GERIATRIC CARE MANAGERS HELP FAMILIES

Many baby boomers left home to pursue education and careers and find themselves now facing the dilemma of who can look after their aging parents. Some still live nearby, but cannot take the time off work to coordinate and attend appointments, assist with grocery shopping or household tasks. If they live out of town, the adult children may not have noticed the gradual decline in a parents’ level of functioning. Perhaps they have noticed; and are not sure if the parent can continue to live alone safely. Adult children may be uncomfortable with the new role as care giver and do not have the time or resources to handle the demands of caring for a parent or other family member.

A Geriatric Care Manager can help families by providing an assessment to determine whether an older person is able to continue living independently or needs assistance. Geriatric Care Managers are specially trained professionals with educational backgrounds in Gerontology, Social Work, Nursing or related fields. After making an assessment in the older person’s home or hospital room, the Geriatric Care Manager can coordinate home care, schedule and attend medical appointments, and assist with locating and referring for the appropriate services. Care managers can determine whether the individual may need to move to an assisted living, residential care home or nursing home, and can help locate the best facility to meet his or her needs. Care Managers are familiar with the community resources, criteria used for qualifying for programs, and how to access the services needed. If a family is in the middle of a crisis, a care manager professional looks at an individual’s situation objectively and can recommend the best and most realistic care options for that person.

Often an older person has various medical problems and may be seeing numerous physicians. The average older person takes 4 -5 prescriptions plus over the counter medications. If they do not communicate with each physician regarding what specific over the counter, and prescription medications are being taken, the individual could become over-medicated, resulting in reversible dementia. This can be resolved by appropriate medication dosage and communication with all physicians. By working closely with the patient and the physician, care managers are able to assist in avoiding over dosage, poor compliance and premature institutionalization. Geriatric Care Managers act as a patient advocate to ensure that the individual’s needs are being met.

Many times a family member is called when a parent or elderly relative falls and breaks a hip, has had a stroke or heart attack, and suddenly is disabled. If the person has no family living nearby, a Geriatric Care Manager can be there quickly, at the patient’s side to see that they get good care. The Geriatric Care Manager can work with the treatment team to coordinate services, coordinate a transfer to a rehabilitation facility or determine when the older person can return home safely. Often a part time home care giver can be hired to assist with cooking or bathing to maintain independence. Numerous resources are available to assist older people in maintaining their independence. A Geriatric Care Manager can assist with accessing these resources and be an extension of a caring family.

Courtesy of Carol Franzen, M.S., L.M.S.W., A.P., Dallas Care Connection, Dallas