What is a geriatric care manager?
A geriatric care manager helps families assess needs, make decisions, find resources, and coordinate aging-related support.
Care managers can be especially helpful during planned transitions or unexpected health crises.
Before hiring a care manager, ask about their services, fees, care planning process, and approach to ongoing support.
As you and your loved ones make decisions about the future, you may receive more information than you can process at once. You might not know what matters most or what support you need until the crisis or immediate change has passed.
At that point, a geriatric care manager can help offer practical information about the situation, aging care options, available resources and services, and ongoing management to help you move forward.
What is a geriatric care manager?
A geriatric care manager is a professional who can help you and your family find resources, make decisions, and manage the stress of aging-related concerns. Care managers may have backgrounds as social workers, nurses, gerontologists, counselors, or other related professionals. They may work in private practice or for a community-based agency. Most importantly, they have training in issues that affect older adults and their families.
Why might I need a geriatric care manager?
Care managers can be particularly helpful during a transition. You may be planning ahead for a move from your loved one’s home to a senior living community. Or, you may be responding to an unexpected crisis, such as a stroke or another acute illness. In either situation, the decisions ahead can feel challenging and confusing.
A care manager can help you identify the most important needs during a transition. They can then help you navigate health care and social services that may be fragmented or poorly coordinated.
What can I expect from a geriatric care manager?
A care manager will conduct an in-person assessment of your family’s needs. They’ll ask about your loved one’s health and living situation, including everyday activities, nutrition, safety, memory, mental health, finances, insurance, and health history.
Based on the assessment, the care manager will create a care plan with recommendations and referrals to community-based services. They’ll review the plan with you, help you prioritize the recommendations, and support you as you put the plan into action.
The care manager may provide certain services or refer you to other professionals. These services might include crisis intervention, counseling, financial management, help making decisions about housing options, and support with moving your loved one into a residential care community. The care manager may also continue monitoring your loved one’s situation and recommend adjustments as needs change.
How much does geriatric care management cost?
Costs vary, so ask the care manager about fees before getting started. Some agencies may offer a sliding-scale fee. Geriatric care management is not currently covered by most insurance policies, Medicare, or Medicaid.
How do I find a geriatric care manager?
The Aging Life Care Association offers information about care managers, including a directory that can help you find one in your area. Visit the association’s website to learn more.
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Written by
Emma Rodbro
Emma’s passion for reducing social isolation in aging populations was undoubtedly influenced by her own experience as a teenager and spending time with her grandfather. Emma went on to earn her Bachelor or Arts in Public Health and Sociology from Brown University and h...
