Geriatric care manager checking a patient's paperwork
Geriatric care managers, or GCMs, are also known as RN care managers, RN consultants and nurse consultants. A GCM helps elderly people and their families meet their day-to-day and long-term care needs, according to carepathways.com. Geriatric care managers help families that are coping with issues associated with caring for an aging family member.
Geriatric Care Manager
A geriatric care manager combines the disciplines of health and human services to help families that are caring for their loved ones, according to the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers or NAPGCM. As a GCM, you work with families to set up individualized care plans and assist seniors in receiving the services they need such as home health care. You also provide counseling, support and advocacy for seniors. You may need to intervene in times of crisis, and you also need to identify problems and offer care solutions.
Education
GCMs often have a bachelor's degree in nursing; some may have a doctorate in the field of gerontology, according to carepathways.com. GCMs typically have training and education in one or more fields of health care management, such as nursing, gerontology, social work or psychology (with a special emphasis placed on aging and elder care).
GCM Certification
As of 2010, there are no state or national licensing requirements to work as a geriatric care manager, according to toghers.com. You can, however, obtain your certification in geriatric care management by taking online classes. Introduction to Geriatric Care Management, Aging, Psychosocial Issues, Balancing Aging, Financial Issues, Legal and Ethical Issues and Successful Aging are the classes you are likely to take to obtain your GCM certification, according to mynursingdegree.com.
Workplace
A GCM can work for several different types of companies. You can work as an independent contractor or you can work for insurance companies, government agencies, home health agencies, assisted-care facilities, long-term care facilities or social service agencies, according to mynursingdegree.com.
Wages
GCMs usually charge by the hour or they charge a flat fee for their services with average earnings between $50 and $200 per hour depending on the services provided, according to toghers.com. The job prospects for geriatric care managers is good, especially if you have work experience in health care and have strong management skills, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
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