The Olive Group, LLC

Geriatric Care Managers provide services that assist individuals and families.   Geriatric Care Manager services are also utilized by businesses and professionals in the legal, health, and financial arenas who want to ensure their clients understand their needs and options, and that they receive quality care.

•    Individuals who need care or are planning for their own care
•    Families
•    Accountants
•    Financial Planners
•    Banks and Trust Officers
•    Conservators / Guardians
•    Physicians and Allied Health Professionals
•    Attorneys
•    Hospitals
•    Social Service Providers
•    Gerontology Professionals
•    Senior Housing Communities

One or more unusual behaviors that appear to indicate an older person is having some difficulties functioning means it is time for a loved one to step in and obtain expert help.    The Olive Group LLC can help provide for the safety of an aging family member.     Possible danger signals to look for include:

•    Frequent falls or unexplained bruises

•    Unexplained weight loss of 10 lbs. or more in a 12-month period

•    Forgetting to take medication / overdoses of medication / mistakes in taking medication as ordered / abusing medication

•    Bizarre or deviant behavior

•    Getting lost while driving or walking

•    Extreme suspiciousness

•    Loss of interest in social activities / social isolation

•    Neglecting to pay bills or cash checks

•    A small kitchen or bedroom fire

•    Not eating properly or regularly

•    Abusing alcohol / drugs

•    Unsafe driving / getting driving violation tickets frequently and / or involved in driving accidents

•    Confusion / judgment in question / increased forgetfulness

•    New balance or mobility problems and refusing to use cane or walker

•    Health complaints / symptoms, but refusing to see the doctor

•    Forgetting things cooking on the stove or turning on burners or appliances and forgetting to turn them off

•    One spouse overwhelmed or in poor health caring for a dependent spouse

    • Conduct care planning assessments to identify problems, and provide solutions.
    • Screen, arrange and monitor in-home help or other services
    • Review financial, legal, or medical issues and offer referrals to geriatric specialists to avoid future problems while conserving financial resources.
    • Provide crisis intervention.
    • Act as a liaison to families at a distance, overseeing care and quickly alerting families to problems.
    • Assist with moving an older person to or from a retirement complex, assisted care home, or nursing home.
    • Provide consumer education and advocacy.
    • Offer counseling and support.
    • Some Geriatric Care Managers also provide family or individual therapy, finance management, and conservatorship or guardianship assistance and/or caregiving services.
    • Geriatric Care Managers have extensive knowledge about the costs, quality, and availability of resources in their community

Most care management practices focus on older adults.   Many have the capability and knowledge to serve others with chronic conditions.
•    Geriatric Care Managers have a broad range of training and experience, and often have the “know how” and experience to provide services to clients who are not older adults.     
•    Geriatric Care Managers often work with people with chronic illnesses, people with developmental disabilities, people who are struggling with mental health issues, among others

Geriatric Care Managers provide a myriad of services, which are determined by the needs of the individual
•    Geriatric Care Managers provide services that are tailored and defined by the client’s individual needs
•    Geriatric Care Managers have extensive knowledge about how to assess an individual’s needs, how to determine the best living situation for them, how to efficiently manage resources, how to provide the numerous ancillary services to maintain independence and the best quality of life under the current circumstances

Clients pay for most Geriatric Care Management services privately.
•    Most Geriatric Care Managers bill privately for services.     Some long-term care insurance policies cover some services.    In addition, some Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) may cover care management as a benefit.
•    As with many professionals such as attorneys, CPAs, financial planners, most Geriatric Care Managers bill by the hour for their time, some have flat monthly rates.

Rates are typically $300 - $800 for an initial assessment and $125 - $200 per hour depending on the region.

Medicare is largely an acute care insurance policy and does not cover Geriatric Care Management services.    
A beginning number of long-term care insurance policies do cover Geriatric Care Management services.   Many are just starting to define the benefits as families are starting to ask for services.   Many limit services or require a person be in a long-term care facility in order to use it.
A small but growing number of employers cover Geriatric Care Manager services.   This is something new.   Businesses are just beginning to understand that elder care is pulling employees away from the workplace.    The ones that have incorporated the benefit have done so through their Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and then limit the usage to a very low number of hours per year ( 3 – 6 hours ).   Many of the employers who do offer it have experienced dealing with their own loved ones and suddenly realize how difficult it is.    
Private pay remains the main source of reimbursement.