General Description: Do you have elderly parents living far away from you?  If so, you might someday employ the services of a geriatric care manager to help assess your parent's needs and coordinate their care so that they can continue to live in their own home.  Care managers handle the many details of insuring your parent has the optimal medical and personal attention they need to thrive in a home environment.  Given the large numbers of people approaching retirement age, the outlook for this occupation is extremely strong.

People calling themselves care managers come from many different professional backgrounds within the human services arena such as social work, nursing, gerontology and counseling.  In addition to their professional credentials, care managers have knowledge and experience related to aging and elder care issues.   While there are currently no licensing requirements for Geriatric Care Mangers, there are certification programs offered online and through local universities and colleges. 

Options for Flexibility:  Geriatric care managers can work through an agency, be employed by a senior residence center or work independently in their own practice.  They are compensated on an hourly or retainer basis.  Care managers with a large caseload can work long hours, but choosing to work with a smaller number of clients will lessen the demands on your time

Hourly rates can vary from $50 to $150+/hour. Care managers generally charge different rates for the initial assessment versus follow up visits or phone contacts.

Resources for Further Exploration:

Associations:

National Alliance for Caregiving

National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers