What is a Geriatric Care Manager?

 A geriatric care manager is a professional who specializes in assisting older people and their families in meeting their long-term care arrangements. GCM’s have training in gerontology, social work, nursing, or counseling.

GCM members can help:

·        Conduct care-planning assessments to identify problems, eligibility for assistance, and need for services;

·        Screen, arrange and monitor in-home help or other services;

·        Review financial, legal, or medical issues and offer referrals to geriatric specialists to avoid future problems and conserve assets;

·        Provide crisis intervention;

·        Act as a liaison to families at a distance, making sure things are going well and alerting families to problems;

·        Assist with moving an older person to or from a retirement complex, care home, or nursing home;

·        Provide consumer education and advocacy; and

·        Offer counseling and support.

 Some GCM’s also provide family or individual therapy, money management, and conservatorship or guardianship assistance. GCM’s have extensive knowledge about the costs, quality, and availability of services in their community. One call to a GCM will connect you with the services an older person may need.

 Benefits of Care Management Services

Care management services are offered in a variety of settings. We believe the model utilized by GCM members best serves the clients and their representatives. Practitioners can offer:

·        Short-term or ongoing assistance for long-distance caregivers.

·        Personalized, gentle services specifically to meet the client’s wants and needs.

·        Accessibility since many GCM members are available after hours and on weekends.

·        Continuity of care management to reduce miscommunications, time, stress, and cost to clients.

·        Efficiency and flexibility because GCM services are stream-lined and client-centered, not complicated by bureaucratic red tape.

·        Cost-control. GCM members strive to reduce inappropriate institutional care and overuse of services. They match the service to the client’s needs and help contain costs. Ongoing monitoring can prevent costly crises and unnecessary hospitalizations.

·        Quality control. GCM has adopted standards of practice for all its members. In addition, all full members are reviewed for educational and experience requirements prior to acceptance.

Who Uses GCM Services?
Geriatric Care Management services have been provided by our members to:

·        Families around the country

·        Banks and Trust Officers

·        Physicians and Allied Health Professionals

·        Attorneys

·        Hospitals

·        Social Service Providers

·        Senior Housing Communities

How to Find a Professional Care Manager

To obtain the names of professional care managers in your vicinity you may visit the Web sites of those GCM chapters where applicable:  For those areas of the country that do not have a chapter with on-line accessibility a Consumer Directory is available for purchase through the national GCM office.

GCM Consumer Directory

The National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers (GCM) has developed a Geriatric Care Managers Resource Guide and Directory to assist consumers in finding qualified geriatric care managers. The list included in the directory is not an exhaustive listing of all the geriatric care managers throughout the country, but rather a listing of care managers who belong to GCM.

This directory lists members of GCM who are expected to subscribe to the standards of practice of their respective professions, as well as to the pledge of ethics and 13 standards of practice developed specifically for their practices in geriatric care management. A copy of the pledge of ethics and standards of practice are available on this Web site. Listing in the directory is not to be taken as an individual endorsement or statement of qualification by GCM. It is recommended that consumers or professionals using the directory perform their own interview of the care manager to determine their qualifications.

The directory lists care managers by state and is alphabetized by the GCM member’s last name. The listing includes the members’ name, company, company address, phone and fax number (if applicable). Also included after the members’ names are their credentials (abbreviations which include degrees earned, licenses, certifications and designations) and we have included an index and description of credentials in the section prior to the member listing.
Cost: $15.00 each

Associations/Organizations

Alzheimer's Association
The Alzheimer's Association is the largest national voluntary health organization dedicated to funding research into the causes, treatments, prevention and cure of Alzheimer's disease and to providing support to the four million Americans with the disease, their families and caregivers.

American Association for Homecare
AAHomecare is the unified voice that represents all the elements of homecare under one roof. From home medical equipment to home health services and from re/hab technology to respiratory/infusion therapy, AAHomecare is dedicated to working to advance the value and practice of quality health care services at home. With over 3,000 members, AAHomecare is building a community of support for the homecare industry.

American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society is the nationwide community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy, and service. Our web site contains valuable resources including prevention and risk factors, treatment methods, detection guidelines, and patient services that help cancer patients and their families.

American Society for Bioethics and Humanities
The purpose of ASBH is to promote the exchange of ideas and foster scholarship, research, teaching, policy development, professional development, and collegiality among people engaged in all of the endeavors related to clinical and academic bioethics and the health-related humanities.

American Society on Aging
ASA's members comprise the largest multidisciplinary national community of professionals working with and on behalf of older people. The membership includes representatives of the public and private sectors, service providers, researchers, educators, advocates, health, allied health, social service, managed care and long-term care and mental health professionals, students and the retired, policy makers and planners. For over 40 years, the American Society on Aging has been an active and effective resource for professionals in aging and aging-related fields who want to enhance their ability to promote the well-being of aging people and their families.

