2010 August « The Professional Geriatric Care Manager’s Blog

The Turning Point–How Do You Decide it is Time for a Nursing Home?

August 30, 2010 at 11:02 am | Posted in Pat Linard, PR | Leave a comment
Tags: Assisted Living, bergen county, Caregiver, CEUs, Distinctive Care, elderly, geriatric care management, NJ, nursing, nursing home, rehab, rehabilitation, Ridgewood, westwood

On Tuesday, August 31, 2010, Distinctive Care Geriatric Care Management of Ridgewood, NJ will present a two credit hour continuing education course for nurses, both LPNs and RN’s, social workers, Certified Assisted Living Administrators, and Licensed Nursing Home Administrators entitled The Turning Point. This CEU course covers the key reasons why the elderly enter nursing facilities and societal trends impacting their decision. Cultural attitudes towards nursing facilities are covered along with the psychological impact of caregiver stress and other quality of life issues. It also reviews the role of a geriatric care manager. This presentation will be presented at the Nursing and Rehabilitation Center of CareOne at Valley, 300 Old Hook Road in Westwood, NJ in Bergen County. There will be a light dinner and networking at 5pm followed by the presentation at 5:30pm. To RSVP, call 201-664-8888.

A Week in the Life of a Geriatric Care Manager in Bergen County,NJ

August 27, 2010 at 10:00 am | Posted in Christine Clark, GCM | Leave a comment

Caregiver, home health aide, companion. Help. When a loved one is in need of assistance these words describe so much and become invaluable.

As a geriatric care manager, a big part of my job is to assess who needs help, what that help should consist of and who would be the best match for the client.

Prior to Mrs. C. coming home from the hospital, all caregivers were interviewed by the client, her care managers and her family. Everything was in place or so we thought.

Mrs. C. is thrilled with her Monday through Friday caregiver but felt that she didn’t “click” with the weekend caregiver. Reassurance was given to Mrs. C. and her family that the search would resume for a better match. All involved were reminded that with dementia and the recent fall, it is imperative that we work quickly to ensure that 24 hour care is uninterrupted even if that means the current weekend caregiver stays a few more weekends.

With family sometimes far away and loved ones in need of assistance to remain in their homes, a geriatric care manager can make all the difference in coordinating, facilitating and managing the continuing care necessary to maintain safety and wellbeing.