What do a 97-year-old woman with mild paranoia and beginning stages of dementia, a lonely 86-year-old WWII vet being taken advantage of by a woman who has befriended him, and an 87-year-old forgetful woman hoarding papers in a tiny apartment have in common?
They are all Eddy & Schein clients who have benefited personally from the work of Aging Life Care Professionals, also known as Geriatric Care Managers.
Aging Life Care is a client-centered approach to caring for older adults as well as others facing ongoing health challenges, such as chronic illnesses, developmental disabilities, and mental health issues. The practice of Aging Life Care is not new (and until recently was called Geriatric Care Management), but as the generation of baby boomers age, more attention is being paid to our aging population and their needs. Aging Life Care Professional understand those needs and how to creatively use the resources and services available to their aging clients. The people who choose this profession often begin their professional lives as licensed social workers, nurses, therapists or gerontologists, an experience which gives them the expertise to assess an individual’s needs and abilities and the knowledge to navigate the complexities of the healthcare system.
Eddy & Schein has worked with a number of Aging Life Care Professionals (ALCP). Due to their expertise, our clients now have a better quality of life:
- Private aides were hired for our 97-year-old client. A visiting doctor was engaged, and our client was briefly administered medication for her paranoia, which calmed her down and allowed her to enjoy life better and engage more healthily with those around her.
- A lovely VA home was identified for our WWII vet. The application process was managed so that he was accepted quickly and moved in within 2 months. His ALCP visits with him weekly to be sure he remains happy with his surroundings and is getting the care he needs & has proper clothing.
- Another ALCP applied for Medicaid and set up the necessary trusts for the 87-year-old so she could have home health aides, and sought our involvement to work on her paper hoarding and manage her day-to-day finances.
The guidance of ALCPs is not only beneficial to the isolated individual like the clients described here. We have worked with ALCPs in assisting families to reduce potentially overwhelming worry and stress by ensuring quality care for their loved ones.
We encourage all our senior clients and their families to hire an Aging Life Care Professional, especially when the client has multiple medical or psychological issues, or is unable to live safely in his/her environment as it is currently arranged. For more information visit www.aginglifecare.org.