The Association of Independent Care Advisors
The Association represents a growing number of care advisors in the U.K. and was formed in 1994. Individual organizations felt a strong need for a professional body for this developing service for individuals needing advice on organizing their care. Members work to a Code of Practice, which is available to anyone who wishes to see that we adhere to the principle of offering helpful, unbiased, professional advice. No member of the association has any financial interest in a care home or domiciliary service.

healthfinder^®
healthfinder^® is a free gateway to reliable consumer health and human services information developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. healthfinder® can lead you to selected online publications, clearinghouses, databases, web sites, and support and self-help groups, as well as the government agencies and not-for-profit organizations that produce reliable information for the public.

Last Acts
The Last Acts website is an on-line community dedicated to improving end-of-life care through the sharing of ideas and solutions by professional care givers, educators and consumers. The site includes a resource center, updates on the campaign Task Force groups, news updates, reports on palliative care, family needs, service providers, education and training.

National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys
The National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, Inc. is a non-profit association which assists lawyers, bar organizations and others who work with older clients and their families. Established in 1987, the Academy provides a resource of information, education, networking and assistance to those who must deal with the many specialized issues involved with legal services to the elderly and disabled.

National Alliance for Caregiving
A very good resource for caregiving families and professionals. NAC is a Bethesda based association of caregiving professional organizations (including GCM) that provides information, support, and national advocacy on behalf of caregivers. They have accomplished many admirable reports, including providing an excellent guide to other web sites with information on caregiving. NAC's site is an excellent source of information for professionals looking for access to primary information on national issues on caregiving.

National Association of Social Workers
The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) is the largest organization of professional social workers in the world. NASW serves nearly 155,000 social workers in 55 chapters throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and abroad. NASW was formed in 1955 through a merger of seven predecessor social work organizations to carry out three responsibilities: strengthen and unify the profession; promote the development of social work practice; advance sound social policies. Promoting high standards of practice and protecting the consumer of services are major association principles.

National Citizens' Coalition for Nursing Home Reform
The mission of the National Citizens' Coalition for Nursing Home Reform is to improve the quality of life of residents in the nation's nursing homes.

National Family Caregivers Association
The National Family Caregivers Association offers services in the areas of information and education, support and validation, and public awareness and advocacy, toward the goal of minimizing the disparity between a caregiver's quality of life and that of mainstream Americans.

National Guardianship Association
The mission of the National Guardianship Association is to provide educational, training, and networking opportunities for guardians; to promote the highest levels of values, standards and ethics; and to ensure a nationally recognized standard of excellence.

National Institute of Health
This web site shares--in a fast and cost-effective way--consumer-health information about many of the diseases or health problems on which NIH conducts or supports research. You can choose from this growing full-text collection of our most requested consumer-health publications.

Community Resources/Social Services

The A2Z Senior Supersite
This free industry-wide internet portal is designed to connect you quickly and easily to the world of Senior Hospitality: providers of Senior-oriented housing, health and wellness resources, and other products and services. These communities and organizations are either Senior Hospitality Specialists (serving Seniors is their only focus) or Senior Hospitality Associates (serving Seniors is one of their specialities).

bigtreemurphy.com
A wonderful site for caregivers of Alzheimer's patients. Beverly Murphy is a rehab counselor who retired to take care of her husband when he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. She has organized this site with love, good experience, and good attention to detail. This site has plenty of good advice for caregivers on the difficult issues (incontinence), on how to develop a supportive living environment, and lots of good words of emotional support. A heartwarming site to visit.

H.E.L.P.
H.E.L.P. is a community-funded, non-profit (charitable) information resource that assists older adults and their caring family and friends by providing information, planning and problem-solving services, on government program, legal healthcare-related issues that specially impact older adults.

How To Care
How to Care’s goal is to provide you with practical, current information on a wide range of topics written by caregivers that offer insights and advice unavailable anywhere else.

Legal Resources

Administration on Aging Information on Older Persons and Services for the Elderly
AoA's "Elder Page" site contains many resources for the elderly that can be useful for attorneys as well. There is a large nationwide searchable directory to 230 national and local agencies, health associations, and organizations. There is a large compilation of general and statistical materials on-line.

For Profit Resources
Carehub.com
A site that gives information on various aspects of caregiving. Started in 1999, some of the site is still under development. The information provided is intended to "empower the caregiver". This site currently has interesting disease specific information links, some general care planning articles, and various articles on aging and caregiving.

Caregiving.com
Caregiving.com provides insights, information, and inspirations to persons who care for an aging relative. The site explains the six stages family caregivers travel through, guiding them to the resources and answers needed to successfully complete each stage.

