Geriatric care managers are trained professionals who can help you with every aspect of the caregiving process.
Geriatric care, or care of the elderly, is a growing concern in America today, and is often administered by geriatric care managers. But, who are geriatric care managers and what do they do?
A geriatric care manager is a professional who develops and carries out a comprehensive long-term care plan that maximizes the independence of the care recipient by providing quality care in a cost-effective manner. While most geriatric care managers specialize in eldercare, they generally can help anyone in a caregiving situation, regardless of the care recipient’s age or condition.
Geriatric care managers usually have graduate degrees in social work, psychology, gerontology, or nursing and are certified or licensed at the independent practice level. The knowledge that these individuals have allows them to help to create a safe living environment for the care recipient by evaluating the person’s needs, which include family and community resources, financial circumstances, and physical and mental health. Once the initial evaluation is made and the care plan created, the geriatric care manager continuously overlooks and re-evaluates the plan by either advising the family about existing resources or by becoming a member of the long-term care team.
Generally, geriatric care managers can:
- Assess care needs to identify eligibility for aid, problems, and services required
- Counsel and support all involved in the caregiving situation
- Educate the public and act as an advocate
- Help a care recipient to change living facilities
- Maintain a connection with long-distance caregivers
- Provide crisis intervention
- Screen, arrange, and monitor in-home care or related services
- Refer caregivers to specialists for financial, legal, or medical matters
Because geriatric care managers do so many different things, these individuals arrive at each new case with a flexible mind-set, and they tailor each care plan to the each individual’s needs.
Reference: National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers
