My mom went to the ER and was admitted to the hospital. She spent five days there and experienced multiple TIAs, which led to a decline in her cognition. Although she was eager to return home, it became clear that this was not possible. She was in the process of a Medicaid spend down for access to different services, and I, as her daughter, had power of attorney.

Despite being a health care provider, I found the process overwhelming, emotional, and daunting. Working with Susan, the discharge planner, was immensely helpful; she explained clearly what needed to happen and informed me that my mom would need to go to a skilled nursing facility.

Navigating insurance and billing felt like an unnavigable mess amid the fast-paced health care river. Susan was fabulous, making everything understandable and including me in the process of finding an appropriate and lovely place for my mom to go. Her compassionate and empathetic approach made a challenging situation much more manageable and comforting. I cannot praise her enough and will never forget her support during this time.