You mean to tell me I already paid for that benefit-- and I qualify to use it-- and I still am not sure?

I met with a family over the weekend-- yes you read that right over the weekend!  I work when I work- and when you work for a service that is 24:7-- you do what you have to do!

While sitting on the couch watching the patient try hard to even sit up and feed herself, I said you do know this is a benefit that your aunt has already worked her entire life to receive?  Her niece responded, oh I don't have to pay for this service? No ma'am. 
I can tell you what parts of the service I want to receive?  Yes ma'am. 

Photo from Corbis images

So if I don't want the C.N.A. to come every day--- I can tell you when to send them.  Yes ma'am.  They can come in and help me bathe my aunt? Yes ma'am. 
You mean she can help me change her briefs--- Yes ma'am. 
She pondered for a moment and said-- what is the catch?

Ma'am, there is no catch.  Your aunt is unable to complete her daily living tasks without assistance, the decline you have explained to me is happening faster than you ever could have imagined.  She said, but wait-- she doesn't have CANCER.  I smiled and started to GIGGLE-- Ma'am, that isn't relevant.  She has a life limiting diagnosis that is affecting her health--your family no longer wants to seek aggressive treatment and her physician has agreed-- at this point it is starting to affect your health,  you are having back issues, you are stressed and you are tired.  Please tell me again why you will not accept this assistance. 

Wait...you can send someone 5 days a week for 2 hours a day to help? But she can't get Medicaid-- that isn't a problem!  Some of our patients receive Medicaid some don't.  Her Medicare benefit will cover the services.

A tear fell from her eye and she said-- tell me what I need to do to make it happen.  I hugged her and said-- we can start everything on tomorrow.

That is why I love what I do-- this is why I ask-- tell me again why you do not want to at least get the questions answered in my office or at your kitchen table!

Travise  (Trayvis) Smith 803 329 4544