Article: Texas Geriatric Care Management

Geriatric Care for Texas Seniors

Specialized training to provide care for older adults.

A geriatric care manager (GCM) is a person who has specialized training to provide care for older adults. Most GCMs hold graduate degrees in nursing, gerontology, psychology, social work or health and human services. A few have backgrounds in the financial service field, and all have an interest in working with older adults.

Geriatric Care Managers do not specialize in all areas. When a Geriatric Care Manager says s/he practices "care management," find out her/his areas of expertise. You will want to hire someone who regularly handles clients with similar needs.

Services

Services provided by geriatric care managers may include care planning assessments, physical assessments, coordinating medical social, psychological and legal services, eligibility screening for assistance and entitlement programs, monitoring health care, medication management, acting as a liaison to families, assisting with moves to and from homes and nursing facilities, assisting with processing medical bills and insurance claims, assisting with money management and guardianship issues, and advocating for services.

Finding the right long-term care providers and services can be difficult. Consumers often do not know exactly what kind of help they need, how to find and arrange for services, and how much they must pay for services. Persons with low incomes may be able to turn to a local government agency or a nonprofit social service agency for help. A different option has become available in recent years for people whose incomes are too high for publicly funded services - private geriatric care management.

Important questions to ask include:

What are your professional credentials?
Are you licensed in your profession?
Are you a member of the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers?
How long have you been providing care management services?
Are you available for emergencies?
Does your company also provide home care services?
How do you communicate information to me?
What are your fees? (These should be provided to the consumer/responsible party in writing prior to services starting.)
Can you provide me with references?

Geriatric care management can be a valuable option for older persons and their families who can afford such services. Care management generally is defined as a service that assesses an individual's medical and social service needs, and then coordinates assistance from paid service providers and unpaid help from family and friends to enable persons with disabilities to live with as much independence as possible.

From assessment of needs to advice on available resources, a well-trained care manager can help individuals to remain as independent as possible, to live in one's home with assistance, or to assess other living arrangements such as supportive housing or assisted living facilities.

A geriatric assessment is a comprehensive evaluation designed to optimize an older person's ability to enjoy good health, improve their overall quality of life, reduce the need for hospitalization and/or institutionalization, and enable them to live independently for as long as possible.

An assessment consists of the following steps:

1) An examination of the older person's current status in terms of:

Their physical, mental, and psycho-social health
Their ability to function well and to independently perform the basic activities of daily living such as dressing, bathing meal preparation, medication management, etc.
Their living arrangements, their social network, and their access to support services.

2) An identification of current problems or anticipated future problems in any of these areas.

3) The development of a comprehensive "Care Plan" which addresses all problems identified, suggests specific interventions or actions required, and makes specific recommendations regarding resources needed to provide the necessary support services.

4) The management of a successful linkage between these resources and the older person and that person's family so that provision of the necessary services is assured.

5) An ongoing monitoring of the extent to which this linkage has, or has not, addressed the problems identified, and the modification of the Care Plan as needed.

When is Geriatric Care Management needed?

Geriatric Care Management is needed when an adult is faced with decreased capacity to function due to complications of aging, illness, disability, altered cognitive status and/or a loss of social support systems.
Geriatric Care Managers provide assistance when time and stress in providing care for a family member may conflict with the caregiver's work, family or other obligations. Care management can be an essential link in the chain to assist long distance caregivers.
Short-term/long-term support for clients and caregivers may be needed to assist in decision-making and problem-solving life issues such as: changes in physical and mental status, chronic illness, grief and loss, retirement, widowhood, relocation, family conflict, care for a family member.

Rates

Geriatric care management fees are dependent upon the combination of services to be provided and the complexity of the individual situation.

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DISCLAIMER: Links to other websites or references to products, services or publications do not imply the endorsement or approval of such websites, products, services or publications by Elder Options of Texas. The determination of the need for senior care services and the choice of a facility is an extremely important decision. Please make your own independent investigation.