Why Hire a Care Manager?
- Dependents or older adults have needs that require outside expertise or interfere with other responsibilities
- Family is in conflict regarding appropriate care of an elder or dependent
- A local contact is needed to look after the elder person
- Physician, attorney or financial planner would like assistance for an elderly client
- Placement or a move to an alternative living situation is needed
- An employer wishes to provide support to employees dealing with problems of caregiving
- An elder wants support or assistance for a current problem or in planning for the future
- A family wants to avoid costly or duplicated services for the elder
- Family members want an evaluation of living situation for safety
- Family wants continuous monitoring of hired caregivers
How Does Elder Options Care Consultants Work?
Step 1: Conduct Assessment
Interview questions cover a range of issues relevant to your elder's health and living situation, including everyday activities, nutritional status, safety, memory, depression, finances, insurance, and more.
Interviews between a Geriatric Care Manager and the elder can be done with or without family members but if you have concerns that you think the Care Manager should be aware of like memory problems, be sure to talk to the caregiver separately. It is important that the Care Manager has all the information that is necessary to do the best job possible.
Step 2: Make a Care Plan
A Care Plan includes the results of the assessment, recommendations, and referrals for local care options. The Geriatric Care Manager will review the plan with you, answer questions and explain recommendations. Some things may be immediate and mandatory like monitoring medications that are not being taken properly, addressing personal hygiene issues and adjusting diet. A Care Plan will also include regular reassessments. As we age, so do our capabilities. Capabilities and functions need to be monitored as time goes on with adjustments made for those changes.
Step 3: Arrange Services
Once the elder's care needs are assessed, the Care Manager assists in arranging for services, taking into consideration the elder's willingness to accept services and cost factors.
Care Managers are uniquely connected in the community. In many cases a Care Manager can save you more than her own fees by making the proper connections. Care Managers have experience with local programs and services and can recommend reputable providers.
You don't need to live out-of-state to benefit from a Care Manager's services. We will save you time, money and energy by helping you organize and coordinate services. In many cases, the service personnel are more responsive and informative with a Geriatric Care Manager than they would be with you. A Care Manager knows what is to be done, helps communicate between service companies and individuals, and often catches issues before they become problems.
Step 4: Monitor needs
After the initial assessment of the elder's needs, the Care Manager will continue to monitor the elder for changes in needs and services.
A Care Manager is not in the home on a daily basis except during crisis periods. Usually the Care Manager will see the elder weekly or semi weekly or as needed and keep in contact with the elder in the interim by phone.
Step 5: Communicate
We will communicate with you and your elder on a regular basis so that you are aware of relevant changes occurring with the elder and so that you have an opportunity to ask questions and voice your concerns about your elder.
Geriatric Care Managers are at their best when they work in partnership with you, your aging parent, and the service providers. |
