We were recently interviewed on a radio show about the topic of aging parents.  The host, like many adult children we hear from, wanted to educate himself (and his audience) on considerations in thinking ahead to a time when his parents may need assistance. 

So, how to get started?  Is there a simple checklist of what to do or consider as the adult son or daughter?  Here are our top three “to dos” of eldercare preparation:

1. Initiate conversations.  In the best case scenario, you can have these conversations over time in a relaxed natural way.  This enables you to bring up topics around windows of opportunity and give your parents the chance to express their feelings and desires at their own pace. 
2. Explore the financial side of things.  A lot of people think about retirement planning, but don’t always consider the costs of care.  One of the most common misconceptions we hear is the assumption that Medicare will cover aging care.  Medicare DOES NOT cover long term care and the most common day-to-day care needs that come with age and infirmity.  Having a better understanding of the financial picture and potential gaps provides planning opportunities or allows you to begin exploring additional resources that might be needed.
3. Get the legalities situated.  There are essential legal documents related to healthcare and decision-making.  Every adult should have these in the event that an accident or illness requires someone else to step in to make decisions on behalf of the patient.  Key documents to discuss with your attorney (and ensure are up-to-date): Living Will, Durable Power of Attorney, Healthcare Power of Attorney/Proxy. Estate planning documents are also important in preparing for later years and helping loved ones more easily settle your estate.  

We created our Eldercare Consultations for families to get affordable, quality professional advice on topics related to their aging parents, disabled spouses or their own healthcare situations.  Contact us to about a Care Consultation or call us at 888-807-2551.

What is a patient advocate?

According to the Professional Patient Advocacy Institute, “Patient advocates come from a broad spectrum of professional disciplines that make up today’s healthcare team…(They) have a health-related degree and possess the skills to assist patients and families in navigating the complex healthcare system. The patient advocate is viewed as a professional who can objectively assist consumers in understanding and making sense of their healthcare needs”.

You can read more in our article, “What is a professional patient advocate?” which outlines situations in which an advocate can assist.

How does a professional advocate differ from the advocacy role of a family caregiver?

A professional advocate is a support for both the patient and any involved family/caregivers.  Often a family member(s) helps an ill or elderly loved one in many ways, including being their advocate over many years and situations.  As that family member, there may be times when you would benefit from professional advice, help navigating the healthcare system, insurance, etc.  A professional advocate boosts your effectiveness as your loved one’s advocate.  This may be through advice/care consultation or one-time support in a crisis, a professional assessment or ongoing support especially if you are advocating from a distance and need a local contact.

Read more about the benefits and uses of a comprehensive care management assessment.

How do I select a professional patient advocate?

As with any professional service you hire, it is important to find out about the patient advocate’s qualifications and experience.  One of the best ways to locate an advocate is via referral, such as from a trusted professional/medical provider.  You can also speak to references and talk directly to the advocate (or advocacy organization) about their experience with the issues and concerns you are facing.

We offer a number of resources to help you as your loved one’s advocate.  You may want to subscribe to our blog posts via email for our latest articles or check out our various eldercare downloads on topics of interest to caregivers.

We also invite you to join our conversations on Facebook!

Aging Wisely, LLC

National Winner, 2011

Patient Advocate Organization

You’re worried about Mom or Dad and someone suggests you get in touch with a geriatric care manager.  You get a recommendation for a geriatric care manager in the area, or you select some care managers from an internet search.  What next?

Assuming you have done some due diligence beforehand (read up on the backgrounds and qualifications of the care manager/geriatric care management company, prepared a list of questions, gotten references or been referred by a professional or client), your inquiry will start with a conversation.  At Aging Wisely, you will most likely talk to our Community Liaison, Jeannine Hodges.  Jeannine has worked with our team for a number of years and has in-depth experience in the Pinellas County/Tampa Bay healthcare system. 

Your typical first call starts with us listening to your situation, so we can figure out the best way to help you.  During that conversation, we’ll answer some of your questions and also share some information about how we have helped families with similar issues in the past.  To talk to Jeannine, call 727-447-5845.

What’s next?  It depends on your situation and needs.  We may send you more information or you may go to discuss the situation with other family members.  If you need a different resource, we will make a referral so you can get the help you need.  Often, families contact a geriatric care manager when in a crisis, so you may want to find out how quickly a care manager can begin to assist you.  Other families reach out to a care manager to begin getting some advice or answer some targeted questions.  In this case, you might schedule a care consultation with a geriatric care manager.

The geriatric care assessment forms the basis of the ongoing care plan, whether carried out by the family or managed by a geriatric care manager.  You can read more detail about The Benefits of a Geriatric Assessment and The Components of a Geriatric Assessment. 

Some of the questions we hear about what to expect from care management services include:

I am on a budget.  How much will I spend on care management services (do I need to hire a care manager for an ongoing period)?

Most care managers have some set fee services, such as a consultation or assessment, along with tailored ongoing service at an hourly rate.  Most care managers can work with you on a short-term or more long-term basis.  It is not uncommon for families to hire us for a consultation only, or to help with a specific need or do an assessment.  They may hire us again later to help with something else, or may decide to have the care manager’s assistance to carry out the plan.  Ongoing oversight can be particularly beneficial for long-distance families’ peace of mind, coordinating medical/senior care and preventing further crises.

What qualifications does a care manager have?

This is a vital question to ask, as this is not a licensed profession.  However, for example, the National Association for Professional Geriatric Care Managers, has set standards for members which includes education, experience and certification.  Many care managers have extensive experience and credentials.  You should be able to review the care manager’s CV/bio and learn about how he/she has helped clients in similar situations as well.  Read the Aging Wisely Care Management Team‘s bios.

We will continue to share answers to your questions about care management and elder care services.  You can get our blog updates via email–just enter your email in our “subscribe” box to get notified of new posts! 

Want to give us feedback or ask your question?  Fill out our feedback form (private) or leave a comment (public).

We previously shared some of the Challenges of Senior Care Coordination, along with some take away lessons family caregivers can learn from our professional experience as patient advocates.

The more complex a senior’s medical condition, the more important coordination is to outcomes.  Some of the facts about healthcare spending illustrate the high costs of complex care:  

• People with chronic conditions account for 85 percent of all health care spending.
• 96 percent of Medicare dollars is spent on patients with multiple chronic conditions.

But, more importantly to the individuals and their families, a lot of evidence suggests that much of the healthcare received is not wanted by the patient and probably not what is needed based on clinical evidence.  Integrated (what is often termed “whole person”) care provides solutions by viewing the “big picture” and emphasizing prevention of further problems.  For seniors in particular, many factors outside of high-tech medical interventions affect their medical outcomes.

Is the senior getting proper nutrition to support healing and his/her age-related and medical needs?  (Is cooking becoming more difficult?  Is the senior isolated/lonely and not enjoying meals?  Can he or she no longer get to the store?)

Is the senior forgetting medical appointments or unable to communicate between various providers, thus causing fractured care?

Does the person have an outdated glasses prescription which is causing her to misread medication labels?

There are numerous factors impacting a senior’s care and medical outcomes, from functional issues to social supports.

Coordinated, whole person care benefits the patient by reducing the burden of planning, organizing and tracking so may different factors, appointments, etc., which lets the patient focus on the process of getting well and staying healthy.

Want to get more information on how a professional patient advocate can help coordinate care and improve health outcomes?