The Care Navigator serves as a case manager in a variety of situations.
Services and support provided by The Care Navigator are broad in scope. Below are general descriptions and examples of client situations to provide you with an idea of the type of services and coordination of care we offer. Many of the situations have been changed to protect the privacy of the client.
Example of Situation One for a Case Manager or Care Navigator:
Adult children one in Denver, one elsewhere need support in caring for their mother diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease who refuses to acknowledge the diagnosis and the need for care. We initiated in home caregivers and supervised care, coordinated and attended medical appointments, initiated attendance at adult day care and as time went on worked with the client to visit assisted living communities for an eventual move. The family was very stressed during this time and had a great deal of difficulty discussing the realities of the situation and the care needs with their mother.
Example of Situation Two for a Case Manager or Care Navigator:
A family member contacted us because their cousin was experiencing significant health issues and the family member did not have the time to support their cousin. We met with the family, gathered medical records and set up multiple medical appointments to confirm health diagnoses and recommended treatment. We worked with referrals to specialists and skilled services (PT, OT). We currently visit this client monthly and attend medical appointments as needed.
Example of Situation Three for a Case Manager or Care Navigator:
Two sisters both out of town recently moved their father to an assisted living community. The father no longer drives, has memory loss and requires frequent medical visits due to multiple chronic conditions. We visit the father twice monthly, check in with the community staff to determine needs. We also take the father to medical and related appointments and update the daughter's via email and telephone calls.
Situation: A woman with macular degeneration lives alone but has difficulty writing checks and paying her bills. We visit monthly to support her in completing this task and have automated as many deposits and payments as possible so that check writing is at a minimum. We will continue to support her as she needs other assistance.
Example of Situation Four for a Case Manager or Care Navigator:
A son who was blind needed a Personal Representative for his mother who was on hospice care. The Care Navigator became the Personal Representative and was able to manage her final disposition (cremation) and close out the financial details of her estate.
Give us a call today to discuss how we can help you as a Care Navigator or Case Manager.
For more services visit Guardianship, Financial Power of Attorney, Medical Power of Attorney, Personal Representative, Case Manager or Care Navigator
Other examples of how The Care Navaigator can help:
- Bill paying for an adult child who is Power of Attorney for his parents but who does not have the time to review mail, pay bills and coordinate paperwork.
- Completion of annual income tax returns for clients who need assistance in gathering information and delivering to a CPA to complete the taxes.
- We serve as an advocate for children living out of town who have parents living in independent, assisted living, memory care and nursing homes. We visit on a requested schedule, attend care conferences and medical appointments, purchase personal needs items and send reports back to the adult children. We also provide general oversight and go to the emergency room when an unexpected event occurs that requires information and an advocate.
- We act as an impartial source of information in family situations where there is significant disagreement about the care needs of parents or a loved one. In these situations we provide education and in some cases coordination of care for parents so that families can be “families” and not serve as caregivers or task providers.
- We complete and coordinate Medicaid applications for clients including identifying Medicaid care communities when this need exists.
- We coordinate long term care insurance policies and initiate claims for individuals who are unfamiliar with the paperwork or the process to implement a claim. We will review the policy, initiate the claim and complete the paperwork. We also provide information to clients wishing to change insurance a year end or apply for Medicare B or D.
- We support individuals who realize it’s time to move to an assisted living but who are too overwhelmed by the task of selling their home, eliminating excess property and who are unsure of the type of community they need. In these cases we review medical and financial needs to determine a care community that will be a good long term match and help coordinate all the details to complete the move. In many of these cases we remain involved with the older adult to monitor medical and related care after the move. ***
- We provide daily, weekly or monthly oversight of care needs. We work with clients who are living independently but want support managing in home care providers and coordinating other services be it health or property related. We set up lawn care, coordinate home repairs, and any projects necessary to allow individuals to remain independent at home.
- We attend medical appointments, collect and coordinate medical records and medication lists between providers and oversee general care.
- All other services are by request.
*** We are not a free referral or placement agency. We do not accept or require referral fees from companies and communities with whom we work. We work in the best interest of our clients. Refer to article "State Gets Tough on Referrals for Eldercare" in our folder.