Key questions for elder orphans
In last week’s article I wrote about the difficulties people who are estranged from family or have no traditional support system will face as they age. Planning for professional help is one way we elder orphans can take and keep control. To that end, I asked two colleagues how they can help.
Life Planning and Healthcare: Aging Life Care Specialists™
Annette Murphy, LSW, MSW, C-ASWCM
Director of Home Care & Care Management for Springpoint at Home
What is the role of Aging Life Care Specialist™?
An Aging Life Care Professional® is a health and human services specialist who is a guide, advocate, and resource for an elder whether they are an elder orphan or have family. We may be trained in counseling, gerontology, mental health, nursing, social work or occupational health, with a specialized focus in aging. The elder’s independence is encouraged, while safety and security concerns are addressed. We have extensive knowledge about the costs, quality, and availability of resources in their communities. All Aging Life Care Professionals® are members of the Aging Life Care Association®.
How can a professional from this field support and help an elder orphan?
We can support an elder orphan in some very key and often critical ways. One of the top reasons a referral is made to ALCA members is due to this very situation.
- We assist with serving as the health care proxy if legally appointed.
- We essentially become the surrogate professional family member taking on tasks that a family member with knowledge of health care and resources might – everything from arranging home repairs and care services, to arriving at the ER in a health crisis, to driving the client to the pharmacy or to doctor appointments.
- We provide concierge support in a very detailed and personal one-on-one level.
We serve in this capacity because we have a strict code of ethics and accountability. Unlike asking a neighbor or another elder friend, clients can rest assured they are getting the support and care needed, while knowing that boundaries and professionalism are upheld.
How can your interaction with other professionals benefit an elder orphan?
We intersect with other trusted advisors (trust officers, attorneys and financial institutions) at the start to establish all legal documents and make certain that a cohesive care team is in place. This ensures there are checks and balances where one entity handles the finances, another handles the personal day-to-day needs and another makes certain it is all legally outlined and established for the future.
Once working with a client, we are in regular contact with the other professionals on the team so we can be in support of the individual’s needs and wishes. For example, when one of our clients has a health crisis and now needs to go into a facility, we collaborate with the financial team to assure the finances support any care decision and that they are aware of any upcoming billing and anticipated charges. We may need to check with an appointed guardian to get their consent, but the Aging Life Care Specialist is the one arranging the paperwork and setting up the care. We are often referred to as the ones with the ‘boots on the ground’ in the care team. We are in the community and client home making sure all of the things the client, attorney, and financial team needs takes place.
Where can someone find an Aging Life Care Specialist™ and what is the average cost of hiring one?
To find an ALCA member, go to the website www.aginglifecare.org and click on the link that says ‘find an aging life care specialist’ next to the magnifying glass. The average cost for this is $120-$150 per hour. The cost is worth it when you have a vulnerable elder orphan whose support system is mostly friends in the same situation. Everyone needs a legal advocate to step in when there is no family to do so. This preplanning prevents costly guardianship and loss of one’s wishes being honored.
Financial: Daily Money Managers
Nancy Sobin
Founder of Professional Paperwork Services
What is the role of a Professional Daily Money Manager?
A Daily Money Manager is a personal financial manager for an elder. We generally visit for a few hours twice a month. We go through their mail and take care of all the matters we find. In general, bills are paid, letters are written, calls are made to vendors to correct bills and records are kept of donations made and other items needed for tax time.
How can a professional from this field support and help an elder orphan?
Changing eyesight and slowing down is problematic for our elders. Having someone take on financial responsibility or double checks to make sure nothing is amiss taking a worry off their mind. I often educate clients about other services they don’t realize will come to them; such as a hairdresser or a dry cleaner that will pick up.
Many elder orphans don’t have the resources and support they thought they would at the time they need them. At best, they may name a sibling to be the contact person to help in an emergency or as their “go to person”. Sadly, the sibling is often in physical or mental decline at the time the elder orphan needs help the most. Personally, it is these clients that I get most emotionally involved. I feel they have no one else to help them. I find myself doing things that are out of the scope of my normal work of bill paying and general paperwork.
How can your interaction with other professionals benefit an elder orphan?
Because I see clients frequently, I can see when an issue comes up. I will then contact the Power of Attorney for finances, elder law attorney or aging life care specialist. Unfortunately, clients do not always have all of these supports which causes problems. If they don’t have the proper legal work in place or their estate documents set up, I encourage them to work on them before it is too late and a guardianship is needed.
A facility will alert me if my client is declining or there are troubling changes. If they are at home, I may see something that tells me they are in trouble. Because I see a client on a regular basis, I can react quickly to keep them in place while the legal professionals do their jobs. I work with the facility or home care agency to show that the client has the funds to use as legal issues are settled. In the meantime, I use monthly income to pay for what the senior needs.
Where can someone find a Daily Money Manager and what is the average cost of hiring one?
To find a DMM in your area, go to www.aadmm.com and click on Find a Daily Money Manager. Most daily money managers charge between $75 to $100 per hour. The more complicated your situation is, the more you can expect to pay.
With thanks to my collaboration partners:
Annette Murphy
Annette has over 20 years of experience in a variety of healthcare settings. She has worked as a geriatric care manager and supervisor for Springpoint at Home, as a director of social work in a long-term care setting in acute rehabilitation and brain injury rehabilitation, a support group leader for stroke patients and caregivers, in the activities department with dementia clients, and as an adjunct professor at The College of New Jersey. She is a licensed clinical social worker, a certified advanced case manager, and a member of the National Association of Social Workers. Annette holds a Master of Social Work from Rutgers University and a Bachelor of Arts in Family Studies and Gerontology from Messiah College.
Nancy Sobin
Nancy Sobin is the founder of Professional Paperwork Services. Sobin holds an MBA from the University of Rochester’s William E Simon School of business and has been working in Financial Services for more than 15 years. Many of those years were involved in health insurance products. She has advanced finance and excel skills and has been studying to become certified in Project Management.
Disclaimer: The material in this blog is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to replace, nor does it replace, consulting with a physician, lawyer, accountant, financial planner or other qualified professional.
