What is a Patient Advocate? Do I need one?

There are different definitions of the term “patient advocate”. It is a fairly new concept, and without knowing the different definitions, you can’t really understand why you need a patient advocate. In addition, a patient advocate is often called a health advocate, medical advocate, medical navigator, or professional advocate. There are three main definitions of the patient advocate.

What “patient advocate” is traditionally known as

In many states, a “designated patient advocate” is a person 18 years or older that is designed by the patient, who is given authorization to exercise powers concerning care, custody, and medical or mental health treatment decisions for the individual making the patient advocate designation.

Knowing this definition, you may think I don’t need to hire a private patient advocate, I don’t want someone I don’t know making these decisions for me. Here is where it can be confusing because this is actually different from what many patient advocates do.

Private Patient Advocate

A private patient advocate, like Pathway Patient Advocates, is an unbiased individual who is not affiliated with a specific health system or insurance company. He or she is someone who works for you to help navigate you through your health challenges. In addition, with a private patient advocate you never have to feel alone. We can help with a variety of challenges including; new diagnoses, undiagnosed symptoms, rare disorders, cancer, elderly care management, medical billing, and insurance issues.

Such a patient advocate DOES NOT MAKE MEDICAL DECISIONS FOR YOU and is distinctly different from the commonly known legal term “designated patient advocate”.

So why specifically do you need a private patient advocate?

What Can a Private Patient Advocate Do For Me?

Medical Bills and Insurance issues

Approximately 85% of medical bills contain errors. You may be receiving bills or even collection notices. You may even be reluctant to get the medical care you need due to concerns about cost. Here’s where Pathway Patient Advocates can help: We can assist with reviewing medical bills, looking for errors, and submitting appeals. We can also provide Health Plan benefit education, correcting billing errors due to improper coding, as well as complete medical billing reviews and audits. Our billing and medical expertise can save you money and leave you feeling comfortable to get the medical care you need.

Navigating a New or Existing Medical Condition

We know that being sick is scary. Especially one that is life-altering such as cancer. We want you to know that multiple options are available and Pathway Patient Advocates can assist you in navigating your path to management and comfort.

For many, having a sick family member or loved one is emotionally exhausting and overwhelming. A patient advocate is here for you and your family to help you navigate the process. This includes resources such as coordination of care, second opinions, researching different treatment options, etc. You don’t have to travel the path alone.

Elderly Care support and Placement

As we age or develop different medical issues; we become less independent. Loss of dependence, whether minor or complete can be a difficult adjustment. There are many factors involved in choosing the best placement and care for yourself or a loved one. A Patient Advocate helps make that transition smooth and enjoyable.

These are just a few ways a patient advocate can help…

Many Health systems and Insurance Companies Offer a Complimentary Patient Advocate, Why Should I Hire a Private One?

While many hospitals do now offer patient advocates, they are more like customer service representatives. The patient advocate may refer you to the billing department or other areas in the hospital. They typically do not have the medical or billing knowledge or experience to help you in a way that a private patient advocate can.

A private patient advocate provides an experienced medical professional with unbiased suggestions and assistance to help navigate your path to the best possible care.

My Insurance Does Not Cover a Patient Advocate, Why Pay For The Extra Expense?…

An experienced private patient advocate can save you up to hundreds of thousands of dollars and help you attain the medical care you need in a more timely manner. This not only saves you money and time but also helps you achieve and maintain an improved quality of life.

You only have 1 life, so we recommend that you care for it well. With a healthy life, you have the opportunity to start or continue enjoying life; it is essential to take care of your health.

Not all Patient Advocates Are the Same

Each patient advocate has a different level of experience and education. Ask questions to make sure you feel comfortable with the patient advocate that you pick. Consider asking if they have experience with your specific situation. How long they have been practicing for, and what their educational background is. Your goal is to select an advocate who you can trust and feel confident that they are advocating for you.

