Geriatric Care Managers (GCM) or Aging Life Care Managers (ALCM) are health and human service specialists who provide guidance, support, access to resources, and ongoing follow-up for older adults, adults with disabilities or chronic health care needs, and their families and support networks. Care Managers come from a variety of professional backgrounds (social work, nursing, gerontology, among others), and have a specialized focus on issues related to aging, chronic disease management and disabilities.
The care manager is an experienced guide and resource for families and professionals. They have extensive knowledge about costs, quality, and availability of services in their community, and can connect you with the right service at the right time. Care managers also assist clients in attaining their maximum functional potential and quality of life.
SERVICES PROVIDED BY A PROFESSIONAL CARE MANAGER: Care managers provide personalized services, based on individual client circumstances. These services may include:
• Comprehensive assessments to identify problems or concerns, and provide solutions
• Arrangement for qualified in-home care or other needed assistance
• Identification of living options which are consistent with client needs and preferences; relocation planning and implementation
• Referral to qualified legal, financial, or medical specialists, based on a review of client circumstances and needs
• Ongoing oversight, monitoring, and advocacy
• Individual/family counseling and support
• Crisis intervention
BENEFITS OF CARE MANAGEMENT SERVICES
Benefits of using care management services are many, and may include:
• Personalized and compassionate service, focusing on the client’s needs and preferences
• 24/7 availability for urgent needs
• Continuity of care: coordination and communication with family members, medical and care providers, and legal/financial professionals
• Cost containment: the care manager’s knowledge and expertise can help you to avoid costly mistakes by carefully matching appropriate services to client’s needs.
SELECTING A CARE MANAGER
There are many agencies which provide Care Coordination or Care Management. Those providers who are members of the Aging Life Care Association (ALCA), formerly known as the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers (NAPGCM), meet stringent criteria for professional education, experience, and certification, and adhere to ALCA Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics. Additional information is available on the ALCA website, www.aginglifecare.org.
In selecting the agency you wish to work with, you may want to ask about the following:
STAFF TRAINING AND QUALIFICATIONS:
• What is staff’s educational background and work experience? How long have they been providing care management services?
• What are their professional credentials and affiliations? Are they licensed or certified? If so, by who?
• Are they members of the Aging Life Care Association?
AGENCY STRUCTURE:
• Is the agency a free-standing care management agency, part of a larger health care network, or one which also provides other services?
• What are the referral relationships they have with other service providers?
FEE STRUCTURE:
• What are the rates and fee structure?
• Does the agency receive payments from other sources (e.g., placement or referral fees?)
1535 Lyon Dr.
Neenah, WI 54956
496 Wisconsin Ct.
Fond du Lac, WI 54937
4321 W. College Ave., Ste 380
Appleton, WI 54914
, WI
3917 Partridge Rd.
DeForest, WI 53532
PO Box 132
Jackson, WI 53037
27499 Riverview Center Blvd.
Bonita Springs, FL 34134
301 Blankenheim Lane
Sun Prairie, WI 53590
1414 MacArthur Rd., PO Box 8028
Madison, WI 53714
1330 Blackwood Ct.
Sheboygan, WI 53081
PO Box 117
Two Rivers, WI 54121
PO Box 1464
Appleton, WI 54912
435 North Broadway Street, Suite B
De Pere, WI 54115
2079 Sunset Dr.
Tomahawk, WI 54487
Shorewood, WI 53211
627 N. 8th St.
Sheboygan, WI 53081
Delafield, WI 53018
5520 W. Forest Home Ave.
Greenfield, WI 53220
6340 N. Green Bay Ave.
Glendale, WI 53209
1004 Washington St.
Manitowoc, WI 54220
8503 75th St., Ste. B
Kenosha, WI 53142
11002 W. Lake Park Dr.
Milwaukee, WI 53224
112 E. Drexel Ave.
Oak Creek, WI 53154
110 Lone Oak Lane, Suite 100
Hartford, WI 53027
PO Box 391
Cedarburg, WI 53012
1300 N. Jackson St.
Milwaukee, WI 53202
6434 Enterprise Lane
Madison, WI 53719
Madison, WI 53711
2020 W. Wells St.
Milwaukee, WI 53233
1837 Bourbon Road
Cross Plains, WI 53528
PO Box 5544
Madison, WI 53705
214 S 45th Ave.
Wausau, WI 54401
Milwaukee, WI 53221
125 N. Executive Dr., Ste. 210
Brookfield, WI 53005
5455 Sheridan Rd., Ste. 101
Kenosha, WI 53140
5200 Washington Ave., Ste. 225
Racine, WI 53406
615 E. Geneva St.
Elkhorn, WI 53121
10101 W. Wisconsin Ave.
Wauwatosa, WI 53226
620 S. 76th St., Ste. 140
Milwaukee, WI 53214
6737 West Washington St., Suite 1100
West Allis, WI 53214
1122 Windsor Drive
Waukesha, WI 53186
5225 N. Ironwood Dr., Ste 121
Glendale, WI 53217