4 Advantages of Patient Care Advocacy
Elder care planning may come off as challenging, especially when you have to do it yourself. Without proper professional guidance from a patient care advocate who knows the ropes of the industry, you may not find the best-fit elder care solutions that are tailored to your needs. That is why you should consider seeking patient care advocacy so that you get the best healthcare services from a pool of increasingly complex options. Here are the benefits of patient care advocacy.
1. Negotiates Any Disputes Between You and Your Healthcare Providers and
Insurers
In your old age, you may have more medical emergencies than you wish, and your healthcare needs are complex and may change by the day. In case you need new prescription drugs, or you get a medical emergency, your healthcare provider and insurance should have your back. Sadly, this is not the case as you would expect. Your insurance or elder care facility may cite the terms and conditions you initially agreed to deny you some services. The subsequent dispute may be prolonged to your disadvantage. That’s where patient care advocacy comes in.
A health care advocate will ensure that your insurance or elder care facility is not short-changing you. Ideally, you should engage healthcare advocates when seeking elder care services so that they can help you settle on the best. As a result, you will have fewer disputes with your healthcare providers as your patient care advocate will look after you. Given the extensive paperwork involved in elder care planning, you need an expert on your side.
2. Explaining Medical Communications
As you advance in age, you are more vulnerable to old age diseases and chronic diseases. It’s estimated that about 80% of seniors live with at least one chronic disease, while 68% have two or more. If this happens to you, a patient care advocate will walk with you through the treatment process. Patient care advocacy makes sure that you understand what is happening and helps you adjust to the new situation. When suffering from a chronic disease, you already have enough pain to deal with. You do not want to exert more pressure on yourself by worrying about your medical insurance and the medical communications from your doctor’s visits.
3. Legal Support and Family Assistance
As a senior, life care planning is a key issue that you should strive to get right. In your old age, a lot could go wrong. If you’re living with a chronic disease or any other adverse health complications, you may get incapacitated or, worse still, succumb to the disease. In case this happens, you want your family and dependents to move on without wrangling over your healthcare decisions or finance and property.
Through patient care advocacy, you and your family can agree on the use of Power of Attorney for Property, and Power of Attorney for Healthcare. This way, when your ability to make decisions is affected by your deteriorating health, your family can invoke Power of Attorney. Similarly, when you give up the ghost, your dependents will not fight over your estate.
4. Medication Management
A patient care advocate will ensure that you get your medications at the right time. If you’re on several medications, there are high chances that you may forget to take some. Patient care advocacy coordinates with your elder care facility or your caregiver to ensure that you don’t miss your medications. If there are changes in your insurance, for instance, Medicaid, your healthcare advocate will help you adjust appropriately. This will ensure that you always get the medications that you need, regardless of the changes introduced.
Elder care planning shouldn’t be complicated, but getting the best-fit elder care services requires help from a person who knows the industry well. That person is a health care advocate. As such, you should seek patient care advocacy to guide you in elder care planning. You will not only have an easy time, but also you will get the best healthcare services available when you engage a healthcare advocate.
