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Tips for Advocacy

Advocacy is an essential part of caring for persons living and dying with dementia.  If you are a shy and submissive person, advocating for your loved one will provide valuable lessons in becoming lovingly assertive and confident.  If you are strong willed and self absorbed, advocacy will teach you empathy, balance and deep listening.  Advocacy happens every day, at night, on weekends, at the doctor's office, the restroom, at the care conference, with home care providers, and in every moment of caregiving.  
Advocacy is a learned skill, and can be soft or tough.  Both are needed and the skill comes in knowing when to be both.  The greatest advocacy impact can happen when empathy and understanding are present within the circle of willingness to draw the line in the sand.
Here are some tips for public advocacy of dementia care issues and concerns. It helps to have a guide and some steps to know how and where to start 
Developing Public Policy Advocacy Strategies Step by Step

1.  Identify the Issue
What is the issue or concern? (care, respite, lack of services, etc)
Who supports the issue, Who Opposes the issue.
Develop arguments: Political, Equity, Social, Moral, and Ethical.
Frame Issue in 12-syllable message.
(Memorable Issue Phrase)
Develop issue fact sheet.
Develop title with framed message.
Describe the Issue in a 30 second sound bite

2.  Research
Clarify opposition's arguments and justifications.
List opposition arguments and each justification.
Research topic, summarize issue data.
Identify research support organizations.
Conduct research and gather personal stories.

3.  Education
Identify oppositional and supportive organizations.
Identify group’s organizations and legislators.
Identify key supportive people and organizations.
Identify supportive legislators and officials.
Identify and List likely “YES VOTES”
Identify and List likely “MAYBE VOTES”
Identify and List likely “NO VOTES”
Identify organizations pro and con.
Develop direct lobbying strategies

4.  Base Building & Organizing
Identify key allies, stakeholders and persons.
Clarify bottom line positions of each and yourself.
Determine coalition roles and messages.
Identify grassroots constituency voice.
Provide training and preparation of supporters.
Identify constituent relationships.
Develop grassroots lobbying strategy.

5.  Media
Develop media strategy to build support for issue.
Identify electronic and mailing supporter lists.
Write letters to editors and feature stories.
Attend issue related media and education events.
Attend issue vendor fairs and conferences.

6.  Develop and Update Timeline
Identify end date first, and work backwards.

Source: 

Idaho Non-Profit Organization & Associates, Inc, North Idaho Policy Campaign.  Denise DeVaan                     February 2009