The Weil Perspective
Part II: GCMs - The New “Mission Impossible” Force
By James Weil, Managing Director – Successful Aging

In my last column, we followed the exploits of a professional Geriatric Care Manager (GCM), Mr. Phelps, whose “mission impossible” was to help an employee at a large company deal quickly and effectively with her father’s stroke.

Confused and despondent, the employee had called LifeCare after her father’s stroke. LifeCare, in turn, immediately arranged for Mr. Phelps to help the woman and her family through their crisis. If you recall, Mr. Phelps met with the family members, the attending physician, and the hospital discharge planner before the father was released from the hospital. Each had information and a unique perspective on the father’s needs, which enabled Mr. Phelps to develop a preliminary picture of the mental, physical, emotional, financial, and spiritual status of the patient and the family members.

Now, as we rejoin Mr. Phelps, he has two more critical interviews to conduct: one with the patient’s daughter (who originally contacted LifeCare), and the other with the patient himself, who has regained some speech and mobility. He schedules a telephone call with the daughter and arranges to see the father in person in his home.

He asks them both about the family’s interpersonal relationships, their eating and exercise habits, and their economic resources (including insurance). He assesses whether the father is at risk of financial exploitation from a family member, friend or advisor, what documents he might need to have in place (such as a power of attorney document or living will), and the potential need for guardianship. Essentially, Mr. Phelps assesses the risk factors that will be critical to his recommendations.

With the interviews completed, Mr. Phelps’ also conducts a thorough assessment of the father’s home. Are there stairs to the home’s entry or is it on ground level? Is the bedroom upstairs or downstairs? Are there scatter rugs, which could pose a danger? Is there a walk-in shower or a bath? Is the family car large enough for the family to easily transport him?

Now that the interviews and home evaluation are done, the care plan is ready to be written and discussed with the family. This plan will summarize Mr. Phelps’ findings and provide the family with recommendations and options.  It will address all of the issues that are critical to providing the best care possible while causing the least amount of turmoil for the family members. Everyone in the family will understand what he’s going through, what his challenges are going forward, and what each family member is and isn’t responsible for (boundaries are important). (Click here to see an example of a care plan.)

Thanks to Mr. Phelps, there will be a strong sense of understanding and control. Not only will the storm be weathered but everyone will be prepared for the challenges coming their way. This successful “mission impossible” scenario unfolded in great part as a result of the smooth and seamless work of Mr. Phelps, a quintessential GCM.

GCMs are a special class of individuals.  They usually have backgrounds in nursing or social work (or related disciplines), and their training is extended to include specialized training in geriatrics and gerontology. Unlike many other professionals, who focus their attention in a specific discipline, GCMs are holistic in their practices. They’re trained to treat the patients, not the illness. They learn how to meet the needs of the extended family, not just the care recipient. And their focus is not on the physical condition alone but on the financial, spiritual, and emotional needs as well.

LifeCare has an exclusive relationship with the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers (NAPGCM), and through this partnership is able to provide a unique combination of education, consultation and referral, 24-7, through the phone, internet, print, and face to face interactions to help families solve their caregiving issues.

Additionally, LifeCare has exclusive access to NAPGCM’s newly formed “Guild”—an organization of eminently qualified professional geriatric care managers who are required to meet strict educational and experience requirements, abide by a Pledge of Ethics, adhere to Standards of Practice, and maintain minimum insurance requirements. The Guild, which is owned and managed by the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers, is unique in that it ensures that its members conform to strict quality criteria in an industry that is still largely unregulated.