Rockingham, N.C. -- She worked at Walmart’s jewelry counter. He needed to pay for a few items and went to her counter instead of the regular checkout line. He came again a few days later. Then every day. Jennifer knew Terry didn’t need those items he purchased, but he was funny and charming. Terry’s dogged determination worked, and he and Jennifer married two years later.
Fast forward 10 years, and now Jennifer Davis uses the same dogged determination to provide for her husband. A stroke in 2017 and double bypass surgery in 2022 left him needing round-the-clock care. She is Terry’s sole caregiver, and while it's a difficult journey, it’s been made a bit easier through the CARE Suite at FirstHealth of the Carolinas.
After his double bypass surgery at FirstHealth's Reid Heart Center in March 2022, Terry returned to his and Jennifer’s home in Rockingham. A fall caused his chest incision to reopen, resulting in an infection, pneumonia and a return trip to FirstHealth’s Pinehurst campus for care. While at the FirstHealth Infectious Diseases clinic, Jennifer and Terry were asked to complete an “About Me” card, which includes questions about the couple’s health and other personal needs. Among their answers, the couple reported that they had difficulty paying bills. Money was tight because Jennifer had quit her job to care for Terry, who couldn’t be left alone. Terry’s disability checks didn’t cover much. Food was scarce, and bills were piling up.
The CARE Suite was made aware of the couple’s concerns shared during the clinic visit, which prompted a call from Hilary Thrower-Hege, a health and social care specialist with FirstHealth CARE Suite, to discuss further and offer options and guidance to address their concerns. As a health and social care specialist, Hilary links FirstHealth patients with available services that contribute to their overall health and wellness. For example, Hilary guided Jennifer through the necessary paperwork to receive financial assistance with Terry’s medical bills. Through the CARE Suite’s partnership with various area agencies, Hilary also connected the Davises with the Richmond County Department of Social Services, which helped determine the next steps for caring for the couple’s needs. This included helping with an overdue electricity bill and assisting Jennifer as she applied for a program that pays for Terry’s Medicare premiums.
“Hilary’s help with paperwork was a huge relief,” said Jennifer. “That piece of Terry’s care was extremely overwhelming, and I was grateful for her.”
With Terry’s acceptance to FirstHealth’s financial assistance program, Jennifer also received help with her outstanding FirstHealth bills. She qualified for a free mammogram from the Foundation of FirstHealth, too. Jennifer said being a full-time caregiver and unable to work outside the home is stressful and exhausting.
“I had never heard of ‘caregiver burnout’ before, but it’s real,” she said. She was unaware of many helpful resources before meeting Hilary. “Being a caregiver can be hard work. I knew when Jennifer and Terry came in to see me, that I could help organize the steps of the care process and help them find a starting point that would achieve successful results,” Hilary said. “I asked questions, but more importantly, I listened to the information provided to me to best match the couple with the needed resources.”
The CARE Suite is part of the FirstHealth Whole-Person Care Model, a holistic health care approach that considers “what matters to you” instead of “what’s the matter with you.” While medical treatments can address patients’ health goals, patients often need non-medical support to achieve those goals. Examples include transportation assistance, access to food, a walker for safe mobility at home and access to programs that can help cover medication costs. Health and social care specialists like Hilary listen to patients and their families, understand their needs and identify programs and services to help meet their needs.
The CARE Suite services are available in Hoke, Lee, Moore, Montgomery, Richmond and Scotland counties.
For additional assistance email FHCenterforHealthandSocialCare@firsthealth.org.
