By Amanda Roberts
The best part of being a Senior Care Advisor is seeing the relief in my client’s families after they’ve talked to me and I let them know I can help by finding the best options for their loved one. Options that will meet their loved ones care needs, stays within their financial ability and is stays within a convenient geographic area.
Families are often so overwhelmed with their loved one’s diagnosis that the last thing they can focus on is what next? Drowning in choices they know nothing about. Phrases like, adult family homes, assisted living facilities, respite care are thrown out by the professional because the Doctor just told them Mom or Dad can’t return home and live safely anymore.
That’s where Concierge Care Advisor’s hopefully are contacted either with the family’s permission or they are given are card and told to call for assistance.
I was recently working a senior, we’ll call him Mr. Jones. Mr. Jones had been in the ER two times the month prior and was back again when the Social Worker reached out to me to come meet him and his wife. The stress and frustration was all over Mrs. Jones face as she said she has caregivers three times a week for two hours, but he has fallen twice now when no caregivers were around and she had to call 9-1-1. We talked about the possibility of increasing the in- home care hours, but I could see this wasn’t the solution that was going to last long term and give her the peace of mind she needed as well. I educated her about adult family homes and the ability to visit at any time. Told her that with the team of Social Workers behind the scenes we could find a home close to their neighborhood so she wouldn’t have to drive far to see him. Her next question of course was how much would this cost a month and could they afford it? We looked over her financials and figured out Mr. Jones could afford $5000 a month for 2 years at which time they could apply for Medicaid and he could remain in the home for the duration of his life. Her shoulders melted off her ears and a slight smile spread across her face. She thanked me and we scheduled a time the next day to tour three adult family homes that best met Mr. Jones needs.
In the end, Concierge Care Advisors found an Adult Family home 2.5 mile away from their home. She could go visit as often as she’d like. Sadly, after four months, Mr. Jones passed away. However, Mrs. Jones still continues to go to that adult family home and visit with the other residents, whom she’d made friends with while her husband was there.
A pamphlet given by the Social Worker with 20 pages of random choices only adds to the stress of the current crisis. The opportunities I’ve had to assist families has been truly life changing. The families burden of looking and researching can be handed off to me so they can focus on the care of their loved one. This is why I LOVE MY JOB!
