Question: My family is considering hiring someone to help us monitor the care provided to our elderly parents. Should we be looking for a Care Manager or a Case Manager? We are a little confused as to the difference between these 2 types of professionals…or are they the same?
Answer: Whether or not you want a Case Manager or a Care Manager depends on the situation of your parents. If they are living in their own home and not an assisted living facility, you would hire a Care Manager. Assisted Living Facilities will have a Case Manager available for you to hire; however, you still would want to hire an independent Geriatric Care Manager. The Care Manager will be more considerate to what is best for you rather than what is best for the facility.
Before making the effort, step back a moment and try to determine whether your parents actually have a problem that a professional geriatric case manager needs to be involved. Do you or your parents have time, inclination, and skills to manage the problems themselves? If you are not sure, ask your clergy, your parent’s doctor, a social worker, your parents financial advisor, or a trusted friend of your parents to help you decided if an elder care expert may be helpful in this situation. Enlisting the support of other family members to consult a professional is a good way to build a consensus on the solutions.
Hope this helps your family.
Henry C. Weatherby, Esq., CLU, ChFC, CEBS
Weatherby & Associates, PC
Bloomfield, CT 06002