Geriatric Care Management Perspectives

There are outside (paid) consultants – known as elder care managers or geriatric care managers – that can help you with the entire process of thinking through what is important to you and your loved one, what nursing homes to look at, etc.  They can help guide you through the process of picking what you hope will be the right facility.  These care managers offer a range of services and are especially helpful for families that live far away from the person needing to go into a nursing home.

While anyone is able to say he/she is an elder care manager/consultant, only members of the Aging Life Care Association, according to its website, “represent the standard of excellence in the profession through attaining: formal higher education, established and supervised work experience and professional certification.”  Massachusetts is covered under ALCA’s New England Chapter.  There are also other sources such as the Jewish Family & Children’s Service’s Your Elder Experts that provide similar services.

If you think a consultant might be the way to go, we recommend you do a Google search to find options in your area and we recommend you ask for credentials and experience before hiring someone.

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