One of the roles we play as caregiver is Caregiver Advocate. Meaning that you help your loved one with their health care and getting them the right care they needs.
You are a scheduler, money manager, house cleaner, health aide, nurse, navigator, nurturer and more. Perhaps the most important role, though, is advocate, as we ensure the best life possible for our loved ones when they are vulnerable.
That includes understanding their wishes for care and quality of life, and making sure those wishes are respected. It means helping them manage financial and legal matters. And it means making sure they receive appropriate services and treatments, of the highest quality, when they need them. We are their voices when they are unable to advocate for themselves.
If the thought of being an advocate for you seems overwhelming, relax. You probably already have the skills to be effective; you just need to develop and apply them in new ways.
Here are the five tips of importance:
Powers of observation
Organizational skills
Communication skills; This is key for building relationships.
Asking questions
Tenacity
Being an advocate is hard work. You hit many road blocks, challenges and sometimes no matter what you do, you fail. My friend, don’t give up learn from each situation. You are the voice for your Loved One.
