Topic: care manager
May is Aging Life Care Month, an opportunity to celebrate our profession! We love our work.
What is an Aging Life Care Professional (aka Care Manager)?
We are health and human services specialists who act as guides and advocates for individuals and couples who are planning for themselves, and others, such as families, chosen families, and friends caring for older or disabled adults. …
Don’t we all need a ray of sunshine or a beacon of hope when life gets challenging?
As a family care partner, you can become comfortable with the daily routines and rhythms of caregiving and not realize how stressed, or physically and emotionally exhausted you’ve become.
You are doing an amazing job! Caregiving is difficult, complicated work.
But have you ever spilled coffee in the car or missed an important appointment and found yourself so overwhelmed in those moments that you couldn’t take another step forward? This is when you’ve reached the point of burnout.
The good news is, you don’t have to do it alone.
An Aging Life Care Professional (aka geriatric Care Manager) can bring that ray of sunshine and offer the beacon of hope you so richly deserve and need.
Outsourcing some of those tasks to a Care Manager frees up time for you to focus on yourself (and let us stress that self-care is not selfish, you are a priority!)
And as Lisa said, “My parting thought that’s really been on my mind lately is hope, that it can feel so hopeless at times being an adult child supporting a parent, especially in the sandwich generation.
No matter how messy the situation, how frustrating, how complicated, it can get better. And your life can feel easier. And that there is hope, and that there are people out there to make it easier and to help you get some of your life back, and help you put some boundaries in place, and help you feel better.”
Looking for guidance on how best to move forward? Our Care Managers are experts in helping family caregivers live well. If you live in the greater Seattle area, CLICK HERE to schedule a FREE get-acquainted call today.
If you live outside the greater Seattle area, click here to find an Aging Life Care Professional near you.
This is an excerpt of a longer conversation between Lisa Mayfield, Aging Wisdom’s founder and principal, and Laura Vaillancourt, MA, LMHC, GMHS on her ‘Life on Repeat podcast’.
Founded in 2003, Aging Wisdom was launched by Lisa Mayfield as a sole practitioner of care management. This year we are celebrating 20 years as an Aging Life Care practice and a staff of sixteen!
And it’s May, which is National Aging Life Care Month, a time for us to celebrate our profession.
Our Care Managers have all taken different career paths before finding Aging Life Care as a profession, including Lisa.
In this episode, Lisa reflects on her background and experience in community and mental health and how it lead to learning about and eventually practicing Aging Life Care.
Aging Life Care as a profession became Lisa’s focus when she saw how it had the opportunity to address the difficult and challenging issues that families often face when helping an older adult.
It was this help with the foundational challenges, such as addressing falls, cognitive changes, driving when it was no longer safe, for example, that was more effective at supporting older adults than counseling alone. Counseling, Lisa observes, still has a role once the older adults is safe and these issues have been addressed.
Families are often flummoxed by the myriad of changes and challenges, as well as navigating the complexities of healthcare systems. Our role is that of advisor, guide, facilitator, advocate, or coach, depending on the client’s needs and that of their family and supports.
Not sure what your next steps should be? We’ve helped hundreds of families navigate these changes and prepare for the future. Click here to schedule a get-acquainted call with one of our Certified Care Managers.
Additional Reading:
We have a lot to celebrate this month. In addition to May being National Aging Life Care Month and Older Adults Month, our colleague Wendy Nathan celebrates ten years with Aging Wisdom!
If you are familiar with our team, you know our paths to Aging Life Care are varied, but we share a mutual mission: To inspire hope through creative solutions so our clients live well, care well, and age well.
As Wendy shares in this episode of Wisdom Wednesday, she has had a rich career, starting as a hospital respiratory therapist and in research. She then went back to school to become a massage therapist and worked predominantly with older adults.
Her work with older adults prompted a fascination with how different people age, their attitudes toward aging, and how massage and the power of touch allowed her clients to live more full lives.
This eventually led to pursing a Certificate in Gerontology through the University of Washington Professional & Continuing Education program and working at Aging Wisdom, first as a companion (what is now known as our Creative Engagement program) and eventually as a Certified Care Manager.
