Client advocacy in the home

As the health care system in American continues to change at a rapid rate, more nursing care services are provided in the home. With these changes, various components of clinical nursing practice change and take on added dimensions in response to the change of venue. Client advocacy is one of those components. When health care moves into the home, limited resources and stretched client care services may divert the focus of care from client welfare to concerns about resource allocation. Financial considerations may rise above client needs by limiting the availability of services and materials. Under these circumstances, nurses must strive to maintain client welfare as the central focus of care. This column addresses the issue of client advocacy in home care and outlines specific actions that constitute client advocacy in home care settings.