Last month, we talked about the ways that a Geriatric Care Manager can reduce hospitalizations and emergency room visits. This month I thought I would show that having a Care Manager involved really does make an impact. The graph below shows the number of episodes per Medicare beneficiary per year. You will see that the average number of hospitalizations is 1.2 per year. The Villa Home Care population served by Geriatric Care Mangers in 2011 had a hospitalization rate of 0.5% – a difference of 58%. Emergency room visits decreased by 91% from the general Medicare population. When one considers quality of life as well as costs, keeping our older family members out of the medical care system is a … Read More
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Geriatric Care Managers can advocate for clients and assist with healthcare follow-ups
Have you had the marvelous opportunity of being hospitalized recently? Or had a loved one admitted to the hospital? “The times they are a changin” according to Bob Dylan. Studies show that almost 1/5th of Medicare patients who had been discharged from a hospital were rehospitalized within 30 days, and 34% were rehospitalized within 90 days. Also 50% of those were rehospitalized within 30 days had no physician follow-up following their discharge. Hospitals are beginning to be held accountable financially for those Medicare patients we used to call “frequent flyers” – those individuals we got to know on a first-name basis. These are people that came in on a fairly often basis. It will soon be in the health care … Read More
Villa Homecare senior “advocate”
When people ask “what does a Geriatric Care Management really do?”, the word “advocate” comes to mind. According to Merriam-Webster, an advocate is “one who pleads the cause of another: one that supports the interest of another”. Those two definitions really speak to the work of a Care Manager. Our advocacy is demonstrated in many ways. When a 90 year-old client was hospitalized for a possible stroke, the Villa Care Manager was by his side, making certain that his out-of-state children were kept updated on his condition. She also was able to avoid unnecessary delays for her client by communicating with the Emergency Department physicians and other personnel. The Care Manager arrived armed with a current medication list, a list … Read More
Posted in Elderly Care, Senior Care Management
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Gift of Tuesdays
It seems as though holiday gift buying gets more and more difficult as our parents age. Their needs diminish, and if your parents are like mine, you may hear “don’t get us anything for Christmas, we don’t need a thing!” Yet you do want to let them know that they are special to you and recognize that unique relationship. Villa Home Care is pleased to once again offer our “Gift of Tuesdays” to families. Memories are created when the older adult is paired with a Villa Caregiver or Care Manager. We have taken folks on the Dolly Steamboat on Saguaro Lake, to the English Rose Tea Room, to Gammage Auditorium for a musical, and more. There are so many opportunities … Read More
Posted in Caregiving, Elderly Care, Geriatric Care Manager
Tagged care manager, Villa Caregiver
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Karen Jeselun returns on KXXT Radio Phoenix
Karen Jeselun, RN, CCM returns on KXXT Radio Phoenix on 09/22/2011. Radio show “Your Long Term Care Show” with Ralph Norman and Michael Anastos to discuss some of the questions to ask when looking for a caregiver. Click on the link below to play the audio clip:
Why won’t they take help
Frustrated, Anxious, Frightened, Uncertain….. Most of the adult children we speak with are experiencing one of more of the above emotions as they are trying to address the needs and concerns of their aging parents. It seems to all boil down to the same issue… WHY WON’T THEY ACCEPT HELP? The reasons are complex and often difficult for families to sift through. But the following are the most common statements of resistance that we hear: “I have to save my money for you!” “I don’t want to become dependent on anyone!” “It would be more trouble to have to ‘get ready’ to have someone come into my home.” “If this doesn’t work out, would I have to leave my home? … Read More
Ten reasons to Partner with a GCM part 2
(continued from part 1) Last month, you were introduced to Maria. Just to recap, Maria, 84 years old, was struggling in many areas of her life, and her three out of state children panicked, wondering how to best help their Mom. They involved a Care Manager in her situation. In August, we reviewed five roles for the Geriatric Care Manager: Assessment, Care Planning/Coordination, Physician Coordination, Medication Management and Crisis Response. This month we will continue with the remaining five reasons to partner with a Geriatric Care Manager. Reason #6 Transition planning. Transitioning from hospital to home, or from rehabilitation center to home, can sometimes be a precarious experience, especially related to medications. About half of adults experience a medication error … Read More
Posted in Elderly Care, Geriatric Care Manager
Tagged caregiver, GERIATRIC CARE MANAGER
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Ten Reasons to partner with a Geriatric Care Manager
We find Maria, 84 years old, living alone with her two cats in south Scottsdale. Her husband died six months ago, and she has three children, all living on the east coast. One day her son received a phone call from a Gilbert police officer. His Mom was sitting in her car in the Safeway parking lot in Gilbert, she had no idea how she got there, nor how she was going to get home again. Her children were scared to death – the son made call to the family attorney asking for help. “What can we do?” This trusted adviser contacted a Villa Home Care Geriatric Care Manager. Reason #1) Assessment –With the goal of preserving Maria’s dignity, independence … Read More
Independence
July brings the celebration of freedom. Independence Day is our time to recognize those who have fought for our freedom, and those who continue that fight today. This was certainly brought to mind for me while visiting my parents in Northern Wisconsin recently. My 92 year old father, a World War II veteran, is an active participant in the American Legion Honor Guard. I was able to observe a military funeral and listened to my Dad’s bugle sound out Taps into the still evening air – revering the service and sacrifices the deceased veteran made for our country. What a moving experience for his family, and for all of us in attendance. I am so very proud that Dad has … Read More
Medication Management
Did you know…. *35% of all hospital admissions for older adults is related to medication mismanagement? *125,000 older adults die each year (or 342 each day) due to medication related problems. *The average older adult takes 8.8 medications? Medication Management for any of us can be perplexing; however, older adults bring their own set of issues to the equation. Very often medications are not taken as prescribed due to adverse effects. Lasix, a diuretic or “water pill” often prescribed for Congestive Heart Failure, may be skipped because a person decides since they have an appointment or an outing, and they don’t want to have to use a bathroom enroute. Cost can frequently impact compliance. When a prescription for 30 days … Read More