MANAGING & COORDINATING CARE

If you’re looking for help in the area of managing and coordinating care for your loved one, an Aging Care Manager (or Geriatric Care Manager) could be what you need. Aging Care Managers help adults with specialized needs get the care they need quickly and effectively.

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First, an Aging Care Manager will work with the adult and their family to create an Aging Quality of Care Plan based on a comprehensive bio-psycho-social assessment. Then, they will ensure the needed resources and services get up and running. After that, an Aging Care Manager can continue to manage and coordinate care using regularly scheduled home visits, phone calls, and video calls.

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In essence, an Aging Care Manager can become a family’s “eyes and ears” for an elderly loved one living at home. An Aging Care Manager can oversee care, communicate with outside service providers to ensure that the senior’s needs are being met, and share all this information with family members so that everyone is up-to-date.

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Over the course of frequent, consistent visits, an Aging Care Manager becomes a trusted care partner, which can lead to even greater acceptance of needed services.

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Types of Care Coordination

 

Having new people, services, and/or devices in one’s home can feel overwhelming, especially after a stay in the hospital or when managing a new condition. Your elderly loved one might be wondering, “What if I don’t like a service? Who is going to deal with making changes?” or “What if the provider doesn’t show up? How will I ever coordinate all of this?”

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This is where an Aging Care Manager adds value. Having one point of contact simplifies the process. Our clients and their families know that if there are any challenges, all they need to do is call their Aging Care Manager.

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Healthcare Systems

 

Navigating the healthcare system is challenging—even under the best of circumstances. Now imagine doing it when you’re coping with a medical condition and any associated pain, cognition issues, depression, anxiety, sleep deprivation, or fear. As much as family members may want to help, they may not have the knowledge base, persistence, or time required.

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Fortunately, an Aging Care Manager can help. Aging Care Managers have both the experience and know-how to work with complex health care needs. They know whom to call and how to access services, including lab work, rehab treatments, and all follow-up medical appointments. An Aging Care Manager will ensure that your loved one gets the services they need with the least amount of stress.

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Home Care

 

Before hiring an at-home caregiver, be sure to consider all of your home care options, including:

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• Hiring someone privately

• Treating a private caregiver as an independent contractor

• Using a registry

• Using a home care agency

• Using a care managed home care company

 

You should also consider other questions, such as:

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• What level of care does your family member need?

• How much care does your family member need?

• If you hire privately, how will you handle liability/risk, labor laws, etc.?

 

Our Aging Care Manager can walk you through the entire process, providing you with decision support. Then, once you hire a caregiver, the Aging Care Manager can help orient and train them, with ongoing oversight and coaching to ensure quality.

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Home Health Care

 

Home Health Care involves professional Registered Nurses who assess a senior’s physical health needs, administer care, and augment that care with other professional services such as Physical Therapy, Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Nursing Aid, and Social Work.  Home Health Care is typically needed when there has been a change in a senior’s physical condition because of a hospitalization or a new diagnosis.

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Aging Care Managers work closely with those delivering Home Health Care services, forming a bridge between these professionals and the at-home caregivers who typically follow them as the senior’s condition stabilizes. Aging Care Managers ease these transitions and provide not only continuity but also peace of mind.

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Facility-Based Care

 

An Aging Care Manager can help your elderly loved one weigh the pros and cons of various living options, including moving to facility-based care. They can also coach families on how to have effective conversations about moving – or perhaps the Aging Care Manager may be the person to broach the subject and explain why it’s a viable option.

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If your loved one does move, an Aging Care Manager can help manage the transition. Often, our Aging Care Managers are retained to make wellness visits 1-2 times per month, so they can assess the situation and provide feedback for the family. They can also attend monthly care conferences at Nursing Facilities or Assisted Living Communities or Memory Care Neighborhoods to get updates from the staff and advocate for their clients.

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End-of-Life Care

 

End-of-life care is replete with emotionally charged challenges. Our Aging Care Managers are also Certified End of Life Doulas and can help you cope, providing support and guidance, as well as access to resources and education. In addition, there is great comfort in knowing that an Aging Care Manager will be by your side, wherever your path may lead you—to a hospital, to a hospice center, or to home with hospice services. They will strive to understand your needs and preferences and will honor your wishes every step of the way.

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Aging Care Management services can make a positive difference in the lives of our clients and their families. Why go it alone when you can have a professional care partner standing by you, providing decision support and guidance?  To learn more, please call Aging Care Planning Solutions TODAY to schedule a free 30-minute phone consultation.  Click HERE to set up your appointment.

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