Are you a family caregiver struggling to manage your job, household, and responsibilities while caring for an aging loved one? You’re not alone. It’s normal to encounter medical, legal, financial, and relational complications that you cannot handle alone when you’re a family caregiver.
That’s when a geriatric care manager can offer a much-needed helping hand.
But what is a geriatric care manager?
What do geriatric care managers do?
Are they the same as case managers for senior citizens?
Is hiring a geriatric care manager worth it?
In this blog, we answer these questions in detail, so you can make an informed decision about whether you’re in a position to hire a geriatric care manager.
What Is a Geriatric Care Manager?
A geriatric care manager is called by many different names: elder care specialist, geriatric home care specialist, aging life care professional, etc. So, what is a geriatric care manager? They are experienced senior care professionals who help improve the quality of life of older adults and reduce family stress.
They often start their careers in nursing, geriatrics, or social work, then decide to become care managers later after years of experience serving the elderly community. But care managers are more than industry professionals; they’re deeply caring individuals.
According to a study found in the Journal of Aging Life Care by its Florida Chapter, 97% of respondents who were the responsible party for elderly adults felt that engaging an Aging Life Care Manager had a positive effect on the client. Additionally, 99% of those surveyed said that engaging with Aging Life Care Manager services had a positive effect on their own lives.
Geriatric care managers provide a holistic form of heartfelt support by serving families and aging loved ones alike.
What Do Geriatric Care Managers Do?
Families hire geriatric care managers to guide them as they invest in senior care for a loved one whose health and wellbeing are declining. Geriatric care managers have extensive training and expertise when it comes to elder care. Their knowledge is indispensable, serving families and older adults in various ways.
15 Geriatric Care Management Services
- Enhance seniors’ quality of life
- Connect families with elder care resources
- Create short- and long-term care plans
- Advocate for older adults’ medical needs
- Perform person-centered care assessments
- Arrange relief or respite care for family caregivers
- Manage and oversee in-home caregivers
- Provide counseling, advice, and emotional support
- Evaluate home safety and recommend changes
- Explain complex or difficult topics with family members
- Coordinate government assistance, insurance, or other benefits
- Act as liaisons to families who live far from aging loved ones
- Assist with family relationship management
- Support families are they make hard decisions
- Provide peace of mind to family members
In summary, geriatric care managers come alongside family members of aging adults as expert advisors, providing a wealth of resources. They help families coordinate many logistics in efforts to maintain a high quality of life for elderly loved ones.
What Is a Case Manager for Senior Citizens?
In contrast, geriatric case managers are healthcare professionals that coordinate the medical care of elderly individuals. They work with other healthcare providers to ensure older adults get the aid they need when they need it.
Unlike geriatric care managers, case managers for senior citizens are usually affiliated with an institution, facility, or entity. However, these affiliations limit case managers from providing unbiased, personalized support. Their commitment is to the governing organization they represent, not elderly clients. This means that case managers can only refer clients to resources approved by the overarching institution.
Senior case managers are more concerned with the logistics of elder care than being personally invested in the care of clients like care managers are. Some services of a geriatric case manager include assisting in location transfers, coordinating specialty care, and helping clients manage the healthcare system.
Hire a Geriatric Care Manager (It’s Worth It)
Stowell Associates serves families across the U.S., extending care to their aging loved ones who live in Southeastern Wisconsin. As geriatric home care specialists, we treat you and your aging loved one like you’re part of our family.
We equip, resource, and support family caregivers with the tools they need to serve their elderly loved ones best. And, if you’re a family caregiver who needs someone else to take over that role, we’ve partnered with TheKey to offer the services of in-home caregivers.
“Stowell’s staff provided me with essential information and guidance to make a critical decision about where to place a loved one. Therefore, my family and I made an excellent choice that clearly was best suited for the situation. The staff was friendly, knowledgeable, and empathetic, and most importantly asked good questions, listened carefully, and provided the needed information and timely direction. Definitely would recommend Stowell’s services!”
—Bobbi K.
If the burden of care becomes unmanageable, Stowell Associates can help. We recommend that the adult children of aging parents let professional in-home caregivers take on the burden of care to remain their parent’s children, not caregivers.
Contact us today to learn more about how geriatric care management can lighten your load and improve your aging loved one’s quality of life.