What Is a Geriatric Care Manager?

As an elder needs more and diverse services in managing the elder’s life, the number of details, appointments, and needs can overwhelm families.

Geriatric care managers are professionally-trained social workers who assess an elder’s physical health, mental health, living circumstance, finances, social relations and social support in order to create a comprehensive care plan for the elder.  Geriatric care managers usually administer portions of this care plan themselves, assist family members in managing their portions of the care plan, and arrange for other care services, doctor and dentist appointments, access to community resources, and other needed pieces of the elder’s support system.

Geriatric care managers tend to be problem-solvers, working together with attorneys, attorneys-in-fact, guardians, caregivers, residential care facilities, and others to provide consistent supportive care for the elder.  The geriatric care manager may also convene and lead care conferences among the family and providers to coordinate care and make decisions about upcoming care issues.  Some geriatric care managers also help identify appropriate residential care facilities, when such become needed, and smooth the transition from the elder’s home to the care facility by coordinating the move and downsizing of the elder’s world.

Some geriatric care managers also mediate disputes among family members, or between family members and the elder, in order to maximize the equanimity of the elder’s world.

Lancaster Law Office’s first referral when a geriatric care manager is needed is Joan McGinnis, MSW.  Her website is joanmcginnismsw.com.  Joan will provide geriatric care services or make well-considered referrals for elders.