LIVIO CARES | EDITION 7
Navigating Changes Finding joy and purpose in what’s important
PAGE 4
Life in Retirement PAGE 6 Combating Anxiety PAGE 7 Spiritual Support
Welcome, we’re glad you’re here Life can throw changes at us quickly and navigating a complex healthcare system can often be overwhelming. That’s why Livio Health works to simplify and personalize healthcare so you can focus on the things in life that mean the most. We recognize that the ideal picture for our life doesn’t always play out exactly how we want – and that’s OK! Sometimes new health changes or financial realities force us to re-evaluate. In this edition of Livio Cares, we will focus on how Livio can support you in navigating all of life’s changes. As your life evolves, we want you to find joy and purpose in all things important to you.
Thank you for trusting us to care for you,
Wendy Wilts Wendy Wilts Chief Operating Officer
Smooth sailing with Livio’s video visits
Video visits can help you feel more connected to your care team and makes it easy to include someone else, like a friend or family member, into the conversation. This allows you to meet with your care team from the comfort of your home. Livio’s tech support team is available to help prepare for your video visit. Our goal is to ensure your technology is working before your visit with your care team. If you are interested in trying a video visit, call 612-398-7000 or let us know when scheduling your next appointment. 1
LIVIO SPOTLIGHT
Community Health Workers When you receive a new diagnosis, it can be overwhelming and lifealtering. The journey can be a bit easier when you have experts to guide you and a care team to help coordinate all the pieces. What if you’re facing additional barriers to care, such as language or financial barriers? How will you know what to expect, where to turn if you have questions, and who can help?
An expert to guide you
That’s where Community Health Workers (CHWs) can step in. CHWs are public health workers specially trained to serve as a connection between health systems and people in their community. CHWs strive to provide culturally knowledgeable and appropriate care. CHWs not only help patients navigate the health care system but are also a vital part of a patient’s care team as they work through a new diagnosis and living with a health condition. From financial stresses or being unsure of where to find the right resources, to managing prescriptions, CHWs help patients tackle the obstacles that can make a complex situation even more difficult.
CHWs at Livio
Megan Moehling, a Community Health Worker at Livio Health, strives to meet those positive outcomes for Livio patients. She acts as an advocate and liaison between a patient and their family and community service agencies, such as support groups, meal service agencies, transportation services, and more.
My role as a CHW at Livio is to actively promote, maintain, and work to improve the health of patients and families. Sometimes I work with patients directly, other times I help members of the care team find helpful resources.
A guide to help you navigate
Overall, Megan’s goal is for patients to be more at ease when navigating the healthcare system. She can help you: • •
• • •
Find in-network clinics and providers Find appropriate community-based resources like homemaking, meal, financial, and transportation services Facilitate virtual patient visits Aid in state or county health form completion Set up interpreter communication
2
LIFE IN RETIREMENT
Finding joy in what’s important Retirement, the dream:
I’ll finally be able to stop working so I can travel the world, focus on my hobbies, spend time with my family or friends, exercise regularly, do some volunteering, and help care for my friends or other family members.
Retirement, the realistic version: You may travel, but not as often as you thought you would. Maybe you realize you don’t like some hobbies as much you used to, or don’t want to spend the time learning something new. What consumed your free time while you were working, like home maintenance, may now feel too hard to get done yourself. It can be hard to not have the routine of
work, the same people around, and the confidence that comes with knowing a skill or accomplishing tasks. You do get to spend more time with your friends and family members, but sometimes you don’t always feel up to seeing people or are too tired to get out of the house. You’re figuring out how to balance your health needs, like finding the time to rest versus the time to stay active. You’d like to volunteer, but you’re not really sure where to start. All this to say, changes happen, but there are tools and people who can help you adjust.
Finding the right balance
Throughout the different stages of our lives, we grow into enjoying certain things, then we evolve out of them, that’s totally natural. Before retirement, we often have an idealized view of retirement and how we will spend that time. New financial and health-related realities can take us by surprise, as can the realization that we may not be as interested in some hobbies as we once were. Livio is here to support you if you are navigating this stage in your life.
HOBBIES TO CONSIDER It’s important for all retirees to stay physically, mentally, and socially active to help to find joy and purpose in their lives. •
Golfing
•
Dancing
•
Pickleball
It’s important for all of us to stay physically, mentally, and socially active. Investing in thinking about a purpose, what you attach meaning to, can help maintain joy throughout this transition to retirement. It can be easy to fall into a routine of staying inside (especially after two years of being in a pandemic) and watching TV, but you don’t have to. Retirement can be a time to reinvent yourself and to restructure how you spend your time. Sometimes the choices on what to do can be overwhelming, so start small.
