Care Management

Care Managers provide expertise in the assessment, plan development, coordination, and monitoring of eldercare services to ensure the highest quality of care.

Care Managers2023-03-20T13:00:50-04:00

What is Care Management?

A Care Manager is a social worker, nurse, gerontologist, or mental health professional who acts as a guide for families with specialized care needs. Care Managers provide expertise in the assessment, plan development, coordination, and monitoring of eldercare services to ensure the highest quality of care.

Countless families hire a life care manager to alleviate their stress, worry, and fear that can accompany aging — and, most importantly — give them a greater sense of stability, clarity, and peace of mind. According to research conducted by the Florida Chapter of the Aging Life Care Association, ninety-nine percent of families said a Life Care Manager had a positive effect on their own lives.

care manager

What Does the Care Manager Do?

  • Understand Care Needs – A Care Manager typically begins with an assessment that addresses three distinct areas: needs, preferences, and risk factors. A professional evaluation serves as the basis for a comprehensive, individualized care management plan. It identifies issues that require attention; goals to be achieved; and the specific resources, services, and people needed to accomplish those goals.
  • Implement and Coordinate Care – After the creation of a care management plan, a Life Care Manager moves into the implementation phase. By using phone calls, emails, interviews, and home or office visits, he or she can quickly initiate all of the needed services, keeping the senior and involved family members and professionals apprised of progress along the way.
  • Monitor Quality of Care – A Care Management plan must be consistently monitored and periodically updated to be effective. A Care Manager monitors progress using phone calls, emails, video calls, and in-person visits to ensure that all initiated services are meeting the needs and preferences of the senior and family caregivers.
  • Reevaluate Care Plan – Care Managers know how to advocate for the elderly. They have the training and expertise to speak for seniors who can’t speak up for themselves (due to illness or cognitive condition), as well as for those who are at risk of financial misconduct, neglect, undue influence, and other forms of elder abuse. A professional Care Manager will continue to monitor and re-evaluate the situation, taking note of any changes that require fine-tuning of the care management plan.

What Are The Benefits Of Having a Care Manager?

  • Improved quality of care: The care manager can ensure that the caregivers provide high-quality care that meets the client’s needs and goals. They can also monitor the caregiver’s performance and make necessary changes to ensure that the client receives the best possible care.
  • Better coordination of care: The care manager can coordinate the services of multiple caregivers and healthcare providers, ensuring that the client receives seamless and comprehensive care.
  • Increased safety: The care manager can assess the client’s risk for adverse events, such as falls, medication errors, or other safety concerns, and implement measures to minimize these risks.
  • Reduced caregiver burnout: Care-managed home care can help prevent caregiver burnout by providing support and resources to help them manage their workload and maintain their well-being.
  • Better communication: The care manager can serve as a central point of communication between the client, their family, and the caregiver, ensuring that everyone is on the same page and working towards the same goals.
  • Improved cost management: By managing the care team, the care manager can help ensure that the client’s care is delivered efficiently and cost-effectively, reducing waste and unnecessary spending.

Our Care Managers Can Help With:

Planning for the Future2023-03-27T12:29:41-04:00

I just want to plan ahead… nothing urgent today.

While the future may not be ours to see, planning ahead gives us more options and control. Comprehensive future planning includes getting all of the necessary legal papers prepared, or updated; reviewing finances, including savings, current and future income, assets and realistic budgets for a variety of future scenarios. It means thinking about current and future living arrangements and having comprehensive information on medical conditions, medications and any current or likely future functional limitations. By being aware of community resources, you’ll be ready to tap into them when the time comes.

Care Managers Can…

  • Help you to develop a contingency plan
  • Get a better sense of your potential needs and wants so at a time when the need emerges you don’t have to start from scratch
  • Help our clients and their support systems understand what their options are
  • Help you be prepared and proactive to avoid last minute reactive behaviors, which can be costly financially and emotionally
Driving Concerns2023-03-20T17:26:36-04:00

My relative shouldn’t be driving.

Driving is a key part of everyday life for most Americans. How do you get to the store or church or to see your friends and family if you can’t drive your car?  The ability to instantly move from home to wherever you want to go provides a powerful feeling of independence for most older people.  But, what if your father has been in three fender-benders in the past six months?  Perhaps you’ve noticed dings and dents on Mom’s car or wonder if she’ll get confused about her route. You have begun to fear more serious problems happening – what if someone is injured?  Here are a few tips to manage the conversation you need to have.

Care Managers Can…

  • Help you objectively evaluate and understand the risk involved
  • Help you to facilitate the “conversation”
  • Communicate with the DMV
  • Identify other transportation options
Quality of Life / Social Engagement2023-03-20T17:26:24-04:00

My relative is all alone or quality of life is poor and I feel bad about this.

During the current COVID-19 crisis, this problem that affects so many of our elders even in the best of times became a clear worry for many families.  There are concrete steps you can take to both manage your feelings and help your family member.

