Seniors have unique care needs, and the stresses of caring for an aging parent can be challenging for the distant child, family caregiver, or senior adult. A geriatric care manager is often the answer when trying to provide care from a distance.
A geriatric care manager is trained to help find resources, either long or short term, that you need as you age. They are beneficial when family members live far apart, and they can give children peace of mind knowing that their elderly parent is getting the care they need. Geriatric care managers are often registered nurses, social workers, or trained geriatric specialists who lead a person through aging.
If you’re looking for a home health nurse, see our article on how to find a home health nurse.
What is a Geriatric Care Manager?
A geriatric care manager is a licensed nurse, social worker, or gerontologist specializing in managing senior care. They can be called a geriatric care manager, an elder care manager, or an aging life care professional. They are a trained professional who can help you and your family identify needs and resources to make the aging adult’s life easier.
The geriatric care manager will work with you to form a short-term and a long-term care plan. They are beneficial when family members live far apart or to help you weave through the unique issues that a senior individual may have.
What Does a Geriatric Care Manager Do?
A geriatric care manager is trained to find resources that make it easier for a family to make the hard decisions surrounding a loved elderly individual.
This type of care manager will:
- Perform a comprehensive assessment of the particular person’s needs.
- Make a short-term plan and a long-term plan of care.
- Coordinate medical care and services with several agencies – depending on individual needs.
- Coordinate medical appointments.
- Be responsible for hiring a caregiver and medical professional team.
- Guide the family through complex issues.
- Provide emotional support for the family by relieving caregiver stress.
- Find, evaluate and arrange for monitoring of in-home care.
- Act as a liaison to families who live far away or as relief or respite care for caregivers.
How to Find a Qualified Geriatric Care Manager
There are organizations in every community to help you find a qualified geriatric care manager. Sometimes you can find them by asking your local Area on Aging or a specific disease organization in your area, such as the Alzheimer’s Association.
An excellent resource to search for a geriatric care manager is the Aging Life Care Association.
Questions to Ask When Hiring a Geriatric Care Manager
Making sure you have a good fit for your family is very important. When hiring a care manager, it is essential to ensure that they provide for your specific needs. Critical questions to ask are:
- What services do you provide?
- What are the particular care manager’s credentials?
- How long have you been working as a geriatric care manager?
- Are you available for emergencies, and do you have someone as a backup plan if you are not available?
- How many clients do you have at one time?
- How is communication handled for both the family member and the older adult?
- How often will you see the aged individual?
- What are your fees, and what does that include?
How much Does a Geriatric Care Manager Cost?
A geriatric care manager can be expensive. They generally charge by the hour, and rates can be from $100 an hour to $250. The initial assessment is an additional cost and can run anywhere from $150 to $750. To reduce the cost of the first assessment, make sure you give a very detailed history of your loved one to reduce the time involved in an initial assessment.
How to Pay for a Geriatric Care Manager?
Care managers charge in a variety of ways. As stated, they generally charge by the hour. Sometimes they will charge a flat monthly fee to make it easier to budget for the price of a care manager.
Medicare, Medicaid, and other health insurances seldom cover a geriatric care manager. Sometimes, Long term care insurance will, but it varies by plan.
So, the cost is an out-of-pocket expense. Even with the out-of-pocket fee, the geriatric care manager will save money in the long run. They will look at all facets of care and eliminate unnecessary or duplicated care, reducing the fees from home care providers or the older adult’s residence.
Caring for an aging parent or understanding the many health needs is difficult for a family or the aged individual. Hiring a geriatric care manager can be the answer to the many stresses involved in this type of care. If you want more information on geriatric care managers, refer to the National Institute of Aging to answer some of your additional questions.
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