Geriatric Care Management Blog

Illinois long term care has been ranked at about number 24 out of the 50 United States on a number of dimensions by AARP, The Commonwealth Fund and The Scan Foundation.  So, does that mean that Illinois’ long term care glass is half full or half empty?  Let me share my perspective as a geriatric care manager on some of the details of this national study so that you can be the judge not just about the national study, but also about facilities you may be investigating for an elder or other special needs individual in your orbit. The report is enlightening in how it rates and ranks what it refers to as long-term services and supports (LTSS) on four important dimensions.  And this is the first of its kind multi-dimensional scorecard on state-level performance.  When I mentioned that Illinois ranks number 24, that is an average across all four dimensions.  In reality, the state ranks:

Number 12 in affordability and access which they calculate based on a numberof indicators such as the private pay...

With a lot of talk these days about children moving back in with parents and intergenerational homes, it is easy to overlook the huge growth in “distance caregiving” in America.  In 1997 the number of distance caregivers - family who are caring for an older parent in another location – was about 7 million; it has since doubled to an estimated 14 million today.  I came across a study on distance caregiving by a nurse oncologist, Polly Mazanec, that addressed a lot of the issues I see as a geriatric care manager with my own clients.  We often get a call from a son or daughter (and yes, it is more often a daughter), because they are concerned about some life issue of an older parent who still resides here where we work.   It can be a change for the worse in a chronic medical condition, a sense that the parent is “confused,” a progression of a cancer, a fall or a home security concern.  But almost without exception,...

Everyone who is a caregiver to an elder or other person with special needs has to be an advocate also.  In my first blog posting, I spoke about what a geriatric care manager does on behalf of the elder or their families, and one of the principal duties is to advocate on behalf of our clients.  In this posting, I offer a few of the ways that all caregivers can advocate on behalf of their loved one to assure the best healthcare and quality of life. As an advocate for an elder, you need to be more than just the person who gets an older parent to and from a provider’s health care appointment.  As long as the elder confirms that you can attend the appointment, you can be present, and you should use that opportunity to take notes and ask questions. 

As an advocate, you will want to be as knowledgeable as possible about any medical issues that affect your loved one, and that includes asking questions of physicians and others as well as doing...

In past blog postings I have talked about transitions that challenge older adults and their children.  High on the list are refitting a home to accommodate the diminishing capabilities of an older adult who still can live independently.  Also, I have talked about how to make the decision to move to a senior residential facility and leave home altogether.  In this posting, I would like to share with you what I have learned as a geriatric care manager in the form of suggested steps you may consider as you have “the talk” about your older adult’s driving.

The first step for you as a caregiver anticipating this conversation is to simply start thinking concretely about how you would like to be approached with the subject.  This is a real role reversal in the parent-child relationship, and it requires sensitivity, and it can be helpful to think about how you would want to be approached if you were in your parent’s shoes.  You may also recognize that this is not just a conversation you can have with your...