Regina's Reflections

Modern Health Care...
Do Not Go in Alone… We are Your Advocates

The elderly man in the hospital bed was our client but our focus was on his daughter, a bright health care professional, trying her best to usher her father through the confusing maze of the U.S. health care system. He had been admitted for treatment of pneumonia, acquired during a rehab stay in a nearby nursing home…his third such episode in three weeks. The young doctor, having briefly examined him, pronounced him able to return to the nursing home.

The daughter, sleep deprived, confused and frustrated looked to me for support. “He wants to go home with care “I said. The doctor, reflexively replied: “He needs care he can only receive in a nursing home” He listed them… oxygen, frequent monitoring, possibly IV antibiotics, respiratory treatments, safety and prevention of re- infection.

“All these and more can be provided at home, with lower possibility of infection”, I declared. The doctor then insisted he had met the “Three nights in bed” qualification to return to the nursing home. By this point the daughter and I teamed up to advocate for her dad and his desire to be home.

He left the hospital that afternoon, and spent the last several months of his life in his lovely home with family support and his attentive compassionate caregivers.

Managing health care can be challenging at the best of times. For older adults with cognitive impairment or for people battling symptoms of exhaustion, navigating one’s own health care can be daunting. The result? Patients delay getting the care they need or do not seek care at all. The healthcare system’s many layers have created a need for several types of healthcare advocacy. In fact, a Harvard Business Review analysis found that 52 percent of patients in the U.S. cannot navigate the healthcare system’s complexity without professional assistance.

Advocacy on an individual level speaks on the patient’s behalf. In our company as a Masters prepared nurse, I provide advocacy when needed, or assist the families in advocating for their loved one. Frequently our seasoned caregivers will pro-actively suggest a family may be ready for guidance in this area. Sometimes they take on this role, as one experienced caregiver advised a client’s wife to insist on availability of Spanish speaking aides before her husband was admitted to a geriatric psych hospital. Common sense? Of course, though not so very common.

Advocacy requires some key skills as Communication, empathy and problem solving.

Advocates need to break down the complexities of the healthcare system, into simple terms for patients. We work with people who are often dealing with tough situations. Our clients may be confronting pain, crises, and confusion. We need to listen and show empathy, as well as offer emotional support and problem solving and planning.

Who needs an Advocate ? …….Who doesn’t ?

https://publichealth.tulane.edu/blog/healthcare-advocacy/ ■