With declining cognitive capabilities, it will become more and more difficult to sort through complex legal and financial issues. Even if it is just your wish for the CCRC to provide a morning coffee and donut, you may need that patient advocate to be on your side. On a more substantive level, the contracts that I reviewed left it to the CCRC management to decide (albeit subject to State regulation) when its residents would be moved out of independent living. Your patient advocate could ensure that at least your primary physician is part of that decision. California encourages CCRCs to include resident representatives on the governing boards. However such residents typically have no voting power and their advice may fall on the deaf ears of a profit-oriented management team.