Geriatric Care Consultants
What does the initial Assessment address?
Daily living functional ability
Current medical status
Medical history
Pending medical needs
Safety concerns – physical safety
Legal and Financial issues
Cognitive function and judgment
Dementia/Alzheimer’s
Emotional, social and spiritual issues
Mental health concerns
Nutrition
P.O. Box 665, Malibu, CA 90265
(310) 415-1365
The Process
Generally the process starts with a phone consultation from a concerned family member or friend of the elderly person, followed by a home visit to the care recipient and their family. This initial Assessment is vital information for me to establishing a baseline for medical, social, financial and legal concerns, and to begin the process of creating a long term care plan.
The client’s goals and concerns are taken into account as are a variety of other issues such as financial status, legal issues and mental and physical ability, as well as the concerns of other family members and the overall wellbeing of the client.
A long term care plan is a great tool for the family to use as a guide for what may happen in the near future: managing an immediate crisis, preventative crisis management, and includes a plan of action giving the family a “roadmap” on how they might be better prepared (emotionally and physically) for upcoming changes; inevitable in the aging process.
Following the Assessment and depending on the recommendations contained in the plan, I help the family determine whether or not the patient may require ongoing Care Management - or periodic monitoring. This is especially true with clients whose family members live at a distance or patients who wish to remain in the comfort of their own homes but who aren’t exactly self sufficient.
Care Management would include daily or weekly phone calls, scheduling of caregivers and/or doctor’s visits as necessary, and ongoing assessments of the client’s mental and physical status; disseminating timely information to family members to monitor progress.
WHAT DOES THE INITIAL ASSESSMENT ADDRESS?
- Daily living functional ability: (ADL & IADL)
- Current medical status
- Medical history
- Pending medical needs
- Pre-existing medical conditions
- Home Safety concerns (i.e. risk of falling, wandering)
- Legal and Financial issues
- Cognitive function and judgment
- Emotional, social, and spiritual issues
- Mental health concerns
- Nutriton
- In-Facility assessment with respect to overall care needs
- Support system for elderly person at risk
- Medication review
- Home modification issues