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Since 1981 Complete Geriatric Care has helped thousands of families deal with all of the effects of aging, not just the physical or medical, and not just the ones that are negative. This comprehensive approach takes into account each aspect of the elder's life (family history, relationships, individual wishes, future plans, care needs, potential care needs, and favourite pastimes). It strives to maximize the independence and dignity of the older person while minimizing the potential stress and guilt felt by family members, especially the adult children. The geriatric care manager is a highly trained and experienced professional (from nursing, social work, counselling or similar disciplines) who pulls together and manages all of the people, products and events required to keep the elder at home or otherwise serve his or her needs (even such extras as home maintenance, shopping, recreation and travel). We call this approach Geriatric Care Management. Geriatric Care Management is especially beneficial to families where the adult children are busy professionals with children of their own (the "sandwich generation") or live in a different city.

Geriatric Care Management begins with a thorough and accurate assessment of the needs of the elder, considering all aspects of the person's life and current condition. Since Geriatric Care Management is such an inclusive and comprehensive process, and since families shape and affect who we are, Complete Geriatric Care makes every effort to include family members (and friends and caregivers) as much as possible. This initial consultation also determines the kind of services Complete Geriatric Care will need to arrange for the elder on an ongoing basis. A comprehensive care plan outlining our recommendations is sent to all principals.

Implementing Geriatric Care Management

One of the primary goals of Geriatric Care Management is to keep the older person at home by bringing needed services and resources into the home. Complete Geriatric Care advisor acts as the link between the myriad of available resources and the family. He or she arranges and then monitors the services continuously to ensure that the needs of the client are met. If the client's situation should change, Complete Geriatric Care consults with the family and takes action to ensure that services are adjusted to meet the new needs. Continued care conferencing with the elder, the family and the providers of services is an important part of the Geriatric Care Management process. During the entire process, the elder person and family need only deal with one advisor; if they have any concerns, there is only one telephone number to call.

If a client needs immediate placement, Complete Geriatric Care can initiate and expedite the process so that his or her needs are met as fully as possible in the time available. On the other hand, if a client does not need placement right away, Complete Geriatric Care will do everything possible to keep it that way (through Geriatric Care Management), but at the same time put together a contingency placement plan. Many older people fear that planning for placement is a threat to their independence, and put it off until it can't be avoided anymore. But many homes have long waiting lists, and so by avoiding the issues until a crisis arrived, a family actually reduced the number of options and diminished the senior's independence--exactly what was to be avoided.

A long, comfortable, enjoyable life is possible after a move to a care facility. Complete Geriatric Care's knowledge and planning expertise can make it happen.

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