FAQ
Our Aging Life Care (aka Care Management) team at Aging Wisdom works closely with families to help them navigate all aspects of aging. Our primary focus is to help our clients make sense of all their care options and partner with them to make informed decisions.
Families often reach out to us for:
- assistance finding a retirement community
- finding in-home professional caregivers
- help with hospital or skilled nursing discharge planning
- providing local support when family is out of the area
- assistance when a family member is refusing help
Families also seek our guidance when they aren’t sure where to start or what they need!
What type of clients do you work with?
Clients include adult children struggling with how best to support an aging parent; a spouse navigating care for their partner; and individuals nearing or post-retirement that are planning for their own aging.
- assistance finding a retirement community
- finding in-home caregivers
- help with hospital or nursing home discharge planning
- providing local support when family is out of the area
- assistance when a family member is refusing help
Families also seek our guidance when they aren’t sure where to start or what they need!
Which geographical areas do you serve?
We provide expert senior care consulting in King and south Snohomish Counties. We serve Seattle, Bellevue, Mercer Island, Issaquah, Redmond, Kirkland, Bothell, Woodinville, Edmonds, and surrounding areas. There are times we can consult with clients in other nearby counties, provided we feel knowledgeable enough about the situation and area to be helpful. If we cannot effectively meet your needs, we will do our best to get you connected with other community resources or a colleague in that area.
What services do you offer?
Aging Wisdom provides expert senior care services in the greater Seattle and Bellevue areas. Click on a service below for more details:
- Expert Guidance (Senior Care Consulting)
The first step for our clients is to meet with a senior care consultant. We learn about your situation, concerns and explore how we can help. Read more. - Ongoing Support (Senior Care Management)
Our Aging Life Care Experts (also known as geriatric care managers) can remain actively involved to optimize care and adjust to changing needs and circumstances. Read more. - Creative Engagement (Senior Companion Services)
We understand the importance of living well and staying engaged. Our Creative Engagement Specialists provide tailored, one-on-one senior companionship that encourages connection, enjoyment, and a sense of purpose. Read more.
What are your areas of expertise?
Our team of Aging Life Care Experts brings an unparalleled depth and breadth of knowledge and experience. Our role is often described as coach, educator, stress reducer, navigator, and even life saver.
Below are a few of our specialty areas:
- Alzheimer's & Dementia Care Management
- Elderly Parents Refusing Help
- Moving Your Elderly Parent to a Retirement Community
- Adult Children Supporting Parents Who Are Aging
- Adult Grandchildren Caring For Grandparents
- Hospital Discharge Planning
- Parkinson's Disease Care Management
- Proactive Planning
- Navigating Decisions on Behalf of an Aging Spouse or Partner
- Solo Aging and Aging Alone
- Long-Distance Caregiving
- Stroke Care Management
- Helping Families Make Sense Of Options
In our work, we take a holistic, client-centered approach to guiding individuals, couples, and families navigating options for living well, caring well, and aging well.
My family member has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia. We want to know what to expect and how to navigate the future, can you help?
Our Aging Wisdom team has a special niche supporting individuals and families navigating an Alzheimer’s or diagnosis of another dementia (including young-onset dementia) and help families anticipate and plan for what is ahead.
We work with our clients to create a personalized road map following a diagnosis. We understand the unique challenges that can occur with dementia such as complicated behaviors, refusing help, and navigating driving.
Do you have experience working with people who do not understand they need help and are resistant to all efforts to help?
Many of the clients we work with lack awareness and insight into their needs and are unwilling to accept help. We have years of collective experience and a record of success in helping families navigate these challenges. Our goal is to reduce your stress, ensure care needs are met, and collaborate on a plan to avoid future crises.
If my parents won’t agree to your help, can I still meet with you?
Yes, we can be your coach and advisor. We want to empower you to implement the best plan, even if your parent, partner, spouse, or other family member is unwilling to engage in the process.
Does my aging family member participate in the initial appointment?
Every family is different so we will work with you to determine the best first step with your unique situation. Often family members appreciate utilizing the initial meeting as an opportunity to candidly share information and ask initial questions. After the consultation, it might be valuable for us to meet the aging person. If so, we can schedule a home visit as the second step. We will help tease out the best approach.
Have you worked with families who do not agree?
Aging Wisdom is considered a leader in the field of care management when it comes to helping families manage difficult dynamics. We can often help families avoid escalating conflict by finding common ground and serving as a communication liaison. We are a neutral party that can make professional recommendations on the best care options for a family member or friend and help mediate differing opinions. If needed, we collaborate closely with attorneys or other involved professionals.
How soon can you help?
We can typically initiate services within 1-3 weeks and do our best to accommodate urgent situations more quickly.
What are the next steps?
Schedule a free “get acquainted call” on our website and we can determine if we can be helpful for your situation. During this call, we will answer any questions that you have about our services and review our fees. If it feels like we can offer value, we will schedule an initial meeting at a mutually convenient time.
Do you accept referral fees/commission fees when recommending facilities or other providers?
As members of the Aging Life Care Association, we follow a Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice. Because clients hire us to be an unbiased third party, we never accept referral or commission fees.
Do you have caregivers on staff?
Aging Wisdom does not employ licensed caregivers. However, once we learn more about your family member’s care needs, personality, preferences, and financial situation, we can help you understand the best options for your unique situation.
If staying at home and adding caregiving support is the best option for your situation, we can make recommendations for specific home care or placement agencies. We can also coordinate or monitor care on our client’s behalf. We understand the ins and outs of the caregiving industry and help our clients navigate these decisions successfully.
Aging Wisdom does offer Creative Engagement Services (companionship services) which focuses on optimizing the quality of life for our clients.
Do you have a list of facilities to send to us?
Our unique value proposition is that our recommendations are tailored and personalized to every family. We utilize our years of experience with the local retirement communities to make specific recommendations best suited for your situation based on care needs, personality, preferences, and financial resources.
My parents have limited financial resources, can you still be helpful?
We understand that navigating care options with limited resources can be challenging. A consultation with Aging Wisdom can provide clarity on the options for care, costs to expect, unexpected costs to consider, pros/cons to the various options, and an overview of benefits eligibility. We help you decide the best path forward given your specific situation. If we do not feel that we are the best fit, we will connect you with another community resource.
Do you accept insurance?
Our clients pay us directly for our services. Aging Wisdom services are not covered by Medicare or health insurance. Some long-term care insurance policies provide a “Care Coordination” benefit. In our experience, the benefit is often limited and may require using a contracted party.
Are you available for emergencies?
Yes. We offer on-call support services for established clients who utilize our services on a regular and ongoing basis.
Can you help people who don’t have friends or family that can serve as a power of attorney?
Aging Wisdom is unable to serve as power of attorney for healthcare or finances, yet we frequently serve as a valuable part of the “team” for people who do not have friends or family to rely on as they age and need care. Once we learn more about your unique situation, we can connect you to professionals who are able to serve as a professional power of attorney, and we can remain involved as your care advisor and/or healthcare advocate.
Do you have nurses on your team?
Our team has a background in social work, counseling, and other related professions. Aging Wisdom has been serving clients since 2003 and collectively we have decades of experience specializing in aging, dementia, and chronic illness.
Navigating the healthcare system and monitoring medical conditions is a large part of our work. We coordinate any services on our clients’ behalf that we cannot provide ourselves and collaborate closely with our clients’ medical providers.