The Pathway Patient Advocates Team includes both medical and billing experts. Our span of knowledge is equipped to assist you in any challenge of medicine that you face. Most important is our passion and dedication to helping you succeed and overcome these barriers. Our professional and personal experiences with challenges in healthcare have led us to develop Pathway Patient Advocates so that we can help people like. Dr. Borrelli, founder of Pathway Patient Advocates, is an experienced Board Certified Patient Advocate. She has over 25 years of experience working in the medical field. Cancer, rare disorders, and undiagnosed symptoms need intensive care management and expert care. Pathway Patient Advocates can help you attain just that. Dr. Borrelli and her team treat every client like a part of their family. Let us help you get the proper care that you deserve.

How can a Private Patient Advocate Help with your aging parent?

Trying to navigate and assist an aging parent can be an overwhelming task. Aside from trying to manage your busy lifestyle, you also are trying to adapt to the changes that your parents are experiencing both physically as well as emotionally. As a parent, you may feel a sense of guilt, because, despite your efforts, things are not going very smoothly. Oftentimes, this leads to tension in the relationship between the parent and the child. Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be that way. There are many ways that a private patient advocate can help smooth the transition and help your aging parent better adapt to their changing lifestyle, whatever that may be, and help achieve and maintain the quality of life that they are content with.


Reviewing Health and Medical Team

An experienced private patient advocate can review your parent(s) medical records to search for medical errors, gaps in care, and areas of concern.
It is surprising to most how often information is mistakenly documented in medical records and then repeatedly carried on throughout the chart. Electronic medical records have offered many advantages to healthcare, however, it also increases the ease of copying and pasting incorrect information. In the fast pace healthcare environment, these errors are often overlooked and not picked up by healthcare professionals.

Your parent may need a specialist for a specific condition or may benefit from a visit to their primary care provider for a new or lingering symptom. A private patient advocate can help identify that coordinate the necessary steps. We can help assess what may be missing from your parent’s medical team so that they have access to appropriate care to evaluate their symptoms and overall health.

Medication Management

As we age, often so does the number of daily medications taken. Polypharmacy, also known as taking many medications simultaneously, is a rising concern for elderly patients. Taking too much medication or unnecessary medication can have detrimental effects. Each time your parent has a change in medications from a doctor’s visit or hospital stay, there is an increased risk of errors in their medication regimen. This may mean that your parent is unnecessarily taking more than one of the same types of medication for the management of the same problem. Perhaps they are now taking too high or too low of a dose. Or perhaps their prescriptions run out before refills are ordered. Anytime a change of medication occurs, there is a chance for error. A private patient advocate can help eliminate these errors by reviewing, educating, and managing medications, as well as necessary refills.


Navigate Care

A private patient advocate can navigate care to get your aging parent the care needed. For example, perhaps they need a new primary care physician or specialist. Perhaps they have had the same provider, but it’s just not working with their current lifestyle. Maybe they are homebound and can now benefit from a visiting physician or provider offering virtual visits. Perhaps they now need more in-home care, etc. There are several options available that are often covered by insurance or community programs. It also may be time for your parent to start considering a change in the living environment. We can help compare options as well as assist in a smooth transition.

Preparing and Attending Appointments

Not only can a private patient advocate help find a new provider and schedule appointments, but we can also prepare you for that appointment so that you are getting the most out of your visit. For example, we will discuss and provide a list of questions to ask and any areas of concern. We are available to attend appointments as well. We can also arrange for your parent to be transported to their appointments as needed.

Quality of life

The ultimate goal of a private patient advocate is to assist in navigating your parent’s health so that they achieve the best quality of life. Understanding what they want to achieve and maintain is our first step. We will LISTEN to you and your parent and never make assumptions. Our assistance and approach are tailored specifically to meet the needs of your unique and special parent so that you can rest assured that the person that once cared for you, is receiving the care and assistance they now need.

Call Pathway Patient Advocates today- we are ready to help (947) 517-8395

How to Find the Right Second Medical Opinion

The Importance of a second opinion 

Deciding to get a second opinion is a difficult choice in itself. Many times patients are hesitant to ask for a second opinion because they feel that their current doctor or other healthcare provider will think negatively toward them. A good healthcare provider will want their patient to find the best care whether it is by them or another provider. A healthcare provider should encourage and not discourage a second opinion. If you have the feeling that your provider is put off by your second opinion consideration; then perhaps more of a reason to find a new provider that you are more comfortable with. Once you have made the decision, you want to make sure it is worthwhile. Let’s discuss the steps involved in finding the right second opinion.   

