Geriatric Care Management Learn how Your Eldercare Consultants can help you and your family.
Call 773.508.1015 today!
How Your Eldercare Consultants Geriatric Care Managers Can Help You and Your Loved Ones
A Sampler of Our Services: Your Eldercare Consultants are experts with advanced degrees in social work and special training in geriatics. We help older adults who are alone or live far from caring family members. We also assist families who are confused or overwhelmed by the changes that can accompany aging. Our services include: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Professional evaluation of an older person’s ability to manage specific activities of daily living. Personalized care plans that include recommendations of quality services and resources. Recommendations of affordable housing options. Advocacy with doctors, hospitals, home health providers, insurance and credit card companies —even collection agencies. Escorting to medical, dental or specialty appointments; assistance with understanding complicated medical information. Help finding in-home caregiver assistance and ongoing oversight as requested. Management of late life care in the home, closely coordinated with physicians or hospice. Planning for and management of dementia care. Bill paying assistance. Records management and paperwork organization. Clutter management services. Assistance with downsizing households, moving and relocations. Referrals to legal, medical and other essential service providers. Emotional first aid to older adults in distress, skilled crisis intervention, supportive counseling. A resourceful helping hand in emergency situations, accessible 24 hours per day / 7 days per week.
Our practice is family-centered. We advise our clients with sensitivity and respect for family history, relationships and circumstances.
What You Can Expect from Your Eldercare Consultants: • • • • • •
Regular communication by email, phone or in person. Accessible 24 hours, 7 days a week. Team approach and coverage. High, ethical standards; courteous and respectful treatment for all family members. A search for solutions that work for all involved family members. An experienced partner in caring for older adults . . . we are there when you need us!
Call 773.508.1015 today!
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Bill-Paying, Paperwork Organization and Clutter Management We offer practical assistance and special services for older adults and family caregivers. If management of household mail, checkbook , finances, paper accumulation or even collectibles become overwhelming, our staff can help. Our staff specialist can: • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Organize loose or accumulated paperwork and set up simplified filing systems. Plan budgets for senior households. Handle monthly bill paying and checkbook reconciliation, preparing checks for client signature; preparing and making bank deposits. Respond to overdue notices. Cash checks for homebound clients and track expenses. Organize receipts and tax documents. Manage mail on an ongoing basis. Negotiate with creditors. Review medical insurance papers, including notices from Medicare and Medigap companies; verify proper processing of claims. Consult about insurance claims for reimbursement or long-term care benefits. Dispute insurance awards or other questionable billing issues. Work in client homes to reduce and eliminate clutter. Provide “Clutter Management” support and work groups.
Our staff has provided professional bill-paying services for more than 20 years. Our protocols are secure and protected by a thorough in-house audit process. We can provide peace of mind to older adults who are inundated with paperwork, mail, important documents, solicitations and notices.
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Meet Your Eldercare Consultants With great depth of combined experience, Your Eldercare Consultants are well-equipped to help older adults and their families. Every member of our team has distinct interests and practice specialties.
Learn more about our experts and how we can assist your family: Joan Richman Ente, L.C.S.W., C.–A.S.W.C.M. A native New Yorker, Joan attended Oberlin College and earned her Master’s degree at the University of Chicago’s School of Social Service Administration. She is a licensed clinical social worker, a member of the National Association of Social Workers and the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers (NAPGCM). Joan has earned certification as an advanced practitioner in care management. She has served on the Board and Executive Committee of NASW – Illinois Chapter. Joan has more than 20 years of experience in mental health, family treatment and staff development. Her background equips her to work with the special needs of clients and families, always mindful of family stories, complicated relationships and themes that span generations. Joan has a special interest in the management of Parkinson’s disease, neurodegenerative disorders, Alzheimer’s and atypical dementias. An excellent speaker and communicator, Joan regularly speaks about aging issues to business, community, synagogue and professional groups. Recent presentations include: “How Far Can Your Money Go?”; “Family Conversations About Aging”; “Decoding Dementia”; and “Healing the Aging Family through Clinical Care Management.” She has written a monthly column on aging issues for the Chicago Jewish News and many articles for CJE’s LIFE Magazine. Joan is a resourceful, practical practitioner, with thorough knowledge of Jewish culture, health care, community services and other networks in Chicago and the northern suburbs. Kind and intuitive, Joan is detail-oriented and upbeat, with a lively sense of humor. Joan is the proud mother of two vibrant, interesting young adults. She spends off-hours at her local fitness center and likes to imagine that she is the oldest person in her High Intensity Interval Training class. Barbara Sarasin, M.S.W., C.N.A. Working in the field of aging since 1984, Barbara brings a unique perspective to her work with older adults. She has a Master’s of Social Work degree from the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign and is also a Certified Nurse’s Aide. Barbara understands the impact of frailty better than most. She takes a practical, positive approach to solving problems for her clients. Barb has worked in private homes, skilled nursing facilities, adult day programs and an in-patient psychiatric unit.
