As part of celebrating the month of May as Aging Life Care Month, we would like to help educate our visitors on what it is that Aging Life Care Professionals, also known as Geriatric Care Managers, do to help aging persons and their involved family members to plan for care and solve aging challenges.
I have been a nurse for 38 years. After helping my grandparents navigate the complex medical maze at ages 101 and 98 years old, I knew my calling was to help others move through care decisions and so I became a Geriatric Care Manager (also known as an Aging Life Care Manager).
The work that I do with clients and their families is challenging and rewarding. It is a constant search for the best care solutions for each client. What is best for one client may not be good at all for another client and it is my job to know that difference. I love the satisfaction it brings to find just the right solution for each client and see the changes in them and their families.
I also work with solo agers, those who do not have family or friends to make sure that their needs are met, and their wishes are followed for their care.
My connections with local elder law attorneys, physicians, nurses, assisted living facilities, nursing rehab facilities, in-home care and home health nursing agencies, and a host of other aging care providers mean that I can fit the missing piece of the puzzle in where it’s needed for each person.
The most challenging situations are those where a client has behavioral issues, mostly from advancing memory and cognitive decline. Families struggle as their loved one’s entire personality changes. The clients can be hostile and even get aggressive and solutions must be smart to make sure their needs are met, and they and their caregivers are safe. If they are living in a facility, they may be asked to move and that is a time when most families are overwhelmed. My job is to step in and help solve the issue. It may require figuring out how to manage the behaviors through medication changes or having an aide to sit with them, whatever we can do to calm them. Then, we look for the right facility for them. The reward in seeing a client’s behaviors reduced and living in the right environment is unmatched.
I know that my work is relieving the stress from families when they say they couldn’t have done this without my help. It is the most rewarding job I’ve ever had as a nurse! My days never end up where I think they’re going to because things happen every day and working with people, there is no telling what will happen with each client. But I know the value that I bring to my client’s lives and I know that walking next to them, as they go through these changes, is the best job for me!
If you are a caregiver who is struggling with managing the care of a family member, please reach out, you do not have to be overwhelmed and I’ll be happy to help. Please give us a call at 850-894-6720 or email us at info@gcmsolutions.net to find out how we can help.
