FAQ

1. What is a Geriatric Care Manager?
A Geriatric Care Manager is a health and human services specialist who helps families who are caring for older relatives. The Geriatric Care Manager is trained and experienced in any of several fields related to care management, including, but not limited to nursing, gerontology, social work, or psychology, with a specialized focus on issues related to aging and elder care.
The Geriatric Care Manager assists older adults and persons with disabilities in attaining their maximum functional potential.  In addition, the Geriatric Care Manager is an experienced guide and resource for families of older adults and others with chronic needs, including helping those suffering from Alzheimer's Disease or Parkinsons or exhibiting symptoms of dementia.
Geriatric care managers who are members of the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers (NAPGCM) are committed to adhering to the NAPGCM Pledge of Ethics and Standards of Practice.


2. Do I Really Need a Professional Geriatric Care Manager?
When considering to engage the services of a Geriatric Care Manager, you should evaluate whether you have the time, inclination, or skills to manage the challenges of geriatric care.  If you are not sure, ask a trusted advisor to help you decide if an elder care expert may be helpful.  Enlisting the support of other family members to consult a professional is a good way to build a consensus on the solutions.
Questions that you may wish to consider:

  • Are the problems that you or your loved ones are facing becoming larger and more complex than you can comfortably manage?
  • Are other demands and responsibilities now so great that you are not able to provide the desired level of supervision and attention to your loved one's problems? 

There are many places to find a Geriatric Care Manager in your area. This Web site includes a searchable directory of geriatric care managers who belong to NAPGCM. You may also want to check with local agencies or hospitals to obtain a list of local referrals. Health professionals and elder law attorneys are other excellent referral sources.


3. What are the Benefits of Using a Geriatric Care Manager?
Professional Geriatric Care Management services are offered in a variety of settings.  Geriatric Care Managers can serve the needs of their clients with the following services:

  • Personalized and compassionate service -- focusing on the individual's wants and needs.
  • Accessibility -- care is typically available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
  • Continuity of care management — communications are coordinated between family members, doctors and other professionals, and service providers.
  • Cost containment -- inappropriate placements, duplication of services, and unnecessary hospitalizations are avoided.
  • Quality control — care management services follow NAPGCM'S Standards of Practice and Pledge of Ethics.


4. Make It a Good Experience
A positive and open relationship between a Geriatric Care Manager and a client is important to successful outcomes. The key to getting there is communication. The communication starts with asking the kinds of questions discussed here. Use the answers to the questions as a guide not only to the Geriatric Care Manager's qualifications, but also as a way of determining whether you can comfortably work with this person.

If your concerns are not responded to professionally and personally, if you don't like the answers to your questions, if you don't like the Geriatric Care Manager's reaction to being asked all your questions, or if you simply do not feel relaxed with this particular person, DO NOT HIRE THAT PERSON. Only if you are satisfied with the Geriatric Care Manager you have hired from the very start will you trust him or her to do the best job for you. Only if you have established a relationship of open communication will you be able to resolve any difficulties that may arise between the two of you.

If you take the time to make sure you are happy and compatible right at the beginning, you can make this a productive experience, giving you peace of mind and your senior family member the highest quality of life and the best of elder health care possible. You will thank yourself, and your Geriatric Care Manager will thank you.


5. How do I Find a Geriatric Care Manager?
The National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers (NAPGCM) is an organization of practitioners whose goal is the advancement of expert assistance to the elderly and their families. NAPGCM is committed to maximizing the independence and autonomy of elders and strives to ensure the highest quality and most cost-effective health and human services. Through education, advocacy, counseling, and service delivery, NAPGCM members assist older persons and their families to cope with the challenges of aging.
NAPGCM promotes the highest standards of practice. Membership in NAPGCM as a Certified Geriatric Care Manager is open only to qualified individuals with specialized degrees and experience in human services, including social work, psychology, gerontology or nursing, and who hold one of four NAPGCM-approved certifications.