A Geriatric Care Manager Can Make Moving Easier

Submitted by JP Mondeau

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I am an only child who grew up in the Boston area.  While I moved to Colorado with my wife, my parents stayed in Boston and lived in the same house for over 54 years.  When my father, now 79, had a heart attack four years ago, my wife and I began to discuss moving them out West to a facility near our home.  Fortunately my father’s health improved and so the idea of moving them from their home, friends and neighborhood now seemed a bit too drastic of a change.

About two years ago when my parents came to visit, we took the opportunity to have a heart-to-heart conversation with them about the possibility of a move. My father was completely against the idea but my mom was at least willing to think about it.

In 2009, my wife and I decided that the time had come to get serious about the move.  Their health was pretty good so we felt it would be easier for them to take the physical and mental stress of the change. Plus, they might have a few years to enjoy themselves in Colorado before their health declined. We researched the local care available and when my parents made their next visit we scheduled several tours.  Together we visited twelve facilities in a six-day period, evaluating everything from the accommodations and level of care, to meal quality.

Although we were making progress, the clock had started ticking faster than we knew. Two weeks after the visit, my dad’s health deteriorated rapidly, and he was admitted to the hospital with pneumonia and congestive heart failure.  This was followed by a series of challenging moves from the hospital to a rehab center to a respite center, back to the hospital and into a nursing home.

All of a sudden all our research and plans went out the window.  With dad in Boston on a health roller coaster, my wife and I were unable to properly evaluate his needs and the situation was becoming more than we could handle.  It was recommended that we hire a Geriatric Care Manager in the Boston area to assist us. By using the internet, we found one that we could work with.  Although the cost was high ($140 per hour), my parents’ long-term care policy covered the expense. The manager immediately began by assessing and coordinating my parents’ needs. She assisted in filling out long-term care paperwork, having medical records transferred, helped with doctors and coordinated with the facility in Colorado that we eventually selected.

My mother, who is 82, enjoyed working with her because she wasn’t associated with a senior living facility and could therefore provide unbiased advice. She suggested moving Dad into a Memory Care Facility, which we did.  My mom will soon move into an Independent Care Facility on the same campus.

In our case, the combination of moving my parents, my dad’s changing health and the distance between us added up to a very stressful situation.  Hiring a professional who understood the ins and outs of senior care helped us through the crisis.  And her input helped us select the best facility available for my parents – something that gives me peace of mind as we begin the next phase of the journey.