Long-term care is an important topic for people to learn about sooner rather than later. At some point, they or a loved one will probably need it. And, when this happens, they’ll have to play catch up … and there’s a lot of information to digest.
Social workers, care managers and caregivers all play a major role in long-term care, and each have specific skills. Here’s how to differentiate between the three professions and the services that they provide.
Social workers protect people, and geriatric social workers help the 65+ population by making sure they’re fed, cared for, and protected from circumstances that leave them vulnerable. They act as advocates and can bring attention to socioeconomic and other major issues that can affect older adults’ wellbeing.
With geriatric social workers, much of their time is spent collaborating with older adults to identify short and long-term goals (not just with health) and creating plans and interventions to achieve those. These plans can include things like:
Because the work that a geriatric social worker does is broad, older adults can turn to them to find assistance for many other areas in their lives — not just health needs.
A care manager can be considered a facilitator of information for their patients when they’re dealing with physicians and receiving medical treatments and are a vital part of the care process. Here are some of the services they provide:
A huge part of their job is building relationships with patients. Doing this ensures that patients comply with getting the care they need, trust their physicians, and achieve their goals. This relationship-building factor is also a significant reason why care managers and caregivers work alongside each other when handling complex issues and providing emotional support.
Caregivers provide continuous support to adults who aren’t able to take care of themselves as well as they would like. Their care, which usually happens at home or at a facility, includes assisting with daily routines, providing compassion and empathy, and ensuring that a person is keeping up with health requirements or treatments as prescribed by their medical professional.
The main difference between this role and the first two is that caregivers don’t have to be licensed professionals. They may be family members, friends, neighbors, or paid professionals who provide care and help with daily living.
How Geriatric Care Managers can Help Caregivers
Long-term care is an important topic for people to learn about sooner rather than later. At some point, they or a loved one will probably need it. And, when this happens, they’ll have to play catch up … and there’s a lot of information to digest.
Our nation is aging. The Census Bureau predicts that by 2034, adults 65+ will outnumber children 18 and under. Today there are many care options available to older adults depending on where they are in terms of independence and level of care needed. One person may still live in their home and only need help with light housekeeping and medication reminders, whereas another may live in an assisted living community and need help bathing, dressing and preparing meals. Fortunately, there are many care options available today to help older adults age happily in place and to live life to the fullest regardless of limitations.
The American Health Care Association estimates that there are nearly 30,000 assisted living facilities in the U.S. today and more than 15,000 skilled nursing facilities. Choosing the right living environment for yourself or a loved one can be hard. There are many facility types, costs, locations, and specialists involved that trying to choose between skilled nursing and assisted living can feel overwhelming.