• Develop a close and trusting relationship with you and your family member through regular face-to-face visits.  Speaking with someone on the phone is not sufficient when trying to establish an accurate picture of how he or she is doing.  Many adult children discover this when they come home for the holidays to find a very different scenario than that portrayed on the phone in recent months.

 

• Be ready at a moment’s notice to accompany your family member to a hospital emergency room with medical history, list of medications, and all other relevant documents.   A Care Manager knows the medical system as well as many local medical professionals.  We use that knowledge to ensure that you or your family member receives a thorough evaluation, and that accurate information is exchanged.  We provide you with the information you need to make informed decisions about your family member’s care, and then see that those decisions are honored. 

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• Accompany you or your family member to medical appointments to be sure that appropriate questions are asked and answered.   Many people remember when it wasn't appropriate or necessary to ask questions of a physician.  Those were days when physicians had plenty of time to develop long-term relationships with patients and their families.  In today's medical society, we have found that most physicians appreciate our input and questions, as this enables them to provide better care for their patient.

 

• Evaluate the safety aspects of your family member’s home  – wherever that may be – and coordinate with you to make their environment as safe as possible.

 

• Provide ongoing assessments of your family member’s physical, mental, and emotional condition, recognizing that these factors can change rapidly in the elderly.   This is where our experience sets us apart as Care Managers.  In choosing someone to oversee your care, please be sure that they have the knowledge and decision-making ability to guide you in the right direction.   When your loved one awakens at midnight with a blood pressure of 170/98 and a heart rate of 111, your Care Manager should be able to thoroughly assess the situation and determine the right course of action.

 

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• Be able to recommend specialists to you in multiple arenas.  This includes physicians, sources for equipment, caregivers, home repair workers, home health providers, etc.  You should not have to pick people out of the yellow pages or off of the internet.  The experienced Care Manager has a large network of community resources with which she is familiar and you should benefit from her years of experience.  The choice, however, is always yours.