A Happier Holiday with Health Guardians Client

Health Guardians Christmas

This past holiday season was one of generosity and blessings. Our supporters donated toys so that clients like Health Guardians’ participant, Trena, could have a happy Christmas.  

“Trena and her family were truly appreciative to receive Christmas gifts! They hugged me and thanked CCANO continuously. It was a joy to see their smiles of gratitude. I left their home with feelings of fulfillment and holiday cheer and a reminder of the true meaning of Christmas year,” shares Health Guardians Program Director, Paula Stewart.

Trena has been working with CCANO’s Health Guardians program for the past six months. She was initially referred to us because of difficulty managing her type II diabetes, which resulted with the worsening of her glaucoma. These medical conditions were leading her to make frequent visits to the emergency room. When we first met, her glaucoma had progressed to the extent that she was considered legally blind. 

Navigating Health Care

Health Guardians connected her to specialty care such as ophthalmology for her glaucoma. Due to her poor health, she was not able to take care of her children as well as she would have liked, and her relationship with them suffered. To improve her family dynamic, our staff connected her with parenting classes and referred her to case management services at her children’s schools. Additionally, we reconnected her with her relatives who could provide long-term support and applied for RTA paratransit for transportation to her appointments. Patient Navigators attended appointments with her and taught her how to advocate for herself. Her past strained relationships led her to believe she was a burden, but staff members applied motivational interviewing to help her see that they were happy to help.

Now, she is able to consistently attend her appointments on her own and advocate for herself and her children.  “We’re proud that she better understands her disability and how to care for her conditions. Her relationship with her relatives has improved, and she is more confident in her ability to take care of herself,” says Khayti Patel, Patient Navigator.

We are blessed to be a part of Trena’s progress and improved quality of life! Learn more about Health Guardians here.