BackWho Can Help? Geriatric Care Manager
Article submitted by Barbara Ringgold, RN, BSN, CMC of Senior Care Family Service Inc. She can be reached at 239-287-9201 or www.seniorcarefamily.com.
Geriatric Care Management Comes of Age
Geriatric Care Management is not a new profession, but an evolution of health care support services and case management to the elderly. Adult children living miles apart from their aging parents first engaged the services of nurses and social workers in the 1980's to look in on their parents. Today, Care Managers help the elderly find solutions to problems of aging, and ease the minds of absentee adult children. The elderly and their families are finding the answer to their plea of "Who Can Help?" by employing a Geriatric Care Manager.
What is Care Management?
The goal in care management to the elderly is to promote optimal health of the elder and peace of mind for the adult children. Care Management considers the health, social, financial, and family needs of the client. The Care Manager orchestrates all information and services for the elder and disseminates information about the client to necessary members of the team be that family members, financial professionals or medical providers. Geriatric Care Management is typically a private pay service billed hourly and focuses on preventative care knowing that early intervention can avoid accidents and costly hospital stays.
Who are Care Managers?
When care management first came of age, nurses and social workers were naturals for recognizing and filling the need for personalized service and support to the elderly. As the industry grew, other disciplines such as gerontologists and healthcare administrators found a place in coordinating specialized care for the geriatric population as well. Each discipline brings different and unique skills in assuring the care plan is carried out. When evaluating the qualifications of a geriatric care manager look for someone who has educational credentials in the health care field, membership in a national organization of care management (NAPGCM) or case management (CCMC) and who has a specialty certification in the field of care or case management.
What are the responsibilities of a Geriatric Care Manager?
Care managers attend physician visits, arrange for household and personal care, make telephone checks, consult with physicians, help advocate for the client, manage caregivers, and with the client's permission keep team members (attorneys, CPA;s, bankers, family, physicians) updated on the client's condition and changes. Care managers are typically on call twenty four hour a day, seven days a week. The Care Manager is available to accompany the elder to the ER, respond to crisis, or provide emotional support. It is comforting for the client or family to know they have a resource person to call who knows their parent intimately. The Care Manager acts as an extension of the family, but in a professional , advising role.
Care Managers ASSESS a client's health, lifestyle, and home environment for problems. Medications are reviewed and assessed for proper compliance with the physician's orders (Is the client taking her pills as prescribed?). Once the problems are identified, the Care Manager develops a comprehensive CARE PLAN outlining the problems, goals, and measures to address the problems. With approval, the care manager IMPLEMENTS the plan which might include hiring caregivers, setting up MD appointments, arranging for medication set-up, subscribing to a Life Line service, setting up social activities, or teaching the client and family about the client's medical needs. Some families elect to carry out the care plan themselves for cost savings, but typically the Care Manager remains in place to provide ongoing MONITORING of the client's needs and services.
While Geriatric Care Management provides peace of mind to distanced families, it holds as one of its core values that the client remain as independent as possible and autonomous in their decision making as long as possible. The relationship between client, family, and care manager typically develops into a lifelong association of advocacy for the elder. It soon becomes evident that a Geriatric Care Manager is the answer to "Who Can Help?"