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Caring for your loved ones as they age and need your assistance can be both a joy and a challenge. Options for Elder Care — a care management service that assists older adults and their families plan, manage and coordinate difficult, age-related situations — is owned and operated by Barbara Kolonay, who is a Registered Nurse, a Certified Case Manager and a Life Care Manager recognized by the Aging Life Care Association1. To learn more about how a Life Care Manager can help you and your family, please read the brief introduction below, explore Our Services, or see the Frequently Asked Questions section of our website. You can also visit our Blog, where we'll be posting additional information, reflections and conversations.
Even if you're familiar with the wide range of senior services that are available, you may have difficulty determining what's right for you and your elder at this particular time. Everyone is unique, and has different needs. This is where a Life Care Manager can prove invaluable. A Life Care Manager (LCM) is a professional with specialized knowledge and expertise in senior care issues. Ideally, an LCM holds an advanced degree in gerontology, social work, psychology, nursing, or a related health and human services field. Sometimes called case managers, elder care managers, service coordinators or care coordinators, LCMs are individuals who evaluate your situation, identify solutions, and work with you to design a plan for maximizing your elder's independence and well being. Life Care Managers facilitate the care selection process for family members who live at a distance from their elderly relatives, as well as for those who live nearby but do not know how to tap into the appropriate local services. You can hire a care manager for a single, specific task, such as helping you find a daily caregiver, or to oversee the entire caregiving process. Options for Elder Care also can provide connection with a range of other professionals and service providers who are part of the local elder care network. Life care management usually involves an in-depth assessment, developing a care plan, arranging for services, and following up or monitoring care. With our experience and familiarity with community resources, Options for Elder Care can also suggest potential alternatives you might not have considered. We make sure your loved one receives the best possible personalized care and all the benefits to which they are entitled.
If you need assistance with caring for an elderly loved one, are new to elder care or uncomfortable with elder care decision-making, are faced with having to make a sudden decision or major change such as a health crisis or change of residence, or simply want some advice about any aspect of elder care, please don't hesitate to contact us at any time.
• About the Aging Life Care Association (ALCA)
ALCA is a nonprofit professional organization representing the field of Aging Life Care™ (also known as geriatric care management). ALCA promotes high standards of practice, professional ethics, and continuing education for its members. Membership is open only to individuals qualified by education and experience. Since its formation in 1985, ALCA has become the recognized and respected lead organization of practitioners in this field. Primarily a national organization ALCA also has members in Canada and other countries. For more information please visit www.aginglifecare.org or call (520) 881-8008.
• Family Hospice and Palliative Care
As one of the Hospice services that Options for Elder Care recommends, Family Hospice and Palliative Care exists to enhance the quality of life for terminally ill patients, their families, and caregivers by providing quality palliative and supportive care, primarily in the home. Their service area includes Allegheny County, Beaver County, Butler County, Crawford County, Fayette County, Greene County, Lawrence County, Mercer County, Venango County, Washington County, and Westmoreland County in Western Pennsylvania and Columbiana County, Mahoning County, and Trumbull County in Ohio.
• Harris Survey on End-of-Life Care
According to a Harris Survey on End-of-Life Care conducted in 2002, the vast majority of Americans (86%) believe that people with terminal illness would most like to receive end-of-life care at home. Yet nearly 70% of deaths in America today occur in facilities, primarily in hospitals and long-term care facilities.
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Website Design © 2006 - 2015 by Peter Shefler, Clearstory Studios and Brad Kolonay, Vitaview Software
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