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Ms. B is an elderly client who came into one of the NSO's 360 Wellness Centers a short time ago. She was homeless, often soft-spoken, and kept to herself, but NSO's Care Team knew she needed someone who truly cared and understood her needs professionally. After conducting a new client exam, the nurse practitioner from our primary care team noticed Ms. B was ill with a respiratory infection that worsened her Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
The nurse began asking the right questions and building a rapport with Ms. B. As she continued to monitor her, she noticed that Ms. B slept a lot and seemed underweight. The root issue was that she was having difficulty getting in with her regular doctor and needlessly suffering because of it.
After treating Ms. B's COPD, our nurse contacted our housing team to get Ms. B housed in one of our shelters, and before long, she was active during the day with a smile on her face. Our nurse noticed that she continued to lose weight and became thin, so she ordered cancer testing to rule out other illnesses. NSO's wellness team began monitoring Ms. B's meal intake to make sure she was getting proper nutrition. The problem was that before coming to NSO for help, Ms. B had no one to guide her to a healthy and balanced lifestyle. Many people in the homeless population have significant medical conditions that have gone untreated because of barriers to health care. The opportunity to offer health care where the client is located is a significant way to ease suffering.
Our teams working together to provide Ms. B with housing, health, and well-being support is what changed her life for the better. Now she is beginning to regain a healthy weight, getting primary care treatment, and recovering in a safe and stable place. Vulnerable populations need a placed like NSO that can treat their every need and provide them with hope for tomorrow.
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