Minuteman Senior Services Reaches Out to Strenghthen Care Transitions

The members of Emerson Hospital’s Care Transitions Collaborative know that advanced care planning is an important aspect of receiving quality care.  At their meeting on August 14 attended by about 20 community organizations, Leslie May-Chibani, Assistant Director of Minuteman Senior Services,  suggested that the group consider the materials offered by Honoring Choices Massachusetts to improve patient experience and communication by reinforcing the same message with the same materials.   As a Community Partner, Minuteman has trained select staff to be Honoring Choices Facilitators to engage adults and families in health care planning discussions.  Rebecca White, Geriatric Care Manager with Minuteman’s By Your Side program lead the group discussion about the Honoring Choices information and tools to help adults make a health care plan and connect to person-centered care in their community. Melanie Parks, Palliative Care and Hospice Liaison from Care Dimensions, shared with the group some examples of her discussions with patients around goals of care and how she uses Honoring Choices to help introduce advanced care planning. After a thoughtful discussion and Q&A, the collaborative members decided to move forward to investigate a possible partnership with Honoring Choices.  Thank you to Minuteman Senior Services and to Care Dimensions for helping to share their experience as Partners,  and together with the Collaborative, explore avenues to coordinate care and build-in safe and sustainable care transitions.