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Geriatric Care Managers vs. Caregivers – What’s the Difference?

Looking for the best alternative for an elder’s care can be confusing. One of the most frequent questions is, “What are geriatric care managers, and how are they different from caregivers? First, you should know that geriatric care managers are professionals with advanced degrees and training. Here are just a few of the important tasks that geriatric care managers perform that caregivers aren’t trained to do:

• Housing. Geriatric care managers can provide suggestions for relocation, as well as advice and coordination of a combination of services, including emergency response systems and meals-on-wheels that can allow an elderly person to remain at home.

• Liaison. Geriatric care managers can act as a liaison between clients and attorneys/trust officers... physicians... social workers... home care companies... residential facilities.

• Mediation. Siblings don't always agree on what's best for their parents and aging parents may not want to admit they are no longer able to care for themselves. The geriatric care manager can mediate between adult children worried about a parent's safety and well-being, and the older person who wants to maintain a sense of independence. One geriatric care manager recalls meeting with a family who exemplified this problem. The daughters worried about their mother's continuing ability to care for their frail father, while the mother didn't want her daughters taking over her life. With the geriatric care manager's guidance, the mother came to realize that her daughters' concern would help, not hinder, her ability to stay independent. She was then open to suggestions, such as an adult day program or help in the home.

• Crisis management. Geriatric care managers are familiar with available resources and may have creative solutions to difficult problems. It's better to establish such a relationship before a crisis occurs. If and when you face an emergency, such as a fall or sudden illness, you'll then have the benefit of an impartial local expert.

• Transitional planning. Advice from someone who knows the family and circumstances is helpful when elderly patients are ready for discharge from a hospital and need advice about the next step, whether it's a nursing home, rehab facility or their own home with outside help. Hospital discharge planners can and do assist families and patients with advice, but they don't have a personal relationship, haven't been to the patient's home and cannot evaluate how realistic the care plan for when the patient returns home actually is. For example, a hospital discharge planner may assume a spouse can care for the patient returning home from the hospital, but may not know of health problems that individual has that will make such an arrangement risky for both.

• A local presence for regular check-ins. Geriatric care managers who work with a family over time get to know the details of the client's life, their routines and likes and dislikes. The relationship that develops allows the care manager to anticipate necessary changes and perhaps even avert a crisis by providing supportive counseling and advice.

HIRING A GERIATRIC CARE MANAGER

To find a geriatric care manager in your area, log onto the Web site of the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers (NAPGCM) at www.caremanager.org. NAPGCM has developed Standards of Practice and a Pledge of Ethics for members that address a variety of topics including training, billing, etc. Look for a professional who has an advanced degree in nursing, social work, gerontology or psychology, and who is certified by one of these organizations -- the National Academy of Certified Care Managers, the Commission for Case Management Certification or the National Association of Social Workers. Care managers typically charge an hourly fee, which varies in different communities. Fees range from $50 to $200 per hour, depending on the region.

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