•
Book clubs
•
Card or game clubs
•
Walking with friends
•
Swimming or water exercises
•
Yoga
•
Puzzles
•
Gardening
•
Knitting or crocheting
•
Photography
•
Genealogy
•
Reading
•
Listening to audiobooks or podcasts
If you’re struggling with how to spend your time in retirement safely and happily, talk to your Livio care team. Our clinically licensed social workers are an incredible resource for you during this change. They can also work with you to incorporate strategies into your care plan to help you achieve your goals – and keep finding joy in most days!
•
Learning a new language online
•
Playing an instrument or singing
You can also find local resources on our website at liviohealth.com/findhelp. 4
MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT
Combating anxiety The older we get, the more life ebbs and flows. Dealing with these ever-changing, uncertain situations can cause feelings of anxiety. This can be taxing on our physical and mental health. If you’re feeling vulnerable, overwhelmed, have heightened anxiety, or are feeling all three, you’re not alone. Here are some tips on how to care for yourself during feelings of anxiety:
Stay connected
Phone calls and video chats with friends and family members, meet-ups with spiritual groups, chatting with neighbors – there are many ways to stay connected with your networks who can provide much needed social support.
Stick to a healthy routine
Wake up and go to sleep at roughly the same time every day. Try to get as much quality sleep as you can. Eat and nourish yourself as healthfully as possible and move your body
Stay grounded and mindful
Keep doing activities you enjoy, even if you need to modify them a bit. Slow down and identify what makes you feel stress versus what brings you joy – do less of the stressful and more of the joyful as much as you can.
5
Reach out for support
You are not alone, it’s okay to reach out to people in your network for support. And, if you feel you’re struggling, don’t hesitate to contact your healthcare provider or a mental health specialist. For additional resources, consider walk-in counseling clinics, apps like Calm or Mindshif, or national phone helplines. From creating a routine and getting outdoors for a few minutes each day, to participating in telehealth sessions with a licensed therapist, these are steps you can take to address your anxiety and help maintain your mental health during all of life’s stressful changes. Our Livio social workers can help identify coping strategies, provide anxiety reduction strategies, help alter negative thoughts, and send a referral for virtual therapy. We are here for you 24/7 to provide the necessary resources and medical support.
You’ve Asked, We’ve Answered “How can spiritual support be beneficial to me in my health care journey?” Answered by Tom Vande Berg, Livio Chaplain People managing a new or existing diagnosis might have multiple doctors focused on treating their illness—but a patient’s broader needs—from the physical to the spiritual—can go unmet. As Livio Health’s chaplain, I work alongside nurse practitioners, social workers, and nurses to support patients and their caregivers as they cope with chronic illness and life’s biggest challenges.
things to each person, but in its most basic form, it is simply assuring a person that someone is listening and responding to their needs, whatever those might be.
What is spiritual support?
Spirituality can be an important factor in how people understand illness and cope with suffering. Conversations with our chaplain can help you better understand your own beliefs and connect you to supportive resources. Whatever your need, Livio’s chaplain can guide you in the right direction.
A chaplain is a member of the clergy providing spiritual care for individuals outside of a religious organization, in places such as hospitals, emergency services, or the military. Interfaith chaplains serve all people, including those with differing spiritual beliefs and practices. They can administer and assess spiritual needs, act as a supportive presence, and offer counseling for patients and their families. Sometimes, a meaningful connection, companionship and comfort, or someone to have a deep discussion with is all we need. Spiritual support means different
How can spiritual support help? A chaplain visit might include a conversation about personal beliefs, spiritual identity, faith traditions, regrets, and mistakes, hope for the future, or fear of the unknown. While all these topics might seem overwhelming to understand on your own, Livio’s chaplain helps navigate this complexity.
Livio’s spiritual support is
available to all patients. If you’d like to schedule a visit with our
chaplain, ask your care team or call us at 612-398-7000
6
401 Harding St NE Suite #100 Minneapolis, MN 55413
We’re here for you 24/7 Need advice fast or have a question in the middle of the night? Call Livio’s medical line 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. From rashes to headaches, shortness of breath to stomach pain, our on-call clinicians can provide immediate consultation over the phone. We know you and your medical history—so you’ll get personalized advice on the best next steps for you. Call 612-398-7000 and you’ll be connected to a licensed clinician who can provide immediate guidance. In cases of medical emergency, always call 911.