Why A Care Manager Is Needed
When A Home Health Service Is Present
By Dignified Aging, Inc.

If you currently have home health services for your loved one, a professional care management company can provide an oversight in the home. Most care manager professionals begin by conducting a variety of assessments in order to support and assist in the development and plan coordination of care which maximize an older person’s independence.Since home health companies are bound by law to stay within specific guidelines, a professional care manager can expand the service by looking at the financial, legal, medical, environment and social needs while helping to connect all these areas with an individuals life. The coordinating of so many areas by a care manager can protect the integrity of all involved, including your loved one, the service providers and all of the concerned individuals.

In addition to assessments of needs and care planning professional care management companies can assist with scheduling and coordinating medical appointments, interfacing with medical personnel and communicating with caregivers. Normally care management companies offer on call for services 24 hours a day, seven days a week for emergencies and offer provisions for ongoing support and training to care givers during regular hours.

More comprehensive care management companies offer money management, cognitive assessments, independent and objective reports for out of town relatives to review on a regular basis as well. Additionally, for those out of town relatives, they will tend to offer several stress and strain relievers due to the long distance supervision which needs to be coordinated with finesse. Understanding the complexity involved and recognizing each situation is different is what allows professional care managers to be creative and flexible in developing highly individualized plans.

The quality assurance and problem solving skills of a care manager cannot be overstated. Being an independent set of eyes and ears they are able to conduct ongoing assessments of needs and a regimen of activities for daily living. Monitoring care in the home, care managers are able to objectively assess and tell families when it’s time for more care, or when it is important to consider a change to take place, such as a transition into an assisted living or nursing home setting.

However, like all hired professional services, interview well and ask several questions before hiring a professional care management company. Not all caregivers are alike. Assisting older persons and their representatives with long term care arrangements is a very delicate area and requires a professional. A great place to start when looking for a referral is to contact the National Geriatric Professional Care Managers Association at (520) 881-8008 or on the web at http://www.caremanager.org.