Assisted Living and the Care Manager Connection
There are many ways that a geriatric care manager can help your loved ones that live in an assisted living. This is even more important when the family lives out-of-town and needs someone in the area to oversee the care of the senior residing alone in the facility.
Below are several ways that a Three Links can assist your family members:
Adjustment- there are times when a family cannot be with the senior during their times of transition into the assisted living . A care manager can assist with paperwork, moving in furniture and personal belongings, acclimating the senior to the activities and meeting new residents.
Medical Coordination-when a senior has multiple appointments with many different medical specialties, the care manager can help coordinate these visits, arrange transportation, and attend on behalf of the family members. Once the visit is complete they can report any findings back to the family and the assisted living staff. More importantly, if the senior is transferred to the emergency room, the care manager can be there immediately to assist the family and facility.
Delivery of Supplies-oftentimes, the facility will rely on family members to provide certain items that they do not, such as incontinence supplies, over the counter medications and personal beauty items. The care manager can assist the family to provide these supplies when needed and coordinate delivery with the facility.
Assessment-many times a care manager will be called on by the assisted living staff to perform a complete geriatric assessment of the senior to decide if they are suitable for assisted living or need further placement in a nursing home. With increased Medicare regulations, this is becoming more and more common.
A care manager can be a valuable asset to the family and the assisted living staff when a new resident arrives. Not only can they help the family adjust the care and culture of the facility, but they can also give the family peace of mind in knowing that someone is looking out for their parents when they are not able to.