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Meet Your Eldercare Consultants (Continued) Barbara spearheaded our bill-paying program and has helped clients manage financial and insurance matters for more than 20 years. She offers hands-on assistance by organizing paperwork, tax receipts and record-keeping systems, processing personal mail and assisting with moves. Barb is our resident expert in clutter management. She helps clients de-clutter their homes and has developed a model clutter management group that is both supportive and taskoriented in approach. Barb’s informative talks on this compelling subject are in high demand. Barbara’s warm, practical, “no-nonsense” approach is extremely helpful to many aging clients. She is highly organized, an energetic, quick thinker and an inventive problem solver. Barb’s knowledge of senior housing resources in the city, north and northwest suburbs is impressive. Her quick, mathematical mind is a remarkable asset! Clients know they can depend on Barbara to sort through their personal matters in a non-judgmental, compassionate and reassuring manner. In her spare time, Barb and her husband Doug manage a lively household of four-legged and feathered friends and have travelled far and wide. Barb is a voracious reader and also a devoted family caregiver. Rosann Corcoran, M.S.W., L.C.S.W. Rosann, a licensed clinical social worker, psychotherapist, clinical supervisor and case manager, attended Augustana College and the Jane Addams College of Social Work at University of Illinois at Chicago. She is our aging and disabilities practice specialist, with more than 20 years of experience. Rosann works with older adults, many suffering from severe and persistent mental illness. She coordinates the well-known Linkages program for aging parents of adult children who have disabilities. Rosann assists clients with the challenge of planning for the future in very uncertain times. She routinely helps families navigate complicated, often confounding, service delivery systems. Rosann is widely regarded as an expert in aging and disability services. She has taught graduate level courses in social work and aging at UIC’s Jane Addams College of Social Work and Loyola University School of Social Work in Chicago. She has been a guest lecturer and instructor at the University of Chicago’s School of Social Service Administration’s “Social Work With Older Adults” certificate program. Rosann has spoken at several prestigious conferences and oversees field instruction for graduate students interning at CJE SeniorLife. Her popular program “Policy, Advocacy and You: An Update on Disability and Aging Services” recently drew more than 100 attendees. Grounded, yet fun-loving, Rosann is a skilled diagnostician and trusted counselor. She enjoys working with clients in crisis, strongly believing that crisis can bring unexpected opportunities for change and resolution. She utilizes principles of mindfulness in her clinical work, helping older adults “mind the moment” for greatest perspective. Outside the office, Rosann enjoys summers near the lake, her family and close-knit community of friends and neighbors.
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Meet Your Eldercare Consultants (Continued) Alicia Lopez, B.A. Alicia’s friendly voice might be the first one you hear when calling Your Eldercare Consultants. She assists the practitioners with all initial inquiries, phone calls and scheduling. Alicia listens with warmth and intelligence to the concerns of every caller and schedules appointments with the care manager who is best equipped to help in each circumstance. She maintains contact with our ongoing clients and supports the staff at our main office. Alicia, a Chicago native, joined our team in 2014. She is a 2011 graduate of National Louis University, with a major in Applied Behavioral Sciences and two concentrations — Public Policy and Aging Studies. Her prior work as a paralegal broadened and enriched her educational experience. Alicia is analytical, curious and interested in behavioral motivations. She is intrigued by change and the process by which people find ways to adapt when they must. Alicia has brought great energy, computer savvy, design flair and a radiant smile to our practice. A softball enthusiast, she is a natural shortstop in the office—fielding questions and tasks with ease, and keeping our workflow in bounds through a series of exquisite plays. She’s a natural diplomat at home, honing her peacekeeping skills as a lifelong Cubs fan married to a White Sox fan. Alicia is the youngest of three accomplished sisters. Besides softball, she is a skilled volleyball player. She and her husband are the proud owners of “Clown’s Great Gamble,” a show-quality Great Dane pup, also known as “Roulette.” Barbara Rabyne, M.C.R.P. Barbara Rabyne serves as Senior Director of Your Eldercare Consultants. It is one of her many leadership responsibilities at CJE SeniorLife, our affiliate organization. Barbara attended Grinnell College and earned her Master’s degree in city and regional planning from Rutgers University, with a subspecialty in gerontological services. She identified aging services as her professional passion early in life and now has over 35 years of experience in the field. Barbara began her professional career at AgeOptions, the suburban Cook County area agency on aging, assisting in the development of senior services from Barrington to Chicago Heights. She next served as Nursing Home Ombudsman for the City of Evanston. In 1991, Barbara joined CJE SeniorLife, managing special projects including the Living at Home Program, Benefits Eligibility Check Up Program and the Personal Care Department. She now directs Community Services and oversees a number of vital service programs including: Counseling, Transportation, Home-delivered Meals, Personal Care, Geriatric Care Management and the Managed Community Care programs. She serves on the professional advisory committee of Holocaust Community Services in the Chicago area. Barbara is currently involved in planning for the State of Illinois’ transition of older Medicaid recipients to managed care. Barbara believes in positive aging and in doing everything possible to improve quality of life for all older adults. She is an inspiring leader, lending vision to our practice. Her core philosophy informs our approach that “the older you get, the more resilient you can be.”
