For those faced with difficult caregiving decisions, working with a GCM (geriatric care manager) can be extremely beneficial in making sense of the jumble that the senior care world can be.
Often trained and experienced in fields like nursing, psychology, social work, or gerontology, geriatric care managers work alongside families caring for older adults, helping them develop a care plan to meet immediate and future needs.
Trying to determine whether home care or assisted living is best, determining how to select a reputable home care agency or assisted living community, and figuring out how to pay for whatever care solution is decided upon: these are a few of the complicated, albeit common, scenarios faced by caregivers. Having a GCM to guide you through the possibilities and lay out the options is a smart move for families who are getting bogged down in the process.
Because so many families and decision-makers are separated geographically, a geriatric care manager can serve as a liaison, keeping everyone on the same page and informing all parties of changes, problems, or other issues experienced by the senior at the center of their concerns.
Care-planning assessments, crisis intervention, assistance with a move to an assisted living or transition to a different level of care, consumer education and advocacy, counseling and support, and guardianship assistance are among the many services offered by GCMs.
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EPOCH Senior Living says,
This makes a lot of sense, given the complications and intricacies of senior living today. Between assisted, senior healthcare, PACE, and every level of care in between, it can get pretty confusing. A geriatric care manager makes a lot of sense. An EPOCH employee recently talked about navigating long term care and suggested a GCM as a possible resource: http://www.epochsl.com/blog/uncategorized/guest-blog-navigating-the-long-term-care-maze-with-julie-bolt
on 11 July 2011 / 2:19 PM
Michelle Seitzer says,
Absolutely! When I worked as a public policy coordinator for the Alzheimer’s Association, I learned just how complicated that maze really is (with Medicare, PACE, Money Follows the Person, Medicaid, etc.). GCMs can be so helpful. Thanks for sharing that resource. I’ll be sure to check it out!
on 11 July 2011 / 7:20 PM