• Are your parents safe at home?
• Do they pay their bills on time?
• Do they manage their healthcare satisfactorily?
• Are they able to maintain their dignity and independence?
• What can you do to help?

WHO IS AN LSS ELDER CARE MANAGER?
An LSS Elder Care Manager is a professional, such as a counselor, social worker, nurse, or gerontologist, who specializes in assisting older people -- and their families -- to attain the highest quality of life in their circumstances.

HOW CAN LSS ELDER CARE MANAGER HELP YOU OR YOUR LOVED ONE?
           
The LSS Elder Care Manager conducts an in-depth assessment of an elder’s unique situation that results in the design of a highly personalized “Care Plan.”  All of the issues – medical, cognitive abilities, financial, residential, legal – are taken into consideration, until a comprehensive picture and clear vision for the future emerge.

This client-centered approach embraces both the needs and the desires of the elder and family members.   It assures continuity of care management, reduces the burden on families, prevents unnecessary expenditures and reduces the potential for inappropriate decisions regarding placements in residential or care facilities.

The presence of an LSS Elder Care Manager can be particularly beneficial in the case of “long-distance” caregivers or responsible parties. 

Elders and their families can have confidence and peace of mind, because the LSS Elder Care Managerfollows Geriatric Care Management Standards of Practice as defined by the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers.

WHAT DOES THE LSS ELDER CARE MANAGER DO?

• The LSS Elder Care Manager assesses the elder’s health, living situation, activities of daily living, diet, financial and legal situation.
  
  
• Once all factors are evaluated, the LSS Elder Care Manager develops a Care Plan and makes recommendations, which may include
  • Referrals to legal, financial or medical specialists
  • Referrals for crisis management
  • Changes in living situation, such as referrals for assisted living, nursing home care, or other living options
  • Consumer education and advocacy
  • Medication management
  • Guardianship assistance.
  
  
• The LSS Elder Care Manager then makes the arrangements for service, based on the plan.  These may include –
  • Identifying the appropriate residential placement and assisting with the transition
  • Facilitating recommended therapies and other services, such as financial management and insurance benefits.
  
  
• The LSS Elder Care Manager continues to monitor the progress of the elder, evaluates the effectiveness of the plan and communicates recommendations to everyone involved in the care plan.  The oversight of an LSS Elder Care Manager assures efficient and flexible service delivery.
  
  
• The LSS Elder Care Manager operates a bit like a “guardian angel,” watching over everyone involved in the plan of care for an older adult at a particularly vulnerable moment in life.  LSS Elder Care Manager is a professional with a personal touch! 

The LSS Elder Care Management is administered by the staff of Emmanuel House Residence Assisted Living in Brockton. You do not have to be a resident of Emmanuel House to utilize the LSS Elder Care Management!  For more information, email cbowden@lssnebrockton.org or call (508) 521-1625

A PROGRAM OF LUTHERAN SOCIAL SERVICES OF NEW ENGLAND

LSS is a member of the National Association of Geriatric Care Managers