Client Advocacy and Caregiver Support
Client advocacy can be understood from several perspectives. I offer support to an individual and/or family wanting professional ears/pair of eyes while interacting with the health care team. This can take many forms such as accompanying someone to the Nurse Practitioner or Dr’s office. Speaking from experience, sometimes we can feel vulnerable, particularly if hearing hard news, and having someone else “hear” and “see” with us, helps later.
Client advocacy can also be me “monitoring” someone living alone with family off island. Or like me, an advocate for my ninety-three-year-old mother living on another island.
Even though I was part of health care team decision making during my nursing career, once I was on the other side of the table it was a different matter. Sitting there, while a huge health care team discussed with us, as a family, the future of my husband, I was daunted. I hired a client advocate to accompany me for all meetings and for support outside of them. She was a life-line.
Care-giver support is SO key. We get exhausted and there is a scary statistic – care-givers often die first. I have years of experience as a nurse, and my husband’s care-giver during our dementia journey. And now as my mother’s POA and only advocate.
Fees varying depending on service. Please contact me for further information.