posted by Genevieve Faulk of Bayshore Geriatric Solutions, Inc.

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So often caregivers ask themselves, “What is a Geriatric Care Manager and when would I need to hire one.”  The answer is 2 parts:

PART 1

A geriatric care manager is a trained and knowledgeable expert who leads a team of elder care professionals and can assess the needs of a senior to provide a comprehensive care plan with steps on how to improve the quality of life for the senior.

PART 2

Each situation is different, but here’s a story that can help explain when it is time for you to hire a geriatric care manager.

Recently, a Geriatric Care Manager (GCM) who we will call Susan received a call from Mrs. Jones who lived out of state. She was concerned about her mother after she had a phone conversation with her father that morning. Her parents, Mr. & Mrs. Smith lived in Clearwater, FL. Her father was becoming concerned about his wife’s safety and overall health. Mrs. Jones immediately contacted Susan and asked her to go to her parent’s home and do a professional evaluation on both her parents in their home setting. She was looking for an “unbiased” opinion and recommendations to solve their healthcare problems.

Susan set up a time to meet with Mr. & Mrs. Smith at their home. She was able to evaluate both Mr. & Mrs. Smith from a physical, mental, environmental, medical, financial, legal and social perspective. This is one of the reasons why Mrs. Jones hired Susan and her company. She needed someone outside the family to speak with her parents in their own home and ask the sometimes difficult questions that often elderly parents refuse to discuss with their adult children.

As a result of the evaluation, Susan was able to provide a “clear picture” or comprehensive report to Mrs. Jones that included the following:

1. Mrs. Smith was mobile, but her cognition had declined to the point where she was becoming agitated in their home and out publicly. She was relying on her husband for assistance with all of her care needs such as bathing, dressing, medication set ups, meal preparations and transportation.
2. Mr. Smith, the primary caregiver, had health issues of his own and was also declining due to focusing of his wife’s care needs and attempting to manage her disruptive behavior. He was beginning to feel scared that if something were to happen to him, who would care for his wife.
3. Mr. & Mrs. Smith finances were in good order. Both of them received a steady income. However, Susan discovered that Mr. Smith was a veteran and had not yet applied for VA benefits and neither of them had looked into other benefits that they may qualify for.

After Susan’s visit, Mr. Smith was ready to hear her recommendations. This experience was an “eye opener” to him. He had not realized how complicated his situation was as a caregiver until Susan had visited them. Now Susan was ready to share her expert advice and recommendations with Mrs. Jones and Mr. Smith that included options for them to consider.

Here were a few of Susan’s recommendations:

1. At the top of Susan’s list was asking Mr. Smith to a place phone call to their primary physician to let him know that Mrs. Smith was having behavioral changes and wanted a doctor’s order for Mrs. Smith to receive a psychiatric consult, which could result in treatment to help manage Mrs. Smith’s behavior.
2. It was suggested that Mr. Smith look into adult day care programs and/or an Assisted Living Facility (ALF) with a dementia unit close to home so he could visit her, as well as, their family friends. This would provide Mr. Smith some time to take care of himself during the day and Mrs. Smith would be safe, have structure to her day, be managed by a nurse, and make some new friends.
3. Another recommendation was for Mr. Smith to order a personal emergency response system (ER button) in the event anything should happen to either one of them, 911 would be called right away.
4. Susan recommended that Mr. Smith meet with an Eldercare Attorney in order to protect the couple’s assets, look into what VA benefits Mr. Smith could benefit from down the road, and perhaps apply for a Medicaid program for Mrs. Smith which may be able to help cover some of her expenses at the ALF.
5. Susan finally suggested that Mr. Smith attend a local caregiver’s support group so that he could be part of a group of individuals who share similar situations with their loved ones and a place where he can learn more about his wife’s condition and what to expect in time.

The thorough list of recommendations brought into view the next steps Mr. Smith needed to take (as well as Mrs. Jones; the long-distance caregiver who was very concerned for both of her parents). Mrs. Jones was glad that she had made the phone call to Susan, the geriatric care manger, and appreciated the information that she had gathered. The “unbiased” opinion became an “invaluable” tool to help her parents be safe, receive the care they needed, and give her peace of mind.

9270 Bay Plaza Blvd, Suite 604
Tampa, FL 33619
www.bgstampa.com

Tags: Assisted Living, caregiver burn out, fall, fall detection, fall prevention, guardians, holistic practitioners, integrative medicine, long term care, nursing homes, patient advocate, safety devices, sandwich generation, senior resources, skilled rehab facilities