Our Services: Elder Options
Our top priority at Elder Options is to help your loved one stay at home for as long as is safely possible. We can tailor a personalized solution uniquely designed to meet your family's needs. Our familiarity with local resources saves you time, and often money. Our compassionate understanding of the aging process saves you distress.
Our experienced staff is quite accustomed to working with seniors who are initially resistant to our services. With observant eyes and a gentle heart, we listen and make it clear that our goal is to help your loved one retain as much control and autonomy as possible.
Seniors quickly realize that we are their advocates. We are their ally, not a threat.
Adult daughters and sons realize that we can
• offer suggestions
• smooth transitions
• provide an objective viewpoint
• save time, money, and distress
Give us a call at 1-800-336-1709 or email us at info@elderoptionsca.com. We'd be honored to help your family navigate the sometimes choppy waters of elder care.
Our Services include:
- Professional Geriatric Care Management
- Support for Long Distance Caregivers
- An initial assessment
- Home Care
- Communicating with doctors
- Periodic check-ins
- Suggestions for alternative living arrangements
Professional Geriatric Care Management
The Elder Options team of care managers are all members of the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers, (NAPGCM) and are committed to adhering to the NAPGCM Pledge of Ethics and Standards of Practice.
A Geriatric Care Manager is a health and human services specialist who helps families who are caring for older relatives. The Geriatric Care Manager is trained and experienced in any of several fields related to care management, including, but not limited to nursing, gerontology, social work, or psychology, with a specialized focus on issues related to aging and elder care.
The Geriatric Care Manager assists older adults and persons with disabilities in attaining their maximum functional potential. In addition, the Geriatric Care Manager is an experienced guide and resource for families of older adults and others with chronic needs, including helping those suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease or Parkinsons or exhibiting symptoms of dementia.
(Return to top)Support for Long Distance Caregivers
As the distance between you and your loved one increases, so does the anxiety and worry associated with the unknowns of their day to day lives. Are they taking their medications correctly? Are they seeing their doctors as needed? A Professional Geriatric Care Manager can be the eyes and ears for family members who live some distance from their loved ones. A care manager can be a local contact who can act on their behalf in an emergency, provide vital information to medical providers and facilitate communication between the family, the client, and the health care team.
(Return to top)An initial assessment
Over the course of two visits to your loved one's home, our professional geriatric care managers conduct a complete psycho-social, physical, and safety assessment. We report back on the strengths and weaknesses of the current situation and create a comprehensive plan of care which takes into consideration your loved one's needs, preferences and budget. We can also give you a general sense of how things are likely to evolve over the next 6 months, and make reccomendations for future planning. This way you can make decisions within the context of a longer term perspective.
(Return to top)Home Care
It may be that your loved one is no longer able to live safely alone. Having someone come by twice a week to cook a few meals and do some light housekeeping may be all that is needed. Or, it could be that your loved one requires more constant attention. He or she may not need the services of a nurse. But the daily presence of a kind caregiver can assure he or she is eating regularly, taking baths, and taking medications as directed. You can choose part time or full time assistance. We do the background checks and handle all the taxes and scheduling. You rest easily knowing your loved one is in good hands with caring and consistent help.
(Return to top)Communicating with doctors
If you sometimes feel overwhelmed by the medical system, you are not alone! It can be daunting for anyone. Our experienced staff can serve as your medical advocates. We help you clarify your questions, and make sure you get answers. We lobby for the type of care your loved one wishes to receive. Because we understand the system, we can go to bat for you. This liberates your time and energy to provide the love and support that only a family member can give.
(Return to top)Periodic check-ins
We can be your knowledgeable eyes and ears. Things can change quickly in the aging process. By checking in periodically, we can let you know whether your loved one is still able to live safely at home. As elder care professionals, we know the problems that commonly arise, and the most cost-effective solutions. Perhaps there are some mobility issues that are making life more difficult than it needs to be. There may be a simple device that could remedy the situation. Maybe your loved one is starting to have memory problems and needs help with paying the bills, or balancing the checkbook. Perhaps he or she needs a bit more oversight in terms of taking medications as directed. Through periodic check-ins, you receive peace of mind knowing the current situation remains the wisest choice.
(Return to top)Suggestions for alternative living arrangements
If your loved one needs more assistance than can safely or affordably be provided at home, we are happy to make suggestions based on his or her needs, and on family finances. We understand the broad range of services available in the elder care continuum and can recommend local facilities most likely to result in a good fit and positive transition.
If you think your loved one could use some extra help, give us a call at 1-800-336-1709. We'd be happy to talk about your situation and ways to meet your family's unique requirements.
