In our Aging Wisely blog, we like to share answers to some of the most frequently asked questions we receive from family caregivers.  We often get asked about having an elderly loved one assessed or how a family can get a better understanding of what an aging parent may need.

To learn more about geriatric care management assessments, read: The Resulting Benefits of a Geriatric Care Management Assessment and check out some real-life situations from our sample geriatric assessments.

What families most want to know about the assessment is what to expect out of the process.  When we talk to a family member, we run through what they can expect from that phone call through to receiving the results of the assessment, how we will interact with the family and client and what we wll do at various steps along the way.  Here’s a brief overview of what to expect from the Aging Wisely eldercare assessment process:

1. A concerned family member (or sometimes a concerned professional like an elder law attorney or geriatrician) contacts the Aging Wisely office.  He or she speaks to one of our office staff, generally our Community Liaison.  During the conversation, we listen to what is going on, what the person’s concerns are and ask some important questions to understand if and how we might help (if we can’t help, we find a good resource to make a qualified referral).
2. We answer all questions the concerned party might have, such as our background and experience, how we might handle the situation, fees, etc.  We send more information out as necessary or schedule an initial appointment with one of our Aging Wisely care managers.
3. Depending on the logistics, the family’s initial contact with the care manager may be via phone or email or the care manager may meet the family and client together.
4. The care manager meets the client at his or her home (or sometimes, meets off-site when appropriate, i.e. the client feels more comfortable meeting initially at his/her attorney’s office, but a home visit will be done later in that case).
5. The care manager ascertains important information on a variety of aspects about the senior, through observation and gathering data (getting records from physicians and other providers, for example).  Read more about the components of the geriatric assessment.
6. The care manager assesses the environment, to gauge how the client is managing in daily activities and evaluate safety.  Part of the home safety assessment is a falls prevention checklist.
7. Pulling together the various areas assessed and the input of the client, family and other involved parties, the care manager provides a written report and overview.  The report includes specific recommendations.
8. The care manager reviews the assessment and recommendations with the client and/or responsible party.
9. The care manager can be hired on to assist with carrying out recommendations, immediately or in the future.

For immediate answers to your questions about the assessment process or other eldercare concerns, click below to get a free phone consultation with our Community Liaison.