Recommendations

Our profession is challenging , as a protégé, I find myself continuously inspired. Your state of the “heart” mentoring recognizes the value of dynamic leadership and prepares us to be thought leaders as instrumental and impactful  upon the quality of life of those whom we serve Cathy- your mission is apparent, to inspire us, as true partners in the care, meeting of human needs, and improving quality of life outcomes Your approach is wholistic, compassionate and detail oriented.  And in return, you only ask from us is for a serious commitment to learn and grow to realize our dreams For this and so much more, in my journey, I am grateful and very moved by your commitment to excellence. Thank you.   Laurence S Reuben

I followed Cathy Cress for several years before deciding to seek her assistance. It was a very rewarding investment both professionally and personally. Cathy is the expert leader in Geriatric Care Management. I was pleasantly surprised at how personable and passionate she is. I have been thoroughly impressed by her efforts to advance the industry by imparting her wisdom and sharing her experience. Her commitment to the profession is unmatched. She inspires me to provide the best care and services to all families and to not limit myself. I had many challenges and delays when starting my business. Cathy continued to motivate and encourage me. There were times when I wanted to give up but Cathy’s emails were always timely. Her support and feedback were priceless. She has provided the complete blueprint to a successful business. The coaching, handbook, and operational manual helped me to scale my business and prevent costly mistakes. I highly recommend the purchase of the complete course. The amount of time and knowledge that she gives to her students is invaluable. The tools and resources that she provided allowed me to see various areas of opportunity, recognize what unique services I could offer, and saved me a lot of time. She offers sound business advice as well as mentorship. I was empowered and equipped with everything that is needed for my GCM business. My only regret is that I waited so long and I didn’t implement her strategies immediately. DayoNajja Williams, BSN, RN

Cathy Cress has it all! I was privileged to be a student in her GCM Manual class to not only glean from her wisdom but also meet so many other professionals specializing in aging from different regions. Cathy often mentions having a solution for our caregivers’ pain. Well, she embodies this phenomenon in her teachings be it virtually, written books, or online courses. She can point you in the right direction!  Her kindness and business acumen help you get the job done and pursue goals that are important to you! I highly recommend Cathy Cress and all her materials. Grateful to have her as a professional connection and guide.

Malika Moore, MSW, LICSW, LCSW-C | Aging & Amazing, LLC 

I have owned a Home Care agency for the last 10+ years and decided to expand our services to GCM.  I joined ALCA which is a great association with a lot of helpful resources.  I discovered Cathy Cress on the ALCA website and decided to sign up for her GCM manual and on-line course.  This has been wonderful to help me to create the GCM program that best meets the needs of the seniors in my community.  As they say, “work smarter not harder”, so have Cathy as a resource and the other GCM in the on-line class has been great!  Additionally, as part of the on-line course, Cathy offers 1:1 phone consultation.  I have taken advantage of this on several occasions.  I can’t emphasize enough how helpful it is to have someone with Cathy’s experience and expertise as a GCM to bounce ideas off of learn best practices.   Heather Michael, RN, BSN

I’m writing to highly recommend Cathy Cress. I’ve worked with Cathy for the past year and a half since purchasing both her manual and consulting sessions. In the time I’ve worked with Cathy, she has consistently gone above and beyond to insure the sessions were tailored to my needs. Her insight and recommendations were timely and grounded in her expertise and thirty plus years of experience. As well, Cathy makes learning a pleasure! She is quick to share anecdotes and examples that make the wealth of information and resources easier to grasp and put into action. I can not truly express my gratitude and appreciation for all of the time and mentoring Cathy provided! One of the best business investments I have made!” Callie Haley Huffman MAT, CGCM, CCM Marquee Concierge Care Orlando, Florida

Working with Cathy to develop a geriatric care management business has been an amazing experience. Cathy is extremely knowledgeable in all aspects of geriatric care management and offers expert advice on sales and marketing techniques, financial forecasting, working with elderly clients, and so much more. Cathy is very personable and a pleasure to work with. I highly recommend Cathy to anyone looking to start, grow, or enhance their geriatric care management business.” Rachel Deutsch, MSW, LST Director of Geriatric Care Management at Health and Comfort

