Life Care Navigation

Q: WHAT IS A PROFESSIONAL LIFE CARE NAVIGATOR?
A: A LIFE Care Navigator is a health and human services specialist who helps families who are caring for older relatives. The LIFE Care Navigator is trained and experienced in any of several fields related to Life Care Navigation, including, but not limited to: nursing, gerontology, social work, or psychology, with a specialized focus on issues related to aging and elder care. Life Care Navigators are also known as Geriatric Care Managers, Care Managers, and Life Care Managers.

Q: DO I REALLY NEED A PROFESSIONAL LIFE CARE NAVIGATION?
A: When considering engaging the services of a LIFE Care Navigator, you should evaluate whether you have the time, inclination, or skills to manage the challenges of geriatric care. If you are not sure, ask a trusted advisor to help you decide if an elder care expert may be helpful. Enlisting the support of other family members to consult a professional is a good way to build a consensus on the solutions.

Questions that you may wish to consider:

• Are the problems that you or your loved ones are facing becoming larger and more complex than you can comfortably manage?
• Are other demands and responsibilities now so great that you are not able to provide the desired level of supervision and attention to your loved one's problems?

Q: WHAT CAN A LIFE CARE NAVIGATOR DO FOR ME?

• Conduct care-planning assessments to identify problems and to provide solutions.
• Screen, arrange, and monitor in-home help or other services, including assistance in hiring a qualified caregiver for home care.
• Provide short- or long-term eldercare assistance for those engaged in local or long distance caregiving.
• Review financial, legal, or medical issues and offer referrals to these and other geriatric specialists.
• Provide crisis intervention.
• Act as a liaison to families at a distance, overseeing care, and quickly alerting families to problems which is especially important when families are engaged in long distance caregiving for a loved one.
• Assist with moving an older person to or from a retirement complex, assisted care home, or nursing home.
• Provide consumer education and advocacy.
• Offer eldercare counseling and support.

Q: WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF USING A LIFE CARE NAVIGATOR?
A: Professional LIFE Care Navigator services are offered in a variety of settings. LIFE Care Navigators can serve the needs of their clients with the following services:

• Personalized and compassionate service -- focusing on the individual's wants and needs.
• Accessibility -- care is typically available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• Continuity of Life Care Navigator -- communications are coordinated between family members, doctors and other professionals, and service providers.
• Cost containment -- inappropriate placements, duplication of services, and unnecessary hospitalizations are avoided.

Caregiving

Q: WHAT KIND OF SERVICES DO YOU PROVIDE?
A: Companion care and personal care services are designed to take over or assist in the activities that elders need in order to stay at home safely and with dignity. These may include fall prevention, medication and fluids reminders, light housekeeping, grooming or bathing assistance and running errands.

Q: WHAT DOES THE TERM “AGING IN PLACE” MEAN?
A: This refers to the ability of any person to grow old in their own home or that of their family. It is the opposite of institutional residential care like a nursing home. Sometimes it may mean the ability, with extra help, to stay in an assisted living facility as well.

Q: DO YOU ACTUALLY PROVIDE SERVICES IN ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES?
A: Yes. People sometimes discover that the assistance provided in an assisted living facility is not enough to enable them to remain independent. In these cases, Visiting Angels provides a person to make this possible.

Q: HOW DOES THE COST OF VISITING ANGELS COMPARE WITH ASSISTED LIVING OR NURSING HOME CARE?
A: The average Visiting Angels service runs about 1/3 the cost of an Assisted Living Facility and less than ¼ of what the skilled facility would cost.

Q: CAN THIS HELP MY PARENTS CONSERVE THE ASSETS THEY HAVE WORKED ALL THEIR LIVES TO BUILD?
A: Yes. Any assets a person spends for his or her own care reduces what will be available for the government, through Medicaid or taxes, to take away. Most families would rather see those assets spent keeping their elderly family members at home and independent rather than have them taken away to reimburse the government or be taxed as inheritance.

Q: HOW QUICKLY CAN SERVICES BE PROVIDED?
A: Generally services can be provided within a 48-hour period and often the same day.

Q: CAN I CHANGE THE SCHEDULE IF I HAVE APPOINTMENTS?
A: Changes are easily accomplished with as little as a week's notice. Our philosophy is to make the schedule work for the family, not the agency. You come first. Your needs, your requests, your schedule. We will do everything possible to make sure the schedule you want is the schedule you get.

Q: HOW DO I START SERVICES?
A: Use our office locator or call 952-891-8000. We will have our staff come to your home and conduct a free, no obligation assessment. We will then, at your direction, identify caregivers who have the skills, personality and availability to assist you. You then will be able to meet the caregiver and if you approve, they will begin working for you.