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Meet Your Eldercare Consultants (Continued)
Our Added Value Your Eldercare Consultants are respected professionals in the aging services field. We are known for our integrity, ethics and high standards of practice. We have access to a wealth of resources and services in the community, including: • Mental Health and Counseling services for independent or homebound individuals. • Adult Day Programs. • Transportation Services. • Home-Delivered Meals. • Creative Arts Therapists. • Referral to Medical Providers and Specialists. • Referral for Home Health Services. • Referral for Personal Care. • A Virtual Senior Center for isolated older adults that connects them to family members, friends and communities. Our main office is conveniently located on the north side of Chicago, with easy access to downtown and the northern suburbs.
For more than 40 years, CJE SeniorLife has been at the forefront of developing programs and services for older adults that are comprehensive, innovative and customized to each individual’s unique circumstances. What sets CJE SeniorLife apart from other organizations is how its programs and services complement one another, creating a constellation of care. Older adults, their families and caregivers in metropolitan Chicago turn to CJE SeniorLife at different stages in their lives and they all benefit from CJE SeniorLife’s invaluable network of support, guidance and resources. Your Eldercare Consultants is a division of CJE SeniorLife’s comprehensive, network of a wide-range of programs and services for older adults and their loved ones.
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What Our Clients Are Saying About Us When you call upon our professional care managers, you’ll get assistance from staff who are practical, resourceful, ethical and committed to the highest standards of practice. Our clients value our work. Here are some comments we’ve received: “When my Mom started showing signs of memory loss it was overwhelming. Her doctor suggested Your Eldercare Consultants and now looking back, I don’t know where I would be without your amazing support and advice. Everybody was helpful, patient and friendly. It was nice knowing I was not alone in my experiences and feelings, and that there were people who understood and could offer advice.” – Son, Chicago “We successfully placed my parents in assisted living… and they have adjusted wonderfully. My sisters and I feel a great sense of relief that they are so well cared for and happy.” – Son, Lake Forest “Our Care Manager has understood our family situation to the extent that I feel free to tell her all of my concerns. She has offered solutions that fit our needs.” – Wife, suburban Chicago “Our Care Manager took us from total confusion to being organized in two days. Great job.” – Husband, suburban Chicago “Thank you for all you have done for our family and our mother. First and foremost, I want to thank you for your guiding hand and advice these past several months. It’s certainly been invaluable.” – Daughter, suburban Chicago and Arizona “My first thought when I needed help for my mother was to contact a Federation agency and I received the expertise with the compassion I sought. The Care Manager was compassionate in providing a road map for me and my mother as she ages…” – Daughter, Chicago “What a tremendous help you have been! All of your referrals were outstanding.” – Niece, Texas “We appreciated your professional approach and good sense of humor.” –Son, Buffalo Grove
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Explanation of Fees Ongoing Care Management Your Eldercare Consultants’ fees for care management cover the costs of our professional time. Statements are rendered monthly and payment is expected upon receipt.
Hourly Rates Care Management Consultation.................. $150 per hour; no fees for travel time Ongoing Care Management .........................$125 per hour; no fees for travel time Bill Paying and Paperwork Organization ....... $60 per hour; travel time billed at same rate Fee Specifications • All time spent on a client’s behalf, including but not limited to, in-home or site visits, telephone consultations, research, travel time and correspondence (electronic and traditional) is documented. • Agreed upon out-of-pocket expenses are added to the bill. • Time is calculated in ten minute increments. • Upon request, we will provide estimates of anticipated costs for recommended care management and services.
Hours Regular hours of service................................Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. Appointments may be pre-arranged for other times. Services provided after regular hours, on holidays or weekends, are billed at 1.5 times the basic hourly rate. A Care Manager is routinely available to cover client emergencies.
