My mom is in a rehab facility right now, after a fall which resulted in a broken hip. According to her insurance policy, she’s eligible for 20 days in rehab. Now they’ve determined—somehow—that she is ready to go home after 15.

5 days is a long time in rehab-land. 5 days plus or minus can make the difference between success — she goes home and can navigate her apartment, cook for herself, get in and out of the shower—and disappointment—where she’s rushed through the system, is not properly rehabilitated, becomes increasingly dependent, and maybe has another fall. It’s a familiar story. Same plot, different details.

I’ll spare you my diatribe about insurance companies. But here’s what my mom has that so many people don’t: an advocate. In this case, me. I am grounded and clear about what she needs, how I’ll speak up on her behalf and to whom, and the fact that I won’t back down. As her advocate I am getting information, supporting her emotionally, and figuring out what’s next.

There are so many people who don’t have advocates. I think about them. Those who don’t know they can appeal. The people who are just too shy or afraid of “making waves.” The people who don’t have any coverage for rehabilitation and so go home to enact a tragic spiral!

But you have someone. You have me. I’m here to support you as you make waves and get your own healthcare needs and desires met.

I would love to see you advocate for yourself, and can help you do that. So you can:

• ask for alternatives to prescription medication (when applicable)
• ask for more time with your healthcare providers
• request the support or therapies that will make all the difference in your health and wellness
• ask of yourself the sometimes difficult questions like:
  • Am I choosing to not engage in the healing process?
  • Am I being passive or proactive in my health and wellness?
  • Have I accepted the notion that getting older means feeling lousy?
  • Do I want only the absence of big name diseases or do I want full health and vibrancy?

We’ve become programmed to accept that the correct path to wellness is via an 8 minute drive-by appointment with a doc holding a prescription pad. People, like my mother, assume that “doctor knows best” no matter what. Not only is there no instant health pill or magic bullet to get you into your ideal state, but health care and wellness are more about you than your doctor. Don’t abdicate control… seek partnership.

All the above is much easier to achieve when you are grounded and securely rooted in what you want. The first step: pay attention to what your body is telling you. Listen…the signs and signals are there for you.