Article - Hiring a Geriatric Care Manager

Caring for an elderly loved one can be quite a daunting undertaking, particularly if you live far away or have other competing responsibilities, like work or a young family. There are thousands of people in this situation. The media refers to some as the Sandwich Generation, caught between two generations of family that need them. If you are in this predicament, there are professionals available to help you make the important decisions and arrange for the care of your loved one. There are doctors, eldercare lawyers, social workers and a relatively new breed of professionals, Geriatric Care Managers.

What is a geriatric care manager?

A Geriatric Care Manager (GCM) is an individual who specializes in helping families who are caring for older relatives. These professionals are often trained in other fields like nursing, gerontology, social work, psychology or a more business oriented field, like finances. They apply this background knowledge to issues related to aging and caring for the elderly.

Most GCMs have been working in the field for several years. They often have knowledge of and access to services that most individuals don’t know exist. Additionally, they may know of financial benefits, government funds or low-cost services that your loved one qualifies for.

What services do they offer?

Geriatric care management usually includes the following:

• Assessment of the individual.
• Developing a personalized care plan.
• Arranging for services.
• Monitoring care.

Care managers can be hired for a single task, such as arranging a particular service, or they can take on a long term responsibility. For example, a GCM can oversee the caregiving process for a long-distance caregiver and, since the GCM is local to the loved one, be available in the event of an emergency. Many GCMs also offer customers a financial assessment with regard to caregiving, including finding potential money wasters such as duplication of services.

Why hire a GCM?

The staff at Dynamic Living has identified some benefits that may help you determine if you need to hire a Geriatric Care Manager:

• You are new to elder care and need advice and guidance.

• You are a long distance caregiver and would like someone close to your loved one that you can count on 24/7.

• Your other responsibilities make it too difficult to provide the desired level of care and attention to your loved one's needs.

• The issues that you or your loved ones are facing are becoming larger and more complex than you can comfortably manage.

• You have trouble dealing with a family member (whether it is the patient or another relative) and need an unbiased intermediary.

How are Geriatric Care Managers certified?
(And what to watch out for!)

According to the AARP, there are two major certification programs for care managers:

• "Care Manager Certified" (CMC), offered by the National Academy of Certified Case Managers in Colchester, Connecticut.

• "Certified Case Manager" (CCM), offered by the Commission for Case Management Certification in Rolling Meadows, Illinois.

Both certifications require that applicants meet certain education and experience requirements as well as pass a qualifying examination. The CMC exam emphasizes the main functions of a GCM (assessment, care plan development and implementation, monitoring and evaluation) with regard to aging issues, while the CCM exam goes further into related medical and health issues.

Dynamic Living’s investigations have discovered that some universities offer certification programs in Geriatric Care Management (often online programs). The standard of these programs is, as yet, untested. Unfortunately, in most states anyone can call themselves a Geriatric Care Manager. While most GCMs are licensed social workers or nurses, these qualifications in themselves do not mean they will be good care managers or the right care manager for you. As with other professionals (and in particular those dealing with vulnerable family members), be sure to get references and investigate qualifications and background.

How do you find a Geriatric Care Manager in your area?

There are a few ways to find a reliable GCM:

• Referral: Absolutely the best way to find a good professional. Seek out the advice of others that are in similar circumstances, ask a trusted local health professional or consult an elder law attorney.

• Government resources or organization websites:

  • The Department of Health and Human Services offers an Eldercare Locator resource both online and by telephone (http://www.eldercare.gov).
  • The National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers (http://www.caremanager.org) offers an online service to help you find a member in your area.

• Local agencies or hospitals may also provide a list of local professionals.