What Is a Geriatric Care Manager & How Can They Help Family Caregivers?
Caring for an aging parent comes with many complex challenges. If you’re feeling overwhelmed or burnt out, you’re not alone.
Senior care works best when it’s taken on by a team of people instead of just one person. Being the sole family caregiver of an aging parent is a recipe for burnout.
Geriatric care managers offer planning and consultation services to help you manage your loved one’s health and personal care. Here’s what you need to know about them.
Professionals Who Know Elder Care Inside and Out
Geriatric care managers are most often social workers with specializations in senior care or registered nurses. This means they have professional experience on their side. They’ve likely helped hundreds of seniors and families before and can guide your family in the right direction.
Seniors have special medical, social, and mental health considerations. You may not know everything your loved one needs as they age, and that’s okay! A geriatric care manager will communicate everything clearly and take care of the complicated parts for you.
What Do Geriatric Care Managers Do?
This depends on the professional’s scope of service. Generally, geriatric care managers are responsible for guiding families toward healthy, effective solutions for senior healthcare, living arrangements, mental health challenges, and daily care.
Some tasks and duties geriatric care managers carry out include:
- Communicating with healthcare providers
- Evaluating home living conditions
- Making recommendations for a safer or healthier environment
- Referring families to local senior care providers
- Creating short and long-term senior care plans
- Coordinating legal, medical, and social work professionals in your loved one’s life
- Mediating family conflicts and emotional conversations
- Finding respite care for family caregivers
- Overseeing hired in-home senior care workers
- Standing in for family members when they live far away
Essentially, you can think of your parent’s geriatric care manager as a professional representative. They manage and coordinate everything your parent needs to thrive.
The Benefits of Hiring a Geriatric Care Manager
Having a professional who can intervene and coordinate your parent’s care can be priceless for stressed-out or long-distance family members.
Access to Local Resources
There may be elder care resources in your city or state that you don’t know about. Geriatric care managers can provide a comprehensive list of all of the organizations, nonprofits, and funds available to help your loved one. That’s their whole job — connecting families with beneficial resources!
Personal Advocacy
Frustration with healthcare providers and financial professionals is no stranger for family caregivers. If you don’t feel heard or understood when taking your loved one to appointments, a geriatric care manager can help. They communicate with all types of professionals to advocate for your parent’s best interests — as well as your own.
Health Monitoring and Evaluation
If your care manager is a medical professional, they can watch for important signs related to your loved one’s health.
For example, geriatric registered nurses are well-versed in managing the symptoms of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and physical health problems related to aging. Their expertise could even save your loved one’s life someday.
Stress Relief and Respite Care
If you’re reaching burnout and feel like you have no help, geriatric care management could greatly benefit your family. Geriatric care managers can help you find respite care for your parent. They can also help you decompress and vent to process the complex emotions involved in family caregiving.
Neutral Perspective
Geriatric care managers are not emotionally invested in your family’s dynamics. This means they can more easily make neutral, objective decisions that benefit your loved one. Having a neutral third party around to navigate healthcare and financial decisions is priceless for family caregivers and their siblings.
Does Insurance Pay for Geriatric Care Management?
Unfortunately, health insurance usually doesn’t cover geriatric care management costs. These professionals may be part of an agency or work for themselves. You’ll likely pay by the hour through billed invoices.
Consider the pros and cons of each option before making your decision. If your loved one has sufficient funds to cover their care management fees, it may be well worth the extra costs. This is especially true if, as an unpaid family caregiver, you don’t feel you can adequately care for them or yourself anymore.
Geriatric Care Management: Resources and Relief for Families of Seniors
The healthcare, insurance, legal, and financial systems are intimidating for many families to navigate. Consider adding a geriatric care manager to your team of people who care about your aging parent. The peace of mind and stress relief they can bring to your family will allow you to spend more quality time with your loved one.
If you or your family member is considering in-home care as part of a plan to age in place, contact Family Matters In-Home Care today for a free consultation. Our team is dedicated to supporting your family and helping older adults enjoy life in the comfort of their own home for as long as possible.
Some of the services offered by Family Matter In-Home Care include: Alzheimer’s & Dementia Care, Bed & Wheelchair Transfer Assistance, Companionship, Housekeeping & Meal Preparation, Personal Care, Recovery Care, and Transportation.
Serving the San Francisco Bay Area and Greater San Diego, Family Matter In-Home Care has offices throughout California.
