Re: Whaddya Guys Think Of This?

Janey Pooh wrote:

I've been mulling over something in my mind for a few days now.
There's a "Business Development Centre" in our region that offers loans
and grants to people to start small businesses.  I went to their site
and they have one specifically called "The Entrepreneurs With
Disabilities Program".  They offer money and help to people with all
kinds of disabilities to help them start businesses so they can support
themselves.  They'll give loans of up to $125,000.00 with no payments
for the first year, help with Business Plans - that kind of thing.

So, anyway, I've been thinking of a business I could do from home.  My
only worry in telling you is that you'll steal it for yourselves.  LOL
Please Don't!!

Let's consider this my copyright, cuz it's the first time it's been
discussed - January 16, 2006 - by Jane Livingston.

Hey, Janey, just so you know..."ideas" arent copyright-able! Business plans are, however. I'd call this yer "business plan"--ok? (and dont worry, I wont steal it! Promise!)



Objective:
To prepare and provide "Patient Advocate Packages" to be sold to
various Health
Regions and distributed at Hospitals, Care Centres, Clinics and
anywhere else patients
might need help but don't know where to go for it.

Packages will be geared specifically to different regions and will
include local,
municipal, provincial and federal assistance programs and how to access
them.

May also include producing videos and DVDs for the same purpose.

Background:

In January of 2005, I was diagnosed with a two centimeter Cerebral
Aneurysm, after
experiencing several Epileptic-type seizures.  I live in a rural
community (Fort Macleod)
and was immediately taken to the Foothills General Hospital in Calgary
for further tests
and treatment.  This was a very stressful situation for me and my
family, as you can
imagine.

We are a low income family with poor transportation and very little in
the way of
resources.  During my stay in Calgary, my husband either slept in his
car or drove the
two hours each way every day to be at my side as I went through the
initial six-day
period while doctors were deciding how to deal with my case.

Initially, something like this "Patient Advocate Package" could
have helped us find low
cost accomodations and/or transportation for him, thereby alleviating
some of that stress.

I eventually had brain surgery, but was left with symptoms of Temporal
Lobe Epilepsy
and severe anxiety/depression that has left me disabled and unable to
work outside the
home.  I cannot drive because of my seizures.  I am on several
medications that affect
my concentration abilities and ability to "stay on task" and I have
several other
deficiencies that didn't exist before this experience.

It has been EXTREMELY difficult for me to find the agencies I've
needed to help me
financially, and when I did, also extremely difficult to "make heads
or tails" of them.  At
times simply trying to fill out the forms required to get assistance
has made me fall
apart completely, emotionally.  I deserve and need the help, but I've
been too sick to
ask for it -- too sick to know who to ask, how to ask, where to ask . .
.

Having experienced first-hand what it is like to go through a medical
crisis and not have
any idea where to get assistance or how to go about it, I feel a
"Patient Advocate
Package" could prove to be a vital assistance to those who are going
through or have
recently gone through a medical trauma.

Lists of available resources need to be provided to people in this
situation.  The
patients and their loved ones have only one thing on their minds - the
medical situation.
These "Packages" need to be provided without the family having to
ask for assistance.
Many are too distracted by the crisis, and many are too proud to admit
they NEED
assistance.  They should be given to anyone in these situations,
without question.
They should be part of a patient's recovery package.  They should be
laid out in an
easy-to-read, straight-forward format that leaves those in need feeling
they have
somewhere to turn for help in their area.  And that they are not alone.

Business Plan:
I am disabled and cannot work outside the home.  I am currently
receiving AISH and
can provide documents from several doctors and therapists who can vouch
for my
condition.  I am very lucid sometimes, and very troubled at others.
The problem is - I
don't necessarily know when those lucid times will occur and when
I'll have a "bad day".

I believe that with help from the Southwestern Business Development
Centre's
"Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Program", I could research and
prepare these
packages out of my home, using e-mail and internet resources to
communicate with the
required health and government sources as necessary.

My husband is not disabled but is currently receiving Employment
Insurance after being
laid off this Christmas due to lack of work.  He is quite capable of
travel and of
interaction outside the home where necessary.   He could attend
business meetings in
other areas of the Province and distribute the Packages where the
Regions deem them
most important.  The SWBDC's "Self-Employment Program" would help
him become a
part of this Plan and help us reduce our reliance on outside sources
for assistance.

Costs:
Costs would include living expenses until the operation was profitable,
as well as
upgraded computer equipment and printing costs for the Packages.  I was
trained as a
Journalist and feel competent to produce the original writing and
artwork for the packages myself, given the ability to set my own hours
and work at times when I am most well.

My husband is an Emmy-winning Film Sound Recordist with 25 years of
experience in
the film and television industry.  Should we decide to also include a
Video and/or DVD
component with the packages, my husband would be more than capable of
co-ordinating these productions.  Production costs for this portion
would depend on the
project depth, and would require the purchase of modern video recording
equipment.

People in the most need often lose out because they don't know where
to go or who to
ask for help.  I would like to make that process easier for patients in
need.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Well, whaddya think?  Dumb idea?  GREAT idea?  So So?  Needs
adjustments?  Hmmmmmm - lemme know.  And don't steal my idea!!!  :o)

Take GOOD Care,

Jane

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Whaddya Guys Think Of This?
    ... 'Advocacy for Patients and their families/caretakers'? ... help with Business Plans - that kind of thing. ... >> Packages will be geared specifically to different regions and will ... provincial and federal assistance programs and how to access ...
    (alt.med.fibromyalgia)
  • Re: Whaddya Guys Think Of This?
    ... > There's a "Business Development Centre" in our region that offers ... > To prepare and provide "Patient Advocate Packages" to be sold to ... > Packages will be geared specifically to different regions and will ... > times simply trying to fill out the forms required to get assistance ...
    (alt.med.fibromyalgia)
  • Whaddya Guys Think Of This?
    ... There's a "Business Development Centre" in our region that offers loans ... To prepare and provide "Patient Advocate Packages" to be sold to ... Packages will be geared specifically to different regions and will ... provincial and federal assistance programs and how to access ...
    (alt.med.fibromyalgia)
  • Re: Whaddya Guys Think Of This?
    ... help with Business Plans - that kind of thing. ... > To prepare and provide "Patient Advocate Packages" to be sold to ... > Packages will be geared specifically to different regions and will ... provincial and federal assistance programs and how to access ...
    (alt.med.fibromyalgia)
  • Re: Whaddya Guys Think Of This?
    ... help with Business Plans - that kind of thing. ... > Packages will be geared specifically to different regions and will ... provincial and federal assistance programs and how to access ... > Business Plan: ...
    (alt.med.fibromyalgia)