What Is Aging Life Care?

Aging Life Care is a profession that focuses on holistic care management for older adults. It is also called "geriatric care management" or "elder care management."

Dealing with insurance companies or figuring out which healthcare options to choose can be perplexing for anybody, but as we age, these tasks can become even more overwhelming. So can remembering when to take medications, making complex life decisions, or paying bills.

When things become difficult for aging adults, whether they are “solo seniors” aging alone or seniors who have family members involved in their care, an Aging Life Care Professional can help resolve such problems.

Here are some reasons and situations where you might want to use the services of an Aging Life Care Professional:

• Our healthcare system is very complex. Making wise decisions sometimes requires a great breadth and depth of knowledge. Researching options is time intensive and costly. Aging Life Care Professionals are experts in their field and have a wide array of resources and networks. They are problem solvers who can provide a personalized strategic plan or “roadmap” on how to help a loved one age in place or, when necessary, transition to an appropriate care setting.
• Falls and medication errors are two of the most common and preventable reasons older adults are admitted to the hospital. An Aging Life Care Professional is often called during an urgent situation where there has been a catastrophic change in a loved one’s condition; this is especially true when families are living long distances apart.  We help families navigate the immediate crisis and then work to put together a plan that will keep the older adult out of the hospital.

• An Aging Life Care Professional can serve as an advocate in situations where good communication is essential. For example, we can accompany an older adult on a doctor’s visit to make sure the physician understands the patient's concerns, and the patient understands what the doctor is telling them.
• An Aging Life Care Professional can assist with one short-term situation or help with several over a long period of time. Sometimes, when we begin helping with one issue an older adult is having, we notice other, less obvious problems that are nevertheless having an impact on quality of life.
• Aging Life Care Professionals are sometimes known as “professional relatives,” who help when actual relatives aren’t able to -- either because they live far away, or the older adult doesn’t want them involved in some aspects of their life, or for other reasons.
• Aging Life Care Professionals work with clients with a variety of budgets and care needs.

What to look for when you hire an Aging Life Care Professional

It’s important to look for an Aging Life Care Professional who is certified by the Aging Life Care Association, a non-profit organization that represents 2,000 leaders in Aging Life Care. They follow a strict code of ethics and standards of practice. It’s their duty to help clients reach goals that meet the older adults’ needs. They provide unbiased advice and care; they are not connected to any particular facility and work solely for the client.