Care Managers Can…

  • Identify activities that the client used to enjoy and figure out ways to adapt to the current situation
  • Focus on activities and people that could bring joy to a client’s life – focus on meaningful interactions
  • Help mark time in meaningful ways
  • Create a leisure calendar
Falls2023-03-20T17:26:13-04:00

My parent falls frequently and I’m always worried about getting an emergency phone call.

Getting to the bottom of the cause of the falls is the first step. By understanding if there is a way to manage what is causing the falls you are then in a position to figure out what to do. If the situation is temporary, you may need to come up with a short-term plan and put new safety measures in place. But, in many cases, you’ll need a long-term plan to manage the situation to avoid life becoming one crisis after another. Even if your parent isn’t falling frequently (that you know of), falls are the #1 cause of injury and death in elders. So, if you want to help your parent age at home safely, start with a home safety assessment.

Care Managers Can…

    • Complete a home safety evaluation, walk through the home making recommendations
    • Review risk factors for falls
      • Medications
      • Conditions
      • Incontinence
      • Footwear
      • Clutter
      • Vision
      • Lighting
    • Identify devices, services, and products that could help lower risk of falls
      • Handyman services
      • Emergency response systems
      • Medical equipment
      • PT/OT evaluations
      • Medical evaluation
      • Medication review

Medications2023-03-20T17:26:02-04:00

My parent takes a lot of medicine…is he/she taking it the right way?

This is a challenge for anyone taking more than one medication—and when someone is taking three or more medications it can be a recipe for disaster! There are practical steps to follow to put a safe medication plan in place for your parents.

Care Managers Can…

  • Confirm the client is taking medications as prescribed by the doctor
  • Make sure that all doctors know about all the medications and treatments
  • Evaluate medications for contraindications
  • Organize pills, put a reminder system in place that works best for the individual
  • Put in place a means of documenting that the client took meds as prescribed
Family Conflict2023-03-20T17:25:49-04:00

My siblings don’t agree on how to help our parents.

Unfortunately, your parents get caught in the middle and it may feel like you can’t get anything done when no one agrees. You need some way to manage the difficult situation you are experiencing today. To quote Leo Tolstoy: “All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” However, there are some approaches and recommendations that we have gained from working with thousands of families that can help you cope and move forward.

Further Reading

Care Managers Can…

  • Perform an objective evaluation
  • Bring families together for family meetings and discussions
  • Help build a consensus
  • Mediate and facilitate conflict resolution
  • Create a plan that compromises without compromising the elder’s needs; minimize conflict
Transitions2023-03-27T12:45:36-04:00

A major transition just happened (hospitalization, recent move, death of a spouse) and you’re worried about how they’re coping.

Change is always stressful but to an elderly person who has had a fixed routine for years and wasn’t looking for change the stress can be both overwhelming and long-lasting. Many factors affect the adjustment process, and even changes you see as positive can be tough. How much did he or she participate in decisions about the change? How many resources, social as well as financial, do they have? Was the change the result of a crisis – unplanned and unwelcomed? How can we support the adjustment process and make transitions as smooth as possible?

Care Managers Can…

  • Identify all the tasks that need to be done, organize and prioritize, and then coordinate getting them done
  • Work closely with hospital discharge planners to ensure a smooth transition home
  • Deal with all of the “details” around the transition – from medical equipment to home health, medications, doctor’s appointments, follow-up, moving companies and packing, and all the little things in between
  • Educate about costs and pros and cons; help with the management of expectations
  • Assist with access to appropriate community resources
  • Communicate and follow up with all involved
  • Provide education about what to watch for and help with monitoring
  • Give emotional support and coaching to help with the adjustment to the new arrangement
New Diagnosis2023-03-20T17:25:22-04:00

My parent has a new medical problem and needs help.

Managing a new medical problem poses challenges on many levels. Understanding the diagnosis, possibly getting a second opinion, dealing with a new medication or treatment, exploring how to integrate the physical and emotional impact of the new condition into your parent’s life and possibly your own – this is only some of what you’re facing. The information helps, as can access new resources that you may need. But, it also takes time and the proper support to integrate this new challenge into your parent’s life.

Care Managers Can…

    • Educate the client, family, and care team
    • Provide emotional support and coaching
    • Identify questions to ask
    • Access information and resources to help support the client and family
    • Facilitate discussion about disease progression, prognosis, and management
    • Help develop a plan and next steps
    • Assist with obtaining second opinions
    • Gather a team of professionals that is right for you and your condition

     

Changes in Condition2023-03-27T12:37:58-04:00

My relative’s health condition has recently changed and requires much more attention.

Changes in your relative’s health condition can be immediate, short-term, or ongoing.  It may be obvious when something has changed, hard to pin down, or confusing. The challenge you’re facing is here now, but it also needs to be managed with the future in mind. How do you know where to start?

