Knowing how to take care of an elderly parent as they age can be challenging for adult children or family caregivers. Home care management services in Wisconsin or other states in the U.S. can provide necessary help and resources to caregivers.
What is care management in healthcare and home care?
Do you know the different care management tools available to you?
Have you looked into help for the management of care for your elderly parents?
Often, adult children find themselves caring for elderly parents without any prior preparation or understanding of the role. Professional and experienced help caring for aging loved ones is available, and it may be more accessible than you realize.
In this article, we’re sharing about care management support for family caregivers and the best virtual geriatric home care services available.
What is a Care Management Program?
Some home care companies offer elder care management to help family caregivers manage their loved one’s care needs. Care management support involves direct, face-to-face contact between an in-home care company and the family seeking care management.
Trained care managers assist family caregivers by:
- Talking with adult children or family caregivers
- Assessing the client’s needs
- Creating a personalized care plan
- Managing in-home caregivers and coordinating care
- Helping schedule appointments
- Re-evaluating and adjusting the care plan as needed
A care management program’s role is to relieve family caregiver burdens by coordinating care for their aging family members. This care management model is an excellent option for family caregivers who want a professional to step in and do the work for them.
But what if you’re an adult child who wants to take care of your aging parents or who doesn’t have access to a local in-home care agency?
Remote Home Care Management Coaching
The reality is that not every family caregiver will have access to in-person geriatric home care services or management. However, this doesn’t mean that you can’t get regular, professional advice when caring for elderly loved ones.
One of the best care management tools available to you may be remote care coaching through an expert in-home care company.
Here are some of the most asked questions and answers regarding care coaching for family caregivers.
What is Care Coaching?
Care coaching is a service that gives family caregivers monthly access to a professional care manager. Care managers are master’s-level social workers who know and understand eldercare.
Every month, you’ll receive 75 minutes of time with your Care Coach. During your first phone call, your care coach will take you through a brief assessment. This assessment will help to identify your top concerns so you can create a focused and directed plan. Once you finish the initial evaluation, your care coach will work with you to create a unique plan of action to address your caregiving concerns. They’ll provide you with the care management tools necessary to provide hands-on care to your loved one.
Care coaches will also talk with you about your personal needs and stress levels. Experienced Care Coaches know that your health is an important factor in providing quality care to your loved one. Care coaches will assist you in navigating common stressors like:
- Dementia care
- Feeling overwhelmed
- New and unfamiliar diagnoses
- Family conflict
- Insurance and benefits
Care coaching is a holistic approach to care management, truly benefiting both family caregivers and their aging loved ones.
What is the Risk Calculator?
A brief assessment using Stowell’s risk calculator is a way to understand your concerns and needs as a caregiver. It helps Care Coaches know the situation you’re in and the level of care your family member needs.
- Are you worried about your parents driving?
- Do you need help navigating sibling or family conflict?
- Did your parent recently get diagnosed with dementia?
- Are you unsure if you should consider an alternative living arrangement for your parents?
By understanding your current position and concerns, your care coach can create a more personalized and effective care plan.
This assessment also isn’t a one-time thing. Your care coach will repeat the assessment with you throughout the coaching process to ensure you’re equipped to handle the most pressing issues as they arise.
What Are the Benefits of Care Coaching?
In-person care management and distance Care Coaching are both great resources for family caregivers to take advantage of. However, most home care agencies don’t provide care management, leaving many family caregivers to figure out how to care for a loved one on their own.
Care coaching offers a unique, remote approach to empower caregivers regardless of their geographic location or access to a local home care company.
Here are three benefits of Care Coaching.
1. Empowers Family Caregivers
Care Coaching provides professional guidance and consultation for family caregivers, so they’re equipped to handle the duties of care. The Care Coach provides the family caregiver with the knowledge, tools, and resources to carry out the care plan themself.
2. Offers Remote Accessibility
Care Coaching is done remotely over the phone. This makes it easily and widely accessible for any family caregiver looking for professional help with caregiving. You don’t need access to a local home care provider—you simply need a phone and 75 minutes each month to talk with your Care Coach.
3. Provides Affordable Assitance
Care coaching is an ongoing monthly partnership that only costs $100/month. In-person care management is often much more expensive, usually costing between $100-200/hr.
Care Coaching offers an affordable, professional option for family caregivers to receive expert help with the challenges of caregiving.
We’ve found that most family caregivers want to provide hands-on care to their loved ones. They don’t necessarily need a trained care manager to take over care, they simply need more information and input from someone like a Care Coach. The accessibility and affordability of Care Coaching make it a valuable resource for any caregiver looking for professional support.
Need Help With Management of Care for Elderly Parents?
Whether you’ve recently begun providing care for an elderly parent or you’ve been doing it for a while, it’s always beneficial to have help.
Traditional home care management is an excellent resource for caregivers looking to hand over care to a trained professional. However, this kind of care management usually involves in-person meetings with a local home care provider and an ongoing hourly cost.
Family caregivers looking for remote access to a trained care manager may benefit from virtual care coaching. Of all the care management tools available, care coaching for caregivers seeking monthly advice and counsel is one of the best. It offers a practical, personalized care plan, all for $100/month.
Are you still unsure if care management or care coaching is right for you?
At Stowell Associates, we’re experts in the field of eldercare and home care management. Our passion is delivering the highest quality care to aging adults and providing support to family caregivers. We’ve recently rolled out a one-of-a-kind Care Coaching program that guides and empowers caregivers throughout the entire care process. With a Stowell Care Coach, you’ll get individualized care and support to improve your loved one’s safety, enhance their quality of life, and ease your burden.
Contact us to talk with our Care Advisors and start an ongoing relationship with a Care Coach today.
