Understanding the Nuanced Roles of Clinicians in Long-Term Care Settings

Introduction

In the complex environment of nursing homes, our clinicians are entrusted with safeguarding the well-being and dignity of vulnerable residents. Two fundamental yet distinct aspects of our roles are advocating for patients and being supportive of their perspectives. While these approaches often overlap, understanding the difference is crucial for delivering ethical, patient-centered care. In addition, for Eventus providers, it becomes increasingly challenging given the importance of maintaining positive customer-focused relationships with our facilities.

Defining Patient Advocacy

Patient advocacy involves

• actively working to protect patients’ rights
• ensure their needs are met
• intervene on their behalf when necessary.

In nursing homes, clinicians may advocate by ensuring access to appropriate medical treatments, clarifying care preferences when a patient cannot communicate, or challenging policies or practices that negatively affect residents.

Being Supportive of the Patient’s Perspective

Being supportive means

• listening to and validating a resident’s feelings, beliefs, and choices.

Clinicians demonstrate support by

• encouraging patients to express their concerns, preferences, and fears.
• Supportive clinicians foster a trusting relationship, provide emotional reassurance, and help patients feel heard—even if they do not necessarily agree with or act on every perspective the patient expresses.

Key Differences in Practice

• Advocacy often involves action, such as negotiating with other healthcare providers, family members, or administration to secure resources or protect patient rights.
• Support is more about presence, empathy, and validation. It centers on recognizing the patient’s perspective and providing comfort and understanding.

For example, if a resident expresses a desire to leave a facility, a supportive clinician will listen, validate the resident’s feelings, and discuss potential reasons and consequences. An advocate would further assess whether the desire is informed and if there is a valid and critical reason to consider making a change. If this is essentially the case, they might collaborate with the care team and family to find a solution or alternative, ensuring the patient’s best interests are protected. Facilities, as would be anticipated, do not want to lose residents.

When to Advocate and When to Support

Clinicians must often balance these roles.

Advocacy is required when

• patients cannot speak for themselves,
• when their rights are threatened
• when systems fall short.

The manner, however, in which we advocate must be done sensitively in such a way that the critical parties, i.e., the families and the facility leadership, are partners in developing the best possible course of action.

Support is always essential, especially in fostering a sense of dignity and control for residents, many of whom may feel powerless in institutional settings.

The best clinicians are both advocates at times and most frequently supporters, adapting their approach to each situation and to each person.

Conclusion

Advocacy and support are complementary yet distinct responsibilities for clinicians in nursing homes. By understanding and applying these concepts appropriately, we can ensure holistic, ethical, and compassionate care for the vulnerable population we serve.

 

Written by Dr. Ethan Levine