A great way to reduce elderly care costs. Do the math.

Health care has been a hot topic in the media for a while. Making healthcare affordable is on everyone’s radar and new studies give new insights to making health care affordable for the elderly. And research shows that Professional Geriatric Care Managers help keep costs down when treating the elderly, so this is great news.

In an article for the New England Journal of medicine, it stated that one in five seniors are rehospitalized within 30 days of being discharged. What causes big concerns are that only half of the elderly patients discharged receive self-care instructions or see a doctor after they’ve been discharged. This suggests that many hospitalizations could be prevented with proper care and instructions.

This isn’t new information for me, and fortunately, it’s finally being looked at due to concerns about the growing costs of health care under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. It’s now recognized that elderly patients who receive care coordinated in the home by specially trained geriatric care managers, substantially reduce hospitalizations and emergency room admissions by up to 90%.

So very true and here’s why; Professional Geriatric Care Managers become the physician extender in the home setting, while ensuring maximum use of primary care. This can limit and forestall preventable use of emergency room visits and hospitalizations with our elderly loved ones. It’s proven that reducing hospital and emergency room usage leads to improved patient satisfaction, improved quality of life, and reduction of costs for both the healthcare system and the elderly individual. That’s great news for all.

As a Professional Geriatric Care manager, it’s important to fully understand the key components to better care for the elderly. Here are some that we live by;

1. Partnering with the support system of our clients, including family, physicians, hospitals, social services, legal and financial advisors, and other service personnel.

2. Engagement and communication with the entire team while respecting the expertise and leadership of each area of care.

3. A commitment to a consumer-centered perspective and services. This includes lifestyle preferences, faith traditions, available financial resources, and dignity of care.

4. Improving the health comprehension of the patient and his/her support system is important for successful coping so everyone fully understands all that’s going on and knows when to call the Professional Geriatric Care Manager for any concerns that might arise.

5. Ability to Continually adjust the plan of care and surrounding environmental factors based on the daily needs of the elderly patient. Approximately 50% of our time is spent with clients in health education and counseling to cope with health care needs.

There are many other services available in the home including tele-health care monitoring and on-call care management support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our ultimate goal is improved health outcomes, reduced emergency room visits, and decrease in rehospitalizations. Our detailed notes on any interventions assure that the entire team is informed and can become part of the physician’s chart in the primary care setting.

We’re here to help you and your elderly loved ones get the help you need which ultimately is the best for them and you. Serving Seniors offers you peace of mind. We have a team of professionals trained in all areas of elder care and we’re recognized as one of 32 Fellow Certified Geriatric Care Managers in the USA as recognized by the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers. That truly is peace of mind.

Call us for a consultation so we can help you and your loved ones.

Thanks,

Diane