You may not be familiar with the role of a healthcare advocate in Canada. So how do you know if you might benefit from working with one.
In Canada, we generally follow the pattern of taking the advice of our family doctor or primary healthcare provider without question when we have a health issue. But what happens when your health situation is complex or your routine hospital stay is not so routine? And the care plan is so complicated it may as well be written in a foreign language.
When you feel as though you are being passed from one care provider to another, and they don’t appear to be talking to each other, it’s hard to even know where to begin to look for answers. A healthcare advocate may be able to help you.
In a complex healthcare system that is very segmented, it can be challenging to stay well-informed about your treatment plan and actively engaged in all decision-making.
Things can be hard enough when you are doing all of this for yourself, but you may very well need to be doing the groundwork for a spouse or aging parent.
What does a healthcare advocate do?
A healthcare advocate in Canada provides invaluable support and expertise to individuals and families navigating our complex healthcare system. In addition, healthcare advocates work with healthcare providers. They provide a bridge between patients and healthcare providers, helping to facilitate communication and ensure that all parties are working together to achieve the best possible outcomes for patients.
Healthcare services are siloed, so bringing together various pieces of health information falls to the family doctor or nurse practitioner. But there are over 6 million people in Canada without a primary care provider to consolidate test results and consultations from specialists. That might mean you are trying to do all of the gathering and sharing of health information with all the right people – even if you have zero medical or healthcare background.
People often find themselves overwhelmed, confused, and unsure of their rights and options not to mention worried about their or their loved ones health diagnosis.
Healthcare advocates work with individuals and their families to ensure they receive the proper care and support they need from the healthcare system. They can help patients understand their medical conditions, treatment options, and how to access the most appropriate healthcare services available to them. They also advocate on behalf of patients to ensure their needs are met.
Where can I find a healthcare advocate if I need one?
It can be confusing to look for a healthcare or patient advocate online. When I did a google search using ‘healthcare advocate Canada’ and ‘patient advocate Canada’ the top results were sponsored results from companies in the US. There were very few results in Canada but that is a starting point.
Healthcare advocates in Canada can specialize in specific areas of healthcare, such as mental health, chronic illness, or medical emergencies. One company that I know of in Vancouver, Patient Pathways, didn’t show up on my search but I know they offer the service.
Patient advocacy groups linked to a specific illness or condition (Arthritis, Cystic Fibrosis) can be found online by searching the condition and advocate.
The CMHA offers advocacy services for mental health. Organizations such as the Canadian Health Advocates have various locations across the country.
You are living in a different city, a short flight away, from your elderly mother who has been in hospital for the past two weeks following a fall at home. There have been multiple tests and several specialists involved her care but she does not have a GP. Her home is a subsidized assisted living facility.
Your mother calls to tell you she will be going home tomorrow morning. You are surprised to hear the ‘good news’ and ask who informed her…… No, she has not spoken to a doctor, a discharge planning nurse or a social worker. One of the nurses said she would be going home.
You confirm that she is still unable to walk without assistance, or bathe on her own. All of her medications have been changed since admission, and she doesn’t remember what the new ones are for – but she feels okay and wants to go home.
After the conversation with your mother, you call to speak to the charge nurse who confirms discharge is planned for the next day, so I should plan to pick her up around 10 am. You are told that you are responsible for to make sure the arrangements at home are made for any extra care that might be needed (no indication as to what those might be beyond HELP), groceries and meals (who will cook), and prescriptions ( a list can be sent ahead of time).
When you ask to speak to the doctor, the nurse offers to take a message.
The message is ‘Do not discharge my mother’ until I can discuss the plan with you.
There are many scenarios where a healthcare advocate can help families identify and access services to support a loved one, to understand medications and care plans. In many cases, a healthcare advocate can prevent patients from falling through the cracks in the system.
In this particular case, a healthcare advocate can step in to ask the right questions of hospital staff and ensure an appropriate plan is in place for a safe discharge.
And so….
In many cases, we suddenly find ourselves in need of assistance when we are in crisis. There is a situation such as the scenario presented above that needs to be addressed immediately and we don’t know where to look for help.
In the moment you need to be bold enough to speak out on your behalf or for a loved one to prevent a situation from getting even more complicated. It’s ok to say you don’t have all the information you need to move forward and to ask for clarification before taking action.
Before a crisis happens learn what your rights are within the healthcare system. You might want to make some inquiries in your community and in the city where your parent lives so you have a future contact if necessary.
You might also choose to get involved with the Canadian Medical Association CMA.ca as a Health Care Advocate. That would definitely be getting ahead of a crisis.