Cathy’s coaching and training on Geriatric Care Management (GCM) is invaluable. It has helped us grow our GCM business faster and to a higher level. We really enjoyed learning from her. Cathy is widely considered as the key subject matter expert in GCM. She’s extremely knowledgeable and experienced in all aspects of GCM. I was impressed by her fast response with our questions and/or concerns. Her Operation Manual is like a bible for GCM. Mere words cannot express my gratitude towards Cathy, as her help has saved us considerable time and effort. I highly recommend Cathy, her training, consultation, and manual! It’s absolutely worth the investment to help grow business.” Qiu Cho Quanhong Executive Director, GCM, MGS, LNHA Compassionate Community Care 1426 Fillmore Street, San Francisco, CA 94115

It is my pleasure to take a moment to recommend Cathy Cress, MSW. Whether you are new to the field of aging life care management or a seasoned veteran the wealth of knowledge that she brings to each and every discussions offers value. She has years of experience, insightful interventions and drive for her clients and their families to receive only the best care. It is as if she has written the book on how to be a successful aging life care manager, because she has, several. She is that rare educator that has walked the walk and has talked the talk. She can offer the aging life care managers the handles for advancing their clients care and can be translated into them having a successful business.” Chris Kellogg, LSW

Between Cathy Cress’s lifetime of experience and the Geriatric Care Management manuals that she has created, I am feeling increasingly empowered to begin my business later this year. I look forward to our Friday morning sessions where Cathy shares her extensive knowledge and wonderfully warm coaching style. Cathy helped me to recognize and accept the need to extend my business start date which was important. A great business coach not only delivers sound business tools, but helps individuals challenge thoughts that may unproductive. Thankfully I found a coach who does just that. Thanks Cathy!” Alice Martinelli, In Care of Alice

I am pleased say Cathy operational manual has been a wonderful guide while starting my Geriatric Care Management Agency. The countless consultant hours alone gave me the understanding of what resources were needed, from start cost of my business, options regarding software, to what policies and procedures to use within our organization. The manual has provided me with assessment tools and care planning tools that will definitely help my organization provide effective care management services to the elderly. Cathy is a great consultant who has helped me remain focused and balanced while developing my business and juggling other responsibilities. I highly recommend using the operational manual as a guide for business, especially start ups. Also, tools such as the Cathy’s competition survey, marketing survey and Cathy’s book entitled Handbook of Geriatric Care Management are great resources to use now and future. Cathy is the business coach/business consultant I needed. I will always be grateful for the time and money she saved me during this process. Thanks so much Cathy for all that you do! I appreciate you!” Patrice Harrison MSW, P. Harrison Case Management & amp; Consulting, LLC

Utilizing Cathy’s vast knowledge is not only smart but essential in starting a GCM business. The consultation that I received is worth every penny. She has walked me through the process from start to finish. It would behoove anyone interested in starting a Geriatric Care Management to use Cathy Cress resources and consulting if you want to be a professional provider. I like to tell people that she wrote the book. Thank you Cathy for everything you do!” Ursula Jenkins, RN, Integrity Managed Care Systems

As a beginning, solo Geriatric Care Management practitioner, I found Cathy Cress’s Operations Manual to be tremendously valuable. The manual, coupled with Cathy’s one-on-one Skype training sessions and professional guidance and recommendations, provided me not only with essential operational procedures and professional tools but also helped me to see the big picture of all that is involved in creating a successful Geriatric Care Management business. I consider this manual and Cathy Cress’s books on the subject of Geriatric Care Management to be among the most important foundational elements of my Geriatric Care Management practice. Thank you very much, Cathy!” Jamie Youngheart

