What is a Geriatric Care Manager?
The National Association of Professional Geriatric Care managers define a Professional Geriatric Care Managers as:
A Geriatric Care Manager is a health and human services professional, such as a gerontologist, social worker, counselor, or nurse, with a specialized body of knowledge and experience related to aging and elder care issues. A Professional Geriatric Care Manager (PGCM) is a geriatric care manager who is a member of the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers (GCM) and had committed to adhering to the GCM Pledge of Ethics and Standards of Practice,
The PGCM assists older adults and persons with disabilities in attaining their maximum functional potential. The PGCM strives to respect the autonomy of the individual and delivers care-coordination and support services with sensitivity to preserve the dignity and respect of each individual. In addition, the PGCM is an experienced guide and resource for families of older adults and others with chronic needs.
I start my definition with “Caveat Emptor” as we are not all alike in our practice or, in my opinion, equally qualified. In my social interrelations with local Geriatric Managers and National Geriatric Care Managers I have found there is a range of PGCM’s – from those who have the lesser credentials of working as a nurses aide and then obtained an on-line certificate in Gerontology, to those with the highest credentials of a PHD in gerontology in combination with a RN Nurse Practitioner.
So, when you are looking for assistance for your parents, be sure to determine exactly what the PGCM’s background is prior to retaining them for service. Of course my opinion is biased being a RN, but if I were to choose a PGCM for my parents care I would want someone who could not only manage the social aspects of their care but also medically coordinate their care and act as a liaison with all parties involved in this coordination. Only someone with an Undergraduate Degree or Masters in a field of Science is able to do this. (Registered Nurse, Physical Therapist, Occupational Therapist, to mention a few). If the services you need are purely social in nature (assistance with shopping, counseling, immediate placement, Medicaid applications) then a social worker with a Masters Degree or a Masters Educated Gerontologist might be your best choice.
Additionally, I would assure the PGCM you are considering hiring has a certificate in Care or Case Management (CCM - Certified Case Manager or CMC - Care Manager Certified). To become certified, a professional has to meet the requirements to be called a Case Manager and then take an exam to obtain the certification. They also have to be re-certified every so many years, which requires proof of continual education in the field of case management.
What do Geriatric Care Manager’s do?
What PGCM’s do varies depending on the qualifications of the PGCM. Here is the National Society of PGCM’s Definition:
Care management services are offered in a variety of settings. Professional Geriatric Care Managers (PGCMs) can serve the needs of their clients with the following services:
- Short-term or on-going assistance for long distance caregivers or other requiring assistance.
- Personalized and compassionate services focusing on the individual's wants and needs.
- Accessibility: Care is typically available 24 hours a day; 7 days a week.
- Continuity of care management by facilitating family communication, reducing the burden on families and preventing unnecessary expenditures.
- Efficiency and flexibility based upon a client-centered approach eliminating bureaucratic constraints.
- Cost containment by avoiding inappropriate placements, duplication of services, and crisis intervention to avoid hospitalizations.
- Quality control: care management services that follow GCM's Standards of Practice
Options For Elder Care (OptionsForElderCare.com) only employs Registered Nurses with a minimum of 15 years experience in case management and geriatrics. In addition to the above services this is the definition of services we provide:
- We are the medical coordinators of care for the geriatric client
- We are the liaisons with all the parties, family, doctors, caregivers, etc.
- We are the education and support system for geriatric client and his family.
- We're that one person that all the parties can call and understand the long-term plan and the steps to get there.
- We’re continually planning and implementing, always evaluating what we're doing as well as the outcomes.
- We strive to do the right thing at the right time, trying to save some money for the client and yet get the best outcomes that we can, functionally, financially and in every way.
How Are The Services of a Professional Geriatric Care Manager paid for?
Hopefully in my lifetime we will see reimbursement for Geriatric Care Managers by Medicare. Unfortunately Geriatric Physicians are becoming scarce because the geriatric services cost the hospital $1,350 more per person than the savings they produced, and Medicare, the insurer for the elderly, does not cover that cost. RN Geriatric Care Manager’s may be the solution for our country’s surging elderly population. (More on this later...)
Until that happens Geriatric Care Managers service is privately paid for. The average national hourly rate for PGCM’s is $80.00 - $150.00 per hour. Again, make sure you are getting a qualified PGCM. You may also hear of care managers who work telephonically from insurance companies or Care Managers through your local area on aging. The service they provide should not be confused with the services a Professional Geriatric Care Manager can provide.
Until next time, my best,
Bobbi
For Geriatric Care Management Assistance from Registered Nurses Contact Options For Elder Care
by phone: 412-443-1365
or email: info@OptionsForElderCare.com
or visit our web site: OptionsForElderCare.com
