With today’s complex healthcare system, self-advocacy is worth embracing more than ever. Self-advocacy is essential to one’s health and wellness. When individuals advocate for themselves, they can ask for the care and resources they need to live a healthy life.
Particularly for those living with chronic illnesses, including stroke and a disability, being a dynamic self-advocate can help one take effective steps to be heard. Through self-advocacy, patients are well-informed about health care decisions and feel more empowered to stand up for their needs or those of their loved one. After Stroke BC reports that stroke can limit one’s physical capacity to get what they need, but with resilient self-advocacy skills, there is a greater chance of accessing the programs and supports that one is entitled to.
After Stroke BC, Heart & Stroke, and March of Dimes Canada provide valuable resources for patients, as well as people with disabilities and their families and caregivers to enable them build their skills to advocate for themselves in everyday life. For example, March of Dimes Canada’s Disability Advocacy Network brings together a community of associates who advocate for an inclusive, barrier-free society for people with disabilities.
Another educational resource worth checking out is the “Upcoming Ask An Expert Webinar” organized by March of Dimes Canada. The Webinar is taking place on Monday, July 31st with a focus on how to effectively advocate for yourself and others. The interactive session will also enlighten stroke survivors, caregivers, healthcare professionals, members of community-based organizations, and the community at large about stroke recovery.
Self-guided advocacy resources such as this will enable patients to acknowledge their fundamental rights and gain a better understanding of their health issues and treatment options.
