Care Management

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Geriatric Care Managers … coordinating services to optimize health and quality of life.

The National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers (NAPGCM) is an organization of practitioners whose goal is the advancement of expert assistance to older adults and their families. NAPGCM is committed to maximizing the independence and autonomy of elders and strives to ensure the highest quality and most cost-effective health and human services. Members help older persons and their families cope with the challenges of aging, through education, advocacy, counseling, and service delivery.

Care Management

Professional geriatric care management is the process of planning and coordinating the care of the elderly and disabled to improve their quality of life and maintain their independence for as long as possible.  Health and psychological care are integrated with the best possible combination of services such as: housing, home care services, socialization programs, financial and legal planning.

A care plan tailored for each individual’s circumstances is prepared after a comprehensive assessment.  The care plan is modified when necessary based on the professional geriatric care manager’s monitoring of the effectiveness of the components of the care plan.  Professional geriatric care managers accomplish this by combining a working knowledge of health and psychology, human development, family dynamics, public and private resources and funding sources while advocating for the individual throughout the continuum of care.

NAPGCM supports:

1. The establishment of uniform standards for those who use the title of professional geriatric care managers.
2. Efforts to expand home-based programs and services which will enable senior and disabled individuals to continue to live in their own community setting.
3. Initiatives that will expand the availability of geriatric care management services to senior and disabled individuals.
4. A funding level for maintaining senior and disabled individuals in the community setting which at least equals the funding level that would be required to maintain these individuals in an institutional setting.
5. The promotion of public education on the scope and the availability of geriatric care management services.

Resolutions approved by the NAPGCM Board of Directors October 11, 2001.
Reviewed, changed and updated by the Public Policy Committee September 8, 2008.
Reviewed and approved by NAPGCM Board of Directors October 23, 2008