Is caring for your elderly loved one becoming too stressful? Keeping track of their needs can be overwhelming, you may not even know where to start. The answer could be a Geriatric Care Manager.
What is a Geriatric Care Manager?
Simply put a Geriatric Care Manager is a licensed professional who specializes in senior care. These people are usually nurses, gerontologists or social workers. You will often hear them referred to as “professorial relatives”. Many Geriatric Care Managers help families through difficult conversations and guide them through challenging decisions while keeping a neutral point of view. This is highly beneficial to the person receiving care and their families since the Geriatric Care Manager is able to look at the situation objectively without bias.
Geriatric Care Manager Responsibilities
The job of a Geriatric Care Manager is to locate resources that help families through hard times regarding their loved ones care. Their main responsibilities include:
-Making both a long term and a short term plan for care
-Coordinating medical services
-Hiring caregivers and medical professionals
-Helping with transitions of care
-Making a comprehensive list of care needs
-Relieving caregiver stress
Finding the Right Care Geriatric Care Manager for You
Its important to make sure the Geriatric Care Manager you chose is the right fit for not just your loved one but you and your family as well. Here are some questions to consider during the hiring process:
-Do they have any professorial licenses or experience?
-Do they specialize in your loved ones specific type of care? For example if your loved one has Alzheimer’s you would want a Geriatric Care Manager that is knowledgeable in that area
-Are they able to support you through a health crisis?
-Do they have any professorial references to vouch for them?
-What is their fee structure? Ask for cost estimates
What do Geriatric Care Managers Charge?
Geriatric Care Managers usually charge by the hour, this typically cost anywhere from 75$ to 200$ per hour. While this may seem like a lot of first glance most families hire Geriatric Care Managers for a one time assessment, although you may choose to keep them for longer. It’s likely your insurance won’t cover a Geriatric Care Manager but some long term care plans may cover the cost of an initial assessment, which could be all you need.
Making plans and decisions on someone else’s behalf can be stressful, even if you have a medical background. A Geriatric Care Manager’s sole purpose is to relieve this stress. Their neutrality leads to your loved one receiving the best care for them. If you are interested in learning more about Geriatric Care Manager’s and how to hire one please call our main office at 516-405-5910.
