Patient Advocacy Patient Advocate The Patient Advocate’s Handbook Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Staying Organized At Home

Your advocacy helped make the most of your loved one's hospital stay and the benefits of your effort will continue with home healthcare. Your loved one is safely home, but the attention of the hospital has been replaced by a near absence of health care support at home.

Quiet, isn't it?

This chapter will help you organize common daily healthcare tasks at home, coordinate the care of your loved one and manage the appointments of visiting medical providers, such as visiting nurses, physical therapists and mobile X-ray companies.

The doctor will usually order laboratory tests to diagnose, treat and assess your loved one. There are actions you can take to expedite and confirm laboratory analysis results for blood and other samples taken by visiting nurses get to the doctor who ordered them. The more relevant and accurate information you can provide doctors and nurses, the better the care your loved one will receive.