Part 8: Advocating for the patient
1 out of 7SECTION AIM: This section will provide guidance on how to speak up for the patient in the healthcare setting.
Sometimes, a carer might need to speak up for the patient's best interests - this is known as advocating for the patient. Whilst this might be a bit intimidating for some people, there are times when it can be very helpful for the carer to take on this advocacy role.
These are some examples of when a carer may need to advocate (speak up) for a patient in the cancer care setting:
The patient isn’t speaking up.
E.g. The patient is scheduled to have chemotherapy on Tuesdays, but they haven’t let the doctor know that this is the one day a week that they meet with their cancer support group.
The patient’s symptoms are not getting enough medical attention.
E.g. The patient is experiencing extreme nausea and is struggling to eat, but the nurse doesn’t understand the impact this is having on the patient’s life and doesn’t offer any guidance/support.
The patient is in hospital and is not receiving the required medical attention/support.
E.g. The patient has a wound that needs to be redressed and the nursing staff have not yet changed it.
The patient needs additional health services that aren’t being offered.
E.g. The patient is having trouble swallowing and needs to see a speech pathologist, who is difficult to make an appointment with.
OVERALL COMPLETION
