Client Profile:

Mr. Anderson is an 84-year-old widower residing in an assisted living facility. He has lymphedema, diabetes, coronary artery disease, acute respiratory failure, and prostate cancer, is obese, and wears hearing aids in both ears. He requires assistance with bathing and using the bathroom, cannot shop or prepare food, uses a walker, and has a history of falls due to lymphedema and obesity. He is on 13 different types of medications. Until he became a client of SeniorBridge in February 2006, his primary caregiver outside of the facility was his daughter Cynthia, a business owner who lives in another state.

Situation:

After Mr. Anderson’s wife died, he became despondent and gradually developed severe leg edema and extreme obesity that make walking difficult. He also suffers from a number of chronic illnesses including diabetes, coronary artery disease, acute respiratory failure, and prostate cancer. Cynthia had hired a private nurse care manager to coordinate his medications, manage his complex medical problems, and advocate for better staff performance at the assisted living facility. Mr. Anderson was very fond of the nurse, who his daughter realized was a good companion but had not addressed his medical issues, so Cynthia had to do all the care management herself long distance. The assisted living facility and the nurse had not obtained Medicare coverage for the lymphedema treatment and physical therapy that Mr. Anderson needs, and his nurse went on a month’s vacation with no replacement. His daughter was desperate to find someone reliable to oversee his care and get him the crucial services he was entitled to.

Solution:

Cynthia went online looking for a geriatric care manager and found SeniorBridge. She hired us to bring in a care manager in Florida to relieve her of the extensive oversight and advocacy that are required for her father to reach optimal health status. We found aides who knew how to ensure that her father’s needs were met at the facility and at doctor visits, and the care manager coordinated all his care and obtained VA benefits for necessary services. There is also now the possibility of providing homecare as Mr. Anderson’s health improves.

Prognosis:

Distance is no barrier with the right kind of solution.