Title: Options for Senior Care Advocates | LoveToKnow
Headings: Options for Senior Care Advocates
Options for Senior Care Advocates
Family Members as an Advocate for Elderly Adults
When a Family Member Is an Elderly Advocate
Sharing Responsibilities for Elderly Advocacy Within the Family
Professional Advocate for the Elderly
Free Senior Advocacy Services
Advocacy Resources
Family Caregiver Alliance
Justice in Aging
American Geriatrics Society
AARP
Senior Advocates

Content: Free services may also be available. Family Members as an Advocate for Elderly Adults
It is not unusual for someone in the family to act as an advocate for an older family member. Often a parent, grandparent, or other older loved one becomes too ill to manage things on his own. When a family member steps in and takes over the care of the senior, he or she is acting as the care advocate for his loved one. When a Family Member Is an Elderly Advocate
The responsibility of acting as the care advocate for a senior family member is far greater than simply taking him to a doctor's appointment or picking up a filled prescription from the pharmacy. The role of the care advocate entails making sure that everything regarding the senior's medical care is taken care of correctly. Some of the responsibilities typically include: Everything regarding Medicare, Medicaid, and supplemental secondary insurance coverage, limitations, and benefits
Visits to doctors, tests, and procedures
Making sure prescriptions are taken correctly
Making sure that all information is correct if a hospital visit occurs
Making sure that an Advanced Health Care Directive, sometimes called a Power of Attorney, and a Living Will is in place
Sharing Responsibilities for Elderly Advocacy Within the Family
For the family member that takes on the responsibility of acting as the loved one's care advocate, the job can be exhausting, especially if he is caught in the sandwich generation. The term sandwich generation refers to people who find themselves in the middle of working, having children of their own at home or in college and caring for an aging ill parent or relative all at the same time. If the responsibility of the caregiver or advocate becomes overwhelming, sharing the responsibilities with another family member or engaging the services of a professional care advocate for seniors is often the best solution for everyone.