1. Research the right doctor

     In America, having the choice of so many medical providers to choose from can be both a blessing and a curse. Options are great, but can sometimes be overwhelming. When looking for a second opinion you want to make sure you are finding a specialist that is experienced in your specific diagnosis or symptoms. A private patient advocate can research for you to find you the right match. Even if you have a rare disorder, we can find an experienced doctor for your second opinion. Chances are we may even be familiar with your rare disorder based on prior clients. While some situations may benefit from a specialist referring you to another doctor of the same specialty; most often you want to do your private research to find someone specialized in your condition. Fortunately, with technology, you are often not confined to your demographic area. A private patient advocate provides options of specialists that fit your criteria. Another important thing to note is that as private patient advocates, we are not affiliated with any specific healthcare system or insurance company. We also do not participate in any referral fee agreements with specialists. Therefore, we have no incentive to refer you to one provider over another. 

2. Determine how you will pay for the visit

Once the research is done, you will want to determine how the visit will be paid for. If you have insurance, a patient advocate can help determine if the visit will be covered and an estimate of the amount that will be covered. Oftentimes additional information is required by insurance companies, such as prior authorization, etc. Providing these necessities may determine whether or not the visit will be covered. In situations where your insurance does not cover the visit, or even if you do not have health insurance; your private patient advocate can provide options. Out-of-state visits may not be familiar with your insurance policy, and a patient can make necessary clarifications and work to help smoothly facilitate the process. 

3. Schedule the visit on time

It is not uncommon for specialist new visits to wait time for months to even years. What’s the point of finding the right specialist if it takes years to see him? Sometimes patients do not have that long to wait. Fortunately, a private patient advocate can often obtain sooner appointments because they are familiar with what symptoms and parts of your diagnosis are important to share when making the appointment. In addition, many specialty offices have shared with us that patients with private patient advocates are more prepared for their appointments and have a lower rate of cancellation. 

4. Prepare for the visit

 Once you have the appointment, how can you best prepare for your appointment? You often have about 45 minutes to share and discuss everything with the specialist, be examined, and hear the plan. Time will fly by once the visit starts, and you don’t want to feel like the visit was rushed and didn’t get to address important issues. Adequately preparing for the visit can prevent this from occurring. You may have piles of medical records (which you will never be able to cover in one visit). Or you may have little to no records to share and have no idea what questions to ask. A private patient advocate can obtain and prepare necessary information, and discuss a way to share it in the post appropriate way. You can go into the visit feeling prepared, relaxed, and confident. Many patients also prefer Dr. Borrelli or another representative from Pathway Patient Advocates to attend the doctor’s visit. This can be accommodated as well. 

5. The results 

 So what happens after the visit? Likely the visit will have 2 outcomes; 1. the provider will provide some sort of new or modified plan from your first doctor visit. 2. The provider will share a plan consistent with the first. Either result is useful. If the second opinion is the same as the first, then that may give you increased confidence that you are choosing the best option. If you still feel that is not the right option, start considering a third. If you are offered a new management plan, you will likely have some more research to better understand the change. You may be coordinating care between the two providers, sharing records, requiring more tests, and arranging new appointments. While this new plan may be just what you needed to manage or treat your condition; it comes with a lot of navigating and coordinating. A private patient advocate can take care of the navigating and coordinating so that you can focus on healing. 

Make the most out of your second opinion visit

Get the most out of your second opinion by having a private patient advocate help. A private patient advocate can assist with finding the right doctor, understanding how you will pay for the visit, scheduling the visit on time, preparing and even attending the visit if indicated, and can even help after the visit is over. Call Pathway Patient Advocates to learn more (947) 517-8395.

Is a Private Patient Advocate Worth the Cost?

Yes…

While we can probably agree that our health is important! However, we also have to be considerate of the costs. We need money for necessities for food, clothing, housing, etc. In addition, many of us already have accrued healthcare costs including insurance premiums, deductibles, and much more. It may seem like hiring a private patient advocate, just doesn’t fit into your budget. You may want to reconsider your calculations. In most situations, a patient advocate can actually save you money and help you END up with more MONEY than expected. 

