By Pamela Braun, MSW, LCSW, C-ASWCM, LF
People often ask me to define my profession, Geriatric Care Management. A geriatric care manager is a professional who specializes in assisting older people and their families with long-term care arrangements. Care managers have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree or substantial equivalent training in gerontology, social work, nursing, or counseling.
Geriatric care managers have extensive knowledge about the costs, quality, and availability of services in their community.
One call to a geriatric care manager will connect a person seeking help with the services an older person may need. Geriatric care managers can do the following:
• Conduct care-planning assessments to identify problems, determine eligibility for assistance, and need for services.
• Screen, arrange, and monitor in-home help or other services.
• Review financial, legal, or medical issues and offer referrals to geriatric specialists to avoid future problems and conserve assets.
• Provide crisis intervention.
• Act as a liaison to families at a distance, making sure things are going well and alerting families to problems.
• Assist with moving an older person to or from a retirement complex, care home, or nursing home.
• Provide consumer education and advocacy.
• Offer counseling and support
