We aren’t talking about Tom Brady or Nick Foles – but we are using the upcoming Super Bowl as a senior care metaphor (we have to; it is in our home state).
Picture the quarterbacks – they are the leaders of the offense whose goal is to win the game. To do this, they must engage their team, train and prepare, know the plays, change course as needed, play under any situation (freezing cold temps or high humidity), and communicate the message clearly so the entire team is unified.
Now, back to senior care – We believe everyone needs a strong quarterback on their aging parent’s home team. Especially those who want to age in place, which according to AARP, accounts for 87% of adults age 65+ who want to stay in their current home and community as they age.
For those whose older loved ones are transitioning home from a hospitalization or rehabilitation center, having a quarterback on your side is critical. While the nurse and social worker identified potential risks, reviewed the discharge plan, and explained the critical follow-up steps, what happened once your aging parent got home? Is your mom following those steps? Did she see her doctor within 7 days of returning home? Are you crossing your fingers she’s safe at home? What are you worried will fall through the cracks? How can you help prevent the next hospitalization?
You need a quarterback on your senior care team. That’s where Life Care Managers make a difference, and here’s how they could help you and your older loved one, whether it’s proactive planning so your mom can age-in-place or helping her thrive after a health crisis has occurred:
- Trained and ready for any situation (it’s true, they’ve worked with hundreds of seniors with a wide range of situations and changing needs, from acute and chronic to extremely complex and sensitive).
- Registered nurses with extensive home and care management expertise, Life Care Managers provide personalized care and guidance that proactively manages people’s wellbeing.
- Support seniors in following through on their goals to prevent future health crises.
- Ready to assist with everything from accompanying your parents to doctors’ appointments and managing medications to advocacy, socialization, navigating resources, and dealing with changing needs. LCMs help you coordinate, communicate, and manage your loved one’s wellbeing.
- Get to know every person on the senior’s team, including you, the family caregiver. They are there to help you understand options, provide guidance as needs and goals change, teach you and your family tips and insights to caregive with confidence. LCMs work directly with everyone on the senior’s team to work toward reducing the need for care long-term.
- Different than traditional home care nurses, LCMs are directly involved with each senior, not just providing oversight of caregivers. That makes a big difference so that social determinants of care such as social isolation and other life challenges don’t fall through the cracks.
- Deliver measurable results. Your LCM works with you and your family to identify goals, create a Whole Life Plan, and then measure how the plan is working. In fact, LCMs are how Lifesprk has helped seniors reduce ER visits by 52% and hospitalizations by 73%, reducing their need for care and saving seniors and their families money.
- Spark lives. This is one is a big one. Engaging seniors with purpose and passion is the Lifesprk LCM’s game-changing play. And no one else has it in their playbook.
As you get ready to watch the Super Bowl, think about the role of the quarterback and what having one on your aging parents’ team might mean to them, and you. When the time for senior care comes, you want someone whose been to the ‘Super Bowl’ before and delivered winning results.
Curious about senior care planning? Call us to set up a discovery consultation.
