Back to School

Back to School
Back to school. For many, these three words bring back so many memories. Freshly sharpened pencils in your grandad’s old cigar box, a dime a day for milk, the lazy walk home after school. But for those in the sandwich generation, back to school could mean increased anxiety. Making sure an elderly parent gets a flu shot. Shuffling grandchildren to and from activities for their working parents. Planning the upcoming fall trip to New England for a 40th wedding anniversary. Our sandwich generation is quickly becoming a Panini generation - grilled and fried!

That’s where a Professional Geriatric Care Manager comes in. “We joke that we are the professional daughter, but we are so much more,” says, Patricia A. Menoni, RN, BSN, CMC, owner of Partners in Senior Care in Grayslake. According to the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers, a Professional Geriatric Care Manager (PGCM) is a health and human services specialist who helps families who are caring for older relatives. The PGCM is trained and experienced in any of several fields related to long-term care, including, but not limited to nursing, gerontology, social work, or psychology, with a specialized focus on issues related to aging and elder care.

“For all clients, we take a complete medical history, compile a list of medications, and note their doctors. We also find out who feeds the cat when the client is away,” Menoni says. “This way, we are prepared before the crisis hits with all the necessary information needed to advocate for a senior.” This means peace of mind when the caregiving children have to go out of town, have to work, or have to be there for their own children and grandchildren.

“We have some clients where we are just the back-up. The adult children give us a call before they go out of town, they give us their contact information, and we know we are “on-call” for their loved one. If their loved one goes into crisis, we are there with them every step of the way and we maintain contact with their loved ones. We have called families via ship to shore, we have called Fiji, and our clients’ families can vacation or be a snowbird without worry. They are confident we are checking in on their loved one.”

This is just the tip of the iceberg with how a PGCM can assist a senior. PGCMs can assist family caregivers in a number of ways and they can tailor their services to address specific client needs. PGCMs can help families by assessing the needs of the elder and by offering information about local services available. They can recommend the most appropriate, available and cost-effective services that will support the older adult and the family. PGCMs monitor and evaluate services and make adjustments as needs change. They can perform important services to physicians by monitoring medical treatment compliance issues, helping with medications, and assuring that scheduled appointments are kept. For long-distance caregivers, PGCMs can provide the ongoing supervision and communication link so often needed to avoid frequent and costly trips.

To arrange for a free consultation or additional information, contact Partners in Senior Care at 847-548-1330 or www.partnersinseniorcare.com. For more information about the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers, visit their website at www.caremanager.org