June Affirmation:
“Following my intuition and my heart keeps me safe and sound.”
“I am not sure what we would have done or what would have happened to me had I not had the guidance, coaching and advocacy of my care manager. She saved my mom’s life!” A quote from a recent thank you card that echo’s many cards I have received over the past 30 years.
“We turned to Eldercare Services for help when it became apparent that Mom could no longer manage the day to day care for Dad as his Alzheimer’s disease progressed,” says Ross Fisher, the son of long time clients who have now passed on. “We found that not only were we provided with reliable and devoted caregivers in the home for the designated shifts, but additionally had an advocate called a Care Manager or Care Advocate. The Care Manager contributed advice and wisdom as our family had to make gut-wrenching decisions for Mom’s beloved husband of 68 years, our dad.”
This is exactly what we provide, yet hard to articulate unless you have experienced the real value of an expert leading you in uncharted waters.
“Shortly after Dad passed, we had to call upon Eldercare once again due to Mom’s incapacitation. Over the next six years, Mom’s mobility declined and her need for Activities of Daily Living (ADL) assistance increased, the Care Manager was right there for us helping make the decisions on how to provide the comfort and dignity we desired for our loving Mom,” continues Fisher. “She was someone I could turn to. I never felt alone in the ominous process of caring for my parents. Being the primary caregiver can be scary at times and make you feel helpless. If our caregivers were angels, then our Care Advocate/Manager was St. Peter!”
Interestingly, adults will seek the guidance of:
• Medical providers for health
• Attorneys for legal direction
• CPAs to keep us out of trouble with the IRS
• Hair stylists to make us look good
Yet most of us don’t seek an expert for options necessary for a quality long life and the interdependence each of us will most certainly need at the end of our life. That is exactly what your Care Manager will be for you.
My wish is that every person 65+ would have a consultation with a Care Manager to examine their options and plan for end of life. Consultations inform individuals about entitlements, local and national resources and assist with end of life planning rather than wait until a crisis occurs.
The Professional Care Manager who is vetted by education, experience, code of ethics (NAPGCM) and a certification process will be:
1) Your advocate in every arena (medical, social, family, entitlements).
2) Your coach when giving or receiving care – teaching you how to care for both yourself and your family member.
3) Your counselor – assuring that self-care and values are always respected.
4) Your conduit to other local resources and/or entitlements. Seeing you get what you are entitled to.
5) Your lifesaver – saving you time and money in helping you plan wisely. If you are currently traveling to observe a parent – then having a local Care Manager will save you time and give you real-time information about status.
6) If you have caregivers, the Care Manager will also ensure they are doing the job they are hired to do and assist them in skill development as well. As always, for us at Eldercare Services, the core of our work is making sure that “quality of life” is based on client values.
People may claim to be “Care Managers,” but for the excellence you want for your family members or clients, only hire Care Managers that adhere to the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice sanctioned by the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers (NAPGCM).
Once you consider care management for a parent, friend or client, please give us call at 866.760.1808 and we’ll find a Professional Care Manager in the area you or your family member lives. You can count on your Care Manager 24/7 because she or he is supported by a team of multi-disciplined Care Managers that make up our clinical team, directed by Vince Brim, PsyD, CMC.
Eldercare Services can and does save the lives of family caregivers or family members. We help make the lives of our clients the best they can be by creative, wise counsel and by teaming with our clients to respect their values at all times.
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