Who will speak on your behalf if you aren’t able to? Let’s talk about why it’s so important to choose an advocate who can be your spokesperson.
What if you or your parents were hospitalized and unable to express themselves? What would happen if there were an accident and they were unconscious and unable to communicate?
It is so important to make sure an advocate is in place to speak on your own or your parent’s behalf
What is an advocate? An advocate is someone who will express your desires, information and wishes the way you would want them to be expressed. A person who will fight for your well-being, and your care when you cannot fight for or speak for yourself.
As a child of an aging parent or parent of a special needs child, acting as an advocate is the most important thing you can do for your loved one. This role is most important if and when they are hospitalized. It is very confusing and overwhelming for someone with cognitive challenges to be in a hospital setting. The change in their routine alone is frustrating, let alone all of the strangers asking questions and providing information. This is a critical time to be present and step in to help diffuse the situation and provide the information needed as well as the peace of mind your loved one needs.
At Solutions for Independence we provide many services including care management, power of attorney, consultations and guardianship but first and foremost, we are advocates for our clients. That is what we do. For example, we have a client effected by Alzheimer’s disease, we have been advocating for him for over 15 years. He is never combative or argumentative, until and unless he is in the hospital. The bright lights, being woken up every 2-4 hours, poking and prodding is very difficult for him. He becomes very agitated and has become combative. Because we are present for his hospital admissions, we know that he needs a 24-hour advocate who can help explain to him what’s happening and diffuse the situation. We have caregivers sit with him his entire hospital stay which is vital for his well-being during that difficult time. We fight for our clients every day to assure their needs are being met and they have the best quality of life possible.
If you do not have an advocate or are have a parent in need of an advocate, please contact us, we can help.
