An Aging Life Care Professional®, also known as a geriatric care manager, is a health and human services specialist who acts as a guide and advocate for families who are caring for older relatives or disabled adults. The Aging Life Care Professional® is educated and experienced in any of several fields related to aging life care / care management, including, but not limited to nursing, gerontology, social work, or psychology, with a specialized focus on issues related to aging and elder care.
Aging Life Care Professionals® are members of the Aging Life Care Association™ (ALCA) and members must meet stringent education, experience, and certification requirements of the organization, and all members are required to adhere to a strict Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice.
Aging Life Care Professionals® become the “coach” and families or clients the “team captain.”
- Care Managers are hired advocates for our clients who are impaired in some way and unable to effectively advocate for themselves. Care Managers:
- are independent assessors of quality of life needs and goals and strive to make sure they are met
- assess decline in our client’s cognitive and functional levels that needs to be addressed by key providers, i.e., care communities, PCP’s, therapist, care givers, etc.
- identify solutions and resources as issues of safety, security, and wellbeing are identified and assist with implementation
- have extensive knowledge about the costs, quality, and availability of resources in their communities
- often have more knowledge of our client’s base line behavior, and therefore a better understanding of when behavior and health changes are occurring
- often have an established personal relationship which has created an element of trust which provides comfort and sense of safety for them during our visits
- Care Managers are the eyes, and ears for the families of our clients, assisting them in navigating the continuum of care and the nuances within each. Care Managers:
- are typically the point person between services, including facilities, and family members; we understand the system, how it works, reasonable expectations vs. unreasonable ones, etc.
- are Professionals® with exceptional written and oral communication skills. They are great listeners and have the skills to manage family emotions when there are care issues that need to be addressed
- Care Managers assist with coordination of care amongst the many providers across various healthcare systems. Care Managers:
- coordinate and attend medical appointments to ensure continuity of care and accuracy and completeness of input to the providers, virtually and in-person
- recommend additional medical resources and secure when appropriate
- assist with transitions of levels of care, discharges, Emergency Dept. visits, etc.
- coordinate and assess the selection of personal care companies, ensure quality and effectiveness of care, and collaborate with them and their management
- Care Managers assess the impact of limited contact with loved ones and their reduced interactions with others. We identify viable solutions that will minimize the decline and implement agreed upon strategies to maintain their wellbeing!
forcecarecoordination.blog 