; while giving us peace of mind knowing that we had things under control.
Now We Collaborate
Instead of just listening we found that we were becoming more proactive in our daughter's care. We felt empowered to make more informed decisions and to work together as a partner with our daughter's medical team. Over time the Medical Organizer became our most important tool; making us confident, competent and secure in managing her care.
Penny Hanlon
www.cominghomeguide.com
When we left the hospital we were not prepared to deal with the challenges of life at home. In our eagerness to get home we failed to realize how unprepared we were in caring for our daughter; especially her medical needs.
Then We Treaded Water
Once we got our heads above water, we realized it was time to tread. Treading was exhausting. She had multiple doctor visits, medications and changes to them, complex diagnosis' and the extensive information that goes with learning about them, and her vital statistics that appeared to be in constant flux. We needed to remember all of this information at the drop of a hat. As time went on there was too much to keep track of; we could not go on this way forever.
We Started Organizing
Over time we noticed that we were answering lots of questions. Most of them were the same ones, day after day, week after week. What was her date of birth? What medications was she on? Did she have any allergies? Has she had any tests done if so when was the date and time? Who is her doctor? Almost like clock work, each doctor visit, every nurse phone call, medical and insurance forms, government agencies and organizations all requested the same information.
The Stress Was Decreasing
As we collected and organized our daughter's health information we noticed that we were not as stressed. We could now listen during doctor visits. Our organizer gave us a starting point to manage our daughter's health; while giving us peace of mind knowing that we had things under control.
Now We Collaborate
Instead of just listening we found that we were becoming more proactive in our daughter's care. We felt empowered to make more informed decisions and to work together as a partner with our daughter's medical team. Over time the Medical Organizer became our most important tool; making us confident, competent and secure in managing her care.
Penny Hanlon
www.cominghomeguide.com
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Peace in the midst of chaos
Caring for your loved ones who have challenging medical concerns, yearly medical forms, and out of the ordinary doctor visits can oftentimes consume your entire day and/or week in some cases.
Recently, all of our 4 children had some medical issue going on at the same time. Each child was seeing a doctor, specialist, had a trip to the urgent care center, or needed to be on antibiotics. One child needed a sports physical, one had an infection and needed multiple antibiotics, one had multiple health issues that needed focused time and attention to, and one had a follow up appointment with a specialist and needed a copy of their current medical health record for another doctor visit.
Now in the past things like this would have tended to stress me out. I would have been searching for all of the correct doctor information, current health records, calling doctor’s offices to get copies of their health records, trying to remember the last time they saw a doctor, if they had any allergies, etc. It would have been very stressful, causing anxiety and worry. Usually I would try to do this at the last minute rushing to fill out all of the paperwork while I sat in the doctor’s office waiting to be seen. Each child needed my time and attention, needed me to be able to make important health decisions on their behalf, and I needed to be mentally present in talking with the doctor and understanding all that was being said.
At times it can be challenging to remember these things for my own health let alone anyone else; but I can tell you it was a different experience this time around. Because of my Coming Home Medical Organizer here are some steps that we took to help bring about peace of mind.
Because of our medical organizer we had the doctor’s information at our fingertips. I had a folder with our children’s medical health information; it was current and up to date. At the different doctor visits we just needed to hand the paperwork to the medical staff for them to make a copy of.
This allowed for my husband and me to tag team with the kids much more easily. He was able to take a couple of kids to their appointments and he had all of their information. I was not the only one in the family to have all of the information regarding our children’s health. It helped to work together and share the experience and the load.
With our special needs daughter we were able to have a timeline in place that charted the various changes in her care. This was helpful information for the doctor as we worked together to make decisions with her medications, follow up tests, and return doctor’s appointments.
Life happens. But when life happens with medical concerns stress and anxiety do not need to be a driving force throughout the process. With a little bit of time in putting together your Coming Home Medical Organizer you can have peace in the midst of your chaos.
Penny Hanlon
www.cominghomeguide.com
Recently, all of our 4 children had some medical issue going on at the same time. Each child was seeing a doctor, specialist, had a trip to the urgent care center, or needed to be on antibiotics. One child needed a sports physical, one had an infection and needed multiple antibiotics, one had multiple health issues that needed focused time and attention to, and one had a follow up appointment with a specialist and needed a copy of their current medical health record for another doctor visit.
