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I am considering this for my parents to try to get ahead of it the best I can and let a professional take the reins. I was a financial person in my former life and saw the value of fee for services when you don't have the time or inclination. The person is a "CMC, LNHA, Gerontologist"




I'm afraid of making a mistake. It's $180 per hour. She is local so would know of all the local options, rather than me calling all these different places and glazing over from sales pitches. Even calling the lifeline folks today it felt like she was angry that I said let me make sure my parents are OK with this set up.
Anyway, if anyone has successfully or unsuccessfully used one, pros/cons, learnings, I would love to hear about it. Thanks.

Alva: I found the GCM "on my own". I'd been spending time looking through elder care websites and resources. This agency is local and has been in business for 20+ years. They had good reviews, and I liked the content of their (free) website. So, I took a chance. We were satisfied with the assessment and the recommendations she made. I think she could provide valuable guidance if we need a care facility in the future. (Because of cost, I HOPE we won't need a lot of a la carte services though.)
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Reply to ElizabethAR37
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That is very steep (fees). I was going to say that I offer elder care management services although they may be very different from a geriatric care manager. My fees are much much less.

I think it depends on what skills you need and if the person is licensed (by who) and what their background / education is.

Who was angry ? the $180 hour person?

Perhaps you can try it out for whatever feels right to you.
She likely has a minimum hour requirement, if not more than that.
She'll likely have a contract so read it carefully.

Write down what you need and see how it fits with her abilities / skills / services offered.

I was my friend's fiduciary, managed all his finances over the last two years of his life. I presume that this Geriatric Care Mgr won't be managing finances.

I coordinated medical appts., attended, wrote assessments to family outside of the immediate area. I really functioned like a social worker, offering a huge variety of services. I did not offer showers. I hired contractors and caregivers / supervised.

If you are overwhelmed and don't have the time to interview 'a lot of people,' ask for references and check them.

It can't hurt to ask for a fee reduction and see what she says.
It depends on how much work she needs/wants.
And a lot (to me) depends on how interactive she will be with you - keeping you in the loop of care ... which was critically important to me to do with family members. As I say "I work with the family unit.' I've also studied dementia (almost two years on-line with Teepa Snow).
Ask what geriatric / dementia experience this person has.
Supervising?
Coordinating?

Gena / Touch Matters
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casole Aug 14, 2024
Hi Gena,

Thanks so much for your valuable input. It was the lifeline rep who seemed annoyed that I didn't complete the transaction. I actually still need to do that for them.

I had a very productive consultation with the team. They really seemed to understand the situation and will do as much or as little as I need. Some people have them do everything. Some just use them as a sounding board. The nurse who would be the case manager managed a memory care unit for 17 years and has a masters as well as Certified Dementia Practitioner credential.

There is no minimum amount of hours and the contract can be terminated at anytime. My parents are on board which is the most important part. I (all of us, we can guess but we don't know what exactly or when only that "it" will!) have no idea what is going to get thrown at me with this situation. To be able to call someone and based on them knowing my family and dynamics to get an action plan going based on their trusted partnerships instead of being in crisis mode is worth it's weight in gold to me. I already feel less anxious and I think mom does as well.

Moms biggest question is "if something happens to dad what's going to happen to me" ? And honestly it's my biggest question too. He's been having blood in his urine so now we have a whole series of tests going on for that. She was a wreck last night. If mom can build a trusting relationship with these folks "early" on she'll be more likely to take recommendations.

I haven't signed yet but have asked some follow up questions. What is the caseload, and do their partners pay any fees to be on their "platform". I want to know upfront if any conflicts of interest exist. They have their own care agency but I am not obligated to use them and they have relationships with others as well.

I have tried our local elder services. They are good but I feel more confident that there will be quicker action and most importantly help with implementing going private. I feel like it's the first time I've made a decision not in the middle of whatever emergency has come up.

Thank you and everyone who has chimed in here. 🙏🥺
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I reluctantly hired one at the behest of a counselor, and it turned out to be great advice. The geriatric care manager I hired described herself as sort of a ‘concierge sibling’ ( my own sibling is AWOL ) and her connections and knowledge really help.

