How to Hire a Geriatric Care Manager

Care For Life not only provides the finest in-home caregivers, but our nurse is a professional in care management who helps families write a plan of care following a thorough assessment and with obtaining every possible resource and referral that will benefit their loved one and family.

How to Hire a Geriatric Care Manager:

Does your geriatric care manager have the right credentials?
The National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers has strict requirements for membership. Members must have a Masters degree in a relevant field like nursing or social work, supervised experience, and certain accreditations. Members of this association are usually a good bet.

2. Get referrals.
Asking for referrals from friends, assisted living facilities, and geriatricians is always a good idea – you can learn a lot from other people’s experiences.

3. Look for relevant skills
If your elder has a lot of medical issues you might want to find a care manager with a nursing background.
A consultation or an assessment
Most geriatric care managers charge by the hour. You could begin by arranging a consultation (typically $95-$395) to help you get started evaluating the care needed for your elder. This will give you to have a baseline to see if the elder’s current facility or at home is the right place for him or her, plus a care plan for your elder. If a move is advised, they will help you find a qualified facility that suits your loved one.

4. Care Manager as your elder’s advocate:
All elders need an advocate acting on their behalf. The care manager can be especially useful as an interface between the assisted living facility and family members. For example, is your loved one getting the right help with daily tasks, preferred recreation, and medical issues? When you can’t be there to oversee these matters, the geriatric care manager can provide a valuable resource to help improve your elder’s quality of life and care.

5. Flexible service as you need it~Care For Life provides caregivers, too.
Some families use geriatric care managers to manage extra care help. For example, the elder might need help getting to meals, dressing, or bathing. Or they just might be lonely and need someone to visit with them. The care manager can hire those caregivers and in some cases even pay them.

6. Other useful resources
Geriatric care managers will be an additional expense that most insurance plans will not pay for. Most companies provide a free telephone conversation and will help you look for free help such as grants available or V.A. Benefits.

Likewise Hospice is one of the most dedicated and professional resources available anywhere. Hospice provides an astonishing array of free services ranging from personal care to chaplains. The elder doesn’t necessarily have to be near death to participate in Hospice programs either. Other government or non-profit services might also help – ask Care For Life’s eldercare advisor to see what might be available.

For further reference:
New York Times article: “When Elder Care Problems Escalate, You Can Hire an Expert”