AGING CARE SOLUTIONS
Kay Paggi, Eldercare Consultant

Licensed Professional Counselor
National Certified Gerontological Counselor
Care Manager, Certified 
Phone: 972-839-0065   E-Mail: kay@kaypaggi.com  Fax: 972-907-3711
Advanced Professional Member of the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers

ELDERCARE SEMINAR BEGINS ON OCTOBER 2

This is a 4-week non-credit course at Richland College that will help you prepare for future eldercare, or enhance your current caregiving knowledge. The course covers types of information you need and how to find it, how to improve communication with your care receiver and the effect communication has on Guilt.

The first class you will receive a Glossary of ElderSpeak that defines terms used among eldercare professionals and concepts involved in aging. You will be given basic instructions on how to phrase questions and how to listen to your care receiver that will make your visits more pleasant and productive for both of you. You will take home a basic eldercare assessment.

The second week covers normal physiological aging so you can distinguish between normal age-related changes and those that are NOT normal. You will pick up some tips on how to affect your own aging. This class will have information about fall prevention, and a basic housing assessment. You will be given  a facility rating sheet to use as you visit communities that wil help you make the best choice the first time.

The third session covers medical conditions, medications and those that are not recommended for older adults. It continues with how to find a physician for an older person, Medicare, Medicaid, MediGap insurance, and HMO's and Advantage plans. You will take home a medical assessment.

The last week covers information on legal documents and financial information. You will take home a check list of needed documents. The class ends with a discussion of end of life care, DNR's, and saying good-bye.

To enroll, call the Emeritus Dept at Richland College at 972-238-6972 or 972-238-6958, or go online www.rlc.dcccd.edu/boomers. Enroll in Course # 523487. The cost is $40 for everything - What a Deal!

Geriatric Care Management

Ideally I visit with your parent in their home to evaluate their eldercare needs. While I can familiarize you with eldercare choices without meeting your parent, it is not an ideal situation. I prefer not to make specific recommendations if your parent is in the area.

Usually my initial visit takes about an hour and includes a mental status test and a depression screening. Depending on the situation I often discuss their experiences with their own parents, their expectations for this time of their life, their fears and hopes. I always get as much medical information as possible. The more I know about your parent, the better care planning recommendations I will make.

I do an environmental evaluation while I am in their home. I look for fall hazards and other safety issues; falls are the 4th leading cause of death among older adults. Whether your parent lives there only a few more days or the rest of their life, it should be safe.

Your caregiving plans depend on the financial resources available, so I will ask about their monthly income and the approximate amount of their total assets. In order to help you plan I will ask about legal decisions that have been made, and advise you about your legal options as part of the written Care Plan.

Using all the information I’ve gathered, I write a Care Plan for you and your parent. This is a guide to eldercare options that lists current weaknesses along with options for improving the situation, both short term and in the future.

I can meet with you to discuss eldercare options. This can be an informal meeting between you and me, or we can meet with your parent and/or your siblings. I can assist you as you struggle to make the decision about moving your parent, and advise you of the pros and cons of each possibility.

"Kay did an excellent job of evaluating and summarizing Moms needs.  She was especially helpful in locating an appropriate place for Mom.  Within 2 days we were able to get a terrific place.  We would have spent weeks doing that and probably not found as good a place." -Wayne

After we have developed a plan of future care, I can help by implementing some of the decisions you have made. I can find and supervise in-home help. I can find a facility with an opening in your price range. I can even take your parent to visit facilities so they feel they have a part in this decision (after all, it is their life). I can manage the relocation without you, if you prefer. Or, I can take your parent out while you manage the moving of household items.

I can counsel with your parent to help them cope with the transition and their grief. And I can encourage them say goodbye to one chapter of their life while they greet a new one. I can also do some counseling with you to teach you how to cope successfully with your feelings of guilt, relief, hope, disappointment, resentment, and all the other feelings that are inherent in caregiving

I can take your parent to the doctor, sit in on the examination, ask questions about the diagnosis and treatment, and report to you. I can be a liaison between you and your parent or between you and the medical community. I am always an advocate for the elder’s best interests, and try to find what tests are necessary and which can be avoided or delayed.

I can help with travel plans if your parent wants to make a trip, such as arranging items such as oxygen, baggage handling, wheelchairs and escort between planes.

I am always available. I am here when you are out of town. I can take phone calls from the facility, or intercept calls from an irate parent. I can meet you at the emergency room, or if necessary, take your parent to the emergency room.

In short, I can be a surrogate daughter for your parent. I add to your support system and theirs, allow you to have more quality time with your parent, to be an advocate not an adversary. I can give you the freedom to go to work and do your job, rather than make phone calls to search for eldercare options.

Professional Geriatric care management is a new profession with only about 1,800 practitioners in the United States.  The National Association of Professional Care Managers (www.caremanager.org) recently defined care management as 

"The process of planning and coordinating the care of the elderly to improve their quality of life and maintain their independence for as long as possible.  Health and psychological care are integrated with the best possible combination of services such as: housing, home care services, socialization programs, financial and legal planning.  A care plan tailored for each individual's circumstances is prepared after a comprehensive assessment.  The care Plan is modified when necessary based on the professional geriatric care managers monitoring of the components of the care plan.  Professional geriatric care managers accomplish this by combining a working knowledge of human development, family dynamics, public and private resources and funding sources while advocating for the individual throughout the continuum of care."

My goal as a care manager is to maximize the elder's independence and quality of life, no matter what the setting.  Depending on the family situation, I often become more a surrogate daughter than an outside professional.  You have a limited amount of time and energy.  You may spend it running errands, going to physicians, arranging care, cooking and cleaning, etc.  Or, you can choose to spend quality time with your parent and allow someone else to do the tasks.  Only you can provide the love.

My fee is $85/hour. I charge for drive time and time spent on the phone.  I suggest that you arrange to pay me yourself, as most in this generation of elders believe such a service is unnecessary.  Their parents aged and died.  Your parents age and live.  The average time spent providing care for aging parents in the U.S. now is 18 years.

A PGCM is an eldercare consultant who has the expertise to make suggestions for positive changes in age-related difficulties.  About a third of us have a nursing background, another third are social workers, and a third come from other professions.  All Geriatric Care Managers have at least a Masters level degree, and usually have formal post graduate education in geriatrics.  Professional Geriatric Care Managers specialize in assisting older people and their families with long-term care arrangements.  We have extensive knowledge about the costs, quality and availability of aging services.

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