Care Managers Can…

  • Communicate with doctors
  • Evaluate the level of care needed and access appropriate resources
  • Provide emotional support and coaching
  • Help move the situation from a crisis to stability and manageability
  • Assist with adjustment to the new reality
Financial Abuse2023-03-20T17:23:58-04:00

I’m concerned about someone taking financial advantage of my parent.

Is your parent possibly the victim of elder abuse? The most typical form of elder abuse is financial abuse. This can take the form of simply stealing money or things of value from an elder to taking over the person’s entire financial life. Elder abuse is a serious and sometimes difficult problem to solve. Expert advice is often needed to understand how to approach the problem and best get help, from formally making a complaint of elder abuse to authorities to putting safeguards in place.

Further Reading

Care Managers Can…

    • Educating family members regarding signs of abuse and undue influence
    • Gathering the facts and a clear picture of the situation
    • Evaluating legal tools and documents in place and needed; making referrals to professionals who can help
    • Evaluating capacity
    • Protection and prevention interventions to stop abuse and scams; interfacing with police, and aging organizations; exploring options such as phone blocks, screening mail, protected debit cards, etc.
    • Reporting and communication with Adult Protective Services

     

Unwise Decisions / Poor Judgement2023-03-20T17:24:19-04:00

My parent is making poor decisions.

This can be one of the most difficult situations an adult child can face with an elderly parent. The person who seemed so responsible throughout your lifetime no longer seems to be thinking clearly or acting prudently. Or is it that you just don’t agree with a life choice your parent is making? Perhaps they’re staying too long in a house that is obviously too big, which is not being kept clean, and refusing all offers of help? Understanding the difference between making a poor decision and being beyond the capacity to make important life decisions can be tricky. There are many fine gradations along this path from being fully capable to being unable to make one’s own decisions. Where is your parent? How will you know when the line is, in fact, crossed?

Care Managers Can…

  • Better understand the context of why is the person acting in this way and what might be fueling their decisions
  • Help to evaluate capacity and bring in external resources to be involved when needed
  • Help determine the level of severity and coach the family through what questions to ask and what to look out for
  • Educate families about the right to folly
  • Help families wisely “pick their battles”  and prioritize the issues
  • Assist families in determining when they may need to step in more assertively
Dementia2023-03-20T17:24:39-04:00

I think my relative might have dementia or Alzheimer’s. They seem confused or are having some difficulty thinking straight.

Dementia is a term that covers many conditions from classic Alzheimer’s disease to Mild Cognitive Impairment. These medical terms denote a large variety of changes in an individual’s ability to think, understand, make decisions, and assess information. What to do? Luckily today these changes can be diagnosed with some accuracy. And getting a good differential diagnosis is important because what you and your family will need to do depends on understanding, as exactly as possible, what has caused these changes. From there, you can address concerns and prepare.

Further Reading

Care Managers Can…

    • Help you obtain a differential diagnosis and discover any possible reversible causes
    • Identify where the person is in the stages and understand disease progression
    • Provide education
    • Assist with accessing resources
    • Provide emotional support
    • Help with the impact on the family caregiver and give everyone a sense of expectations and options

     

Families Feeling Overwhelmed2023-03-20T17:27:05-04:00

I have a lot on my plate and need help as I don’t have the time and energy or expertise to handle the situation well.

This may be exactly why many people decide they need to get professional assistance. Too much is being asked of them by too many people. It can feel like there’s never enough time available to feel that you are able to get a grip on anything: home, work, kids, and all those practical tasks of life. Seeking professional advice may be the best option, to get a handle on the situation and relieve some of your stress.

Further Reading

Care Managers Can…

  • Universalize and normalize what you’re going through; talk about your concerns and stress
  • Helping you plan for the long run – caregiving is a marathon vs. a sprint
  • Identify things that can be done to relieve the family burden so you can find balance and provide the best care to your loved ones

Our Home Care Services

Companion Care

We happily provide companionship and other needed assistance.

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Dementia Care

Receive a customized care regimen making life easier.

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End-Of-Life Care

Providing you support & assistance so you can focus on them.

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24-Hour Care

Quality care 24 hours a day, 7 days a week as needed.

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Medication Assistance

Ensuring that the right medications are taken on schedule.

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Palliative Care

Helping those who are chronically ill to stay safe at their own home.

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Personal Care

Receive care and assistance with the activities of daily living.

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Respite Care

We’re here for you when you need a well deserved rest and break.

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Transition Care

Assistance with transitioning from hospital to home.

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Quick Care Visits

We provide on demand care for personal care needs.

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Have Questions?

Our mission is to provide the care and resources needed to prevent falls and hospitalizations by keeping seniors aging wisely™. If you would like to learn more about EasyLiving services in Clearwater, Holiday, Temple Terrace, and Winter Haven, contact us today!

Need to speak with someone right now?
Call us at (727) 447-5845

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