You can now view a glossary of terms at http://www.agewiseseniorcare.com/glossary.html. You’ll find many terms mentioned in my blog there so that you become familiar with care management terms.

This has been a very challenging few months given the economy and things beyond our control. Despite my best efforts to educate my area agencies, senior centers, attorneys, assisted living facilities and everyone else, it seems that I hear consistently that there are people in dire need of my services but the word isn’t getting to them. So many people are in need of information and the other services a Geriatric Care Manager can provide. But, the competition of business among paid facilities to keep the beds full is placing GCM’s in a perceived adversarial role when in actuality we are in a great position to help without being competitive in any way. This blog is meant to educate and to help people understand the roles each entity can serve in the community as well as provide a place for me to voice my concerns for our elders. I am concerned that out of home facilities may be out of reach for so many families and that Geriatric Care Mangers are the best kept secret in a family’s toolbox for helping them to cope with aging parents and the accompanying costs and stresses that come with them. Soon I will be posting a glossary to help the average person better understand the terms and roles I am speaking about. Times are tough all over but when we work together the load becomes a bit more bearable. Let’s work together. William

I have done some research on the cost of caring for an elder in a rural area. These costs are local to my area and will vary from area to area. As a Geriatric Care Manager I can help you keep some of this cost in your pocket.

Average Prices for Care Providers in North Carolina

Nursing Home Private: $5930/mo

Nursing Home Semi-Private: $5470/mo

Assisted Living Private: $5,470/mo

Adult Day Care: $1060/mo

In-Home Care With Certified Professional: $3430/mo

In-Home Care With Only a Licensed Professional: $3,240/mo

On Joy and Sorrow
 Kahlil Gibran

Your joy is your sorrow unmasked.
And the selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears.
And how else can it be?
The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.
Is not the cup that holds your wine the very cup that was burned in the potter’s oven?
And is not the lute that soothes your spirit, the very wood that was hollowed with knives?
When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy.
When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight. 

Some of you say, “Joy is greater thar sorrow,” and others say, “Nay, sorrow is the greater.”
But I say unto you, they are inseparable.
Together they come, and when one sits, alone with you at your board, remember that the other is asleep upon your bed. 

Verily you are suspended like scales between your sorrow and your joy.
Only when you are empty are you at standstill and balanced.
When the treasure-keeper lifts you to weigh his gold and his silver, needs must your joy or your sorrow rise or fall.

May you reap a valley full of joy. Take care of your-self.

So you think it’s Alzheimer’s? It might be but like many diseases there are other conditions that can confuse and affect a proper diagnosis. A few years ago there was a woman who appeared to have Alzheimer’s as far as her family was concerned. She was forgetful, weak, losing her balance and lashing out for no apparent reason. Her family began to seek a caregiver for her and was resigned to the fact their beloved mother had the disease known as “the long goodbye”.

I asked if the diagnosis had been made and blood work done. It had not because the family assumed it was what their mother had always called hardening of the arteries or senility. I suggested that they hold off on the caregiver and the expense until a medical work of her thyroid had been done. It turned out that indeed she had an underactive thyroid and could be treated with little effort. Today she is 85, still drives herself around, carries on a coherent conversation at the beauty shop and is as sweet at honey, honey.

Women with overactive or underactive thyroids are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s while men are 20% more likely only if their thyroid is overactive. It is always worth the effort to explore the possibilities before becoming submissive to the “long goodbye”.

William

What are those initials after your name? What do they mean?

• Sociology is the scientific study of the development, structure and functions, conflicts and symbols of human society.
• Gerontology is the scientific study of the social, psychological and biological aspects of aging and the particular problems associated with aging.
• Certified Care Manager CMC or Certified Care Manager is a designation awarded to someone having done years of care management and having passed a rigorous national testing procedure. 

The first question I’m asked about my profession is “What is a Geriatric Care Manager”? Well, that is a very good question. GCM’s as I will now refer to us do many things to assist in dealing with the aging process and finding goods and services you may need. There is a set pattern we follow to ensure we do our job well and professional. They are:

• Assess the client in many aspects of living
• Develop a care plan individualized for the client
• Implement the plan
• Monitor the plan, providers, and client
• Re-assess periodically
• Terminate services when no longer needed

This is all well and good but what can a GCM really do for you? I’ll tell you. Depending on our credentials and individual expertise we can be an independent appraiser of an elder on medical, social, mental, emotional and even financial issues. When we develop a care plan we try immediately to save you money by building a network of family and friends from a variety of sources before going to the for-pay services, unless that is what you want. The development of a plan is where our skills as advocates and negotiators come into place. We know how difficult it is to get mom or dad to accept help sometimes and we know how disjointed the family or children can be about the entire process. It is a financial and emotional experience and we can help.

Now, speaking only for myself I try to use the most cost effective means when developing and implementing a plan without compromising quality. I screen the help so to speak. Most Home Care companies do a good job of screening their employees but as we all know the lack of a criminal record doesn’t equal quality.

Monitoring the plan, client and the help or services put into place is crucial. You don’t want an in home aid or provider that you or you parent doesn’t get along with. You definitely  don’t want to throw away money on services that aren’t needed or aren’t being provided. well. Re-assessments are simply to gauge the progress, or regress of the person and situation.

One area I personally believe is overlooked and I know is a service you can appreciate is having me advocate for you if you do go into a facility. There is more to choosing a facility than most people think and as the saying goes “the large print givith, and the small print taketh away”. Then there is the matter of abuse and neglect. No one wants to admit that it happens and no one wants to believe it could happen to you. But, that’s why you need a personal advocate to visit, watch and advocate for you in almost all cases.

I hope this clears up some of the confusion of what I do and if you have further questions please shoot me an email and we can go from there.

If you haven’t yet taken a look at my website, please do. Many people can and do choose to go it alone but given the cost of a car payment or a visit from a plumber, I ask you… how much is peace of mind worth to you?