Geriatric Case Management: Do I Really Need Direction

By Dana Pavelock

Are the problems that you or your loved ones are facing becoming larger and more complete than you can comfortably manage? Are other demands and responsibilities now so great that you are not able to provide the desired level of supervision and attention to your loved one’s
problems.

For the past two decades, Geriatric Care Management has been a popular services that has been well utilized; especially in more urban and metropolitan areas. Understanding the complexities of the health care system and finding the time to coordinate care for a loved one can be a very overwhelming task. In communities such as ours we have been fortunate in being able to navigate through most of the planning and care needs via services from the Dutchess County Office of the Aging, Home Care agencies and knowledgeable hospital and nursing facility social work and discharge planning staff.

However, in just the past few years we have begun to see a significant shift with more individuals requiring additional assistance and ongoing support as the health care industry continues to diversity. Fortunately, information available now through the Internet makes navigation somewhat easier than in the past but still, lifestyles of the sandwich/baby boomer generation often leave very little time to thoroughly assess medical conditions, home safety considerations and how to access appropriate services for a loved one.

What can a Geriatric Care Manager do for you? How do you find a Geriatric Care Manager, and how much will it cost? Are Home Care agencies equipped to handle Geriatric Care Management services? Typically agencies and individuals offering Care Management may include but are not limited to the following services:
Conduct comprehensive health assessments to identify problems and to provide solutions; screen, arrange, and monitor in-home help or other services; provide short or long-term assistance for caregivers living near or far away; review financial, legal, or medical issues and offer referrals to geriatric specialists; provide crisis intervention; act as liaison to families overseeing care, and quickly alerting families to problems; assist with moving to or from a retirement complex, assisted care home, or nursing home; provide consumer education and advocacy; offer individual and/or family counseling and support; 24 hour crisis intervention; coordinate practical daily services, paying bills and daily money