Families are often faced with making tough caregiving decisions. Making an informed decision about the care and well-being of a loved one is important and not easy. They want to know all the available options, but have little experience or knowledge in the field of elder care, and little time to do the necessary research. This is when the services a qualified geriatric care manager are invaluable.
Geriatric Care Managers are professionals with the education, experience, and objectivity to carefully determine ways to maximize independence, care, and personal safety. We can help you to improve the quality of your life as well as the person you are caring for.
- Comprehensive Assessment
- Individualized Plan of Care
- Service Arrangement
- On-going Monitoring
The Assessment is the single most important task for both the family and the care manager. Sometimes the assessment alone is enough information for a family to move forward. The assessment can help determine future care needs by clarifying functional abilities, cognitive skills, home safety hazards, and more. It can give a family direction and hope.
Once the evaluation is done we have a second level of service whereby we recommend practical solutions and will design an individualized care plan for you. Care plans are highly individualized; the individual’s wishes, family dynamics, and circumstances are given serious consideration. We are practical about financial and physical resources and the caregivers’ time. We consider the likelihood of changing needs and circumstances in the future. Each plan encompasses the entire situation and is personalized to meet your loved one’s needs in the best possible way. Our recommendations will include public and private resources that can provide support and practical assistance.
At the third and fourth level of service we are happy to arrange services for you and even monitor the care if you prefer not to do it yourself. We can act as liaisons to families living at a distance. We will monitor the situation and manage the service providers for you.
Our comprehensive assessment provides us with an overall view of the client's current and future needs along with the family's concerns so that we can advise and plan for the best way to proceed. The families and/or client are asked to provide a thorough medical, financial, and social history.
The assessment includes:
- Review of client's current medical data including:
- Current medical condition
- Past medical history
- Medications - prescription and over-the-counter
- Current care level
- Results of recent lab work or diagnostic tests
- Collection of additional medical data as necessary
- Review of client's current social/economic data including:
- Legal and safety issues
- 3rd party support
- Family support
- Transportation Issues
- Ability to comprehend and participate
- Hobbies and socialization preferences
- Review of client's current financial/legal status including:
- Available income and assets to assist in determining eligibility for financial assistance,affordability of various living arrangements, medication assistance, etc.
- Insurance coverage
- Advanced directives
- Living arrangements
- Durable Power of Attorney
- Guardianship
Our comprehensive assessment helps us fully understand our client's current needs so that we can provide the most effective set of solutions. This may take up to 3 hours to complete.
Review of family dynamics, cultural factors, financial assessment, and discussion of patient’s wishes prior to affliction. Facilitate family meetings. Review of potential funding sources such as veteran’s programs, caregiver grants, and non-profit benefits. Review and comparison of home health verses placement into assisted living, board and care, or skilled care. Special consideration is given to progression of illness, declining resources, and long-term goals.
15 minute increments.
Once the assessment and care plan is designed and written, we will implement every element of the care plan. This is where expertise is most crucial, as service arrangements and placements are critical. We factor not only price, but quality of care and service. We take into consideration budget constraints and long range goals to find the least disruptive and most appropriate choice of programs and services.
15 minute increments.
Now that the care plan is implemented and service arrangements are made, we will monitor and supervise all aspects of care for out of town families and caregivers. We can supervise specific care elements like hire and supervise home health workers or do periodic checks of care homes and facilities to insure proper care for your loved one. We can hire professional caregivers or agencies. We handle medication management, accompany patient to doctors appointments and liaison between different agencies, doctors, social workers, hospitals, nursing centers, care homes, etc.
- Comprehensive assessments
- Monthly care management
- Liaison for long distance families
- Identify needs
- Advocacy
- Review medical and safety issues
- Review legal and financial issues
- Referrals to community service agencies and other geriatric specialists
- Coordinate other care providers
- Arrange and/or monitor home services
- Research alternative living arrangements and assist with moving
- Telephone check-in / monitoring
- Private home, assisted living & nursing home visits
- Telephone conferences/consulting
- E-mail correspondence and reports
- Crisis intervention
- Post hospital discharge planning
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- Short-term or ongoing assistance for long-distance caregivers.
- Personalized and compassionate services focusing on the individual's wants and needs.
- Accessibility since care managers are available after hours and on weekends.
- Cost savings. Reliable continuity of care and preventing unnecessary expenditures.
- Facilitated family communication, reducing the burden on primary family caregiver
- Efficiency and flexibility because our services are streamlined and client-centered, not complicated by bureaucratic red tape.
- Cost-control. Care managers strive to reduce inappropriate institutional care and overuse of services. We match the service to the client's needs and help contain costs and unnecessary hospitalizations
- Ongoing monitoring and crises management.
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People calling themselves care managers have many different backgrounds. Very few states have licensing for these professionals; however, many are licensed in other fields, such as nursing and social workers. It is important for the wise consumer to ask questions. Some of these include:
- What are your educational degrees and credentials?
- How long have you been providing care management services?
- Are you available for emergencies?
- Does your company also provide home care services?*
- How will you communicate information to me?
*Be aware that a care management company that offers home health workers has by definition a bias for home care over placement
When you have found an appropriate care manager, there will most likely be an on-site assessment. During the assessment, you will be asked to give the care manager an overview of the reason you are seeking help and introduce all the parties involved. Be sure to organize and bring all the information needed.
What should I ask after the initial assessment?
- What resources will it take to resolve this situation?
- Are there any alternative courses of action?
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of each alternative?
- Who will be working with you?
- How many professionals may be involved? What about off-hours and backup?
- How are fees computed?
- How is travel time and mileage handled?
- How are services terminated?
Care management fees are billed privately on a fee-for-service basis. They are not covered by Medicaid, Medicare, or by most health insurance policies. We will help outline the general cost of services to insure the most advantageous way to provide cost effective services for your loved one. In addition to fees, most care managers will charge for out-of-pocket expenses. Out-of-pocket expenses may include charges for mileage, caregiving supplies, long distance telephone calls, and other such costs. Find out if there will be any other incidental costs. Note: There may also be additional fees if outside professionals are called into the case. It is imperative that the care manager receives approval to bring others in before the situation arises, if at all possible
Our comprehensive assessment provides us with an overall view of the client's current and future needs along with the family's concerns so that we can advise and plan for the best way to proceed. The families and/or client are asked to provide a thorough medical, financial, and social history.
- The process starts with a pre-assessment phone interview with a family member to share information about our company and their family member. It helps us begin to understand the client's current situation and the families concerns.
- Our comprehensive assessment helps us fully understand our client's current needs so that we can provide the most effective set of solutions. This may take up to 3 hours to complete.
- The assessment includes:
- Review of client's current medical data including:
- Current medical condition
- Past medical history
- Medications - prescription and over-the-counter
- Care receiving now
- Results of recent lab work or diagnostic tests
- Collection of additional medical data as necessary
- Review of client's current social/economic data including:
- Legal and safety issues
- 3rd party support
- Family support
- Transportation Issues
- Ability to comprehend and participate
- Hobbies and socialization preferences
- Review of client's current financial/legal status including:
- Available income and assets to assist in determining eligibility for financial assistance, affordability of various living arrangements, medication assistance...
- Insurance coverage
- Advanced directives
- Living arrangements
- Durable Power of Attorney
- Guardianship
- A written report of findings with recommendations as a result of the assessment are sent to the client along with copies to designated family members.
