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Have you ever wondered what licensing, certification, or qualification a person must hold in order to work as a professional geriatric care manager in San Diego County? Everyone is familiar with the many years of education required to become a doctor or a registered nurse, but standards for providers of specialized services related to in-home elderly care are less well known to the general public.
There are certain positions in the elderly care field that require special training and continuing education, and one of these is the professional geriatric care manager (“GCM”). A certified GCM is someone who has met all of the requirements established by the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers (NAPGCM), including an approved college degree and two to three years of supervised elderly care management services. After the initial certification is completed, a professional geriatric care manager must adhere to the NAPGCM’s Standards of Practice, which are posted online. The standards are divided into three categories:
Client Relationships
In general, a professional geriatric care manager in San Diego emphasizes the client’s rights, needs, and desires. While the GCM’s training prepares him or her to suggest care possibilities, he also works very hard to give the client and any involved family members all the information they need to make the best decisions possible. The client-care manager relationship is always professional and respectful.
Care Practice
Transparency, honesty, and flexibility are priorities in the business operations of a geriatric care manager. In San Diego, seniors and their family members working with a GCM should receive clear information about the GCM’s role, expected duties, and care program. The manager is expected to work closely with the client and family in order to develop a plan for care that is ideal for the unique situation. This section of the NAPGCM’s Standards of Practice also encourages care managers to regularly participate in continuing education classes and stay acquainted with current research in the field of senior care.
Business Policies
Detailed guidelines for billing agreements aim to reduce any conflict over payment, services, or unfulfilled expectations between the client and the geriatric care manager. Professional GCMs promise to conduct all advertising and marketing with integrity and awareness of the vulnerability of the elderly. High-pressure sales pitches and inflated advertising are inappropriate when offering sensitive, gentle in-home care for seniors.
Someone who claims the title “professional geriatric care manager” is bound by these and other expectations, giving seniors and their family members peace of mind about their care provider’s qualifications and ethics.
Originally posted 2011-12-06 13:04:10.