Being the sole caregiver for your aging loved one can be challenging. Sometimes elderly relatives have so many health and emotional concerns that it’s difficult to keep tabs on all of them. Finding yourself in this position is a cry for help. A geriatric care manager can answer this desperate plea and offer some relief.

A geriatric care manager has a medical background in geriatric care. This background may include experience as a nurse, social worker, gerontologist or psychologist.  The specialist training a geriatric care manager receives enables him or her to provide a special set of services that are truly beneficial to a primary caregiver.

These services provide adequate reason for hiring a geriatric care manager. Some of these reasons, and other benefits for hiring a geriatric care manager, are highlighted below.

Provides a Comprehensive Needs Assessment

Your limited knowledge of geriatric care means that you can miss some of your loved one’s needs. You aren’t trained to have that eye for detail. However, a geriatric care manager has spent several years honing that skill.

Geriatric care managers can provide in-home assessments. They use that information to determine the family’s needs, the level of care your loved one needs, and the living situation that best suits your loved one’s condition. This assessment helps them put the right plan in place.

Experience with the Medical System

Elderly care requires interacting with a variety of medical professionals. It can become difficult to keep track of everything. It can also be difficult to determine which services are covered by your loved one’s health insurance (Medicare or Medicaid). A geriatric care manager can help you navigate the system. You’ll save money and keep track of your loved one’s medical needs.

Coordinating and Supervising Care

Hiring a permanent caregiver for your loved one may become necessary. Geriatric care managers are responsible for coordinating and supervising geriatric caregivers. Their work ensures that someone is always with your loved one and your loved one gets high quality care. You will be sure that your loved one is in good hands.

Cost-Effective

Hiring a geriatric care manager is cost-effective in the long-term. They help you plan ahead, avoid unnecessary medical expenses, and avoid costly mistakes. Geriatric care managers can cost between $50 and $200 per hour. However, the long-term benefits of what they provide far outweigh the short-term costs.

Advocating for Your Loved One

It may become necessary for your loved one to live in an assisted living facility. The demands of life may prevent you from visiting regularly. A geriatric care manager can regularly monitor the care your loved one receives in these facilities. IF the care is substandard, the geriatric care manager can advocate for better care.

Each county has an Office for the Aging. You can visit the county office in your loved one’s area to get recommendations for local geriatric care managers.  The geriatric care manager should be certified through the Commission for Case Manager, the National Association of Social Workers, or the National Academy of Certified Care Managers. Feel free to contact the team at Own a Home Care Agency if you need further assistance.