In a recent New York Times New Old Age article, Paula Span described aging life care managers as a godsend for families—and a profession still feels like a secret. Her observation had us asking: How can aging life care managers (formerly known as geriatric care managers) provide so much support and earn such high client satisfaction while remaining largely unknown? Put simply, why are they healthcare’s best-kept secret?
Awareness Often Begins with a Crisis.
Families often recognize the need for additional support only after a turning point, such as:
- A fall
- A hospital stay
- A holiday visit that reveals new concerns
When an older adult’s needs exceed what the family can manage alone, an aging life care manager can assess the situation, coordinate care, and guide the family toward the most appropriate next steps.
“When we talk to someone, they say, ‘I wish I could have called you six months ago, but I didn’t know you existed.’” —Susy Elder Murphy, owner of Aging Well Eldercare
That was true in my own case. I found an aging life care manager through a coworker’s referral—but only because he knew my mother had fallen and was in the hospital.
Many Titles, Lots of Confusion, Important Distinctions.
Titles such as senior care advisor, patient advocate, and care navigator may sound interchangeable with aging life care manager. The differences, however, are important.
- Education and certification. Aging life care managers must complete the required combination of advanced education and supervised experience before becoming eligible for the certification exam. The Aging Life Care Association also sets professional requirements, standards of conduct, and ethical expectations for its members.
- Independence. Aging life care managers work for their clients and the clients’ families—not for hospitals or insurance companies. The association specifically prohibits “accepting or giving referral fees, fee splitting, kickbacks or other similar arrangements in exchange for client referrals.”
- Range of services. Aging life care managers provide a broad range of support that distinguishes them from other advisors. According to the Aging Life Care Association, their areas of expertise include:
- Family support
- Housing
- Legal matters
- Financial matters
High touch not high tech.
These days all you hear about is tech, tech and more tech. But when it comes to improving the lives of older adults and their families, that requires a whole lot of high touch. The ability to advocate for older adults in the moment and in person. The knowledge of how the healthcare system works and where it fails. The experience to cut through red tape. No bot or AI persona can do that. So while it may not be the newest thing in healthcare, aging care managers deserve more attention than they get.
How do we get the secret out?
Crisis. Confusion. Cost. Add to that a profession that’s 24/7, 365 days a year. Not a perfect environment for raising awareness. As the older population grows it’s time to do more. One thought we had at AgePros : Educate the medical community about the existence and the benefits of aging life care managers. We’ll keep thinking. In the meantime what do you think? Why don’t more people know about aging life care managers? And what can we do about it?