She’s expensive, and in the beginning I took in a lodger to pay for her until I could get finances sorted to pay her out of mom’s bank acct. I utilize her services fairly sparely as a result of cost, but she has seriously saved my bacon a few times. In particular when I got covid and mom had an emergency, another time I was sick and mom had another emergency. This GCM lives closer to mom than I am.

I found her by calling the memory care place another relative was living in, then the GCM and I met in person to see if it was a match.

Absolutely best decision for me - having a backup ‘sibling’ with geriatric experience is huuuuuuuge.
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As a caregiver for my husband. I didn’t find the Geriatric Physician added any additional information me that his PCP. But, he has Alzheimer’s/Dementia.
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We have used one for years. When mom was fairly independent. even though mom now has live in care , I still use the care manager who manages moms medicines and her multiple MD appts . She also directs the aides as to medication management and multiple hospital transfer etc . We live 4 hours away and knowing I can call her in an emergency is critical to my mental health .
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I have researched hiring Geriatric Care Management Company with trained registered nurses. They charge $175 in Plano, TX. Under a contract that you can cancel. I say go for it because if your elder is able to have better care to live at home that is best. Personally, I feel that if they are in 90’s and can live in their own home, it is less change for them. However, it is lonely. The Geriatric Care Manager should be able to help.
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what is the difference between a care manager and an aid?
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As far as " I'm afraid of making a mistake." - that may not be an issue. See what the contract is that they want you to sign, and even then it may be negotiable.

For the one I hired, the contract says that essentially I can terminate the relationship at any time, and only pay for the hours actually used. So that kept it "minimal risk" at first when evaluating how helpful the GCM was (as I posted below, she has been helpful)
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casole Aug 11, 2024
Thank you so much for your input. By mistake I meant in their care. Wasting precious time going down rabbit holes as this is my first rodeo. The advice I'd want would be "let's explore this as a cause vs this based on the many clients we've seen" or "we think x, y, z homecare agency is good for your moms particular situation". Not to blindly follow but get some informed vetted local options. The health care system is simply not designed for this. I have capacity to take them to appointments etc. It's the surrounding support and medical guidance I need help with.

This particular GCM has no minimum amount of hours and bills in 6 minute increments (so I'd better learn to keep it concise!)
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We have one recommended by our Elder Attorney. We did our own research before hiring them and found pricing is all over the place, We chose the one recommended by our attorney at 60.00 per hour and have very glad we did.
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casole Aug 11, 2024
That's a very good price.
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This article looks helpful.

https://www.aarp.org/caregiving/basics/info-2020/geriatric-care-manager.html
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casole Aug 11, 2024
This is the site I used to find the agency I am considering. I have a consult scheduled for Tues AM. I also am awaiting a call from the local elder services family caregiver support program to see what if any the differences and similarities are for the cost. I
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I'm an elder, and I hired a GCM to do an assessment and recommend what I (age 87) and my husband (94) might need in the near (and extended) future. It was pricey, but she has access to care facilities and resources that would likely take me or our family hours to find (if we even could). Her hourly rate is high, but I hope that we won't need to use a lot of billable hours. I think it was worth the cost and could be even more so if we need to make a move. She didn't think we do currently.

The county aging services in our area are pretty much income-based, and we don't qualify at this time although we could down the line if we live much longer!
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AlvaDeer Aug 11, 2024
Elizabeth, Thanks for this. Can you tell us how you FOUND the GCM? Was that through your local County Aging Services or through your Doc? I never know where to tell folks to go to get a GCM. I am so curious also as to what this cost you. I so agree that they have information you would not get elsewhere and otherwise!
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casole: As long as your parents can afford it, it may be worth it.
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Hi There! I hired one for my father because he was being combative with me. It has been a huge life-saver for me and has helped reduce a lot of the stress I was feeling. She handles all of his medical appointment and medical needs, including coordinating with providers, scheduling appointments, taking him to appointments, etc. She also coordinates with the ALF he is in. She visits him weekly to check in and sends me an e-mail after every visit and every appointment.

It has been a godsend for me, because I never wanted to be in the position to handle my dad's medical needs. He has also appreciated it as well because he is more comfortable talking with her about his medical needs than he is with me.

