Frequently Asked Questions About Advocates

Private, independent advocates work for you and are not paid by an insurance company or hospital. The healthcare system can be challenging and overwhelming, and sometimes scary and confusing. Having an experienced advocate means you have someone on your side, focused on your healthcare needs, watching out for you.  

StacyCares Oklahoma offers a complimentary 15-minute phone consultation to determine if we can help you. Our fees vary based on the individual needs of each client and the time needed to provide the services. Some clients are charged hourly, others a flat rate. Services require a signed agreement and prepayment.  

In most cases, private advocacy services are not covered by insurance. This means patients or their families pay for our services out of pocket, and that’s a good thing! This means your advocate is not under pressure from your insurance company and can focus on your needs.

All services are pre-paid on retainer.

Yes! If you are a caregiver, friend, or loved one who needs guidance or support to advocate for a person you are concerned about, we can work directly with you.  

An advocate is someone who supports or helps the cause of another. The BCPA designation acknowledges Board Certified Patient Advocate professionals who have demonstrated their experience and proficiency in the field of patient advocacy by passing a formal examination. The BCPA credential is built on ethical standards, professional competencies and best practices for professionals who work in patient advocacy and have taken the steps necessary to become certified. (Source: Patient Advocate  Certification Board)

Board Certified Patient Advocates are tested on proficiencies, and each advocate typically has areas of expertise they focus on. Read Competencies and Best Practices for Board Certified Patient Advocates.  

Read the Patient Advocate Certification Board's Code of Ethics for Patient & Health Care Advocates.  

StacyCares Oklahoma does not provide medical care or transportation. The role of an advocate is to provide guidance and assistance to help clients make informed choices and access resources. 

Yes. Even though formal training is not required to be a practicing Doula, our End-of-Life Doula is certified by the Doulagivers Institute, which provides a "comprehensive, holistic medical training for the non-medical practitioner."

An EOL Doula is a consultant to someone who is dying and their loved ones. An EOL Doula is trained to provide non-medical physical, emotional, and spiritual support to a dying person and their family in the last phase of life. The EOL Doula’s job is to be a supportive presence helping families understand and navigate EOL caregiving and to suggest interventions for optimum comfort. (Source: Doulagivers LLC) 

Time and function. The hospice nurse is the medical manager of the terminal patient, with limited time at the bedside. The EOL Doula is the non-medical professional that is the eyes and ears of the case with no time restrictions imposed by insurance. The Doula supports the caregivers in their need to alert the hospice team to any changes in the patient’s presentation so that the hospice nurse can assess and update the care plan for maximum daily comfort of the patient (the goal of hospice) (Source: Doulagivers LLC).  

Examples of what an EOL Doula may do include: 

• Reinforce guidance from hospice on patient comfort, such as suggest re-positioning of patient.
• Suggest notifying hospice about potential medication needs for pain, agitation, breathing, or other support.
• Suggest increased family support for primary caregiver.
• Visit with patient and family to listen to life reflections, EOL concerns, regrets, and legacy wishes. (Source: Doulagivers LLC) 

The EOL Doula is not a home health aide and does not provide any direct hands-on care such as bathing, toileting, or feeding. The EOL Doula is a consultant, and sometimes a companion, to the dying and their loved ones. The Doula does not directly make any decisions related to end of life care for the patient. (Source: Doulagivers LLC)    

The EOL Doula is needed to guide, assist, and to be an open-hearted non-judgmental presence for the family and the dying because: 

• Hospice staff presence in the home is limited. 
• Most patients come into hospice late (will die within days or weeks).
• It is difficult for families to learn end-of-life caregiving skills quickly.
• The hospice nurse is only in the home for a short time a few times per week.
• Most families aren’t prepared for death, and it ends up being rushed and stressful. (Source: Doulagivers LLC) 

Yes. The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) is the membership organization for all the hospices in the US. In 2017 they started The End-of-Life Doula Council to share with hospices and families how the professional EOL Doula can assist and complement the hospice team to fill in gaps in care and allow for the best end-of-life experience for patients and their loved ones. (Source: Doulagivers LLC)

It depends on where the doula was trained. Stacy was trained and certified by the Doulagivers Institute, so she adheres to the Doulagivers Code of Ethics. She is a member of the National End-of-Life Doula Alliance (NEDA) so also adheres to the NEDA Code of Ethics. She has earned the NEDA Proficiency Badge, which signifies she has met the Core Competencies of:

• Communications and interpersonal skills
• Professionalism
• Technical skills
• Values and ethics

StacyCares Oklahoma does not provide medical or home care, or medical or legal advice.