Now in the past things like this would have tended to stress me out. I would have been searching for all of the correct doctor information, current health records, calling doctor’s offices to get copies of their health records, trying to remember the last time they saw a doctor, if they had any allergies, etc. It would have been very stressful, causing anxiety and worry. Usually I would try to do this at the last minute rushing to fill out all of the paperwork while I sat in the doctor’s office waiting to be seen. Each child needed my time and attention, needed me to be able to make important health decisions on their behalf, and I needed to be mentally present in talking with the doctor and understanding all that was being said.
At times it can be challenging to remember these things for my own health let alone anyone else; but I can tell you it was a different experience this time around. Because of my Coming Home Medical Organizer here are some steps that we took to help bring about peace of mind.
Because of our medical organizer we had the doctor’s information at our fingertips. I had a folder with our children’s medical health information; it was current and up to date. At the different doctor visits we just needed to hand the paperwork to the medical staff for them to make a copy of.
This allowed for my husband and me to tag team with the kids much more easily. He was able to take a couple of kids to their appointments and he had all of their information. I was not the only one in the family to have all of the information regarding our children’s health. It helped to work together and share the experience and the load.
With our special needs daughter we were able to have a timeline in place that charted the various changes in her care. This was helpful information for the doctor as we worked together to make decisions with her medications, follow up tests, and return doctor’s appointments.
Life happens. But when life happens with medical concerns stress and anxiety do not need to be a driving force throughout the process. With a little bit of time in putting together your Coming Home Medical Organizer you can have peace in the midst of your chaos.
Penny Hanlon
www.cominghomeguide.com
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
There is no place like home
Caring for your loved one in your own home can be a healing comfort for them. It may be medical care for a short term, long term, or a life changing illness. When you bring somebody into your home to help you care for your loved one there are qualities to look for that will help bring about a positive healthy relationship. Depending on how much time they will be in the home will dictate how quickly the bond of honesty and trust will occur. As you begin to have help in the home building on these qualities will help to create a positive healthy environment for you, your loved one, and those on your care team.
Here are 4 important qualities:
Honesty - Honesty helps to build a strong foundation between the patient, caregiver and the care team.
Sometimes there are multiple levels of care for the patient in the home. The more care involved the more critical it is to establish a relationship of honesty. The role of honesty opens the door and paves the way for trust, respect, and communication to begin.
Trust - Being able to trust those who come into your home is critical. Your home environment is a sacred place, your sanctuary. This is where you nurture and grow love, morals, values, discipline, character, integrity, respect, beauty, and grace. This is where the well spring of your life ebbs and flows. It is important that you build trust with those who help you care for your loved one.
Respect - The next step is respect. You must be able to respect each other as a person, each other’s job experience, and the expertise that each of you brings to the table. The value of respect will naturally bring about a sense of dignity and compassion both for the patient, caregiver, and those whohelp.
Communication - Communication helps to develop the relationship between the patient, caregiver and the care team. You need to be able to effectively communicate with those in your home. This could be a parent, siblings, extended family, friends, or those in the medical field. Good communication will help keep the stress level down during the day to day operations of caring for your loved one.
As you work to establish these foundations they will spill over into other areas; your marriage, children, work, activities, and life in general. All of this will help you to better organize, plan, and manage while loving.
Penny Hanlon
www.cominghomeguide.com
Here are 4 important qualities:
Honesty - Honesty helps to build a strong foundation between the patient, caregiver and the care team.
Sometimes there are multiple levels of care for the patient in the home. The more care involved the more critical it is to establish a relationship of honesty. The role of honesty opens the door and paves the way for trust, respect, and communication to begin.
Trust - Being able to trust those who come into your home is critical. Your home environment is a sacred place, your sanctuary. This is where you nurture and grow love, morals, values, discipline, character, integrity, respect, beauty, and grace. This is where the well spring of your life ebbs and flows. It is important that you build trust with those who help you care for your loved one.
Respect - The next step is respect. You must be able to respect each other as a person, each other’s job experience, and the expertise that each of you brings to the table. The value of respect will naturally bring about a sense of dignity and compassion both for the patient, caregiver, and those whohelp.
Communication - Communication helps to develop the relationship between the patient, caregiver and the care team. You need to be able to effectively communicate with those in your home. This could be a parent, siblings, extended family, friends, or those in the medical field. Good communication will help keep the stress level down during the day to day operations of caring for your loved one.
As you work to establish these foundations they will spill over into other areas; your marriage, children, work, activities, and life in general. All of this will help you to better organize, plan, and manage while loving.
Penny Hanlon
www.cominghomeguide.com
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