Yes, We Make House Calls

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A Day in the Life of Collabria Care Nurse Practitioner Lindsey Canavesio

People facing serious illness often have many medical and personal needs beyond what their doctor’s office can respond to. They may not be able to take medication on time unless a caregiver is present, for example, or not follow a suitable diet because they cannot cook or get to a store. Sometimes a patient can end up in the emergency room because they are dehydrated or have fallen, because they lack the helping hand they need at home.

Collabria Care’s Palliative Care program fills the gaps in care for you the patient, and your family, by giving you a team of experienced caregivers who can quickly respond to your needs. Your team includes a nurse, a doctor, a social worker, and even a spiritual care provider if you would like one, so that you have someone to call, and someone to call on you, to make sure that minor problems don’t become major. You’ll have peace of mind knowing that help is only a phone call away, at any time of the day or night.

Collabria Care nurse practitioner Lindsey Canavesio is a familiar and welcome face to many patients in our palliative care program and we followed along with her on a sunny day in March.

6:30 a.m.: Lindsey has breakfast with her family before checking emails and planning for her day. Her kids check in with her before school starts.

8:30 a.m.: In the office, Lindsey collects and reviews patient charts, then packs up to head to her first visit.

10:00 a.m.: First stop is a followup with B, a palliative care patient with glioblastoma, a fast-growing brain tumor. Lindsey checks in on her health and to see how she’s doing. B responds that she hasn’t been feeling well enough to get outside or go for the short walks that she enjoys, so Lindsey makes some medication changes to help with that. After a consultation with B’s family, she arranges for delivery of a wheelchair for B to use to get outdoors when she is not feeling up to walking.

1:45 p.m.: After an hour in the office updating patient charts and making follow-up calls with patients and their physicians, next up is an in-home visit to a couple, who both originally were on palliative care but are now on hospice. Both have Alzheimer’s Disease and live with their daughter, who with her husband and their two sons, all care for her parents. Lindsey does check-ups with both parents and discusses their current health status and concerns, including the father’s recent bout with pneumonia, with their daughter.

3:00 p.m.: Lindsey’s final in-person appointment of the day is with R. In addition to checking her patients’ physical
health, Lindsey also provides emotional support and symptom management. R has low magnesium levels and
requires an infusion, for which he is reluctant to be admitted to the hospital. After discussing the procedure and
being reassured by Lindsey, he agrees.

4:00 p.m.: Back at her desk, Lindsey finishes charts from the day and prepares for tomorrow’s patient visits.

We’re deeply grateful to all of our generous donors who help ensure that team members like Lindsey can provide compassionate palliative care for our community members. Thank you!

Want to make a difference and help us expand access to palliative care in the Napa Valley? Make a donation today at collabriacare.org/donate-now!

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