It's expensive, but as someone already mentioned he has the money for it, so we are very lucky. I strongly recommend it, but agree that you should be very clear what their scope is.
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TxPonyGirl Aug 12, 2024
I agree with your recommendation. If they can afford it, it is worth keeping your stress level as low as possible. Her home health care aids is not enough help. I am to exhausted to keep trying to help a Narcissist Mom any longer. Just having profession care and nurses visiting your elder will be a blessing. My Mom who is 95 has finally agreed to get Managed Care.
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Wow! That's a lot! I was thinking about getting a geriatric doctor for my Dad. It just hasn't happened yet!
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Many states have Senior Referral Agents that help people find next step housing. It is free to the clients - the agent earns a referral fee from the community the client moves into.

Great service and in some states they must be licensed by the state, have background checks and insurance.
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Marcia22 Aug 10, 2024
I have a Senior Referral Agent. She's very sweet!
Thought we had a place lined up for my Dad. After doing the care evaluation, my dad can't afford that. So waiting to hear from another home.
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They are certified. My MILs family used one the set her up in a really good nursing home that was Medicaid eligible about a year before she needed it. She continued there for another 5 years and was well cared for. It was well worth the cost for a couple hours of work. Your $ 180 cost per hour is lower than what they paid 9 years ago. You can find one or search about someone at https://www.aginglifecare.org/
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Reply to MACinCT
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A friend of mine used one and was very pleased with the experience, but she was in MN and her parents were in FL.

Who will be paying for the GCM? Hopefully it will be your parent's expense. Are you their PoA? If not, I'd be very careful about plunging money into care solutions when you don't have complete legal representation for them. And, unless you are literally a multi-millionaire, you won't be able to sustain paying on their behalf without depleting your own coffers for your own care.

I get that it is very time-consuming to provide the management. I'm a business partner with my husband, and much of what I do aside from my actual professional work revolves around bookkeeping for the business. It's boring and I dislike it. Now we're PoAs for 3 of our elders. More management. Even though we're now semi-retired and have a more flexible schedule, their care needs keep ramping up. One of them is in FL and we're in MN so I travel down there at least once a year to make sure everything is copacetic and matches my management efforts the rest of the year.

Maybe think about what you absolutely don't want to do and outsource that. But again, only if your parents are willing to pay for it, can pay for it, or you have robust resources.

In the end, the GCM will still need your input and participation on certain things no matter what. If you are PoA and it is active for one or both of your parents, it may make more sense to attempt to transition them into a good IL/AL community where they also have MC and LTC and accepts Medicaid.

Will your parents accept working with this "stranger"? Please continue to look through this forum: there is much to know and you seem to be at the beginning of this journey. There is a lot of great advice and wisdom to be found here. I wish I had found this forum back in 2016 when both my inlaws were broke, sick and falling apart.
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I would be very cautious. Some Geriatric case managers claim to be able to assist with such a vast range of issues. These are typically LNHM, licensed nursing home managers or CMC, certified case managers. Gerontologists are physicians. Claims of being able to determine financial or legal needs or assistance with family conflicts should be warning signs. The scope of work should pertain to assessing health care needs, presenting options and connecting you with resources.
I would never pay someone $180 an hour for that. Your local council on aging is a great resource and it’s free.
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I have found its worth it. Luckily my dad has enough money to afford it, so of course have to factor that in. I have the person help out with things, research into things needed, caregiver agencies etc, and communicate with assisted living and help be a bridge between the facility and me etc. Mostly behind the scenes stuff, but she will visit my dad 1-2 times a month just to continue the familiarity and so that he knows who she is. She is really good with the elderly, and as you mention, knows all the local agencies and professionals/ stores related to elder care. So its just a couple/few hours a week of charged time, fortunately. For this purpose, I have found it helps a lot. Also, if I have to travel out of town for work, she can do more, sort of be on "emergency call", go to ER with dad if he had to go when I'm out of town etc. So, as with many professionals, if you find the right one who works well with you, and fits in with your care plan philosophies, I think it can be well worth hiring one.

I know that some people use them when there is no family nearby where the elderly LO is. In that scenario where the geriatric care manager is doing virtually all the hands on work, it could cost way more/ many more hours.
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