Americans are living a lot longer. That’s the good news! The bad news is that because we are living longer we are forced to manage complex health care issues that somehow must be paid for. According to an AARP study, most Americans have no idea how much long term care costs. Many believe that Medicare will pay for all of it and are shocked, disappointed, and frightened to realize that Medicare doesn’t cover chronic, custodial care at home, in assisted living facilities, or in nursing homes. Individuals and families are increasingly faced with the challenge of trying to provide long-term support for individuals with progressive cognitive and functional decline. Creative, customized approaches and varied levels of clinical skills are necessary to maintain people at home as deficits increase. But care must also address important aspects of an individual’s and family’s values, preferences, and resources if it is to maintain the quality of life for the older person and the family. The geriatric care managers at ElderCare Resource Center will work with you and your family to address all of these important issues and will work with you to create an ElderCare Plan that will improve the patient’s quality of life.
Elayne Forgie, CMC
Elayne Forgie has been a professional geriatric care manager for over 20 years and was a founding Board Member of the Florida Geriatric Care Managers Association. She is the President/CEO of ElderCare at Home, Inc. and The Alzheimer's Care Resource Center. Information on this website or contained in this article is not intended to replace the medical advice of your doctor or health care provider.
