Companion

Provide emotional support

Discuss ongoing life challenges, troubleshoot problems, facilitate and participate in leisure activities

Coach

Encourage patient self-care activities

Prompt patient’s engagement in health care, encourage lifestyle (diet, exercise) and treatment adherence

Homemaker

Manage household activities

Inventory, purchase food and medications, prepare meals

Scheduler

Arrange medical care

Schedule tests, procedures, and services

Driver

Facilitate transportation

Provide transportation to medical appointments and emergency hospital visits

Patient extender

Facilitate provider understanding

Attend appointments; clarify and expand on patient history, symptoms, concerns; introduce topics to provider

Technical interpreter

Facilitate patient understanding

Clarify providers’ explanations, technical terms, record and remember discussions with providers

Decision maker

Make medical decisions

Select among treatment alternatives; decide among settings of care

Coordinator

Coordinate care across providers and settings

Ensure flow of information among providers

Financial manager

Handle financial issues

Resolve issues relating to insurance claims, secondary coverage, co-pays, and benefit limits

Health provider

Deliver medical care

Administer medications, operate equipment

Attendant

Provide task assistance

Hands-on personal care task assistance

Monitor

Assess health status

Ensure that changes in health status are noted and properly addressed