One of the key roles of the aging life care manager is to advocate for you in a wide array of situations. Having an expert health care advocate ensures you get the best care possible.
An Aging Wisely health care advocate helps you by:
- Providing a professional assessment to accurately understand the nature of the situation.
- Recommending resources, providing education and care plan options.
- Reviewing your chart and medical records to identify concerns or questions. Helping you and your family understand your health situation and options in lay terms.
- Accompanying a client to appointments, treatment, ER visits and care plan meetings for care continuity. Helping to formulate questions for providers and ensure good communication.
- Helping organize your medical information and keeping everything updated (using an online personal records system); communicating the information for informed care decisions
- Assisting during key transition periods (such as hospital discharge, transfer to a rehabilitation/skilled nursing facility, move to assisted living, or a switch in providers) where most problems occur. Ensuring coordination, anticipating and preventing problems.
You benefit from working with an Aging Wisely health care advocate with our:
- Independent oversight: someone who works for you and can ensure you get what you need across different systems/providers.
- In-depth knowledge of the healthcare system, senior services, care facilities, health insurance ( including Medicaid, Medicare, the VA health system, long-term care insurance), and related resources.
- Professional training and specialized expertise in aging and common age-related conditions. Someone who can quickly point you to resources and has knowledge of some of the issues you (and many providers) might not even anticipate.
- Emotional support for you and your family. It can be difficult to manage the practicalities and make clear decisions when facing a crisis.
- Focus on you. A professional advocate serves as your sounding board and takes the time to listen and truly understand your desires and concerns. We help everyone remember the person beyond the disease or challenges they’re facing.
Winner of National Patient Advocacy award, top Patient Advocate Organization