Want to learn more about Aging Life Care and how it can be of benefit to you? CLICK HERE to schedule a FREE get-acquainted call to determine together whether our services are a good fit for your needs.
Additional Reading:
It’s National Aging Life Care Month, an opportunity to celebrate our profession.
What is an Aging Life Care? What is an Aging Life Care Manager?
Aging Life Care is a holistic, client-centered approach to caring for older adults, dependent adults, and others facing ongoing health challenges.
Aging Life Care Managers®, sometimes called geriatric care managers, are strategic planners with key knowledge and expertise in health and disability, housing, family, crisis intervention, advocacy, legal, financial, and local resources. We work with individuals and their families to help navigate the complexities and issues that arise with a change in health.
We provide an unbiased, yet informed perspective.
As our professional colleague in Florida, Amy O’Rourke says: we have a Crystal Ball into the future. Although each of us is an individual, with a unique history, there are some aspects of aging that can be anticipated as a result of certain conditions or circumstances. We understand the trajectory of a myriad of scenarios if left unaddressed. Our knowledge, experience, and expertise are the crystal ball.
We help families in the midst of “overwhelm” to navigate options for aging well, caring well, and living well.
- What is Aging Life Care? (a downloadable fact sheet)
- What is an Aging Life Care Manager? (an Aging Wisdom blog article)
- Alzheimer’s and the Family Caregiver (an Aging Wisdom blog article)
- Medical emergencies: Are you prepared? (an Aging Wisdom blog article)
- Aging Life Care Association
Could you benefit from the wisdom and experience of a Care Manager? CLICK HERE to schedule a get-acquainted call with Aging Wisdom to determine together whether our services are a good fit for your needs.
This is an excerpt of a longer conversation between Laura Vaillancourt on her Life on Repeat podcast and Lisa Mayfield, Aging Wisdom’s founder and principal.
When there’s family conflict, Care Managers serve as a neutral third party that provides an unbiased assessment of the situation and guidance to families on the best options moving forward. …
It is probably one of the toughest conversations you’ll ever have: you would rather talk about finances and death with your parents than ask them to retire the car keys.
Why is it so hard? Americans prize self-sufficiency. Driving is deeply connected to our sense of independence and freedom. On the practical side: without a car, your parents will have trouble getting places. Opportunities to socialize will be tricky too.
Though an emotionally charged topic, it’s counterproductive to postpone tough conversations. Keep in mind, it’s more important to avoid accidents or death than to avoid talking about unpleasant and difficult topics. …
Last week we looked at tips for navigating long-term care options to support living at home. Successfully managing care at home depends on many factors, including finances, health status, transportation, mobility, a supportive physical environment, a willingness to accept care, and having a realistic view of the care needs.
There may come a point when the person in your care can no longer be safely and adequately cared for at home. For example, when your parent has a progressive health condition such as Alzheimer’s disease or Parkinson’s, there may come a time when the care needed at home exceeds your capacity to support them safely.
Be prepared for this reality; it’s never too early to research, visit, and reflect in preparation for a possible move. It’s always best to be proactive. …
Navigating Long-Term Care Options (in greater Seattle) Part IIRead More »
Sarah was always an independent, brilliant, engaged woman. Her sons joyfully share stories of how growing up their home was welcoming and where everyone hung out.
She was a whiz in the kitchen, the best homework helper, perpetually punctual, and appeared to be in more than one place at once when her active children had conflicting activity schedules. These attributes continued well into her 80s with family gatherings, church activities, community engagement, and volunteer work.
Changes That are Out of Character. But something appeared to have changed not long after Sarah’s husband, Richard, passed away. While she was noticeably shaken and grieving the loss, she was frequently repeating herself, disengaged from her usual activities, and barely eating. She was unaware of the changes. This was out of character for her. …
My Mom Refuses to Accept Help! Lack of Insight May Be the ReasonRead More »
Overwhelmed by the choices and decisions involved with caring for an older loved one? Hit with an emergency or crisis situation and not sure where to start? Or do you want to plan for your own aging and make your own decisions?
No matter your individual situation or preferences, Aging Life Care Professionals™ offer a client-centered approach to guide individuals and families to actions and decisions that focus on well-being and the best care choices for your situation. …