When a loved one needs long-term hospice care or is facing a life-threatening health crisis, having an advocate who is also a family caregiver can be quite beneficial. As someone matures or becomes ill, they may have more health issues to share. Having a second pair of eyes and ears is highly recommended to ensure the best possible care.
An advocate is a supporter, backer, believer, sponsor, promoter, campaigner, or spokesperson. You can aid your hospice patient by being a voice and a watchdog for him and ensuring that his requests for end-of-life care may carry out by becoming a hospice patient advocate. Below, the trained staff from Hospice of Cincinnati covers the most asked issues regarding serving as a patient’s advocate.
What are the benefits of having a patient Hospice Care Advocate on your side?
There are many reasons a hospice patient should have a health care advocate. Being given only six months or less to live can leave a patient feeling hopeless and discouraged. So having a companion to guide her through the difficult path ahead can be a great consolation. And since hospice patients have various degrees of mental understanding and awareness, having a healthy and attentive advocate at hand to pay attention to essential details and voice concerns and inquiries can soothe the patient’s mind at a complicated time.
How do I stand up for someone I care
To be an effective advocate for your hospice patient, you should:
- Consult with medical personnel to get answers to your concerns. It requires examining the “when, where, what, why, who and how” of all patient care parts.
- Keep an updated list of the patient’s prescriptions, look at what may prescribed. How much, and why, and ask questions if any concerns exist.
- Educate yourself about hospice care, your patient’s medical condition and diagnosis, and end-of-life care financial and legal matters.
- Serve as the lead organizer, ensuring all medical, legal, and financial difficulties could addressed.
- Be respectful, but yet be tenacious. Don’t give up until you have the answers to make sure your loved one gets the best possible care and ask for clarification on anything you don’t understand.
When is it necessary for a patient to have an advocate on their side?
It should designate someone to assist a patient who may gave a life-threatening diagnosis. Whether or not it is life-threatening. Somebody should also have the strength and trustworthiness to enable the patient to have the whole life possible at the most difficult moment. When she is most vulnerable.
Related Post: Hospice Care from Your Home