Family Senior Care Planners

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If you've spotted some warning signs, and are concerned more than usual about your parent or both elderly parents being able to function well, still living on their own, then you want to make sure you're not seeing the signs of some serious problems. For example, stained or smelly clothing is a warning sign for worsening vision or other sensory loss, disease, depression, or a number of other possibilities. Another example is weight loss. Though it's not unusual for weight loss in later years, it may be a sign for emotional distress, poorly fitting dentures, gum disease, the inability to shop for or prepare meals, an underlying illness, or even medication side effects.



If you've seen some signs that concern you, and you don't know how to handle the situation, you may consider getting help from professional family senior care planners, more often known as Geriatric Care Managers. A GCM is a profession that has been growing tremendously over the past decade, as the population in the US ages, as elderly seniors have needs unfamiliar with those who aren't afflicted with some of the constraints of aging.
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Often times the first step is a geriatric assessment. Here are some of the areas evaluated:



Health



Recognize symptoms of physical illness and/or emotional problems.



Arrange and get to regularly scheduled doctors appointments



Taking medications properly, as directed.



Obtaining and preparing food with nutritional value, and/or following special diets



Daily Activities



Getting up and down safely from a bed or chair, or from the toilet



Safely bathing and dressing



Ability to navigate stairs safely and easily



Using the telephone, doing housework



Driving safely, shopping and/or preparing meals



Safety



Obtaining and using assistive devices like walkers, reaching gadgets, grab bars, hearing aids, etc.



Avoiding cons and deceptive phone calls or door-ringers, who prey on the elderly



Ability to access or call for emergency help



Appearance



Wearing clean and appropriate clothing and footwear



Washing their own hair, shaving, trimming their nails



Social Life



Visiting with friends and neighbors



Attending community events like movies, religious services, clubs or senior centers



Mental Health



Coping with everyday stress and events



The ability to discuss fears and worries as they used to vs. having it consume their daily existence



Continuing with their hobbies and interests



Finances



Paying bills on time, making financial decisions



Ability to locate any of their legal documents and assets, while also handling outside financial assistance and benefits



You can do this kind of assessment yourself, or you can hire a Geriatric Care Manager as your professional family senior care manager. They can also offer recommendations and create plans for short-term and long-term goals. GCMs also can coordinate, implement and monitor the services if you care to hire them for that role. Professionals are especially helpful if you're a long-distance caregiver and can't physically and personally monitor the situation frequently.



You may want to contact the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers at 520.881.8008 or visit their website at www.caremanager.org for more helpful information.