Think of elder care as a broad umbrella of services for the frail elderly. The term "elder care" describes the many care issues faced by the oldest and most frail members of society. And it's much broader than just health matters. Elder care also involve housing, socialization, legal and and financial matters.

Why Elder Care Is So Confusing

The broad range of knowledge you'll need as a family caregiver is a major reason for the confusion that seems to be part of the elder care landscape.

Unfamiliar terms and phrases are another. Like any area of specialty, elder care has it's own unique langauge. Having to master a new nomenclature adds to the overwhelm caregivers deal with. It also adds to the difficulty of identifying, locating and paying for the care your elder needs.

Most family caregivers learn about elder care in a crisis. Suddenly facing the responsibility of managing the health and safety of a elderly parent creates quite a challenge.

Elder care sites like this one provide excellent overviews of available services and how to judge them. But if you need help in a hurry find yourself a geriatric care manager.

The Value of Geriatric Care Managers

Professional geriatric care managers are health and human service experts who focus on elder care issues. They come from a number of fields related to care management such as : nursing, social workers, gerontology, and psychology.

When caring for elderly parents with chronic needs, they provide invaluable access to the elder care community. Because of their daily involvement with other elder care providers, geriatric care managers can help you make sense of the chaotic and confusing while directing you to appropriate help.

They can serve as care manager, assessing and selecting appropriate levels of care, as your medical advocate within the health care system or as health care surrogate for long distance caregivers. The use of a geriatric care manager allows greater autonomy for elderly parents while providing family members with the necessary sense of security that their parents have their needs met.