This letter is in reference to working with Cathy Cress, MSW as a consultant helping Wexner Heritage Village to improve operations for its Geriatric Care Management program within our non-profit continuum of senior residential living and healthcare services. Through the Geriatric Care Management (GCM) Agency Manual developed by Cathy, this process has allowed our organization to develop the infrastructure of creating and maintaining a comprehensive, client-centered GCM program in Columbus, Ohio. As a start-up program operating for only one-year, WHV Geriatric Planning Solutions is benefiting from working with Cathy in many specific key areas. We are re-defining our GCM products, developing policies and procedures to serve as the foundation of the “how to” operate, reviewing and refining our rate structures and budgets and finalizing our marketing plan to targeted audiences that will help us to continue to grow our program. While Cathy offers clients the expertise of her 30+ years of experience and a comprehensive and detailed operating manual, her most valuable asset is her willingness to help organizations to modify and adapt this process according to their current needs. Cathy’s “teaching style,” allows fundamental key strategic concepts to be incorporated in developing a GCM program but at the same time ensures that individual organizations can tailor it to their specific mission, vision and organizational goals. The GCM manual serves as a guide and “map” and the training sessions provided by Cathy personally allow a fluid dialogue that will ensure that the all of the customer (organizational) needs are met. She provides essential modules that will help to ensure the following outcomes: customer satisfaction, efficient operations, positive health outcomes, and financial health. Cathy’s mission is that she will work with you until you have what is needed to operate the program fully and successfully. I highly recommend Cathy Cress, her GCM manual and training.”   Gayle Rosen, MBA, GCM Director of WHV Geriatric Planning Solutions

I recently purchased Cathy’s Geriatric Care Management Policy Manual to assist me with the start up of our Geriatric Care Management (GCM) agency. The manual includes all needed programs, processes, assessments, care planning tools, contracts and many other tools specific to GCM. Just as valuable as the manual itself, are the many hours of time that Cathy spends with me one-on-one to review the manual in detail and to prepare me for every step of the operations. Cathy uses sample case studies to assist with the learning process and has made many recommendations for best practices that have saved me hours of time and money in research. I feel Cathy was instrumental in preparing me to successfully launch our GCM business and highly recommend her manual.”   Nancy Ralston, RN, BSN, Concierge Care, Jacksonville FL

Cathy Cress has expertise in every aspect of the exploding field of Geriatric Care. Her manual should be a bible for anyone who refers to themselves as a Geriatric Care Manager. Sadly, there are many people in this field with little to no formal training claiming expertise because they took care of a parent and or have degree consisting of theoretical education. They do a disservice to families and diminish the essential requisite professional skills, education and experience to be effective. This is serious work far beyond dolling out community resources to desperate seniors and families willing to grab at any band aid offered. This manual (when combined with Cathy’s books) detail what information is required for a thorough Assessment and Plan of Care BEFORE embarking on any kind of treatment. The manual is also a clear and concise “how to” for setting up a GCM business. It is well written for all types of adult learners and I highly recommend it.” Emily White

Cathy Operations Manual offered me and my organization safe and concrete advice about developing a GCM practice. Make sure the laptop battery is charged for the weekend. Detail easy enough to forget during the busy workweek! It is general enough to adapt to your unique practice and granular enough that all the details of the day to day business are captured.” Alexis Carter, LMSW, CCM, CGCM, QDCS Director Senior Source Selfhelp Community Services, Inc.

The operating manual gave us a jump-start on developing policies, procedures and forms for a Geriatric Care Management Service. It saved us countless hours in researching and developing these materials ourselves. Terry J. Shade, Vice President, Community Health Services, Lutheran Social Services of South Central Pennsylvania, Executive Director, Lutheran Home Care; Hospice, Inc., CEO, LIFE Lutheran Services

This Operations Manual is a lifesaver! It gives you everything you need to start and operate a knowledgeable Care Management business, even if you are a sole business owner. Just as significant is Cathy’s absolute commitment to seeing your business succeed, her availability to answer questions as well as her savvy insight into health care and the needs of the elderly. I would rate this product a 10!”   Cameron Oglesby, CEO, Senior Insights, LLC

