Aaging Better

Are you in charge of your loved one’s care?  Managing finances and hiring new services to make living at home possible for aging or frail elderly relatives can be overwhelming for most family members. Many simply don’t know where to turn to seek advice or find a supportive advocate for their aging loved one.  Professional geriatric care managers (GCMs) are an excellent resource in these situations.  GCMs work with families to design and manage a care plan that suits each senior with services such as:

• Care planning assessments to identify needs, problems and eligibility for assistance, such as Medicaid or possibly Medicare, if the individual’s physician orders specific Medicare-covered home services.
• Mediation between siblings or family members who cannot agree on the type of care the loved one needs or should have.  Unfortunately, this type of situation is not uncommon among family members with strong opinions about their parent or loved one.
• Communication and coordination efforts across all medical and other care providers.  A good example of this would be coordinating appointments between doctor’s offices, physical therapists, nutritionists, occupational therapists, social workers, etc.
• Act as a liaison for families at a distance, reporting back with any adjustments in care or financial issues.  When a son or daughter is trying to set up home care or other appointments from another state, a GCM can be invaluable in coordinating much of that work for the son or daughter and then reporting the results back to him or her.
• Client and family education on management of diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, MS, heart disease and diabetes.
• Information on costs, quality and availability of local resources, connecting to specialists when needed or helping family members make a determination of which agency or resource to use based on ratings, reputation or performance feedback.
• Screening, arranging and monitoring in-home help or other services.
• Containing costs by avoiding inappropriate placements in such institutions as Assisted Living Facilities, nursing homes, etc., or duplication of services, and crisis intervention to avoid hospitalizations.

Payment for geriatric care management services is generally out of pocket, invoiced by the hour or by the project.  These types of services are not covered by Medicaid, Medicare or most private health insurance policies.  However, some services may be billable to long-term care insurance if the loved one has such a policy.  In that case, the insurance representative that sold the policy to the parent or loved one would be able to tell the family member exactly what the policy covers and what it doesn’t when it comes to in-home care.  Checking with this individual first before making too many decisions for a parent or frail relative could save the family a lot of money out of their own pockets.  Insurance policies seldom pay after the fact.  All services must be pre-approved by the insurance company before any in-home services are started.

If you are concerned about the care of a loved one, or would just like further information on geriatric care managers in our area, contact us online or call us at 208-777-0308 in the Coeur d’Alene, Hayden or Post Falls (Main Office) area; at 208-263-7889 in the Sandpoint, Bonners Ferry or Priest River area; or 208-784-1505 in the Kellogg, Wallace or Pinehurst area.  We serve the greater Coeur d’Alene area and all five North Idaho counties.