Case Management

Your Patient Advocate

At Winchester Hospital, nurses and social workers form the case management team. Our case managers serve as patient advocates. As you prepare for discharge, your case manager arranges for any additional services you need.

Case Managers

Case managers work on each hospital patient care unit. They partner with your health care team to offer you the best care possible.

A case manager helps you make decisions about your care. They can help you address concerns with your doctors and nurses. Your case manager also works with you to complete the necessary paperwork.

Health Care Proxy

It’s important for you to designate a health care agent (proxy) to make medical decisions for you. Your health care agent only steps in if you are unable to make decisions for yourself.

Your case manager helps you name a health care proxy and complete a Health Care Proxy form.

If you don’t appoint a health care agent, your family or friends may be unable to make decisions for you, if your health prevents you from making them. Your family may have to go to court to obtain guardianship to manage your medical care. This can be a long and costly process.

We encourage all patients to have a Health Care Proxy form completed, signed and filed in your medical record.

Coordinating Your Care After the Hospital

Upon admission to the hospital, the case manager begins to plan for your discharge. They can help communicate any concerns or questions you have for your team.

It’s our goal to ensure that all post-hospital needs are addressed, such as:

• Alternative living arrangements
• Continuation of therapies
• Home care or other community resources
• Insurance approvals for post-acute services
• Medication assistance

If you qualify for home care services, we give you a list of home care agencies that service your area.