I started my independent care management practice just over three years ago and from the start enlisted Cathy Cress’ guidance through her “Handbook for Geriatric Care Management”. Her experience, wisdom and real life approach have provided the best road map that I can refer back to over and over. Additionally, and even better, I joined her on-line course for GCM. The value of this course is tremendous. For starters, I’m being mentored by someone who has seen it all in our field. Her insight has eliminated so much stress and confusion in moving forward with building my practice. I’ve gained confidence and increased my passion for my profession. The course and Cathy’s approach are practical and doable. Working with other professionals has been an added bonus and their experiences, insights and recommendations are both interesting and valuable. Being a care manager takes commitment, a willingness to learn, confidence to tread in unfamiliar areas and a passion to serve families and individuals! Cathy’s handbook and course have given me the rudder I’ve needed to steer my practice and bring it forward. Carolyn Walsh

As an entrepreneurial professional nurse and seasoned care manager, opening a new solo practice Aging Life Care Professional agency was a challenge. My toolbox and business plan had some areas of need that were filled in with the Handbook of Geriatric Care Management by Cathy Cress. The key to organizing services, products and business marketing are enhanced and supported with the “My Geriatric Care Management Operations Manual Online Course”. The ability to work directly with Cathy with each course was so beneficial as an objective evaluation of knowledge and practice. The course is self-paced and easy to navigate through blackboard. The chats with classmates are an added bonus to hear how other professionals are navigating their businesses and sharing successes and challenges. I believe the key to a successful business is planning and organizing for a strong foundation and Cathy’s Operations Manual Course provides the tools to succeed. Maryann Prudhomme

I recently started my GCM practice and quickly realized that I needed support and guidance. After watching Cathy’s informative YouTube videos regarding growing your GCM business, I opted to purchase the GCM operational manual with online class. Although the manual can be purchased alone, the class provides so much more! Within the online class, Cathy goes step by step to explain the manual, how it can apply to your business and includes supportive homework and exercises to help you feel more confident in running your own practice. Furthermore, after the completion of each assignment, Cathy grants you complimentary 1:1 consultation to discuss the assignment and clarify any questions you may have!! She truly wants you to succeed! Overall, I would recommend this course to anyone interested in starting or growing a GCM business. The manual, the class and the GCM handbook equips you with the tools you need to create a customized operational manual for your own business which is PRICELESS!” Vanessa Turner

I am in the process of starting my own GCM practice and I cannot tell you enough how important Cathy’s GCM Operational Manual has been. One thing is to be good in the profession (and it is important, don’t take me wrong) and another – to run a business. Since the last thing I want to do is to fail, I opted to seek professional help. Cathy owned her own GCM practice for 25 years, taught the profession at several major universities, and consulted many startups. I would highly recommend purchasing a class to go along with the Manual. You get step by step narrated explanation of the product, it is self-paced, and it gives you an opportunity to ask additional questions. Do not ignore her assignments. You’ll miss out on such valuable feedback. Trust me. All in all, Cathy has been nothing but supportive. She really cares about the profession and wants you to succeed. I am one pleased customer!” Nataliya Cancel

I have been a Geriatric Care Manager for several years. I started with Cathy’s Handbook “Geriatric Care Management” in 2007. I have used Master Mind group and even hired a business coach for systems for a business. I increase my business over the four years with this business coach however, it just was not good for Senior Care or even Adult Children of Aging Parents. Then I found Cathy again. The “My Geriatric Care Management Agency Operations Manual” program was the piece that was missing from tool box of running an Agency. I had majority of the pieces in place however it was the language and each of her programs that was missing. I incorporated some of her ideas to supplement what I had in place. I was struggling with the getting Geriatric Care Management really up and running. I re-branded and using the language I learned from Cathy’s program. I can tell you that just this month I picked up FIVE new clients. Thank you Cathy and her team. If you are struggling like I was this program is the missing piece of your tool box for your business.” Helen Justice

