A statement that I hear whenever I speak and a concern for families at a distance is, “I need to know she is getting good care”. For example, if you breeze into town ,set up a plan of care and put resources into place for your aging family member, then once you leave they cancel everything you get the “pulling out the hair” stage of family caregiving.
We can have the best of intentions, but if you don’t have oversight, things will either revert back to what they were or take a downward direction. The result is often seeing the older family member having an accident or medical crisis – and you don’t want that middle of the night call just when you have an important meeting or event the next day!
How do you find that needed help? Do you use the Internet, the new Yellow Pages of our time (especially if you are at a distance)? How do you evaluate the site you are on and the credentials of those offering up a service? No matter how attractive the information is – look for years in business. Most importantly, look to see that they have “Professional Geriatric Care Managers” (PGCM) to oversee the plan of care. Yes, there is an added cost to this peace of mind, but it is the only way you can have the checks and balances to keep the individual care designed for mom or dad. In the long run, the cost may even be lower due to pro-active involvement that prevents or reduces a crisis.
When reviewing the GCM option, be sure to “read between the lines” as to what is being offered to you. Are they experienced, highly trained professionals who oversee all aspects of the older family member’s care as needed? Or, are they one person who is using the term “care manager” to imply the necessary (and possibly minimal) supervision that one of the agency’s caregivers need?
A care plan that is pro-active in keeping mom or dad healthy and as independent as possible is what you need to prevent that “hair pulling reaction” once you return home!