Care Management

If you don’t live near your aging parent, you may wonder if what you’re doing is enough to oversee your loved one’s care. Even if you live nearby, you may discover the problems you or your loved one are facing are becoming larger and more complex than you can comfortably manage. Or maybe your life’s other responsibilities have grown to the point you are unable to provide the level of supervision and attention to your loved one’s care that you wish.

Cerna’s Care management is a team collaboration and process that includes assessments, planning, facilitation, care coordination, evaluation, and advocacy for any options and/or services to meet an individual’s and/or family’s comprehensive health needs through communication and available resources to promote wellness, quality of life and cost-effective outcomes. While we don’t deliver medical care, we can oversee your loved one’s care through our advocacy and care management services. We will keep you and your family members—whether living nearby or far away—informed, involved and confident that your loved one is enjoying a healthy, safe and independent lifestyle.

Care Management

Our care managers act as your senior parent’s advocate, helping to ensure they follow doctor’s orders, which isn’t as easy as it sounds, especially if a senior has memory difficulties or problems reading fine print. Our care managers can assist your aging parent with:

  • Transportation and scheduling of doctors’ appointments
  • Attending doctors’ appointments and facilitating communication between doctor, senior and family members, if appropriate.
  • Monitoring client’s adherence to medical orders and instructions, including reminders to take medications and exercise as directed by a physician
  • Special dietary needs for conditions like diabetes, hypertension or heart disease can be managed through strict shopping guidelines and proper food preparation by our skilled CARE team.

Professional geriatric care management is a client-centered approach to caring for older adults or others facing ongoing health challenges.  Working with families, geriatric care manager expertise provides the answers at a time of uncertainty. Their guidance leads families to the actions and decisions that ensure quality care and an optimal life for those they love, thus reducing worry, stress and time off of work for family caregivers through:

  • Housing – helping families evaluate and select appropriate level of housing or residential options
  • Home care services – determining types of services that are right for a client and assisting the family to engage and monitor those services
  • Medical management – attending doctor appointments, facilitating communication between doctor, client, and family, and if appropriate, monitoring client’s adherence to medical orders and instructions
  • Communication – keeping family members and professionals  informed as to the well-being and changing needs of the client
  • Social activities – providing opportunity for client to engage in social, recreational, or cultural activities that enrich the quality of life
  • Legal – referring to or consulting with elder law attorney, providing expert opinion for courts in determining level of care
  • Financial– may include reviewing or overseeing bill paying or consulting with accountant or client’s Power of Attorney
  • Entitlements – providing information on Federal and state entitlements; connecting families to local programs
  • Safety and security – monitoring client at home; recommending technologies to add to security or safety; observing changes and potential risks of exploitation or abuse

Geriatric Care Managers are engaged to assist in a variety of areas, such as:

  • Assessment and monitoring
  • Planning and problem-solving
  • Education and advocacy
  • Family caregiver coaching

* Local, cost-effective resources are identified and engaged as needed.

* A care plan tailored for each individual’s circumstances is prepared after a comprehensive assessment. The plan may be modified, in consultation with client and family, as circumstances change.