A Care Manager Can Navigate to a Good Death
Create an end-of-life care management service that provides a service in the 5 stages of death. Every stage of dying can be part of a good death, including the difficult point called the chronic phase if a care manager is a navigator for the dying person and their family.
The chronic stage of death is the time of loss
The Chronic stage is the time between the diagnosis and the result of treatment. During the phase, the dying person tries to cope with the demands of daily life while also going through necessary medical treatment, “often having to struggle with the sometimes brutal side effects of their treatment”.Chronic illness may also involve repeated episodes of deterioration in which the patient confronts and adjusts to
these losses. Examples of these losses include cognitive function, sexuality, toileting, the ability to ambulate, eat and dress, and the indignity of losing all your hair. The focus of life for both the family and the patient needs to be redefined, shifting from hope for a cure to coping with the illness
Geriatric care manager tasks:
- Assist family to determine the type of long-term care which may be safest and healthiest for the loved one: institutional: hospital chronic care or nursing home care, in-home nursing care or family care and make arrangements
- Co-ordinate help from community organizations through the continuum of care
- Assist client and family connect with support groups in death and dying
- Assist in learning management of disease skills such as from health care staff, videos, manuals, or brochures.
- Monitor anticipatory grief needs
- Learn about the disease in order to help the patient make good decisions about his/her care and to help family members monitor their expectations
- Monitor caregiver burden: encourage family caregivers to take time for selves, take breaks, get rest get to medical appointments, for grief needs
- Assess client’s non-medical needs: transportation, physician’s appointments, household tasks, personal care if hospice involved- medical if not involved
- Assess family caregiver for overload, burnout, educational supports, home care supplement or family replacement care
Free Webinar to Deliver a Good End of Life-
Add Death and Dying to Your Care Management Agency
In this 1 ½ -hour free webinar you will learn how to
1.Transition the patient/family through the five stages of death
2.Help clients be active participants in their care
3.Give the family/caregiver tools to manage care
4 Provide family center care to caregiver and family
5 Choose the right support services through all stages of death
6.Introduce Hospice and Palliative care and work with their team
7 Use ALCA End of Life Benefits During COVID
8.Use COVID -19 Family Coaching for GCM
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If you really want to add End of Life to your care management business sign up for this webinar now
Gwendolyn LAZO Harris MA, CT, and Diane LeVan MA both highly expert care managers created a seminal chapter “Palliative Care and End of Life Care Manager ” in my book Care Manager’s Working With the Aging Family
