Finding social services when you can?t afford a GCM (geriatric care manager) means piecing together the support your parent needs. Geriatric Care Managers are eldercare professionals who support elders and their families by overseeing the elder?s care. Many are nurses or social workers who have decided to concentrate on serving elders.
Typical GCM offerings are:
? Assessment of the elder?s needs and creating a plan with recommendations to fill any gaps
? Advocacy for the elder when interfacing with the medical and caregiving professionals
? Managing the elder?s day-to-day care when the family lives far away
? Referring families to appropriate eldercare resources for legal, financial or medical issues
? Assist with transitions from home or the hospital to a senior care facility and from the hospital to home.
Comprehensive is the word that best describes the service that are given by a GCM. You are searching for an eldercare program that offers multiple services. The internet is a good way to find social services when you can?t afford a GCM
Where to Find Social Services When You Can?t Afford a GCM
? Visit your parent?s Department of Aging state?s website. Once you locate the state web pages that serve seniors, you can get the phone number and web address for your parent?s county Office on Aging. Calling the county Office on Aging is a good place to start, ask for referrals for programs that offer case management for seniors.
? Check in with your parent?s doctor. Most doctors do not have a social worker on staff but he/she may be able to refer to a geriatric clinic in your community that takes integrated approach to eldercare and offers social work services.
? Contact your local hospitals to see if they sponsor a geriatric clinic or offer social services.
? The local senior center may offer social services support for a limited number of appointments or calls. Prepare for your appointments by creating an outline of your parent?s situation, your concerns and a list of questions to maximize your time.
? If your parent has a specific illness like Parkinson?s disease or Alzheimer?s disease you may be able to receive social services support through a non profit that helps individuals with the disease and their families.
Another way to find social services without a GCM are programs like PACE. PACE programs are integrated programs that are designed to keep frail elders at home. Program participants receive medical care, prescriptions, adult day care and home care from the program. Each elder is served by a team that includes a doctor, nurse, social worker and the adult day care team. Your parent must meet certain criteria for admission and be enrolled in the PACE program to receive services.
Some of the legwork that a geriatric care manager provides like attending doctor appointments with their clients and reporting to family members can be performed by family members. Reading one or two good books about caring for elders can help you get ready to provide care for your parent or improve the care you are already providing. ?The Complete Eldercare Planner? by Joy Loverde is a good resource.
If limited funds are available, consider hiring a GCM and using their services selectively. Hiring a GCM to complete an assessment and care plan for your parent is a good investment. After your parent?s situation has been assessed and a care plan has been developed, you can step in and complete the steps of the care plan yourself. A comprehensive assessment helps you see issues more objectively and may identify problems that you were not aware of.
It is possible to find social services when you can?t afford a GCM. It will take creativity and persistence on your part to create a team that provides all the services of a geriatric care manager.
Source: http://www.oea-elsalvador.org/how-to-find-social-services-when-you-cant-afford-a-gcm.htm
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