Benefits of Using a Professional Geriatric Care Manager

• Personalized and compassionate services focusing on the individual's wants and needs.
• Accessibility -- care is typically available 24 hours a day. 7 days a week.
• Continuity of care management -- communications are coordinated between family members, doctors and other professionals, and serivces providers.
• Cost containment -- avoiding inappropriate placements. Duplication of services, and unnecessary hospitalizations.
• Quality control -- care management services follow industry Standards of Practice and Pledge of Ethics when provided by a certified PGCM.

What can a GCM from GHS do for you?

• Conduct care-planning assessments designed to evaluate the client's physical, emotional, functional and social needs. The assessment helps to identify problems and allows the GCM the ability to provide recommendations.
• Medication Management (performed by an RN)
• Screen, arrange, and monitor in-home help or other services, including assistance in hiring a qualified caregiver for home care.
• Provide crisis intervention.
• Review financial, legal, or medical issues and offer referrals to geriatric specialists to avoid future problems.
• Act as a liaison to families at a distance, overseeing care, and quickly alerting families to problems.
• Advise physician of observed changes, make appointments, accompany client to appointments and communicate status with family members.
• Assist with moving an older person to or from a retirement complex assisted care home, or nursing home.
• Provide education and advocacy.
• Offer counseling and support.
• Provide professional advocacy during emergencies for their client -- client's history, advanced directives.

Questions to consider:

• Are the problems that you or your loved ones are facing becoming larger and more complex than you can comfortably manage?
• Are other demands and responsibilities now so great that you are not able to provide the desired level of supervision and attention to your loved one's problems?
• Would having an unbiased professional advocate for your loved one help to relieve some of your stress during times of crisis?