Medical Bills

Have you ever opened up a medical bill and become wide-eyed? Medical bills even when expected can be a lot. It is also not uncommon to encounter some unexpected expenses. A private patient advocate can review your medical bills to evaluate whether or not you have been correctly billed. If the event that your bill is incorrect, a private patient advocate can carry out the necessary steps to fix the issue. If your bill happens to be correct, then a patient advocate can negotiate the bill to accommodate more manageable payments.

We have many clients that we have saved over $300,000 in medical bills. Even if you are dealing with a small bill, we can still help.

Insurance coverage

Are you having problems with insurance coverage? Perhaps your currently enrolled plan isn’t working great for you. Maybe you are paying a high monthly premium, but realized most of your care is not covered. Or your medications are too expensive.  Or maybe you don’t have insurance. A private patient advocate can help with that. Help determine what plan is best based on the medical providers you see, may see in the near future, and medications needed. If you were denied a certain procedure or medical treatment, we can help with that too!

Improved health:

Many times, achieving the right diagnosis and proper care is trial and error, and may require multiple opinions, specialists, testing, and visits. A private patient advocate can help navigate your path to help reduce unnecessary appointments and shorten the wait for proper management.

Medical Bills

If you have paid for medical expenses out of pocket, you may qualify for a reimbursement from your insurance. A private patient advocacy can check with your insurance company and submit a request for reimbursement. 

While private patient advocacy is not covered by insurance, in many situations you may be able to include it as a deductible tax expense on your taxes. 

Quality of Life:

Quality of life is a reason worth living. Most importantly a private patient advocate can help you achieve a better quality of life. Don’t waste time worrying about managing medical bills, appointments, trying to decipher medical records, make appointments and determine next steps. Let a private patient advocate help navigate your medical care so that you can spend quality time with friends, family, and hobbies that you enjoy. Life is short, how are you living it?

In Summary: Is a Private Patient Advocate Worth the Cost? The answer is YES!

A private patient advocate can manage and negotiate medical bills, navigate insurance concerns, help with timely appointments, and help you achieve a better quality of life. You don’t have to struggle through it all alone, let a private patient advocate help. Call Pathway Patient Advocates to learn more about how we can help (947) 517-8395

What To Do When Cancer Treatment Is Not Working?

Cancer stinks. That’s something that we can all agree on. Cancer is unexpected bad news that no one wants to hear. Oftentimes a treatment plan is started immediately, due to the potential quick disease progression. So what happens when cancer treatment is not working as expected? It is definitely an emotional rollercoaster. Dealing with side effects of the treatment, waiting to see if any improvement is noticed on imaging and other tests. When not-so-good news happens, you’re often left feeling defeated. And it doesn’t just negatively affect the patient, but also family and friends. So let’s talk about some options.  

Should You Change to a New Oncologist

If you feel as if you are not getting enough answers, or your trusting relationship with your oncologist is fading, you may be wondering, is it too late to change oncologists? The answer: It is absolutely NOT too late to change. It is almost always okay to get a second opinion (or a third). If the second opinion gives you the same opinion, then it can offer a piece of assurance that the previously recommended management plan may be the best decision. In contrast, the second opinion may offer a completely new treatment option that had not been considered before. Sometimes (not always) the two specialists may be willing to work together. As the old saying goes, “Two heads are better than one.”  

Where to Go 

Let’s say you have made the decision to get a second opinion, what next? How do you actually go about getting that second opinion? You may have an oncologist that will offer a second opinion referral, but this is not always the case. Finding the most qualified provider to meet with for a second opinion, requires a lot of research, preparation, and devoting time. All this takes a toll on your energy. 

This is where a private patient advocate can help. At Pathway Patient Advocates we can find that second or third opinion you may need. Attend appointments with you as needed, and help navigate your journey with you. 

A private patient advocate offers a non-biased opinion and is not affiliated with any health insurance or healthcare system. Our only focus is helping you.   

Treatment Options

Even when you have a shocking diagnosis such as cancer, you have options. Some potential options include chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation, surgery, clinical trials, and alternative medicine. You may decide that you would like not to undergo any medical treatment and let the disease run its course as you continue living as it does. A private patient advocate can help present you with various choices for you to consider with your healthcare team so that you are well-informed. An informed choice helps eliminate doubt and second-guessing. 