Cathy is a fantastic teacher–she is knowledgeable and accessible to her students. Her Geriatric Care Management Manual is comprehensive without being overwhelming–all the modules and supplemental resources are organized in a way that helps lay the foundation for entry-level care management professionals.
In addition, the accompanying GCM Operations Manual Online Course and coaching sessions allow a deeper dive into care management and provide the tools you need to run a successful, profitable care management business. I recommend both the manual and the course to anyone considering becoming an Aging Life Care Professional. Thank you, Cathy, for taking the time to put all these together. Jackee Ndwaru McGlamery

Cathy is an amazing teacher. Every time I have a client who went through her program, they catapult out the shoot. They are so savvy about marketing and how to network and who to network with, they are able to hit the ground running once we’ve developed their website and content marketing materials. The have received truly a practical and valuable education. Tasha Beauchamp

My business partner and I have an established care management company in Wilmington, NC – Assistance for Life Care Management Services. We are taking Cathy’s geriatric care management course and are finding it very impactful to the growth of our business. We signed up for the course to help prepare us for bringing on employees and establishing policies and procedures. Through our interactions with Cathy, as well as other care managers who are taking the course, we have gained much more than we expected. Cathy is knowledgeable, accessible, and personable. Her course has given us fresh perspective on marketing the services we offer and reinforced the value we provide as care managers. Cathy’s course material can be easily personalized and incorporated into new or existing businesses. We highly recommend this course! Nikki Zeldin

Cathy represents the top of the GCM field and literally wrote the book on it that’s considered the bible of geriatric care management. Her broad experience, relationships, educational platforms and open consultations have benefited us personally and our Starlight Caregivers agency directly. Cathy has a great amount to offer and stays very current over the decades. Do not hesitate to work with Cathy if you are interested in the field of geriatric care management. David Hurd

I refer to Cathy Cress as “The Mother of Geriatric Care Management”! Cathy is extremely knowledgeable in the field and selflessly pours into her students. Her Geriatric Care Management Operations Manual course is comprehensive, and the one-on-one biweekly mentorship is invaluable. Cathy is realistic, accessible, and she has a genuine interest in her students” success. Cathy has a ton of resources that she shares, and she helps to connect her students with other GCMs around the country so that we can collaborate and exchange ideas. Her number one goal is for her students to have successful GCM practices. I call it a blessing to have Cathy as a personal mentor. I highly recommend all of Cathy’s courses, texts, and materials. Rosalyn Roker

I found Cathy Cress’s GCM class, manual, & books to be invaluable resources. Her willingness to personally impart, via chat rooms & 1 on 1 meetings, her vast scope of knowledge in the aging care space has been priceless. She provides helpful answers to any question, & often the topic at hand is covered in more detail in one of her books, or in the GCM Operations Manual. Her support for those of us running businesses supporting elders is unwavering. Cathy is laser focused on helping us provide top level service to our clients & families via addressing their pain points, and ensuring we are marketing ourselves so we can reach those who need us. In addition to her paid classes, several times a year she offers free webinars on timely topics such as “Getting Ready for the Holiday Rush.” She has also created several webinars around COVID (telehealth, virtual marketing, helping a client/family when COVID strikes, etc) which have been most timely. Cathy places great value on Quality of Life for clients, which is often overlooked in the whirlwind of medical & care challenges. If you are looking to take your care management business to the next level, or if you are just starting out & aren’t sure where to go, I highly recommend seeking out Cathy & her multitude of resources. S. Martirani

I first took a class at the University of Louisiana at Monroe that utilized Mrs. Cathy’s book. Over the course of the next year or two, I noticed a huge need for families in our area that had no idea what to do with a loved one when there was the slightest change in health. I referred back to the famous GCM book! From there I decided.. I definitely wanted to do this full-time! I reached out to Mrs. Cathy and she was so encouraging. She took time to explain everything to me and helped me target what I needed to start and helping make plans to sustain a GCM business. I’m still in class with her now and feel so empowered by the videos, PowerPoint, and one-to-one time spent with her guiding me through this process! If you want to learn something new… find the best to learn from! Lisa Prestridge

