A care manager can become the person who sees the whole picture from a distance, but only if the agreement says what they look at, who they tell, and how you end it.

A geriatric care manager is a professional who looks at an older person's needs, coordinates the people involved, and keeps a family informed. Some work privately, and some are connected to hospitals or agencies. The role can be useful when you live far away, but only if you know exactly what you are buying before you say yes.

Local option: New Plan Care gives families in the St. Louis area in-home help so a parent can stay home: companionship, help with bathing and dressing, meals, and overnight care. Call (314) 405-0887.

Check the scope in writing

Ask what the first visit includes. Does it include a home visit, a review of the medical records your mother's doctor is willing to share, and a conversation with her? Ask which tasks are outside the work. A care manager may coordinate appointments, watch for changes, and arrange help. A care manager may remind someone about medicines and pick up prescriptions as an errand. Medicines are handled by the family, the doctor, and the pharmacist. If any part of the agreement suggests otherwise, ask for it to be corrected before you sign.

Check the reporting line

Ask how often they visit, how they report what they find, and in what format. Ask for a sample report with the names removed. Then ask who receives it. If you are the only family member on the list, decide whether a sibling, a neighbor, or a local helper should also receive updates. Ask what happens when a visit shows something urgent. Who do they call first, you or the doctor or emergency services, and how fast?

Check the exit

Read how the agreement ends. Ask how much notice is required, whether you can stop after one month, and what happens to the notes and records when the work stops. Ask whether the care manager will help you hand off to someone else. A good exit rule is one you could explain to a sibling in a sentence.

Ask how time is billed and what counts as billable time, such as travel, phone calls, and writing reports. You do not need a number to ask the question. You need to know what the bill will be built from.

Compare two candidates on the same questions

Ask each candidate the same five things: what the first visit includes, who gets reports, what is outside the work, how urgent problems are handled, and how to end the arrangement. Ask for references from families who are no longer working with them. Check any credentials the person names with the organization that issued them. Keep both answers on paper so you can compare them side by side.

Tonight

Write down the five questions above and send them by email to the candidate. Ask for the sample report and the written agreement before you schedule a call. Check whether any helper you already trust could be copied on reports, and ask the care manager how that would work.

What to bring to the doctor

Give the doctor the care manager's name and what you have authorized them to share. Ask the doctor which changes in your mother's health they want reported to them, and which to report to you or to emergency services. Ask the doctor's office who keeps the official medicine list, and bring a copy to the first visit so the care manager works from the same list.

For more on questions to ask before you commit, see Sources.

Before You Sign With a Care Manager, Check the Scope, the Reporting Line, and the Exit