When Your Path Becomes Unexpected

Cancer is scary. When your path takes an unexpected turn, let a private patient advocate help. You do not have to try to carry the burden alone. A private patient advocate is there for you, so you can spend more time doing things you enjoy doing. Give us a call to learn more about how we can help. (947) 517-8395

Is Genetic Testing Right For You?

You may have heard about genetic testing. But what exactly is it and is it something you should consider? Genetic testing identifies changes in chromosomes, genes, or proteins. It can be used for precision medicine to help best manage your condition.

Why Genetic Testing?

Precision medicine is an emerging field of medicine that relies on genetic testing to tailor treatments to each patient’s unique physiology. In other words, it is a type of “customized” medicine. While precision medicine is still in its early stages, it has the potential to completely change the way we think about and treat diseases. This is especially true for rare disorders, for which there is often no “one-size-fits-all” treatment. If you or a loved one has a rare disorder, you may be wondering whether or not precision medicine is right for you.

How Does it Work?

Precision medicine involves using an individual’s genetic information to develop personalized treatments that are tailored to their unique biology. This is possible because advances in technology have made it possible to read the genetic code of an individual quickly and accurately. By analyzing a person’s genetic information, healthcare providers can identify genetic mutations that may be causing or contributing to their illness. Once these mutations have been identified, a treatment plan can be developed that specifically targets the underlying biology of the disease. 

What are the Benefits?

The potential benefits of precision medicine are enormous. By developing treatments that are tailored to each individual, doctors can improve the effectiveness of treatments and reduce the risk of side effects. This is especially important for rare disorders, which often have very few treatment options and can be difficult to diagnose. If you or a loved one has a rare disorder, including rare cancers, you may be considering genetic testing and precision medicine as a treatment option. Before making any decisions, it is important to understand that genetic testing can carry some risks, including the possibility of misinterpretation or misdiagnosis.

What is the Cost of Genetic Testing?

It is also important to consider the practical implications of genetic testing, including the cost of testing and the availability of treatments. While the cost of genetic testing has come down in recent years, it can still be expensive, and insurance coverage may be limited. Despite these challenges, precision medicine holds enormous promise for patients with rare disorders.

Get the Help of a Private Patient Advocate

Pathway Patient Advocates focus on helping clients navigate rare disorders.  If you or a loved one are considering genetic testing, an experienced private patient advocate can assist you with finding the right provider, and genetic testing, and help navigate your medical care with you. We can help you navigate this complex field.

What Can a Private Patient Advocate Do for Me?

Increasing awareness of the necessity for private patient advocacy has increased. While the term Private Patient Advocacy is becoming known, many wonder what a private patient advocate can actually do for them. What’s the benefit? There are several benefits a private patient advocate can help with, including cancer and chronic disease management, senior care placement, medical bill navigation, and inpatient patient advocacy. 

Cancer and Chronic Disease Management

Pathway Patient Advocates can assist with understanding your diagnosis, arranging second opinions, finding specialized care, and access to innovative diagnostic and treatment options. In addition, we offer intensive care management and coordination. The diagnosis of cancer is a word that no one wants to hear, let us help ease the process for you and your loved ones. Cancer care requires decisions to be made in a timely manner, we can help increase confidence in your decision, knowing you have considered all the available options. 

Senior Care Placement

Pathway Patient Advocates understands the transition to a new home can be overwhelming on many accounts. That is why we provide a personalized comparison analysis of the skilled nursing or assisted living facility that best suits the needs and preferences of our clients. This can be from hospital discharge to facility or when the decision is made to transition right from home. Once the decision is made, we assist in the coordination of placement to facilitate a seamless transition. We are knowledgeable about various facilities and are able to provide a non-biased recommendation, as we do not work on any referral fees or compensation basis for these facilities.

Medical Billing Negotiation

Billing errors are becoming more and more common. There are many reasons why your medical bill can be incorrect. Some reasons include coding errors, improper submission by healthcare facilities or providers to insurance, improper processing, duplicate billing, etc. You may also have a bill that is correct, however, you are unable to pay for a variety of reasons. Pathway Patient Advocates reviews and negotiates unexpected medical bills. Regardless of the amount of your bills, we are able to assist; insurance or no insurance.

