Our
Geriatric care manager works privately with older adults and their
families to create a plan of care that meets the needs of the older
adult. They will meet with you to help you understand your loved one’s
needs and learn what resources and options are available to meet those
needs.
What is a Geriatric care manager?
A Geriatric Care Manager (GCM) is a professional who develops and
implements a plan of care to assist elders and their families with all
aspects of long-term care. American culture has become transient.
Families are often separated by distance and many children find
themselves juggling demanding careers, families, and the responsibility
of caring for an aging parent. It would be ideal to live in a society
where our parents and our elderly could be cared for easily, where
extended families were in close proximity, and where both family
members were not working full time. The reality is that for most of us
this is not the case. There are many older people who live alone, far
from children and other relatives. Even for those who live near
children, the fact remains that all family members may be working and
may not be in a position to do all that is required. When older people
begin to have trouble coping with their daily lives, they often cannot
turn to family members for help, and often, even more importantly, they
do not wish to burden those they love with their care. Under these
circumstance a Geriatric Care Manager can be very useful.
What are the benefits of having a Geriatric care manager?
·Allow caregivers to balance being a caregiver and the demands of their own life
· Decrease time taken off work
· Decrease expenses associated with long distant caregiving
· Save you time. You do not have to spend hours searching for services
· Give you peace of mind
Advocacy in Long Term Facilities
Our Geriatric care managers can serve as an advocate for an older
adult in a long term care facility on behalf of a long distance family
member. Our Geriatric care managers are aware of the state regulations
and structure of these facilities. Therefore, they know what to look
for when visiting a facility, what questions to ask, and who to direct
questions to in order to obtain the information needed to make the best
decision. Our Geriatric care managers should be thought of as true
advocates for the older adult in the facility.
Life Long Planning Consultations
HAVE YOU TALKED TO YOUR PARENTS ABOUT THE FACTS OF LIFE?
· Aging is a fact of life. As your parents age their care needs
change. This is an issue many families try to delay for as long as
possible. The reality of the matter is that as loves ones ages their
health condition declines. Some declines are gradual and some are
immediate. Some questions you should ask yourself:
How prepare are you for the change?
What are the wishes of your senior loved one?
Does your loved have adequate funds available to cover the expenses of medical and non-medical care if needed?
Does your loved one have adequate health insurance coverage?
Does your loved one have adequate life insurance coverage?
Does your loved one need a long term care policy?
Medicare does not cover 24-hour-a-day care at home, meal delivery,
homemaker services like shopping and laundry. So what does medicare
really cover?
Does your loved one need a Medicare supplemental policy?
All of these are very pertinent questions that should be addressed. Often these issues are addressed too late.
Our Geriatric manager serves as a consultant for f Life Long
Planners can assist you through this maze of the lifelong planning.
We have trained staff that can assist you setting a customized plan that will meet the need of the elderly.
