Volunteer Questions and Answers
Through different conversations and evaluations with our active advocates we have found that the following answers may help speak to your questions.
What is the best part of being involved with the At Your Side medical advocacy program?
Many advocates feel that the best part of working as an advocate is the satisfaction they receive from making a difference in the lives of others.
Other advocates indicate that the best part is developing relationships with the clients while seeing the clients’ comfort grow and develop as medical appointments approach. The clients know that they will have someone with them to help them remember their questions and answers.
Also, several of the advocates, who are retired medical doctors, felt that it was very fulfilling to have the time and opportunity to build relationships with only one or two clients and see them through their continuing care.
Since advocates build such a close relationship with their clients, how do they think the client benefits the most from their involvement?
Overall, advocates state that they think their clients definitely feel supported through their medical issues. Advocates believe that clients feel supported because they have someone to talk to or help them through difficult medical issues on a consistent basis.
Advocates feel that clients are enabled by having an advocate with experience or familiarity with the medical system to provide them with a better perspective and secure feeling with their treatment.
One advocate’s observation is that the client walks away with a better understanding of the issues discussed during the appointment. They develop clarity when they can discuss the medical issues with someone prior to and after appointments.
Going to medical appointments with clients is a significant part of being a medical advocate. Since this is such a big part, it is important to know how the advocates are treated during the appointments, and how they would describe their interaction is with the medical personnel?
Advocates have stated that when they accompany their client to appointments, the medical personnel treat them with respect.
Advocates believe they have been even more appreciated by the medical personnel when their clients had difficulty remembering instructions or advice.
A majority of advocates have stated that the medical personnel always involve them in the conversations that take place with the client.
At Your Side has no reports from any advocate that they were ever ignored or treated badly by any medical personnel.
As an advocate, what type of challenges will I face?
One advocate expressed that the beginning of the process is the most challenging. This is the phase where creating a trusting relationship with the client can be difficult, but that it naturally eases over time.
Another common challenge for advocates was the client not asking enough questions at their medical appointments, or they were not able to retain information after leaving the appointment. This problem was solved by taking notes during the appointments and writing it down for the client, so the client can refer back to the notes and recall the event of the visit whenever they need to.
Several advocates find it a challenge to not get overly involved with the client and doing tasks for the client that are not health related.
Many advocates have indicated that they have not had any challenges.
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