Welcome to

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Welcome to

• TimeBanks USA Regional Training
• Activating Community Members for Better Health
  Through TimeBanking
• May 18-19, 2012

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• The greatest untapped resource for improving
  health and social well being is the knowledge,
  wisdom, and energy of individuals, families, and
  communities who face challenging issues in their
  everyday lives.

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Activating Community for Better Health through
TimeBanking

• Community Exchange TimeBank
• (A community engagement and activation tool
  developed within the Department of Community
  Health Health Studies funded and supported
  through the vision of the Dorothy Rider Pool
  Health Care Trust)

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Overview

• Community Exchange is an innovative non-clinical
  initiative of Lehigh Valley Health Network's
  Department of Community Health Health Studies
  that explores ways to create interdependence
  between Lehigh Valley Health Network and diverse
  community members by creating win-win
  partnerships.

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History

• Community Exchange began in October 1999. The
  founding collaborators explored methods to engage
  isolated, low income, disenfranchised people to
  improve their opportunities for social
  interaction and therefore improve their overall
  health. Time banking was selected as the tool to
  make this happen. Community Exchange commenced
  with approximately 30 members, primarily seniors.

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And today . . .

• Over 600 diverse community members
• 20 organizational partners
• Offering over 300 unique services
• Exchanging approximately 10,000 hours of service
  yearly

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Two published papers on community building and
positive health outcomes

• Letcher A , Perlow K. (2009) Community-Based
  Participatory Research Shows How a Community
  Initiative Creates Networks to Improve
  Well-Being. American Journal of Preventative
  Medicine.
• Lasker J, Collum E, Bealer T, Niclaus E, Young
  Keefe J, Kratzer Z, Baldasari L, Kramer E,
  Mandeville R, Schulman J, Suchow D, Letcher A,
  Rogers A, Perlow K. (2010) Time Banking and
  Health The Role of a Community Currency in
  Enhancing Well-Being. Health Promotion Practice.

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How does this work?

• Community Exchange TimeBank provides
  infrastructure to empower people to help where
  they are needed . . . and to get help when they
  need it . . . within the communities where they
  live, work, and play.

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How is this different than volunteering at LVHN?

• Traditionally, hospitals use volunteers to
  support hospital-based care.
• Most volunteer models are one-way charity-based
  models. (Volunteers give time.)

Community members provide time to the hospital
H
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• Time banking is a reciprocal model. (Volunteers
  both give and receive time.)
• People joining Community Exchange add the kind of
  help (skills, talent, services) they are willing
  to offer to the community. Like assets into a
  bank!
• Members needing help are usually able to find
  help from other members. Like a withdrawal from a
  bank!
• Everyones time is valued equally. One hour one
  time credit.
• Most services provided occur in the communities
  where we live, work, and play.

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In the Beginning . . .

• The issue for intervention was social
  isolation in seniors.

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• Organically, other issues emerged . . .
  transportation, language barriers, other gaps
  between medical and social services that can be
  provided by caring community friends.
• And we learned that it was not only seniors in
  our community who were isolated.

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Community Exchange Initiatives that Engage and
Activate Patients Community

• Ongoing and Evolving
• Community Exchange TimeBank Neighbor to
  Neighbor Network
• Wheel Time Medical Transportation
• Las Palabras (The Words) Community Medical
  Interpreters
• Stanford Chronic Disease Self Management
  Workshops led by community lay leaders

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Community Exchange Initiatives that Engage and
Activate Patients Community (Contd)

• In Development
• Neighbor-to-Neighbor Care Teams (process
  development for and then implementation of
  community support teams for patients who need
  support collaboration with OACIS, NCCCP, other
  practices serving the most vulnerable patients)

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Community Exchange Initiatives that Engage and
Activate Patients Community (Contd)

• New
• Citizen Health Care Patient/Provider Created
  Chronic Pain Project (CBPR with community leader
  development)
• Developing a Practice Advisory Council to Empower
  Patient/Family Leaders, Enhance Patient- and
  Family-Centeredness, and Improve Quality of Care

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Some Examples
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Ellens Story

• Community Exchange member Ellen is
  approximately 55 years old with complex health
  issues. She lives alone on limited income and has
  no family nearby. No longer able to drive, Ellen
  was becoming isolated. She needs dialysis three
  times per week.
• Community Exchange members Dan, Julie,
  Donnie, and Ray earn Time providing rides to
  Ellen. Ellen is an AMAZING baker, she earns time
  by baking beautiful cookies for holidays and
  special occasions. Recently, Ellen had toes
  amputated at LVH-CC. When she was ready for
  inpatient rehabilitation at TSU at 17th Street,
  it was suggested that she be transported by
  ambulance. Ellen knew she could not afford her
  part of the ambulance ride. She called Julie who
  picked her up at Cedar Crest and dropped her at
  17th Street for Time s and a little gas money.
• Ellens drivers have become her friends, people
  she feels she can call for help even in the
  middle of the night. Sometimes her drivers donate
  their Time back to Ellen so she is sure to have
  enough credits to get to appointments and to get
  some help cleaning up around her house. Ellen is
  planning a kiffel class and awaiting a
  transplant.

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Mr. P and Mr. C

• We know Mr. P from LVPP and from OACIS
  connections. He is another community member with
  complex acute illness, no transportation, no
  family connections, and no income.
• A young man, (a refugee who is new to the US), C,
  who came to Community Exchange through Wally at
  LVFHC earns time transporting Mr. P to
  appointments at 17th Street. C uses his Time to
  visit a chiropractor who accepts Time and to
  train as a community medical interpreter with our
  network.

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Sonyas Story

• Sonya has been a member of Community Exchange for
  8 years. In her first 7 and half years, Sonya was
  more comfortable in a helper role. She earned
  time and made connections as an event planner and
  workshop leader. It was difficult for us to get
  Sonya to ask for anything for herself.
• Six months ago, Sonya was diagnosed with ALS.
  Sonya is now using her time for rides, for help
  around her house, and for grocery pickups and
  deliveries. She is working with a Community
  Exchange member, who is also a minister, to plan
  and then officiate at her funeral. Its difficult
  for Sonya to leave her home now, but she is using
  her Community Exchange friends to fill her roles
  at community eventsand to report back.

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Carmens Story

• Carmen is a Community Exchange member who speaks
  English and Spanish. She was born in Equador and
  trained/worked as a teacher in Equador. She has
  been in Allentown for around two years doing
  cleaning in a nursing home. Because she speaks
  both English and Spanish, she is often used as an
  interpreter by people in her neighborhood and in
  the nursing home, but she had no interpreter
  training. She is interested in helping our
  community and her passion and talent are
  communication.
• Carmen used 46 Times to train with LVHN
  Interpreter Services as a community interpreter.
  (A credential she is able to add to her resume.)
  Carmen earns Times interpreting at LVHNs
  Transplant Center. She also drives
  Spanish-speaking patients for appointments at our
  cancer center. She has recently started working
  as part of an N2N care team.

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Martas Story

• Marta came to Community Exchange as a patient
  with cancer served through NCCCP. She received
  rides through Community Exchanges WheelTime
  initiative.
• Marta is now feeling better, able to drive, and
  wants to offer rides for cancer patients who need
  them. (She is also able to speak Spanish.)

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Time Banking in Health CareLessons Learned

• Fills gaps in the continuum of care that keep
  people healthier in their homes
• Stretches LVHN resources
• Builds relationships that create a trusted
  community presence
• Builds on existing literature related to the
  Helping/Health connection
• Changes Paradigms

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Questions?