The Importance of Care Advocacy

Brookdale clinicians have seen the benefits having a care advocate can have for seniors who are no longer able to advocate completely on their own. Successful advocacy can include maintaining regular communication with care teams up to multiple times a week, openly sharing observed changes in resident needs or desires, and communicating preferences and beliefs. Having a care advocate is almost always a positive experience for a resident as it increases participation in care planning and action planning, as well as enhancing person centered programming. In a dementia care setting, if a resident is in the advanced stages of the disease, having a care advocate helps give the resident a voice when they may no longer be able to convey their wishes. If the care advocate is someone who knows the resident well, they can provide vital information that assists in developing personalized service plans.  And while having a helping hand is usually beneficial, patients and residents should be supported as they continue to advocate on their own behalf as long as they are able to independently.

You can refer a patient to Brookdale and learn more about our services here.