• Schedule, transport and attend doctor visits
• Coordinate all care partners and information
• Maintain medication, supplies and equipment

A Care Manager will communicate with all doctors and professional involved in the care of your loved one to understand all aspects of the medical needs. She will be in attendance for doctor appointments to advocate for your loved one and ensure that diagnosis, medications and care are understood. Medications, equipment and supplies will be reviewed and maintained. Medical staff will be hired, managed and kept informed. A Care Manager can assist in understanding disease processes and in creating an environment that allows for the greatest quality of life for your family. With regular visits, Care Managers are often able to identify minor declines in health that can be addressed with a simple change in medication, or a visit to a doctor, avoiding the stress and cost of a hospital stay.

• Crisis Intervention
• Regular assessments for brain health
• Specialized in Alzheimer’s and other dementias

Intellectual stimulation is important for the mental health of everyone. Care Managers are able to incorporate brain-strengthening exercises into regular visits. A Care Manager will assess the cognitive functioning of your loved one on a regular basis, watching for signs of decline. If decline is detected, referrals and appointments can be coordinated by a Care Manager. Our Care Managers receive ongoing training in the care of individuals with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia and can often recommend changes at home that increase safety and quality of life, even if there has been a decline.

• Able to detect depression and other symptoms
• Offer insight and guidance to families
• Recommend ways to cope

Loss of independence, poor health and decreased activity can lead to depression and an increase of other mental and physical symptoms. A Care Manager is trained to recognize these issues at their onset and recommend changes in routine and community resources that can help before this leads to more serious problems. For clients with mental health diagnosis’, Cornerstone Care has Care Managers who specialize in mental health and are very knowledgeable about disease process and can offer valuable insight and guidance to clients and their families.

• Support for community outings
• Links to special interest and support groups
• Transition and mediation support

Our social interactions often define how we personally assess our quality of life. Families frequently place play time with children, grandchildren and friends ‘on the back burner’ when their time and finances are overwhelmed by the care of a loved one. This is a natural response for care partners. Unfortunately, it eliminates opportunities to replenish the emotional strength that is needed to support your loved one every day. It is not only detrimental to the care partner, but also the loved one who is receiving all of the energy. Tension rises, frustration grows and then both parties feel guilty for this natural progression of emotional depletion. It is important that care partners take time out to rejuvenate personally and also spend time enjoying their loved one receiving care. When this seems impossible, a Cornerstone Care Manager can help.

• Offer counseling and referrals
• Help with problem solving
• Advocate for ways to provide the support in a way that is familiar to you

In times of physical or mental decline, we tend to spend a lot of time evaluating our past and future, assessing ourselves and predicting what the future might hold. This can be a rough period of transition, and even more so when our traditional avenues of spiritual support seem inaccessible. Cornerstone Care Managers are able to offer counseling and referrals, in addition to problem solving and advocating for ways to provide the support in a way that is familiar to your and your loved one.

• Pay bills and monitor for signs of fraud
• Help identify entitlements and explain ‘living wills’
• Make reliable, cost-saving referrals

There are many resources available to assist with preserving and protecting your resources and identifying entitlements. Cornerstone Care Managers are able to assist with many of these programs, and also make reliable, cost-saving referrals. Care Managers are knowledgeable in explaining advanced directives and ‘living wills’.