If you are an older adult in the United States, looking into a healthcare advocate for yourself or even for someone that you love can be hugely beneficial. For those who are growing older, it is likely that new health conditions – often chronic ones – will develop. And with people living longer than ever before – on average, more than eighteen years after you reach the age of sixty five – the need for healthcare advocacy will become greater than ever before.
Elderly people often become physically frail even if they remain mentally sharp. Or it could go the other way around, with mental ability fading while their bodies remain strong. Overall, however, both begin to fade once a certain age is reached, from strength to memory to everything else. Falls become more likely as can other types of injuries as you age and your bones become more frail, and these injuries are more likely to develop into more serious conditions. Infections are more serious and more possible for elderly people, even those who are otherwise in good health. On top of this, elderly people can get more serious versions of regular illnesses. The flu, for instance, poses a particular threat for the elderly (as well as for very young babies and children, and for those who have compromised immune systems).
At some point, many elderly people need more care than what they themselves are able to provide and are no longer able to live at home, particularly if their partner has passed away or if they have always lived without a partner. Many elderly people choose to live with an adult guardian such as their grown up child, but this can be very challenging for all parties. It can be a huge financial drain on the child that becomes the caretaker, as well as an immense emotional commitment that can cause a lot of strain on the parent and child relationship. Oftentimes, adult children are simply not equipped to meet the growing needs of their aging parents and cannot provide them with the care that they need and deserve. For these reasons and many more, often highly personal and individual, many elderly people live in an elder care facility.
There are many benefits to living in an elder care facility. For one, round the clock care is offered, ensuring that your elderly loved on, be they a parent, a sibling, another relative, or a friend, stays safe at all times of the day. Socializing is another benefit of living in an assisted living facility, where elderly people can make friends with each other and form strong bonds with each other as well as with the staff who work there.
Medical care is also provided at many of these elderly care homes. However, having a healthcare advocate for patients is hugely important for all residents of an assisted living facility. A healthcare advocate can provide the patient care advocacy for the patients who are perhaps not able to advocate for themselves. A patient care advocate, like a healthcare advocate, is an essential row in any given nursing home or assistant living facility, and can help to reduce the risk of elder abuse in such facilities. Elder abuse is perhaps less common than many people realize, but a healthcare advocate can help to ensure that it never happens ever.