Inpatient Patient Advocacy

Pathway Patient Advocates advocates for our clients while in the hospital. The hospital is a fast-paced environment that involves several people evaluating you, caring for you, and giving you all sorts of information. It is overwhelming and often quick decisions need to be made. A private patient advocate helps coordinate your care and smoothly navigate the entire process, preventing medical errors. Elena’s 20+ years of medical experience adequately equips her to best professionally communicate with our client’s care team and advocate effectively.

Personalized Care

An essential component to understand is a private patient advocate provides personalized care just for you. The plan is specific to your challenges, needs, and goals. Call Pathway Patient Advocate today to get started (947) 517-8395

Parenting. It Takes A Village…Especially When Your Child Is Sick

Parenting

If you are a parent you already know that parenting is hard. As a parent myself, I will tell you that my children mean the world to me and have given me a whole kind of new happiness and outlook on life. I also know, that parenting is challenging, tough, and exhausting. You never fully understand the responsibilities that come with parenting until you hold that child in your arms for the first time. Instantly, you are responsible for keeping this little breathing human (and often many humans) alive 24/7. Everything you do has to take in the safety and health of this other human. Soon enough you learn that the joy of parenting comes in the package with sleepiness nights, extra coffee, and a lot less “me time”. You soon also learn to ask for help, guidance, more help when possible. It is a true blessing to have family or friends who are available to help.  

Then it happens

So what happens when your child is diagnosed with a critical illness or chronic condition? As having gone through this myself, I can tell you…it feels as if all the pieces you were trying to hold together to get by each day, just shatter into millions of pieces. Now, aside from the daily life struggles, you need to determine how to best care for your ill child. It’s physically and emotionally draining and overwhelming. There are so many choices that need to be made, and time is of the essence. 

Why you need a Private Patient Advocate

What do you do? How do you decide who is the best doctor for your child’s condition? How do you know what hospital you should go to? Does your insurance cover it? How are you going to pay for it all? What about medications? What about resources? Scheduling? Where do you even start? 

If you start with a private patient advocate, she can help you with all of this. A private patient advocate can alleviate a lot of stress and give you back some time. Time where you can rest, spend quality time with your child, and recharge. A feeling of reassurance knowing you have the appropriate research to make the best-informed decisions.  A private patient advocate can do the necessary research to help find and get you scheduled with the best provider for your child’s care. A private patient advocate is experienced in scheduling appointments promptly, knowing how to best communicate with medical teams, and familiar with how to gain access to the latest research and resources. A private patient advocate is with you along this journey.

Expand your village

If you are lucky enough to have help and support from your family or friends, that is a tremendous resource. One thing often forgotten is that they are also emotionally invested and that your child’s health issues are affecting them too.  A village is needed to achieve the best quality of life for you and your family. Be sure to add a private patient advocate to your village. 

Call Pathway Patient Advocates at (947) 517-8395 to discuss how a private patient advocate can help you and your family.

Help! I can’t get the care I need.

Tried to get an appointment with a specialist and got denied? Now what? 

Unfortunately, as a private patient advocate, I  have heard this story all too often. You research and find a doctor that specializes in your condition, then you try to make an appointment and are either told it will be a 6 month or longer wait, or simply that they are not accepting any appointments at this time.  I had one client tell me the doctor’s office has a 24 month wait. 2 years!  Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, this situation has become all too frequent. This experience has likely left you discouraged and feeling defeated and hopeless.  

I hear you, and I am her to tell you that most often Pathway Patient Advocates can help. Whether you are trying to get into a  private local health facility or a large facility such as Cleveland Clinic or Mayo; we can help.

I’m guessing your next question is how?  What can a private patient advocate do differently than you? 

We are private patient advocates, and experienced in making appointments, and know what to say and what information to provide to get appointments with the appropriate provider. My client who was told there was a 24 month wait, I ended up scheduling an appointment for her and she was seen by the specialist 3 weeks later. Of course this is not always the case, but when we hit a roadblock, rest assured that we have  back up options B, C, and D ready if needed.

