What is Care Management?
Geriatric Care Managers Advocate for Older Adults — and Their Caregivers.
Can Care Management Help You?
Are you part of the Sandwich Generation caring simultaneously for your aging parents and your children? Do your aging parents live far away making the logistics of managing their care challenging? You are not alone. According to caregiver.org:
- More than 1 in 6 Americans working full-time or part-time report assisting with the care of an elderly or disabled family member, relative, or friend
- 69% of working caregivers report having to rearrange their work schedule, decrease their hours, or take an unpaid leave in order to meet their caregiving responsibilities
Are you an older adult with no family support and worried about how you will manage your health needs as you age?
If any of these apply to you then, the good news is that geriatric care managers can help! Whether you are managing the care of a loved one or managing your own increasingly complex care, finding resources, arranging services, and coordinating transportation can be overwhelming. A care manager may be just what you need.
What is Care Management?
According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, Care management is a team-based, patient-centered approach designed to assist patients and their support systems in managing medical conditions more effectively.
At the initial meeting the care manager will gather pertinent information including health background, doctor information, insurance, and current needs.
Together with the client, the care manager will develop a plan to best serve the needs of the client. The care management team may include: in-home caregivers, nurses, physical therapists, pharmacists, social workers, gerontologists, counseling psychologists, and pet walkers and more.
Care Managers can provide a wide range of services.
Medical Care:
- Overseeing and advocating medical care
- Coordination of health care providers and services
- Evaluating, arranging for and monitoring hired caregivers such as home health aides
- Coordinating medical appointments and arranging transportation.
- Accompaniment to medical appointments
- Medication management
Long Term Planning:
- Assistance with developing a long-term plan
- Creating short- and long-term care plans that could include assisted living or a rehab center
- Moving to an assisted living or skilled care facility from home
- Making referrals to financial, legal or medical professionals and suggesting ways to avert problems
- Assistance with forms such as advance health care directives
- Explaining complex or difficult topics to care recipients and their families
Day to Day Matters:
- Acting as a liaison to families who may be hundreds of miles away
- Identifying and coordinating community services
- Arranging for routine needs such as grocery delivery, pet care, household repairs, and transportation
- Arranging for relief or respite care for stressed-out caregivers
Care managers are also well versed in and have a broad range of contacts that can assist clients with wills, trusts, and finances. If the care manager does not have the answer, they know someone who does!
The Benefits of Care Management
The care manager takes the load off the client and family. They solve issues and problems so you don’t have to; you can be free to live your life! They will help you make informed decisions and find the best local resources. If the family is involved a care manager can ensure they take care of all the details and family can be just that, family, and enjoy their time together. If there are no close family members or friends who are able to help, a care manager can arrange and monitor hands-on services to help you or your relatives.
Cost
Neither Medicare nor Medicaid will pay for geriatric care management services. Long-term care insurance may cover some of the costs of care coordination, but most private insurance policies, including Medigap and Medicare Advantage plans, do not. Limited care management services may be available through your local department on aging. For comprehensive care management services you will need to retain a private care manager to help coordinate services and respond quickly to challenging situations. The care manager may see you 2 times a week or 2 times a year depending on what you need and want.
According to the AARP, The cost of an initial assessment can vary widely by region but will generally run from about $800 to $2,000. Hourly rates for ongoing services range from $90 to $250. Some care managers also charge for long-distance calls, mileage and travel time. Be sure to find out about these billing details and get them in writing before you agree to the services.
9 Questions to Ask
Before Hiring a Care Manager
Be clear about your expectations. That starts with asking a prospective care-management provider the right questions.
- Resources: What are your business’s main services, and do they include in-home care?
- Size: How many geriatric care managers do you have on staff?
- Qualifications: What credentials and professional licenses do you and your managers have?
- Longevity: How many years have you been providing care-management services?
- Initial costs: What fee, if any, do you charge for a consultation?
- Continuing costs: What are your ongoing fees, and may I get them in writing?
- Communication: How will you keep in contact with us?
- Flexibility: What happens if my family has an emergency — will you be available?
- References: Who has used your services, and may I contact them?
Be Proactive
Think about tomorrow, today! Care management should be considered before help is needed. Planning is the key. Once the plan is in place the care management team is ready to step in right quickly. When you need help, they can step in right away. They know you and can already have a plan to assist you with your changing needs.
Guest blogger: Laura Callagy has been a Care Manager for 16 years. She currently works for Lassahn Fiduciary Services in San Mateo California as their Director of Care Management. Her background is in Gerontology, having a Masters in Gerontology as well as certificates in Palliative Care and Aging and Mental Health. Laura became interested in this field at a young age as her mother was a hospice nurse.
Resources
The following organizations have resources and online locators for connecting older adults and their families to local resources
- U.S. Administration on Aging – Eldercare Locator 1-800-677-1116, Connects older Americans (60+) and their caregivers with the local Area Agency on Aging’s Family Caregiver Support Program, which provides information about local aging services, support groups and other services for caregivers.
- AARP, Family Caregiver Resources for California
- The Aging Life Care Association, 520-881-8008
- Caregiver.org, 1-800-510-2020
In the News:
- U.S. News, Caring for Kids and Aging Parents: The ‘Sandwich’ Generation Is Under Strain
- New York Times, The Quiet Cost of Family Caregiving
- BBC, Why the ‘sandwich generation’ is so stressed out
- CDC, Caregiving for Family and Friends — A Public Health Issue
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