A hospital case manager is responsible for discharge planning for an 83-year-old man after surgery. Had she confronted the systemic problem, it would illustrate the case management role of?

• A. Advocacy.
• B. Assessment.
• C. Care coordination.
• D. Policy development.

Answer: (A)

Advocacy in case management means actively pushing for the client’s needs to be met by addressing barriers that go beyond the individual, including systemic issues. In discharge planning for an elderly patient, confronting a systemic problem—such as a shortage of suitable post-acute placements, delays in approvals, or transportation gaps—shows the worker representing the patient’s interests and working to remove obstacles within the system so the patient can leave the hospital safely and receive appropriate follow-up care. This differs from assessment, which is about gathering information on needs; care coordination, which focuses on organizing and linking services across providers; and policy development, which involves creating or changing rules and procedures to improve how services are delivered at a broader level.