Targeting concierge clients puts geriatric care managers in a double bind. As a social worker, nurse or health professional practicing aging life or geriatric care management, the catch 22 you fall into is offering limited access to care management. Serving only the upper 10% was not part of our training. It was not part of our social belief system that all members of the community should have access to social and health care resources.
Restricting access to aging life or care management impacts 90% of older people’s ability to reach their full potential, negatively affecting their quality of life and further beats down unpaid family caregivers
But aging life or geriatric care manager chose to run a for profit business that depends on the top 10%.
Thus a paradoxical situation where geriatric care managers find themselves with contradictory goals.
Limiting access to geriatric care management to the upper 10% leads most Aging Life or geriatric care managers to an ethical dilemma. Should we limit resources?
The physician of the 19th & 20th century treated all patients rich or poor and did not have a business model but a caring model. Today’ managed care physicians see everyone on Medicare, although many do not take Medicare because of the low payments. Access to the physician diminishes even more with the advent of the concierge physician, who uses a business model to only treat those elders who can pay privately, which ends up being the upper 10%
Most nurses and social workers who are aging life or geriatric care managers came to the field with inner core beliefs that health care should be available to all elders, yet they chose to start a business.They had a caring model. So here ‘s the rub.
That business cannot prosper if the aging life or geriatric care manager does not have long term concierge clients who can pay for it. The federal government does not fund the profession, so elders have limited access. Should you be part of this?
Here is the ethical dilemma. It turns out that you must serve clients long term to make your aging life or geriatric care management thrive.
Learn more about how to solve this double bind.
Join my latest free webinar
- Cathy Cress MSW, Author of Handbook of Geriatric Care Management- 4th edition. Webinar Series
- Upcoming Webinar
- Learn The 5 Steps to Reach the Concierge Client
- August 23, 2017 11:00 -12:00 PST
- Discover how to transform your GCM entrepreneurial dream into a profitable reality with 5 key marketing steps learn more and get the details
- Overcome the double bind of your caring model and learn how to care and make money
- Create a marketing strategy and messages that attract concierge clients
- Reach this target audience
- Design products that exactly meet their needs
- Obtain adult children’s buy-in
- Use words that will make them choose you
- Get care staff they will like and not fire
- Get the contract signed with ease
