Posted by Mary on July 27, 2009
Working in health care gave me a slight advantage when coordinating my Dad’s medical care last summer and as I roll out my first newsletter I’m focused on the main question, do you need occasional support with an aging parent or family member? Eliza One will provide occasional or routine support for you while you balance a busy schedule, Eliza One provides a trilogy of services:
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Private medical care coordination, nursing communication and documentation for physician office visits, medication assessment and determination of additional needs or services to maintain independence.
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Holistic healing using Reiki, Healing Touch, essential oils and additional complementary approaches to medicine as desired for relaxation.
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End of Life steward; contributing aid between hospice care and the funeral home; managing the communication, documentation and coordination of tasks that define the personal, financial or legal affairs of your loved one.
l listen to my friends share their stories of aging parents: juggling clinic appointments, follow up on personal needs or placement in senior living accommodations and the eventual transition through end of life. I marvel at how we do this while balancing our careers our businesses and meeting other family needs. I can help, if you know of anyone who needs a helping hand I’d be delighted to talk to them.
These past few months I’ve had an opportunity to crystallize my vision and purpose for Eliza One, Inc. As I launch my first newsletter I am grateful for the experiences and the gifts I have to offer to those who need a daughter for an hour or a day to help them through transition. I look forward to meeting new friends and sharing life experiences, stay in touch as I share more stories, tips and tidbits. 
In memory of my father David,
Mary
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Posted by Mary on June 24, 2009
I’ve done a bit of research on information that would have been helpful a few weeks ago on “what to do when a loved one dies.” I remember asking our funeral home director if they had a checklist on to help us organize all the tasks to be done and I was surprised when he said “we don’t have anything like that.” I was more surprised that he wasn’t able to recommend a resource for us. My curiosity got the best of me and having the role of daughter, nurse, care coordinator, sister and end of life closer I decided to do some web browsing now that I’ve completed my sisters affairs. I found a few web resources with short checklists and forms that might be helpful to you, if interested look under “end of life checklists.”
I’ve already created my own electronic documents based on what worked for me and I’m updating with the new information I found during my research. No one wants to think about “Organizing” all the work to be done at End of Life but it needs to happen, most of it quickly. My previous work in home care, hospice and senior services have given me a passion for helping individuals and families transition smoothly during this difficult time. Here’s wishing that my experience can smooth the path for others, I invite you to stay tuned as I unveil a new service to current and future clients.
Eliza One, Inc. “Like a daughter, sister, friend… managing life transitions”
- Energy Healing * Reiki Master
- RN * Private Care Coordination
- End of Life Closer
Call (612) 202-5728 or visit my new office at 5871 Cedar Lake Road, Suite 216 * St. Louis Park, MN 55416
Mary
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Posted by Mary on April 25, 2009
My sister Faye’s funeral is over and as we’re picking up the pieces of our lives it almost feels like we’re sleep walking, hoping to wake up and know that this was all a dream and Susie is home from her vacation in Cancun. In the mist of our sorrow my sisters and I talk about how we just burst into tears when we remember she’s gone, it’s still a shock and the hole in our hearts a very raw wound.
As the big sister I’ve organized the work to be done like a project, creating a spreadsheet with all the information, action items and duties to be performed. I did the research on the legal financial responsibilities and spoke to the appropriate authorities as I determine the paperwork that needs to be filed to close out her affairs. We’ve visited her apartment, it’s hard to visit her home and be assaulted by all the memories but somehow I keep pushing us to move forward one step at a time.
I had a task on my to-do list to talk to my sister’s primary care physician about her heart attack and why everyone missed the signs – this took us all by surprise. I spoke to her doctor Thursday afternoon and he was saddened to hear of her sudden death. We reviewed and discussed her medical history, past vital signs and lab work but found no indication of an impending cardiovascular problem, and her blood pressure and cholesterol were consistently good. Faye worried a bit about her weight but she felt lucky that she didn’t have hypertension or any of the early signs that my brother and I have (we take after my father’s side of the family). I asked the doctor how we could have missed this, I know I should know better than to second guess what happened but I couldn’t help myself I just wished I could have my sister back.
My friend Mary is walking today for the American Heart Association, she said she will do this in memory of my sister Faye “Susie” Chapa. I’m including the website for the American Heart Association and the Women Heart organization websites because they have a lot of good information on Women and Heart Disease
http://www.womenheart.org/
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=2859
Coming from the healthcare industry we think we know everything but I now have my work cut out for me as I look at my own health risk. I’ll be visiting these websites often as I construct an action plan for myself so I don’t leave loved ones wondering “why or what if?”
Choosing Life,
Mary
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Posted by Mary on April 14, 2009
One of my friends taught me about practicing Gratitude a few years ago and introduced me to the Gratitude Journal as part of a women’s retreat. It was a new experience for me to write down what seemed obvious to me but after practicing for a while I’ve learned how much we take stuff for granted, especially the loved ones in our lives. Last year around this time I lost a friend to suicide and last fall my father died at 91 years old, and my life lesson was to appreciate and be grateful for all those opportunities to just BE with family and friends.
Yesterday I got a message telling me my sister Susie was not feeling well, I was surprised as she just left for vacation in Cancun with my sister Lisa and her family. There’s a feeling of helplessness when your loved ones are far away and no matter how much I want to be the Big Sister and fix everything I can’t always reach. As we spoke on the phone I felt the frustration of trying to figure out how to manage a medical assessment without all the information needed to make a difference. Later that evening I happened to get an email from a friend who happened to be vacationing in Cancun. Spirit must have led my friend to send an email reminding me she was in Mexico and all I had to do was pass on the information between my dear friend and my family. I felt an overwhelming sense of joy, hope and gratitude!
At 4:53 AM I got a text from my 13 year old niece to tell me my sister Susie collapsed and they had called an ambulance to the resort. I called my friend and she already spoke to my family and she was on her way to the resort. I received a chilling text from my little niece who said “they said she’s not alive,” and then my phone rang. My sister Faye Suzanne who we always called Susie had died unexpectedly, a year younger than me and my complete opposite. As years of family memories flooded my brain I whispered “I hold you close in my Heart Susie.”
So my dear friend Sue this post is for you, your husband and his parents are my shining example of gratitude for today, for standing in my place and being a loving compassionate sister to my family while they are a long way from home. Bless you.
In Gratitude and Friendship,
Mary
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Posted by Mary on February 28, 2009
Once upon a time there was a seasoned female executive who reinvented herself every few years, with a span of work that covered systems planning, nursing leadership, operations, sales, marketing and business development. Acknowledging her span of experience she yearned for the change that would merge her love of the healing arts with her zest for business strategy. Mary decided to go on a quest, taking time to reflect, experiment, learn and meet new people. She started an adventure to create work that is fun, financially rewarding and makes a meaningful contribution to the larger community.
Mary was inspired to start Eliza One, Inc. a business featuring healing therapies including Reiki, Healing Touch, Essential Oils and Holistic care coordination , as my friend Lisa tells me “just pack up your Healing in a Box and travel wherever the need calls you.”
-Mary Chapa, Owner
Eliza One, Inc.
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