Ron Kauffman, Geriatric Care Manager

A Geriatric Care Manager is a qualified healthcare professional that assists individuals and families to manage their current life circumstances. This can include making care decisions, locating resources, facilitating and planning for implementing resources, benefits and Medicaid application assistance as well as provision of support in the spirit of maintaining a person's or family's quality of life.

Older adults are happiest when they can continue an independent lifestyle, making their own decisions about daily living. However, there may come a critical time for older adults when illness, memory loss, disability or simple problems of aging arise. These new challenges can have significant physical, social and emotional impacts on older adults and jeopardize their well-being. For family members who live out of state, this creates tremendous worry about their parent(s) concern as to what to do next. A professional geriatric care manager can be the solution to this dilemma by helping the family to develop a coordinated plan of care to assist the older adult.

Geriatric care managers specifically assist seniors and their families by providing a thorough assessment of a person's level of social, emotional and medical factors, then coordinating a variety of services to meet the unique functional and care needs of the older adult. This can involve working closely with Trust Officers, Guardians and Estate Planning professionals on the client's behalf.

The care manager becomes an integral part of this process by building a trusting relationship with the older adult, acting as both advocate and friend and is readily available as a resource for the family to evaluate needs and services as well as to help develop a long range plan for care. These plans may include personal care, arranging for and monitoring in-home services, facilitating long term care placement, connecting clients to financial assistance/community/government programs, and acting as a liaison between the person with dementia and their local and/or long distance caregivers. This coordinated plan of care helps older adults meet the challenges of daily living and maximizes their quality of life. It also offers reassurance and peace of mind for the family member that may reside many miles away.

A Geriatric Care Manager can be as involved in a client's life as the client or family desires. This is often dependent upon the needs of the senior. A Geriatric Care Manager may simply provide guidance regarding needs at home, or an upcoming move to a facility, or may be asked to make weekly visits to provide peace of mind to the client and family.

For a person with Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia, a Geriatric Care Manager is often able to assist a family by monitoring the progression of the disease and make recommendations to implement appropriate resources as symptoms intensify. This role of the Geriatric Care Manager can be particularly important to family members that live far from the clients as well as to local family caregivers who feel they need additional support in making care decisions.

Costs for a Geriatric Care Manager vary based on needs, but usually includes an initial assessment, an assessment evaluation and written report with recommendations. The initial assessment may require more than one meeting, particularly if out of town family is to be involved. If hired by the client or family, subsequent fees are based upon an hourly rate that can be discussed in person or by phone, fax or email.

Geriatric Care Management Services provided for an older adult may include:

• Psychosocial, emotional and medical assessment of the patient
• Referral and follow-up with appropriate in-home services
• Weekly visitations to see clients in their home/care facility
• Monitoring client care plan with staff within a care facility
• Crisis intervention to coordinate and assess all medical emergencies
• Coordination and supervision of in-home caregivers and other support services
• Weekly medication management
• Supportive counseling and emotional support
• Assist with Medicare, Supplemental and Long Term Care Insurance Issues
• Coordinate and attend medical appointments; doctor evaluations
• Confer with doctors regarding health concerns, medications & compliance issues
• Assisting family and client with legal and medical directives
• Educate family regarding long range planning options for their loved one
• Weekly reporting to family member or responsible person
• Liaison with primary care physician, medical specialists & care professionals
• Assistance with research/selection of senior living facility
• Assistance with filing a Medicaid nursing home application
• Provide bookkeeping and bill paying services as needed
• Act as Healthcare Surrogate if requested by client when there is no other family
• Work with Trustee(s), Guardian, professional Estate Planners as necessary