• PROFESSIONAL GERIATRIC CARE MANAGEMENT
• Eldercare...Our Needs, Our Choices
• Geriatric Care Management

Eldercare...Our Needs, Our Choices

By Shirley Jennett

Statistics compiled for the American Association of Retired Persons and the Administration on Aging, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, indicate that since 1900, the percentage of Americans 65 and over has more than tripled and the numbers have increased nearly 11 times (from 3.1 million to 33.9 million). Life expectancies have increased as well during this time: in 1996, the 65-74 age group (18.7 million) was eight times larger, but the 75-84 age group (11.4 million) was 16 times larger, and the 85-plus age group (3.8 million) was 31 times larger than in 1900.

These statistics mean that increasing numbers of us are being faced with issues regarding the declining abilities of ourselves or our loved ones to manage daily living activities make decisions or handle financial affairs. There may be a sudden and unexpected need for assistance–an injury, illness or surgical procedure may trigger a need for immediate and then, perhaps, on-going personal care; or there may be gradually increasing signs of the loss of ability to maintain independent livelihood. Occurrences, such as forgetting to pay bills, keep appointments, take necessary mediation, and turn off water faucets or the stove, more frequent accidents, evidence of poor hygiene or nutrition or becoming a victim of door-to-door, telephone or mail

Solicitations may become more frequent. Contributing factors to lessened abilities may be, for example, failing eyesight, hearing, memory, physical agility, nutritional status and the ability to think and reason as well as loneliness, depression, dementia, and/or any one or more disease processes.

Many times we are caught unprepared for this eventuality and are less than fully informed about the choices and resources available to us. We are unprepared for the considerable time, energy and financial costs of such caregiving, and some of us, or our children, are in the "sandwich generation" as well: still caring for children and at the same time becoming increasingly responsible for the care of aging parents. It may not be possible, feasible or desirable, for any one of many reasons, that the older adult live with and/or that all of their care needs be provided by adult children or other relatives.

What resources, then, are available to us? Most of us are familiar with nursing homes, some of us with assisted living facilities, and perhaps we’ve heard something about personal care boarding homes. But what if we (or our loved ones requiring assistance) choose to remain in the familiar surroundings of our own homes and neighborhoods? Fewer of us may know about the available choice of supervised, in-home personal care and household services through professional care management.

Professional care managers are committed to assisting adults to continue living in their own homes and communities as independently and as safely as possible and to helping to conserve the time, energy and financial resources of families. Needs are assessed, problems identified and appropriate services are screened, arranged and monitored for effectiveness as needs change. The care manager acts as a liaison to family members, alerting them to any problems that may arise, and provides help with arrangements for medical or other such needs and with alternative living situations, as necessary. The care manager also provides advocacy, crisis intervention, consumer education and counseling and support to the older adult, their family members and other loved ones.

The National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers, 1604 North Country Club Road, Tucson, AZ 85716, (520) 881-8008, carefully screens applicants and is an excellent resource for locating a professional care manager in your area or in that of your loved one.