What Advocates & Care Managers Do

What can we do to help?

• Accompany to medical appointments or stay bedside in the hospital.
• Help you learn more about medical condition and treatment options.
• Help make difficult medical decisions.
• Review prescriptions and medications to be sure there are no conflicts.
• Obtain pain management techniques.
• Help develop end-of-life planning and paperwork like living wills, DNRs or other advance directives.
• Help navigate the insurance maze.
• Help file health insurance claims, dispute denials, and manage or reduce your hospital and medical bills.
• Help family come to agreement on decisions that need to be made for a loved one who needs health-related assistance.
• Find legal assistance after a medical error.
• Track paperwork and records.
• Help file for social security disability or other assistance.
• Help with shopping or ordering.
• Assess current situation.
  
• Make recommendations for improvements of health or living environment.
• Safety evaluation.
• Nutrition evaluation.
• And more….

When it becomes clear that an older person is no longer able to live alone entirely unassisted, the person and family members may be unsure of what services are available in the community to help. They may wonder how to obtain community services. A geriatric care manager can help.

Most professional care managers have experience in either nursing or social work. Many have special training in issues involving eldercare. Their job is to assess a client's individual needs, then match those needs with services available in the community.

A care manager will usually begin a client relationship by doing an assessment of the client's health status, living situation, and needs. In the course of an interview, many things are evaluated, such as physical, medical, and mental condition, along with legal, financial, and government benefits. Housing, family, social situation, and the activities of daily living are also evaluated. A written report of this assessment is provided, with recommendations as to services available to meet identified needs.

If the client and family wish, the care manager can arrange for the needed services, and provide follow-up care and monitoring to ensure that necessary services are being effectively and professionally delivered. We also make sure that the client's needs are being met over an extended period of time. If moving to an assisted living or nursing facility is appropriate, a care manager can help in identifying and evaluating the various options available.

When caregiving starts to get complicated, care managers are a great resource to manage and balance several issues. They can implement assistance and keep multiple family members updated. They can serve as a surrogate for long-distance caregivers. They can also help with family communication, meetings, settling disagreements. They also serve as an advocate in dealing with health care, insurance plans, and so forth.