With the complexity of the modern-day healthcare system, having confidence in your care, and understanding your situation is incredibly important. A healthcare advocate can be a great way to ensure that you are receiving the best care, understand what options are available to you, and have a firm grasp on your current and future medical needs. At EverHome Care Advisors, our team of health care advocates known as Life Care Coordinators, know your loved one’s rights and have years of experience supporting clients and families through the healthcare system.
What is a Healthcare Advocate?
Advocacy is defined as any action that recommends, argues for, supports, defends, or speaks on behalf of and for others. Advocacy is crucial for those in need of support and help in areas they don’t understand like the healthcare world as patients are often unfamiliar with the industry, medical jargon, insurance, and all other aspects. While all patients should receive the benefit of having a healthcare advocate, seniors especially can find one extremely beneficial.
A healthcare advocate could be a trusted loved one: spouse, relative, friend, caregiver, or Life Care Coordinator. While a healthcare background can be valuable, a good advocate will be one who is organized, assertive, comfortable voicing your opinion, and who knows you and your medical history well. They will act as a bridge between you and any medical, insurance, or billing issues.
What Can a Healthcare Advocate Do for You?
Advocates will allow you to better understand the situation you are in and will help you keep track of your needs or concerns and will ensure they are properly voiced to your health care providers. They can also be great for helping to keep track of your medical history and can verify that everything being communicated to and from any provider is accurate and understandable.
For aging seniors who may be experiencing memory or mobility loss, or perhaps be suffering from Dementia or Alzheimer’s, having a trusted advocate is crucial. Having someone in place ahead of time can provide comfort especially if that person is knowledgeable of your prior medical history and is available to talk through forms, potential treatment plans or procedures, and help to make informed medical decisions in order to receive proper care.
At EverHome Care Advisors, healthcare advocacy is one of the many services we provide. Our Life Care Coordinators have years of experience helping aging clients and their families navigate through all types of healthcare settings and are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and expertise needed to guide you through all aspects of care. Our goal is to ensure that you are making informed care decisions for yourself and are taking the right steps to ensure that you can continue to age safely at home. Call now to speak to one of our expert team members!