How Do We Best Serve Our Aging Parents and Loved Ones?
Answers for Those Who Don't Know Where to Begin
An Overview of Elder Care Consultation & Planning
As we age, oftentimes our needs must be served by a wide variety of disparate institutions. The American medical system is very disjointed in this way, leaving aging Americans at unnecessary risk. Elder Care Planning ties all of the puzzle pieces into a complete picture of the individual and their needs. A comprehensive plan is necesasry to address interelated challenges in order to achieve the best outcomes and quality of life.
Personalized Aging Support & Elder Care Planning Solutions
Our services are tailored to meet your precise needs; they range from ad hoc consultation services, all the way to comrehensive, intensive case management. We provide a vast array of services covering all aspects of senior and disabled adults' well-being.
Elder Crisis Intervation
Families will spend more time planning for a ten day vacation than for one of the inevitable phases of life. It's best to have a care plan established prior to - and in order to prevent crisis, however, crisis is often the time when familes first realize the benefit of care management.
When a loved one is in dire circumstances and familes are exhausted, they often turn to care managers to take over the situation, alleviate the stress, and bring calm to an otherwise chaotic state of affairs.
A crisis may be the result of self-neglect, illness, depression, victimization, isolation, financial harship, grief or loss, social isolation, loss of a caregiver, or loss of independence. Aging Support Solutions can help these individuals navigate the road ahead, with an aim to make the road as long and comfortable a ride as possible.
You don't have to wait for a crisis to make an effective plan for your loved ones. It never hurts to plan ahead.
Comprehensive Elder Care Assessments
The assessment is the foundation of care management and provides a roadmap for the care plan which can be implemented by the patient's family, or care manager.
This Comprehensive Care Assessment Addresses:
- Family History
- Medical Conditions
- Medications
- Physician & Hospital Interface
- Specfic Challenges
- Physical & Cognitive Ability
- Mobility
- Daily Living Activities
- Social Wellbeing
- Financial Strategies
- Assessment of Personal Difficulties
- More
Knowing Your Loved One is The Key To Helping Them. This Process is Essential to Fostering the Best Level of Care Possible.
Patient Advocacy: Fighting for the Best Care from the Medical Field and Asking the Tough Questions
Our foremost responsibility is to advocate in the best interest of the patient while balancing the needs of their family. One of the primary means to advocate is to communicate regularly with physicians and primary medical providers who have the greatest influence of the patient's quality of life.
Coordinating between a number of doctors for overlapping issues can often mean losing track of important details. With extensive experience in these settings and situations, your patient advocate can help ask questions you may never have considered.
Medical problems can be overwhelming for the patient and family alike. They don't have to be faced alone.
Ongoing Management and Oversight of Care
Some patients may only require an assessment which provides a roadmap for future care. Others may need ongoing care management.
Ongoing care management can vary. Some may choose to use a care manager a few hours every month, whild others may utilize them for specific services or complex issues only.
Many caregivers request that care managers coordinate all of the patient's medical and social needs to alleviate the overwhelming stress so common among caregivers.
Keep a level head, with clear guidance, every step of the way.
Contact Aging Support Solutions Today!
"Age In Place" Solutions
"Age in place" has become a prominent phrase as baby boomers age and long-term assisted living housing is at a premium. Age in place simple means finding a way for older adults to stay at home rather than moving to a long-term care facility.
Sometimes, there is no alternative. However, our care managers are well versed in technology, home modification, home care, and durable medical equipment solutions that often offer a viable option to seniors who prefer to age in place.
A number of modern solutions and improvements to the elder care field have made aging at home more attainable than ever before.
Care Transition Coordination
This is an important topic receiving increasing attention in the healthcare community and media alike. A transition of care takes place when a patient moves from house to house, between care settings, such as when a patient leaves the hospital and returns home or goes to a rehabilititation facility.
Care transitions also occur when a patient's condition or situation changes. Lack of coordinatino during care transitions, is unfortunately, quite frequent and can be disatrous for everyone involved. Medication errors and a failure to transfer important information are two of the most frequently cited problems during care transitions.
Proper documentation and 'training' from one care situation to the next can make for a smooth and safe transition.
Long-Term Care & House Planning
Where will your older family member reside as they age? This is one of the most common dilemmas faced by caregivers, yet it is rarely planned for. Our care managers will help devise a strategy to ensure that all facets of aging are carefully planned to maximize asset preservation, legal protection, and overall health - issues that are of particular concern when older persons require care in assisted living facilities.
When assisted care is needed, either for rehabilitiation or long term care, we can eliminate common missteps taken by well-intentioned family members and maximize the chances of admission to a preferred facility.
Long-term care and housing is one of the most stressful decisions a family can make, yet is rarely planned for.
Schedule & Accompany Patients to Appointments & Accurately Relay Information
scheduling and attending - special - as needed additional service available
Scheduling and attending medical appointments is an additional, as-needed service available for those who live a fair distance from their aging loved ones, or who are not able to make themselves available at the necessary time.
With years of experience surrounding medical issues for the elderly, we are able to ask thoughful and meaningful questions of medical providers and relay that information in an understandable format for the family.
According to a recent study by Johns Hopkins, more than 250,000 people in the United States die every year because of medical mistakes, making it the third leading cause of death.
Locate and Coordinate Community Resources
When at a loss for the best course of action to take for an ill or injured senior adult, we can connect you to community resources that can alleviate caregiver stress and financial burden. These resources may include government, private, or non-profit organizations.
A plethora of resources are available on a number of levels, from non-profit, to paid, to state initiatives.
Coordinate Services With Members of the Larger Health Care Team
Research shows that patients who receive treatment under a coordinated care system experience better outcomes across the full spectrum of aging issues. In fact, ER visits reduce by 50% among high-risk elderly patients, and their ability to recover from such visits and return to a routine are improved.
The number of people who make decisions about the overall health of a patient can become many and disparate, especially as the patients age. Coordinated care unifies the health team toward a single goal: to improve the life your your elderly loved one.
"Teamwork makes the dream work!" as they say. A coordinate team is essential for the best medical outcomes for your loved one.
End of Life Counseling & Hospice Planning
Tom Caleca's role as an advocate for older persons engenders a unique relationship between care manager and patient - a role that is generally well regarded by patients who seek to discuss end of life issues with a trusted companion outside the family circle.
Care managers are uniquely positioned to have frank conversations with dying patients and are able to facilitate the difficult decisions that must be made jointly by patients and families.
Your loved ones may not be prepared to speak with you about their end of life choices. A trusted third party can help to alleviate the stress of these difficult conversations.
Coordination & Supervision of In-Home Care & Companion Services
When home care is required for elderly or disabled persons, Aging Support Solutions can refer you to trusted service providers in your area. However, regardless of referral source, home caregivers are entrusted to work otherwise unsupervised in patient's homes. We can provide you peace of mind by regularly conducting unannounced visits to ensure quality of care and hold caregivers accountable to a third party.