As the U.S. population continues to age rapidly, an increasing number of families are facing complex senior care decisions. Navigating the modern health care system can leave adult children and relatives feeling completely overwhelmed. Many family members find themselves desperately searching for professional guidance to help them identify the right resources and make informed medical decisions.
Fortunately, dedicated professionals are available to ease this transition. Many families are turning to licensed geriatric care managers to navigate these complex health care decisions. We frequently emphasize the value of these skilled professionals on this blog, but it is helpful to review their exact role. This insightful article from AARP offers an excellent overview of how these experts assist families.
The referenced piece was written by author Barbara Moroch and was updated within the last few years. It serves as an excellent guide for families seeking an experienced elder care advocate during challenging times.
How Changing Family Dynamics Impact Modern Elder Care
Moroch begins with the recognition that “changing times” necessitate evolving methods in how we care for the elders in our families and communities.
“In the past,” she writes, “extended families often shared the job of tending to older loved ones. These days, families may live farther apart, and the responsibility for care can fall on one overwhelmed family member. The good news is that geriatric care managers can help.”
Geriatric care managers are trained professionals—called “aging life care managers” sometimes, according to Moroch—whose skills include social work and health care. They advocate for elders and their families and guide caregiving relatives.
Moroch adds that “they generally serve clients and families whose incomes are too high to qualify for publicly financed services.”
Managing the Overwhelming Senior Care Process
The societal demand for professional aging life care managers continues to grow significantly each year. Moroch tells us that by 2054, adults 65 and older are predicted to constitute nearly a quarter of the population of the U.S. These numbers come from a Pew Research Center analysis of U.S. Census data, and they represent an increase from the current 18 percent. The population is aging, caregiving is increasing, and more and more support will be required.
“Caring for a senior can often be an overwhelming process,” says Cathryn A. Devons, an assistant clinical professor of geriatrics and palliative medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital. “Geriatric care managers seek to make the process easier by serving as an advocate or counselor — taking the pressure off of family members who often have other commitments, such as parenting and workplace responsibilities.”
The Post-Pandemic Demand for Care Management Services
Recent global health events have drastically altered the landscape of elder care and accelerated the need for professional oversight. Among other sweeping social effects, the COVID-19 pandemic also accelerated the need for geriatric care managers.
“Seniors were in their homes and not getting out and about, and their functioning really declined,” says Debra Feldman, owner of a care management company. She also served as board president of the Aging Life Care Association, a professional organization for geriatric care managers.
How Care Managers Conduct In-Person Needs Assessments
The day-to-day role of these specialists involves hands-on evaluation to ensure safety within the home environment. Julie Wagner, CEO of the Aging Life Care Association, explains that many of these professional care managers are trained in the healthcare field—nursing, occupational therapy, social work—and switch careers in order to offer broader services to their clients.
Feldman adds that their role now is largely assessment and coordination of care. During the pandemic, assessment of clients and their living situations were carried out online, but that was “far from ideal” and managers these days prefer in-person visits so they can catch details they wouldn’t be able to capture on a screen (such as everyday hazards like rugs or stairs).
Building Relational Connections in Senior Care
At its core, utilizing an elder care advocate is about building a trusted relationship to manage deeply personal decisions. Moroch explains that much of care managing is relational in nature: human connection between those in need of care and those providing it.
Care management services also offer a wide range of help, including monitoring hired caregivers, coordinating appointments and arranging transportation, identifying social services and programs that could benefit a care recipient, making referrals to other professionals (financial, legal, or medical), and acting as a translator or mediator in various contexts between care recipients, families, and outside support.
Providing Therapeutic Assistance and Support Where Needed
They can also step in for therapeutic reasons, like answering difficult questions and addressing concerns, or arranging for respite relief so caregivers can take breaks.
“The manager ensures that the senior’s personal and practical needs are met and can help with more mundane tasks, freeing up family members so that they can enjoy more quality, stress-free time with their loved one,” Devons says. “Very often, we see geriatric care managers become a much-valued part of the family.”
Understanding the Out-of-Pocket Costs of Long-Term Care Management
Families exploring these services must prepare for the financial realities of hiring private care coordinators. According to the National Institute on Aging, geriatric care managers charge by the hour, and some also charge more for long-distance calls, mileage, and travel time. “Be sure to find out about these billing details and get them in writing before you agree to the services,” Moroch writes.
Key to remember, she tells us, is that neither Medicare nor Medicaid will pay for these services. Long-term care insurance may cover some of the costs related to coordination of care, but on the whole, private insurance policies will not.
Workplace Benefits and Support for Family Caregivers
Fortunately, some corporate employers are beginning to recognize the immense stress placed on working caregivers. Wagner says that you may be able to get help from your workplace’s Employee Resource Group. Some employee assistance programs are willing to cover these management services because they allow family caregivers to stay better focused on their paying jobs and miss less time at work.
“Nearly three-quarters of family caregivers are working full- or part-time, according to AARP,” Moroch writes. “Caregivers who work full-time, particularly those who work late or overnight shifts, show high stress and negative emotions, according to a 2023 study by the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research.”
The lead author of the study, Sarah Patterson, cites lack of flexibility and inability to manage daily tasks—like errands and doctor’s appointments—are the most likely causes of higher stress levels in working caregivers. Keeping a part-time job, she says, can give those same caregivers an emotional boost and some respite from home life.
Trusted Directories to Find Certified Geriatric Care Managers
When searching for local care providers, it is crucial to verify professional credentials and avoid uncertified individuals.
Moroch writes, “The Aging Life Care Association allows you to search by zip code. Eldercare Locator support services lets you enter your location information to find the nearest Area Agency on Aging — they often have lists of local providers. Many geriatric care managers started in health care or social work, and they often maintain certifications in their original field.”
She also adds that there are three nonprofit organizations—the Commission for Case Manager Certification in Mount Laurel, New Jersey; the National Academy of Certified Care Managers in Tucson, Arizona; and the National Association of Social Workers in Washington, D.C.—that offer actual certification programs for care managers.
“All require specialized degrees, experience and successful completion of an examination,” Moroch writes.
Key Interview Questions for Vetting Aging Life Care Professionals
Before finalizing an agreement, families should interview prospective candidates thoroughly. Moroch says, when hiring a care manager, be clear about your expectations and ask the right questions up front. The following questions are taken verbatim from Moroch’s own list; we thought they were too good to abridge. This list concludes the article.
- Resources: What are your business’s main services, and do they include in-home care?
- Size: How many geriatric care managers do you have on staff?
- Qualifications: What credentials and professional licenses do you and your managers have?
- Longevity: How many years have you been providing care-management services?
- Initial costs: What fee, if any, do you charge for a consultation?
- Continuing costs: What are your ongoing fees, and may I get them in writing?
- Communication: How will you keep in contact with us?
- Flexibility: What happens if my family has an emergency — will you be available?
- References: Who has used your services, and may I contact them?
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