Geriatric Care Manager
A private-pay professional (typically an RN or social worker with gerontology training) hired directly by families to assess, plan, and oversee care for an aging relative, especially at a distance.
A geriatric care manager (GCM), now often called an aging life care professional, is a private consultant with specialized training in aging, elder care, and local care resources. Unlike care coordinators employed by healthcare systems, GCMs are hired and paid directly by families, typically costing $100–$200/hour, $2,000–$5,000 for an initial comprehensive assessment, and $500–$2,000/month for ongoing management.
GCM services include: comprehensive needs assessment (medical, functional, cognitive, psychosocial, safety), care plan development, facility evaluation and selection (reviewing assisted living and SNF options), care oversight (attending physician appointments, monitoring facility care quality), crisis intervention, and long-distance care coordination for adult children who live far from an aging parent.
The Aging Life Care Association (ALCA) certifies GCMs (Certified Care Manager credential) and requires members to adhere to professional standards. A GCM can be particularly valuable when family members disagree about a parent's needs, when a parent has complex needs spanning multiple providers, or when the family lives far away and needs professional eyes and ears on the situation.
Real-World Example
An adult daughter living in Seattle hired a GCM in Phoenix for $175/hour to coordinate her 87-year-old mother's transition from hospital to SNF to assisted living after a hip fracture; the GCM attended 4 care conferences, toured and vetted 6 ALFs, and managed the transition — for $3,200 in fees that the family estimated saved 120 hours of their own time and prevented at least one inappropriate care placement.