Adults trying to care for their aging parents can feel pulled in many directions at one time. You are trying to earn a living, support your family and save for your retirement. You do not have time to research 20 new things, like Social Security, Medicare plans, assisted living communities, medical services and the litany of other topics your older parents are now facing.
Fortunately, there are professionals who specialize in handling these issues. It could take you many hours trying to learn all the things you need to know to help your parents make their crucial decisions, or you could hire a geriatric care manager.
What Geriatric Care Managers Do?
Geriatric care managers specialize in managing senior care. They can help your family to formulate a plan that meets the needs of your older relative, his caregivers and other relatives. A GCM can:
- Inform your family of senior living choices, medical services and funding programs.
- Facilitate difficult discussions and address your family’s concerns.
- Perform an assessment of your parent’s status and needs.
- Create short-term and long-term care plans for your aging loved one.
If you do not already have these skills or this knowledge, a GCM might be a useful resource for your parents. You can hire a GCM for a one-time assessment of your parent’s needs. They can advise you about the available options, or you can keep the GCM involved on an ongoing basis.
How to Pay for a Geriatric Care Manager
Even though they can help people save money on the costs of medical care, short-term care and long-term care, Medicare will not reimburse you for the services of a geriatric care manager. Some insurance plans will cover the expenses, but most do not.
An initial evaluation of your parent’s needs can cost hundreds of dollars, if not more, and it will likely be out-of-pocket. Some families split up the expense among several people, knowing that in the long run, using a GCM might save them thousands of dollars.
Using a Geriatric Care Manager versus Do-It-Yourself
Do not assume that you would accomplish results in the same amount of time a geriatric care manager (GCM) could. It might take you 10 or 20 hours of finding and reading material online just to be prepared to make an educated guess about a decision for which a GCM already knows the answer.
References:
A Place for Mom. “Do You Need a Geriatric Care Manager?” (accessed September 28, 2018) https://www.aplaceformom.com/blog/do-you-need-a-geriatric-care-manager/
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