CaregiversWorld.com
A company that offers high quality products for in-home caregiving. Not your run of the mill products, here, there are some unique items that might really help your situation. Some products are of their own design and some are just useful applications for a caregiving situation. An interesting selection of products and a socially responsible company.

Careguide.com
An established and rich source of information on eldercare (and childcare). Customized caregiver information on a wide range of issues. Includes a good directory of facilities, legal topics, and advice for the consumer on how to find care. Frequently updated with interesting articles. Two thumbs up.

CareScout.com
CareScout.com is a good resource for information on Nursing Homes, Assisted Living facilities, and news on care giving. Here's a quote from one GCM member. "CareScout.com is my favorite site. It is a great resource for GCM's. Rather than just listing nursing home, home health and assisted living facilities in an area, CareScout has quality ratings as well. The part I like best is that care professionals and consumers can also add their comments to the ratings. In addition to knowing how oversight agencies rate care, the added perspective of "field scout" reviews allows me to be more comfortable in recommending care options to my clients."

Carethere.com
A large, new site targeted to providing caregiver information needs. A clear and well developed site, with customized member information, original article, and good links. Includes product information and a community area for support groups. The information is appropriate for the consumer, but a little thin at the professional level.

KeytoCare.com
This is a site oriented around providing caregiving information in a post-acute care environment. Information is available on long-term care insurance, facilities, and feature articles. There are interesting articles on treatment decisions and evaluating the service within care facilities.

Livingstrategies.com
Living Strategies, Inc., America’s leader in professional elder care planning, placement and management, is the first company with a nationwide focus to bring together all of the disciplines required to identify elder care needs, implement solutions to those needs and provide on-going support in a way that benefits elders and their families.

RosePlace.com
RosePlace is an attractive site and a good place to go for basic caregiving information and resources. Their database of services covers the country, although the lists are not comprehensive in all service categories or every geographical location. The site has some good basic articles on caregiving and is very easy to navigate.

Seniorcarereview.com
An in depth site covering care planning and a private network of facilities and care managers. The directories provide a level of quality screening of the referrals. Includes some assistance with assessment and forming a care plan.

Senioralternatives.com
This site provides directories for senior housing and elder care services. Includes articles on definitions and what to look for in evaluating different senior housing types. Provides local area lists of housing alternatives.

Mr. Long Term Care
Martin Bayne started writing a newsletter on caregiving over twelve years ago and it just grew into something much more involved. This site is a good source of current information on caregiving issues, on long term care insurance, and has many good links to other health related sites. Mr. LTC.com has interviews, information advocacy groups, and lots of breaking news on issues related to aging and disability. The site is updated frequently and covers a number of topics. A good place to start your search for caregiving information

Other Resources

Aginghelp.com
Aginghelp is for the professional serving the older American through community and in-home services. This help is often identified as senior, aging or elderly services by organizations that include senior centers, day-care facilities, health clinics, focal point agencies, area agencies, county departments, state units, or other organizations. The site includes Job Openings, Vendor Resources, a Sharing/Assistance area and Planning Scanning information. For the latest updates, check out What's New.

Senior Housing Net
A national online guide to senior housing and care options throughout the United States. Users can view color photos, floor plans, pricing, amenitities, and even take 360 degree virtual tours.

Senior Options
A national, comprehensive guide for older adults and caregivers. Information on this site identifies your local options for senior living facilities - including Assisted Living, Residential Care, Retirement Communities, Skilled Nursing, Alzheimer, Hospice and Adult Day Care facilities; local options for senior insurance, healthcare discount cards (coming soon), other frequently needed health and professional services such as legal and financial, mental health, home health, and geriatric care management.

United Hospital Fund "Rough Crossings: Family Caregivers' Odyssyes through the Health Care System"
Each year more than 60 million Americans are admitted to or discharged from health care facilities. For institutions, these entries and departures are routine processes; for patients and their families, they are often fraught with anxiety and fear. This special report explores these transitions from the unique perspectives of family caregivers--the unpaid relatives, partners, or close friends who either provide direct care and emotional support to, or manage the health care of, those who are chronically ill or disabled. Its purpose is to contribute to the development of responsible and reasonable ways to respect, understand, and help all families coping with serious illness and the major transitions that mark that journey.

Questions to Ask When
Looking for a Geriatric Care Manager

1.      What are your professional credentials?

2.      Are you licensed in your profession?

3.      How long have you been providing care management services?

4.      Are you available for emergencies?

5.      Does your company also provide home care services?

6.      How do you communicate information to me?

7.      What are your fees? (these should be provided in writing to the consumer/responsible party prior to services starting)