Why Do I Need a Care Manager?

Posted on

Oct 12, 2015

Book/Edition

Colorado - Northern Colorado

Providing care and assistance to a loved one is not easy. Many adult children and spouses struggle with the dilemma of not enough energy or hours in the day to juggle work, home life, and caring for their aging loved one. You may even feel a range of emotions such as anger, guilt, fear, sadness, worry, stress, and overwhelmed. As you wear the many hats of a caregiver its easy to lose yourself to the point where it can negatively affect your work and harm your health and relationships. There may even be times when this caregiving role does not always feel loving or satisfying to you. Whether your loved one lives at home or in a facility, nearby or far away, an Aging Life Care Professional (formally known as a geriatric care manager) can be very helpful.

An Aging Life Care Professional is trained and experienced in any several fields related to care management, including, but not limited to social work, nursing, or gerontology with a specialized focus on issues related to aging and elder care. They are professionally trained to evaluate the medical, social, psychological, and spiritual factors of your entire situation to make sure everyone is receiving the help they need. Aging Life Care Professionals provide an objective point of view. They give you up-to-date information needed to make informed decisions, enhance communication between family members, and optimize your care with the coordination and monitoring of services specifically tailored to your unique circumstances.

An Aging Life Care Professional can also be particularly helpful when solving complex situations. For example, all of the family members may not be in agreement about how an aging loved one should be cared for and what the best care should be. This often results in a break-down in communication and strained relationships. Some Aging Life Care Professionals also provide families with classes, support groups, and counseling to gain clarity, strength, and hope as you adjust to changes in lifestyle, health, and family roles.

Many people hire Aging Life Care Professionals to serve as their eyes and ears, help cope with emotional feelings, enhance communication between family members, provide outside assessments, as well as the coordination, implementation, and monitoring of direct services. To find a qualified Aging Life Care Professional in your area contact the Aging Life Care Association at (520) 881-8008 or visit their website at "www.aginglifecare.org"

Editor's Note: This article was submitted by Colleen Daugherty, MSW, NCG. Colleen is an Aging Life Care Professional with Senior Life Solutions providing care management and counseling in Northern Colorado. You may reach Colleen at 970-282-7975 or by email at colleen@srlifesolutionsllc.com

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