What is a Geriatric Care Manager?

Geriatric Care Managers ,or GCMs, are people who help full-time, employed family caregivers to better take care of and provide for their elderly loved ones. They can also be of great use in helping to ease the burdens placed upon at-home caregivers, as well as helping them find the right helpful services given their unique situation. Every family that is able should try to take advantage of the services that care managers can provide. A care manager can be a great help for families that are navigating the complex and, at times, confusing waters of elderly care for the first time. Because of the experience and expertise, a care manger typically knows exactly what to do given a particular situation or they can quickly adapt to it. Unfortunately, for one reason or another, many families do not take full advantage of the benefits that a care manger provides.

There is a great deal that care managers can actually help with: things ranging from helping to assess the level and type of care needed, helping to make a care plan, or arranging for legal services and financial advisors, as well as everything in between. There are many more issues that a care manager can help with, so be sure to take full advantage of their services if the opportunity presents itself.

Sadly, many families do not  take advantage of the services provided by a care manager, even when given the option to do so. They simply wish to save money and do it themselves. However, in the long run, having a care manager will often save more money than simply trying to manage care on their own. 

Ultimately, the final choice of whether or not to make use of a care manager has to be left up to the family, and to the elder’s actual needs. Perhaps it would be more beneficial to do things yourself, depending on the situation, but it is important to remember that these types of services are available to those who might be struggling or who face a lot of tough decisions that they could use some guidance with.

Remember, you don’t have to go it alone. Caring for an elderly or aging loved one can be difficult enough on its own, and each new day can present new and more challenging issues that demand your attention. A care manager can help take some of that burden off of you. And when we have less to struggle with, everyone benefits in the end.