As part of celebrating the month of May as Aging Life Care Month, we would like help educate our visitors on what it is that Aging Life Care Professionals, also known as Geriatric Care Managers, do to help aging persons and their involved family members to plan for care and solve aging challenges.
When Pete was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s, Iris knew that she could take care of him. She lovingly took on more and more of the home responsibilities and they were able to manage until one day Pete tripped and fell, breaking his hip. This changed the care needs for Pete and Iris’ friend recommended that she reach out to a professional care manager for assistance.
It was clear that they would need additional help with Pete’s care after his hospitalization and time in the rehab facility for physical therapy. At home there would be a need to assist him with mobility, help him with showers, work on his home therapy exercises, and provide aid with other care needs as they arose. Iris called our office, and we scheduled a time to meet with her and Pete while he was still at the rehab facility.
Not only was Iris caring for Pete, but they also had an elderly dog who needed regular medications including injections. Also, Iris herself was managing her own diagnoses of coronary artery disease.
It was clear that they would need in-home assistance as well as help with transportation to medical appointments, and help maintaining their social engagements.
Since working with us, Iris and Pete have been able to focus on his recovery while we helped arrange professional care for in-home assistance, brought in a daily money manager to help with paying bills and keeping financial information organized. We also arranged transportation for Pete’s physical therapy and go to his doctor’s appointments with him to help organize his care and help Iris manage his healthcare information. Even with Pete’s new state-of-the-art hip, he had difficulty with his balance, and the care manager arranged for specialized physical therapy that focuses on balance improvement. Errands like shopping were made as easy as possible since groceries and household goods were now delivered to their home on a recurring schedule. A care manager assistant was able to help with veterinarian appointments and picking up medications for their pup.
Iris and Pete love spending time together and with the care solutions they have now, they are able to enjoy that time together with their dog. It is still difficult for Iris to watch Pete as his Alzheimer’s advances and she is realistic about the future, but she is very appreciative of the time we have been able to help them have together. She beams every time we arrive, excited to tell us about some activity they enjoyed since our last visit, and it is fulfilling work knowing that we are giving them a way to enjoy time together even in this very difficult situation.
If you or someone in your family are facing aging challenges, please give us a call at (203) 258-2640 or email us at info@growingoptions.com. We’ll be happy to assist!