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December 2019

Dec 31
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Columbus Cancer Clinic logo

New Year Will Bring Optimism for Columbus Cancer Clinic client

By Columbus Cancer Clinic, Featured News

The year 2020 will get off to an optimistic start for cancer survivor Marvin Thomas.

Marvin’s cancer journey led him to the Columbus Cancer Clinic in 2019. Six years earlier, he had been feeling ill at work. One day Marvin came home and called his brother to tell him how he had been feeling. His brother came to his home, but when he arrived he found Marvin unconscious. It wasn’t until a week later when Marvin woke up. He had fallen into a coma and then was on life support for two weeks. The team of physicians at Mount Carmel West found out Marvin’s aorta was dissected and that he needed surgery to repair it. After being hospitalized for ninety days, Marvin was released.

During a post-surgery exam, Marvin’s physician recommended that he go to the Cleveland Clinic for more repairs to his heart. Five months later, he was back at the Cleveland Clinic for heart surgery. This time they could not operate down the front of his chest; they had to enter through his side and back. The physician said it was great that he came when he did because his aorta had started leaking again.

Marvin was once again on the road to recovery. From 2014-2017 he had to travel to Cleveland for routine heart check-ups. During one of his visits, the doctor saw what appeared to be a spot on his lung. Marvin questioned what it could be – because he has never been a smoker – and the doctor said it looked like cancer but for him to return in three months to see if it grows. It turned out, Marvin’s doctor was right. So he was scheduled for surgery to remove the tumor and 1/3 of his lung. The physician assured Marvin that he was cancer-free by the end of 2017.

During his monthly appointment, another tumor was discovered, but this time the cancer was more aggressive, which required him to undergo radiation and chemotherapy for nine weeks. Marvin began his cancer treatment on February 14, 2019, at Riverside Hospital. That is when the nurse navigator referred him to the Columbus Cancer Clinic.

CCC took Marvin by the hand and continued his cancer journey by his side. He received a Gift of Kindness to have his car repaired, was invited to participate in the Night of Hope and Support, and his was one of the families adopted for Christmas.

“This was one of the most wonderful times of my life,” he said of participating at Night of Hope, a fashion show and fundraiser for the Columbus Cancer Clinic. “Hearing the crowd cheer for me was like being on cloud nine. I have never been in a situation like that before in my life.”

Marvin said that the one thing he feels especially thankful for is the support system and the life-long friends he has made.

Dec 31
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Meals-on-Wheels logo

Changes ahead for Meals-on-Wheels volunteers

By Featured News, Meals-on-Wheels, Volunteers

Volunteers should take note of a few changes coming to LifeCare Alliance’s Meals-on-Wheels program in the first quarter of 2020.

Route names

In January, the existing route names of the Meals-on-Wheels will be changing. This is due to a significant software change with our client database. There are some great things that will come with this:

  • Route names will be more intuitive to where they are picked up. For instance, if you currently deliver V402, which picks up at Epworth United Methodist Church, the new route name will be FEPW2. This is short for Franklin – Epworth – 2.
  • Routing will be done on a daily basis using geolocation based on active customers for that day and (relatively) real-time traffic. This will allow us to be more precise with the structure and flow of our routes.
  • Once these new route names are fully established, we will share with you the new name for each of the existing routes.

Electronic delivery records

For the last few months, we have been piloting electronic delivery records with a majority of our weekday Meals-on-Wheels routes that pick up at Harmon Avenue. To do this, we are providing tablets enabled with the “Mobile Meals” application, as well as real-time consumer and directional data. This application will replace the paper delivery records that you currently use. We are preparing to roll out the tablets and application to all of our routes throughout early 2020. There are some fantastic things that come with this:

  • You will be able to get real-time directions for your route via the tablet.
  • You will be able to enter notes to the office regarding your route and consumers on your route that we will receive from you electronically in real-time.
  • We will be reaching out to everyone relatively soon with training information on how to use the tablets and the application. We also will share information on in-person training sessions that we will offer for those who would like a more hands-on training.

Learn more

For more information on these changes, call 614-278-3152 or click here to contact Nutrition Programs Director Molly Haroz.

Dec 24
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Columbus Cancer Clinic Surpasses 2,000 Mammograms in 2019!

By Columbus Cancer Clinic, Featured News

As of December 2, 2019, at 9:30am, the Columbus Cancer Clinic provided 2,000 mammograms, surpassing all previously set records for the Clinic in mammography!

The Columbus Cancer Clinic is a Medicare and Medicaid certified clinic that provides cancer prevention and education through head-to-toe cancer screenings and breast imaging services that include screening/diagnostic mammograms, breast ultrasounds, and breast biopsies. The program assists individuals in central Ohio through its outreach and education efforts. Fifty-seven percent (57%) of clients who visited last year had no insurance coverage. In 2018, the screening program 1,215 mammograms, diagnostic, and biopsies and provided 643 cancer screenings. Eighty-eight (88%) of clients are under the age of 50 while 97% are women and 3% are men.