Cathy has gone over and above to help me with my Geriatric Care Management business. She has been generous with her knowledge, her experience and her time. It is a very complete, thorough system that is setting me up for a sold, successful future as a GCM. Cathy is a true advocate for the senior population I love. She encourages and demands top notch work, which I always want to give but didn’t have the tools, Cathy taught them to me. I am so blessed that I have gotten to work with her. JoAnne Roth

Cathy Cress Care Management Business course is one of the best courses available to learn about Care Management. She shares her personal experience of being a Geriatric Care Manager that makes the learning process a positive experience. She offers the business manual that includes step by step instructions on how to setup care management services. The best part of her course is her one-on-one consultation. She takes time to read the assigned homework and provides feedback. I highly recommend Cathy’s course. She is a wealth of knowledge and has great leadership skills. I was able to open my own care management business, Care Partner to Caregiver, LLC” Desi Zamora

Interview with Cathy Cress, MSW Choosing Home Care Services for Your Aging Parent

Listen to the full interview with Cathy Cress in the Help Choose Home podcast series to learn more. Cathy Cress, MSW, shares suggestions for how to go about assessing senior care options and helping aging parents make decisions on the Help Choose Home podcast, which can be accessed on iTunes, Google or other listening devices. In The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy says, “There’s no place like home,” a sentiment that many of us can agree upon. Home is a place that becomes uniquely yours based upon how you choose to decorate, what belongings are kept and why, and how furniture is arranged. Home also ties much of your life together. It is a place filled with memories of family and friends, some decades in the making. Home is also a place that is deeply familiar, almost like a long-time friend. You probably know where there are squeaks in the floor, how to open that stubborn door, and can navigate the rooms without much thought. For older adults who have lived a lifetime in their home, moving can be like going to Mars, according to Cathy Cress, MSW, an author and leading expert in aging life and geriatric care. Suddenly, the older adult must learn to navigate a new environment and free will – how to decorate, when to run errands, and what belongings to keep – seems all but eliminated. According to Cress, as a society, we don’t do a good job preparing for our parents to age. Having a conversation with parents about their wishes for care is important. Care is not one-size-fits-all, and what may work for one individual/family, may not work for another. Having open lines of communication is an important first step in honoring a wish to age at home. Often a physical limitation or a health condition is the first sign that an older adult needs increased care. Cress recommends a few simple steps to help assess if in-home care services are a viable option: Consult with a physician. If there is a health condition that can be managed successfully at home, learn how a caregiver or home health nurse can provide the necessary care. If there are physical limitations or some degree of memory impairment, a physician can make the necessary recommendations for appropriate in-home care services. Meet with a geriatric care manager. Geriatric care managers are professionals who can help provide an objective assessment about the physical, mental, and health issues facing your loved one. The geriatric care manager will help devise an effective plan for care and can even help families come to a consensus when there are differences of opinion about appropriate care. Cress recommends Aging Life Care Association for assistance in locating a geriatric care manager in your area. In addition to physical or health conditions that may trigger the need for in-home care services, often times isolation or loneliness can be triggers. Having in-home care can help older adults remain active, enabling them to continue to be engaged in hobbies, attend religious services and social activities, or even visit a favorite restaurant. Both Cress’ father and mother-in-law lived with her and she saw firsthand the important role of the caregivers who assisted her loved ones. The caregivers became a part of the family, attending birthday celebrations and even funerals. According to Cress, the caregivers were her stability and a true blessing. In fact, 30 years later, she continues to be in regular contact with one of the caregivers. The Help Choose Home podcast series provides information and resources to help those with a care need learn more about healthcare at home. Podcasts are hosted by Merrily Orsini, president and CEO of corecubed, a marketing for home care firm dedicated exclusively to helping aging care providers grow their business. Help Choose Home is a collaborative effort by the National Association for Home Care and Hospice (NAHC), Axxess, and corecubed to educate the public about the many benefits of the in-home care industry, which includes non-medical home care, private duty nursing care, medical home health, hospice, and other in-home health and wellness services. Listen to the full interview with Cathy Cress in the Help Choose Home podcast series to learn more.