• An Introduction to Elder Care

Caring for your loved ones as they age and need your assistance can be both a joy and a challenge. Options for Elder Care — a care management service that assists older adults and their families plan, manage and coordinate difficult, age-related situations — is owned and operated by Barbara Kolonay, who is a Registered Nurse, a Certified Case Manager and a Geriatric Care Manager recognized by the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers¹.

To learn more about how a Geriatric Care Manager can help you and your family, please read the brief introduction below, explore Our Services, or see the Frequently Asked Questions section of our website. You can also visit our Blog, where we'll be posting additional information, reflections and conversations.

• Why Choose a Geriatric Care Manager?

Also known as Elder Care, Aging Care or Personal Care Managers, Geriatric Care Managers represents a growing trend to help family caregivers provide care for loved ones living close by or needing long-distance care. Care managers are also particularly useful in helping caregivers at home² find the right services (a partial list below) and cope with their burden.

Even if you're familiar with the wide range of senior services that are available, you may have difficulty determining what's right for you and your elder at this particular time. Everyone is unique, and has different needs. This is where a Geriatric Care Manager can prove invaluable.

A Geriatric Care Manager (GCM) is a professional with specialized knowledge and expertise in senior care issues. Ideally, a GCM holds an advanced degree in gerontology, social work, psychology, nursing, or a related health and human services field. Sometimes called case managers, elder care managers, service coordinators or care coordinators, GCMs are individuals who evaluate your situation, identify solutions, and work with you to design a plan for maximizing your elder's independence and well being.

Geriatric Care Managers facilitate the care selection process for family members who live at a distance from their elderly relatives, as well as for those who live nearby but do not know how to tap into the appropriate local services. You can hire a care manager for a single, specific task, such as helping you find a daily caregiver, or to oversee the entire caregiving process. Options for Elder Care also can provide connection with a range of other professionals and service providers who are part of the local elder care network.

Geriatric care management usually involves an in-depth assessment, developing a care plan, arranging for services, and following up or monitoring care. With our experience and familiarity with community resources, Options for Elder Care can also suggest potential alternatives you might not have considered. We make sure your loved one receives the best possible personalized care and all the benefits to which they are entitled.

• Below is a partial list of what a Geriatric Care Manager might do:

(please also see the "Our Services" section of our website for more detailed information on these and other eldercare services and options available to you and your family)

• Assess the level and type of care needed and develop a care plan
• Take steps to start the care plan and keep it functioning
• Make sure care is received in a safe and disability friendly environment
• Become an advocate for both the care recipient and the family caregivers
• Manage care for a loved one for out-of-town families
• Locate and supervise home support services such as light housekeeping, grocery shopping, transportation, meal preparation, companionship or live-in care
• Conduct ongoing assessments to monitor and implement changes in care
• Oversee and direct care provided at home
• Advise and assist with creating a living will or health care directive (advance directives)
• Discuss and explain options for end of life and funeral services
• Help with Medicaid qualification and application
• Arrange for services of legal and financial advisors
• Establish a liaison with hospice care for those who are terminally ill and wish to die at home
• Provide assistance with placement in assisted living facilities, retirement communities or nursing homes
• Monitor the care of a family member in a nursing home or in assisted living
• Assist with the monitoring of medications
• Provide nursing evaluations and explain and sort out medical conditions, medications and options for treatment
• Coordinate medical appointments and medical information
• Provide for physical and occupational therapy
• Discuss safety and autonomy issues
• Assess financial options, including a thorough analysis of the health insurance plan (Medicare, Medicaid, veterans benefits, private insurance) to assure the most cost effective outcome
• Deal with a complex situation such as a psychiatric, cognitive, health, legal, or social issue
• Resolve family conflicts and other family issues relating to long term care and provide mediation if needed
• Develop long range plans for older loved ones not now needing care

In addition to helping seniors and their families directly, Geriatric Care Managers can act as your informed connection with a range of other professionals who are part of your elder care network, including any of the following service providers:

• Attorneys or trust officers. A care manager can serve as both elder advocate and intermediary with financial and legal advisors. The GCM is often a good source of referrals if a family needs services from these professionals.
• Physicians. The GCM is an ideal liaison between doctors and other health professionals, and the elder patient and family members.
• Social workers. It is useful for hospital and nursing home social workers and discharge planners to know that their senior patient will have someone to coordinate their care and assist them on a long-term basis.
• Home care companies. The GCM will know local agencies and be able to explain options, costs, and oversight of home care workers. The care manager can also assist in dealing with patients' social issues, help link to other community resources, and suggest possible placement options.
• Residential facilities. The GCM can help identify types of care facilities and assist you in selecting an appropriate one for your situation. The GCM may also be able to streamline the transition into or out of a senior community.

If you need assistance with caring for an elderly loved one, are new to elder care or uncomfortable with elder care decision-making, are faced with having to make a sudden decision or major change such as a health crisis or change of residence, or simply want some advice about any aspect of elder care, please don't hesitate to contact us at any time.

Barbara Kolonay, RN, BSN, MHRM, CCM
Options for Elder Care
Gibsonia, Pennsylvania

    •   About the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers (GCM)

GCM was formed in 1984 to advance dignified care for seniors and their families in the United States. The association currently boasts a membership of 1,900 care managers. Geriatric care managers are professionals who have extensive training and experience working with older people and families who need assistance with care giving issues. GCMs help families cope with the growing challenges of aging, and assist families in the search for a suitable nursing home placement or extended care if the need occurs. The practice of geriatric care management and the role of care providers have captured a national spotlight, as generations of Baby Boomers age in the United States and abroad. For more information please visit www.caremanager.org or call 520-881-8008.

    •   Family Hospice and Palliative Care

As one of the Hospice services that Options for Elder Care recommends, Family Hospice and Palliative Care exists to enhance the quality of life for terminally ill patients, their families, and caregivers by providing quality palliative and supportive care, primarily in the home. Their service area includes Allegheny County, Beaver County, Butler County, Crawford County, Fayette County, Greene County, Lawrence County, Mercer County, Venango County, Washington County, and Westmoreland County in Western Pennsylvania and Columbiana County, Mahoning County, and Trumbull County in Ohio.

    •   Harris Survey on End-of-Life Care

According to a Harris Survey on End-of-Life Care conducted in 2002, the vast majority of Americans (86%) believe that people with terminal illness would most like to receive end-of-life care at home. Yet nearly 70% of deaths in America today occur in facilities, primarily in hospitals and long-term care facilities.

Given the overwhelming desire of Americans to die at home, what are the reasons for the gap between what Americans prefer and what is actually taking place? One of the factors is our trepidation for caring for a severely ill person at home.

Caring for a seriously ill loved one at home can be intimidating and overwhelming. Most of us have no experience or training in caring for an ill person at home. Adding to our sense of overwhelming responsibility is the rapid advance of technology, which has made the array of home-based medical interventions bewildering.

There is little doubt that, when families commit to caring for a seriously ill loved one at home, they face many challenges. These families also benefit from additional support, especially the comprehensive, holistic support offered by hospice. See the American Hospice Foundation's article, Providing Care at Home: Can I Do It?, for more information.