Managing the numerous medical appointments, treatments, tests, prescriptions, lifestyle adjustments, and more is a way of life for the many older individuals with chronic health needs. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as many as 85% of seniors have at least one chronic health care need, and 60% are living with two or more. The difficulties can seem overwhelming. But there’s one essential element to help seniors managing chronic health needs: care management.
Diagnoses including diabetes, COPD, heart disease, and others are life-changing. They impact a senior’s mental as well as physical wellness, and it’s important to enlist assistance in meeting all care needs. Geriatric care managers, also referred to as aging life care specialists, are skilled specialists with competence in meeting all of the assorted care needs of seniors.
Here’s how care management works:
The Evaluation
A preliminary, in-depth evaluation, performed in the older adult’s home, allows the care manager to fully comprehend the senior’s specific concerns and challenges. The care manager will evaluate cognitive, physical, nutritional, and mental acuity, as well as the overall safety of the home environment. With this in mind, a comprehensive plan of care is then put into place.
The Plan
The older adult’s personalized care plan will include a full range of recommendations, such as:
- Education as required to improve chronic disease management
- Referrals to local resources
- How to ensure meds and other care needs are managed effectively
- Home alterations to improve safety and reduce the risk of falls
- And much more
The Result
Following the plan may involve, as appropriate:
- Coordinating and collaborating with the senior’s health care team and network of support
- Problem-solving to eliminate any barriers to appropriate care and management of health conditions
- Advocating for the senior
- Mediating through any challenging family dynamics
- Serving as the “eyes and ears” for family members living at a distance
- Helping with documentation for long-term care insurance or other necessary paperwork
- Accompanying the senior to health care appointments to ensure doctors’ orders are comprehended and adhered to
- Legal guardianship
- And more
At CareFor, we’re pleased to provide professional care management services through our home caregivers in Austin, TX to best meet the varying needs of seniors managing chronic health needs.
Discover the relief and higher quality of care our care management services provide. Contact us online or call us at (512) 338-4533 today for a complimentary in-home evaluation to help a senior you love enjoy a healthier, safer, and more independent way of life. We are here for you any time at to share more about our senior care in Austin, TX, and nearby areas.