In addition to getting you scheduled to see the right healthcare provider, Pathway Patient Advocates can help you prepare for the visit, so that you can get the most benefit during that encounter. Oftentimes we can attend your appointments with you, either in person or virtually.  It’s very upsetting when you attend a long awaited appointment, and find that either the healthcare provider does not have your previous records, or is not the right provider for your situation.  To help avoid this outcome with my clients, I always review the prior medical records and ensure that the healthcare provider has the pertinent medical information prior to the scheduled visit.   

If you are not sure what doctor you should be seeing or even where to start, an experienced private patient advocate, like Pathway Patient Advocates, can help with that too.  Years of experience and strong medical background has equipped us with the skills required to help navigate the best care for you.

Therefore, if you have been unable to schedule the appointment you need, do not be discouraged, help is available.  Speak with Pathway Patient Advocates today.

We are never “prepared” on how to care for a loved one whose ill… and we should never have to do it alone.

No one is ever taught how to care for a sick loved one.

It doesn’t matter if your a doctor, a nurse, a mother, a grandparent, a child, a brother, a sister, or a friend; NO schooling or experience ever teach or prepares you for how to care for a sick loved one. Whether it’s the first time you are dealing with an experience like this or the 20th time… it’s a terrible, overwhelming, dreaded, all-consuming experience. You shouldn’t have to do it alone.

Knowledge

You may have a wealth of medical knowledge or experience researching. You may be a healthcare professional, and experienced with caring for the exact illness your loved one is dealing with.  Or perhaps you are proficient at organizing and coordinating care.  These are all EXCELLENT skills that can be extremely useful in assisting your loved one.  However, when the patient is someone you have a close emotional relationship with, emotions take precedence.   When a loved one is sick, emotion and grief take the wheel, and even if you are skilled in the knowledge of what steps need to be taken, the energy and straight thinking are often overwhelming and too much to handle.  This is one of the reasons that healthcare professionals are recommended to not treat family members. 

Emotion

When a loved one is ill, an overflow of emotions surfaces for not just the patient, but also the family member or friend.  Some emotions experienced include helplessness, confusion, defeat, guilt for not being able to help enough, exhaustion, sadness, depression, and anger.  What is often best for the loved one is that family and friends are there to emotionally support them throughout their journey, spend time with them, and show support for their desires.  Patients do not want to see people they care about exhausted and overwhelmed, especially on their behalf.  It is too big of a role for a family member or friend to fill both the emotional and healthcare navigation needs of the patient.

Time

In healthcare, time is almost always of the essence. The quicker care is coordinated, and symptoms are addressed, diagnoses are made, the sooner and better the management plan can be created. Despite your desire to give 100% of your time to your sick loved one, you also have to care for your own wellbeing and your work/life duties.  It seems like there is not enough time to fit it all in, leaving many people wondering what could have changed if they had more time or done things differently; often leading to feelings of guilt. 

Choosing what to pack during this journey

Overcoming an illness and achieving the best possible quality of life is the goal. Achieving this goal requires a team of people. What have you decided to bring with you on this journey?   This team will include trusted healthcare providers, however, healthcare providers have a specific job to focus on their specific tasks they specialized in. The healthcare system is not created in a way where healthcare professionals can be available to address all your needs 24/7, even if they wanted to. Doctors and other professionals have multiple patients and roles to address.  What’s more is that currently, healthcare worker burnout rate is at an all-time high.  

Adding a Private Patient Advocate to your team provides you support and direction during your loved ones’ healthcare journey. You can decide whether you want your patient advocate to assist with just a small hurdle care, or if you prefer for her to go through the entire journey with you and your loved one. A private patient advocate works independently, is not associated with any hospital or healthcare system, and is not associated with any insurance company. A private patient advocate provides unbiased support, with YOU or YOUR loved one as the key focus. Additionally, a private patient advocate is experienced with situations just like yours and are readily equipt to address issues such as obtaining second opinions, assisting in reducing medical errors, researching alternative treatments, addressing insurance issues and billing, and much more; all in a timely manner, giving you and your loved one back more time.  More time to focus on spending time together and focusing on the best possible quality of life.  At pathway Patient Advocates, Elena and Kristie are available to help you through whatever health journey you or your loved one may be struggling with.  We look forward to helping you navigate the path to better health. 

(947) 517-8395

Pathway Patient Advocates [email protected]