The Columbus Cancer Clinic also provides a Home Care Support program to clients in active treatment for cancer who reside in Franklin County and live below 150% of the Federal Poverty guidelines. These services include assistance with medical supplies and equipment, medication, transportation to and from cancer-related medical appointments, groceries, wigs and breast prostheses, nutritonal supplements, and housing assitance in emergencies, often keeping clients out of homelessness. In 2018, the Home Care Support program served 747 clients. Seventy-three (73%) of clients are above age 50 while 55% are female and 45% are male. The Columbus Cancer Clinic began in 1921 and is the oldest freestanding cancer clinic in the United States. The Agency merged with LifeCare Alliance in 2005.

Thanks in large part to the funding the Columbus Cancer Clinic receives from Susan G. Komen Columbus, the clinic has the resources to help women navigate the often complicated system of care to access life-saving mammograms and early detection.

The Columbus Cancer Clinic stands apart from other community programs in its ability to eliminate the unique and varied barriers to breast health services faced by at-risk women during the continuum of care navigation. The ability to provide diagnostic on-site after receiving their screening mammogram is a tremendous barrier reduction because women do not have to be referred to another facility. Avoiding a referral to an outside location ensures women feel comfortable and have a positive experience during a time that be overwhelming.

Doing everything possible to remove the barriers women face, such as financial, linguistic, or transportation, the Columbus Cancer Clinic meets clients where they are. Clients also often face educational barriers about how to use newly obtained insurance coverage and how to navigate through the health care system. A quality navigation program like the Columbus Cancer Clinic has in place helps all patients have improved outcomes to reduce health disparities.

If you or someone you love needs services, call (614) 263-5006 to book an appointment.

 

Dec 12
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LifeCare Alliance Program Helps Frequent 911 Callers Access Meals, Other Services

By LifeCare Alliance in the News

Photo and story published December 12, 2019, by The Columbus Dispatch:

LifeCare Alliance receives a three-year, $750,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to further partnerships with local fire departments and health-care providers, improving access to care and eliminating the frequent, unnecessary emergency calls.

This grant allows LifeCare Alliance to expand services to meet the needs of the community, while also preventing “frequent flyers” of the health-care system – keeping people out of nursing homes, and in their own homes.

Click here to read the full story.

Dec 10
Love3

LifeCare Alliance is excited to announce a new funding partner with our Chores program, the HomeServe Cares Foundation.

By Featured News, Home Repairs

The Chores program oversees repairs to help improve clients’ living environment by providing safety and health-related such as electrical and plumbing maintenance, grab bar and railing installations, and floor and drywall repairs. These home repairs improve an older adult’s health and quality of life as well as help to prevent costly accidents and injuries, which could adversely affect their health and financial welfare.

HomeServe USA is an independent provider of home repair service solutions. For over a decade, they have helped homeowners in the U.S. and Canada protect against the expense and inconvenience of home repair emergencies by managing affordable coverage, and offering a quality service. Recognizing the need to reach out to organizations that serve low-income individuals in the areas they operate, the organization developed the HomeServe Cares Foundation and began accepting grant requests in 2019. LifeCare Alliance was one of three grant recipients nationwide in the second cycle of applicants!

Available funding for the Chores program typically disperses quickly, and there are limited sources that support this type of social service solely for older adults. Oftentimes, home repairs are costly one-time expenses and older adults living on a retirement or social security cannot afford the repairs themselves. The Chores program fills a unique gap in the client populations lives by providing home repair projects. The program continuously works with trusted contractors that have a reputation of treating the older adult population with dignity, integrity, and respect to implement the program’s activities.

Without funding partners like the HomeServe Cares Foundation, LifeCare Alliance would not be able to serve our central Ohio neighbors with responsive, compassionate, and quality care.

Dec 03
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Sponsor-a-Pet this Holiday Season!

By Featured News, Senior PetCare

LifeCare Alliance is offering a new opportunity to help clients and their four-legged friends this holiday season. Supporters can now Sponsor-a-Pet through our Senior PetCare program. Here are a couple ways you can contribute:

Option 1

If you would like to make a monetary donation to sponsor a pet, $100 will provide food, treats and updated vaccines for a year, but all donation amounts are greatly appreciated!

GIVE NOW

Option 2

Sponsor-a-Pet this holiday season by purchasing items from our Amazon Wish List. Have the items sent directly to our offices or put together a gift box of goodies from our Amazon Wish List, and our Senior PetCare volunteers will deliver them to your pet pal! If you are interested in delivering gift boxes, you may also consider volunteering to do an Animeal Route (Senior PetCare Route).

SHOP NOW

For more information or volunteer opportunities, contact Danielle Visconti at dvisconti@lifecarealliance.org or at 614-437-2947.

Senior PetCare helps LifeCare Alliance clients by helping them meet their pets’ basic needs. The program is powered by donations and volunteers, who package and deliver pet food and supplies throughout Franklin County. Click here to learn more about this program.