RED ARC Brochure - Canada Life

RED ARC support andbespokesolutionsACCESSIBLE • RESPONSIVE • CARINGWhere to find usAn introduction toRED ARCMany forward looking and professional organisations wish toprovide practical information and support to their members orpolicyholders during their time of greatest need.This can often beat the crisis point in their life when they lose a loved one, receive adiagnosis of serious ill health or even a life limiting majordisability.By providing this service to large groups, RED ARC can offer thesevital services at a low unit cost per member, thus enabling thesponsoring organisation to pass on the benefits of the service toits members free of charge as a welfare benefit product.Alternatively, it is possible to link the service to an insurance orhealthcare product.Then the service is triggered by a claim.RED ARC ASSURED LIMITEDIntergen House 65-67 Western Road HoveEast Sussex BN3 2JQTel: 01273 716700 Fax: 01273 716701Email: raa@redarc.co.uk Website: www.redarc.co.ukRED ARC is owned by The Private Health Partnership,a subsidiary of Skipton Building SocietyRED ARC is an independent care advisory servicespecialising in welfare-based added value services.Established in 1997 in offices in Hove, RED ARC has earneda reputation for service excellence, supporting individualsand their families through serious illness, chronic healthconditions and disabilities. ‘Thumb-nail’ case studies shownwithin this leaflet, illustrate the value of what we do.ACCESSIBLE • RESPONSIVE • CARINGAll of our client organisations and their members or policyholdersare different, so we structure our service to meet the specificneeds of your organisation. In this way we can work with majorinsurers, healthcare benefit providers or membership servicesorganisations to help the sponsoring organisation differentiateitself commercially. At the same time members or policyholderscan be offered access to a high quality service that is flexible torespond to a variety of life’s problems and make a REAL differencein REAL peoples lives.

What we mean bycareMainstream services such as the NHS focus on treatment of thepatient. RED ARC fills the gaps in the ‘softer’ skills – a friendlylistening ear, practical information, and much needed emotionalsupport both for the patient and the family.The diagnosis of a serious health condition such as cancer, a heartattack, stroke or MS invariably means a worrying time foreveryone close to the patient.That’s the time that you needaccess to someone who understands your condition and has thetime to listen to your concern and allay your fears.That goes foryour spouse, partner and children too.How RED ARChelpsThe cornerstone of the RED ARC service is the personal nurseadviser – highly experienced, registered nurses who will be the focalpoint for you and your family and tailor the support your need toyour particular circumstances.Your personal nurse adviser will be available to you by the phone innormal business hours, and will be able to provide information andsupport for as long as you need it.Where appropriate, they cancommission additional services such as a home visit by a specialistnurse, counselling or therapy.RED ARC also has links with many charities specialising in yourparticular health condition, and can often direct you to self-helpgroups that will help you come to terms, and cope better, with yourproblem. Home adaptation and special equipment to aid everydayliving are other important areas where we can provide guidance.Real support forreal people...RED ARC Assured Case Studies• Melanie, 3Diagnosed with leukaemia, Melanie’s parents were devastated.But the treatment she is receiving in the NHS is excellent, andthe little one is doing really well. RED ARC’s personal nurseadviser could see that the parents were having real difficultycoping with such a traumatic event, and agreed a specialistcounselling programme for them.“We thought our world had come to an end. It’s a feeling of blindpanic, and as much as you try to support each other, it alloverwhelms you. We needed the nurse to calm things down and thecounselling has created a sense of perspective and given us acoping strategy. At least now we are looking forward.”• Louise, 48Diagnosed with breast cancer, Louise was able to have a series ofone-to-one telephone calls with a specialist cancer nurse. Theydiscussed treatment, therapy and its side effects, and agreed a listof questions to ask the consultant on her next visit to thehospital.“The nurse gave me the reassurance I needed, it’s such a worryingtime. I kept looking at my daughter and wondering whether shewould be next. The nurse helped me to get things right in my head,because I knew what my journey was going to be like. I coped a lotbetter than I thought I would.”ACCESSIBLE • RESPONSIVE • CARING• Keith, 53Suffered a heart attack, but was treated quickly in hospital andsoon discharged on medication. Worried about the longer termimplications, his personal nurse adviser was able to put him intouch with a cardiac rehabilitation nurse who has provided adviceon lifestyle, exercise, diet and stress management.“It was a real shock. I thought I was fit. After it happened I could onlythink that I was going to have another one. Now I have taken somepositive steps to change my lifestyle and I feel much more confidentabout going back to work.”• Lucy, 83Lucy suffered from chronic arthritis in the base of her spine.Liaising with Lucy’s daughter, the personal nurse adviser was ableto organise home assessment by an Occupational Therapist, whowas able to advise on equipment that would help Lucy live asindependently as possible.Lucy’s daughter says:“We were all worried about Mum. She couldn’t get in and out ofthe bath without help, stand to wash the dishes at the sink, or evenpull her own tights on. The nurse helped us overcome theseproblems, and now we know much more about what to do, andwhere to go.”And help for familiesThe diagnosis of a serious illness or theonset of a disability impact not only onthe patient but the family too. SoRED ARC services can beextended to include supportfor family members whomay have difficulty incoming to terms with whathas happened, or may findthem pressed into action.Family members oftenfind themselves pressedinto action as carers.