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Our Case Manager Saved Client Life
By Betsy Clifford
Every day, those who work in service to others improve lives. Once in a while, they save
them.
As BSHC Case Manager, Shannon Murphy, arrived at the home of Mrs. M., a potential new client,
she noticed that the elder looked pale. Before long Mrs. M. expressed anxiety, experienced
indigestion and began to perspire profusely. Her concern growing, Shannon asked the elder
if she was all right. Mrs. M. replied that she needed to go up to her bedroom and lie down,
and that Shannon should come back another day. Shannon indicated that she wouldn’t be leaving
just yet. Soon the elder was shaking and seeing in triplicate. Shannon dialed 911 and followed
the responder’s instructions to prevent choking. As Mrs. M’s condition continued to deteriorate,
EMTs arrived and performed their interventions while Shannon called Mrs. M’s son and daughter-in-law.
When the decision was made to take her to the hospital, Shannon determined the destination and
informed the son and daughter-in-law, who were receiving her minute-by-minute updates on two
phones. As the EMTs carried Mrs. M to the ambulance, Shannon locked the house and gave the
keys, along with basic information she had brought with her, to the emergency personnel.
Calling the family later that day, Shannon learned that the client had suffered a severe heart
attack. The family reported the doctors’ assessment: if no one had been there, Mrs. M.
would have died.
Asked what had gone through her mind during this critical event, Shannon reported that she
suspected stroke or heart attack and was determined not to leave until the elder was safe.
Throughout the episode, Mrs. M, who had been discharged days earlier following hospitalization
due to chest pains, was frightened and in need of reassurance. Days later a daughter called to
report that Mrs. M remained hospitalized. She expressed the family’s deep gratitude to Shannon
for her quick and comprehensive action. Indicating they would request that a case manager assess
the elder’s needs following her discharge, she emphatically stated, “We hope you’re the one!”
Shannon is no stranger to crisis intervention. Prior to joining the BSHC staff on November 1,
2004, she was residential director at a home for troubled girls. There, 14-hour days and a wide
range of emergencies were the norm. Now, in her “spare time”, she works with persons marginalized
by homelessness, substance abuse and mental illness. Asked what advice she might offer her
co-workers faced with a possible crisis, Shannon suggests, “Pay attention to the person’s affect.
If you notice that something doesn’t seem right, don’t leave. Provide assurance that s/he is not
alone, that you are going to help and that s/he will be OK. Keep yourself calm, and keep
breathing!”
Mrs. M., her family, and Boston Senior Home Care are grateful to Shannon for keeping calm and
saving a life. Hers is one of the many stories lived each day by human service professionals
who care enough to make a positive difference in the lives of those in need.
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