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Frequently Asked Questions How can I get in touch with a care manager? Initial inquiries should be directed to Alicia Lopez, who is available during regular business hours. Call her at 773.508.4923 or send an email to alicia.lopez@cje.net. Alicia knows our schedules; she can arrange formal assessments and first visits. She will also alert us in the event of a client emergency. If Alicia isn’t available, calls may automatically go to CJE SeniorLife’s Entry Department. The phone number for that department is 773.508.1015. How does the process begin? Upon request, Alicia sends an information packet and a service fee agreement. After receiving a signed service agreement, she arranges a first visit at your preferred location. Is there a fee? Our care managers can offer a complimentary 15 minute telephone conversation to help you determine whether services might be of benefit. A signed service agreement is required for more thorough conversations with family members. Fees are charged for formal consultations, diagnostic assessments, preparation of a care plan and ongoing services. Refer to Page 8 for an explanation of fees. Billing statements for agreed-upon professional time and services are provided monthly. Payment can be made by check or credit card. We accept payment from any family representative who serves as the responsible party for financial matters. Will medical insurance or long-term care insurance pay for your services? Care management is not yet covered by Medicare or supplemental insurance. Some long-term care insurance policies include coverage for care management assessment and ongoing assistance. Consult your long term care insurance agent or policy summary for an explanation of your benefits. How do I know if I can afford your services? Our consultants can estimate the amount of time needed to complete a particular task. We are respectful of a family’s financial situation, trying to work with families to solve problems while staying within their budget. What is covered in a consultation? The Care Managers listen and respond to your personal questions and needs. We are equipped to advise on complex family issues, housing options, costs of care, caregiving assistance, care transitions and long- term planning. A home visit with the older adult is highly recommended as best practice for creating constructive care plans. How do I know what services I need? You may already have a clear idea of your goals or the help that is needed. The Care Manager will work to identify all possible services or solutions. Can you help in the middle of the night or on weekends if needed? Our consultants are available to their regular clients at any time of day or night. Clients are provided with contact information so that we can be reached whenever necessary. We are not, however, an emergency service. We do not provide direct medical care or emergency transport. We advise clients to call 911 in the event of a serious fall or a health incident. We will meet our clients at the emergency room of their choice when asked and authorized to do so.
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Frequently Asked Questions (continued) How do you help in emergency room situations? We can help in many ways. With written authorization, we can guide clients through emergency room care and the hospital admission process. In order to do this, advance planning is required. For example, we obtain family contact information and instructions on whom to notify in case of sudden illness. When a hospital visit is required, we can arrange care for a frail spouse who may be left home alone. We serve as advocates in unexpected situations when anxieties run high. I don’t live in the Chicago area. Can you still help? Absolutely! Many of our client families include adult children who are long distance caregivers. Secure technology and good reporting skills enable us to work effectively for families across the country and around the world. My siblings and I disagree over how to care for our mother. How do you handle that? There are often differences in opinion when it comes to aging and care for a loved one. Our consultants take an inclusive approach and try to facilitate communication among all family members. We conduct conversations sensitively and respectfully. The needs and interests of the older adult are our foremost concern. What if my older loved one is reluctant to get help? Older adults who have the capacity to make decisions have the right to refuse services if they so choose. We can advise and counsel well-meaning family members regarding their options. Do you work with other professionals in the area? Our consultants have extensive contacts and relationships in the aging community. We work regularly and collaboratively with physicians, geriatric psychiatrists, home health agencies, elderlaw attorneys, benefits and insurance specialists, home care and other service providers. We are required to request your written consent in order to communicate with other professionals . Are there other services like this in the area? Geriatric care management is a tried and true, holistic approach to caring for older adults who are in transition or facing health challenges. Working with families, geriatric care managers provide education and solutions at times of uncertainty. CJE SeniorLife has offered private pay, professional care management services for over 15 years. Qualified care managers are often members of a national professional organization, such as NAPGCM (National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers), which was organized in 1985. There are many practitioners in the Chicagoland area, each with a distinct approach and philosophy. Read more about this at the NAPGCM website: www.caremanager.org. Do you have any other means of outreach, like local events or use of social media? Our consultants speak at community and continuing education events around the area. We welcome the opportunity to share our expertise with your civic or professional group. For further information, contact us at 773.508.1015. Please visit our website at www.YourEldercareConsultants.com or see us on Facebook www.facebook.com/cjeseniorlife and YouTube (www.youtube.com/cjeseniorlife).
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Learn how Your Eldercare Consultants can help you and your family.
Call 773.508.1015 today!
or visit: www.YourEldercareConsultants.com
Your Eldercare Consultants is a division of CJE SeniorLife, a partner in serving our community, supported by the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago.
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