Making sure your aging loved ones are taken care of is always top of mind. But knowing how to set up and create a comprehensive care management plan can quickly become overwhelming.
In this guide we’ll walk you through the steps of crafting a successful care management plan that takes into account the unique needs of your aging loved one.
Assess Needs and Preferences
Assessing the needs and preferences is one of the first things you should do when creating an effective care management plan. By this we mean you should take a step back and consider your loved one’s medical conditions, physical limitations, emotional wellbeing, and social engagement. Don’t forget to ask your loved one about their own preferences and goals.
By taking a holistic approach, you can create a foundation for the rest of your care management plan. Asking and including your loved one’s preferences in goal setting will save you time in the long run. Goals that are not centered in their desires and needs will not be prioritized and will leave you feeling like your time has been wasted.
Establish Clear Goals
It’s important to establish what you and your loved one consider as being a ‘successful’ care management plan. Do your best to make your goals achievable, realistic, and focused on helping your loved one remain independent. The more specific your goals are, the better you can serve your aging parent.
This is also a great time to bring in any key people or family members who want to be part of your loved one’s aging.
You also want to specifically address what accepting help one day may look like for them. Often the elephant in the room is some sort of decline that has already happened or we are anticipating decline due to a diagnosis. Even if you are being incredibly proactive, and nothing has happened and no degenerative diagnosis is present, we need to be openly discussing the eventual need for help. This means we want to talk directly about what that care will look like for your loved one. You should ask questions that help build a person-centered plan such as:
- Are they willing to invite caregivers into their home?
- Would they be interested in employing a contractor to make their home more accessible?
- Is there a point where Senior Living would be their preference over staying at home?
- Is their goal even to stay at home or would they enjoy being in a senior living environment?
Create a Care Team
Building or finding a team is critical to successful care management. This is where we come in! We’re there to be a third party support system to guide you through the ups and downs of your loved one’s aging.
Our Professional Care Navigators can bring in expertise and experience to help you navigate this time in you and your families’ life, offer insight, coordinate care, and be a support system when you need it.
Creating a successful care management plan takes time, consideration, collaboration, and adaptability – all which can become quickly overwhelming. Reviewing and adjusting these goals of care frequently is important to creating a safe place for your loved one to age in a way that helps them achieve their goals. Co-owner, Janie Bailey, uses the phrase “assess without assessing.” We need to remain mindful of changes, particularly noticeable decline, but we don’t always need to be formally sitting down, asking questions, and updating a formal plan of care document.
Keep in mind, one part of a successful care management plan is creating one that supports your aging loved one and brings peace of mind to you and your family. Often we hear when consulting with adult children “I feel guilty saying this, but that won’t work for ME.” You are a big part of this plan and a plan that feels unattainable or overwhelming to you, is not going to work. Being realistic about who is involved in the plan, what role they are filling, and how much time commitment is realistic, is an important piece of the puzzle.
When you need that extra support in your loved one’s wellness journey, we can support you.
Let’s talk through your current situation, and what you hope to help your loved one achieve.
