Diane, Niwot, Colorado: 

"Unless you are educated in medicine, a complex medical situation can be very daunting and difficult to manage, especially if you are the patient and especially if you are a senior citizen. 

Judy Lawten stepped in to help my 84 year old father navigate his numerous medical conditions, including two ocular occlusions, diabetes, a total knee replacement and a bit of memory loss.  She attended doctors’ appointments with him, which gave him great comfort as he had a medically trained professional to talk to after the appointment and discuss what the doctor actually said versus what he heard at the time of the appointment.  

Regardless of age, we often hear only part of what the doctor says and then interject our perceptions of what they said.   In my dad’s case, he wanted to zero in on the finite details of what he could possibly do to improve his situation and Judy was there to give him the doctor’s summary and also give him resources to continue his education on the topic, in this case his eyes and potential for improvement in the future.   A significant benefit to engaging Judy was the ability to drill down quickly to the important take aways and what the next steps were in his care plan. 

On the process management side, Judy was like a bird dog managing the details of the appointments, getting the information from one doctor to the next and following the details of his overall care plan.  My dad was working with doctors in two different states and keeping everyone on track and swiftly moving forward was a huge effort.  I truly can’t imagine what navigating this would have been like without her.  Staying on top of appointments, medications and lab tests can quickly become overwhelming and easy to get lost in the details.  Having an RN Advocate can make all the difference in the world.  Judy is outstanding at what she does and we are very grateful for her service."