We interviewed Anthony Mitchell, WelbeHealth participant since early 2020. Read about his experience with WelbeHealth’s PACE services.

A Family Caregiver and Self-Advocate

Before sitting down to talk with Anthony, we overhear him tell his wife, Anita, that he will take her for a manicure soon. “Every three weeks I get her a manicure and a pedicure to make her feel special,” he explains. “I just do my best to look after her.”

Anita has Alzheimer’s disease, and Anthony’s adult son has severe disabilities. For Anthony, it’s essential to stay well so he can care for his family members.

Anthony says, “I’m an advocate for myself. I don’t let myself get pushed around. I made that mistake once, to not trust my own judgment, and I wound up losing a toe [due to diabetes]. I said, ‘Never again will I do that.’ If I’m not an advocate for myself, I can’t take care of my family. I need to be here for people.”

Very Different Health Care Experiences

Anthony says, “I was not happy with my prior health plan. I felt like I was a shuffle-through. What I needed and what I was getting were two different things entirely.”

WelbeHealth’s PACE model allows Anthony to get personalized, comprehensive care. A team of experts works together to meet his health care needs.

“At WelbeHealth, I feel like people care for me. Instead of getting passed around as fast as they can. Here people make me feel special,” Anthony says. “What I like most about WelbeHealth is the way everybody works together as a team for you. Everybody I’ve dealt with has been supportive, respectful, and helpful. It’s not just beyond customer service. It’s not just beyond health care. It’s someone looking and saying, ‘This is what we need to do. We see what the problem is. Let’s pull together as a team.’

How WelbeHealth Keeps Him Going

Besides the emphasis on physical health, Anthony appreciates the mental health support provided by WelbeHealth. It has given him the support he needs to be the best family caregiver to his loved ones.

Anthony says, “At my last health plan, I was not comfortable with the mental health services, and I didn’t feel heard. At WelbeHealth, my doctor listens and helps me move forward. Without the mental health support that I have now, I could not take care of my wife and my son.”

He adds, “When you are strong mentally, you can become strong physically. That’s one of the most important things that I’ve gotten: the mental support to keep me strong, so I can be the man that I need to be.”

To Anthony, WelbeHealth has become more than a health plan or service. He says, “There’s no judgment. There’s always complete understanding. You call us participants, but I just feel more like… something special. I feel more like family. You treat me like family.”