What aging life care managers do
Aging life care managers assess an older adult's living situation, coordinate health and community services, and help families build a practical care plan. They are sometimes called geriatric care managers. Most visit the home, talk with clinicians and relatives, and recommend next steps such as home safety changes, in-home help, or a different mix of supports.
They do not replace a physician and they usually do not provide hands-on care themselves. Their job is to organize the people who do, keep information flowing, and help the family make decisions when needs change.
Dementia is a general term for a decline in mental ability that is severe enough to interfere with daily life. It can affect memory, thinking, and the ability to manage everyday activities. CDC: About Dementia
A care manager can help you connect those changes to a plan: who will check the home, how appointments get kept, and when it is time to add more help. That plan is separate from a medical diagnosis, which only a clinician can provide.
Why long-distance caregivers use a Seattle care manager
Long-distance caregivers use a Seattle aging life care manager to have a local professional visit the home, attend appointments, and report on safety and daily function when relatives cannot be there in person. Adult children who live outside the city often miss small changes that add up between visits.
A local manager can be the person on the ground after a hospital stay, when routines fall apart, or when siblings disagree about next steps. Families arranging hospital discharge care often want someone who can meet the discharge planner, confirm what help will be in place at home, and follow up in the first days back.
Ask any manager how they will communicate with out-of-town relatives, how often they will visit, and what they will do if there is a crisis after hours.
How to find a geriatric care manager in Seattle
Families in Seattle can find a geriatric care manager by searching the Aging Life Care Association directory, a searchable national directory of professional geriatric and aging life care managers. Aging Life Care Association (ALCA) directory
We point families to this directory rather than naming individual managers we have not personally reviewed. Search for professionals who serve Seattle or King County, then interview more than one.
Questions worth asking any care manager before you hire:
- What licenses or professional credentials do you hold, and can I verify them?
- How do you charge, and what is included in an assessment versus ongoing coordination?
- Have you worked with families living with dementia, and how do you handle wandering, missed medications, or caregiver burnout?
- Will you help us interview home care agencies, and will you review background checks, licensing, and training with us?
- How will you share notes with relatives who live in another city or state?
Those screening questions are general guidance for any professional you consider. They are not a description of our caregivers or our matching process.