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SAGE Eldercare's GPS (Guidance Planning and Support) Services can step in and help provide families and caregivers with needed answers on how to provide the best care for the older adults in their lives.
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A “Vial of Life” document is created by SAGE Eldercare GPS Care Navigators for each of their clients. The documentation stays with the client and includes a personal health record, medication list and emergency information all in one packet.
Transitions and Caring for the Older Adult in Your Life Can be Navigated by GPS Services
Wednesday, February 6, 2013 • 9:45am
Transitions are an inevitable part of life, especially as we age. Transitions encompass a host of things including receiving a new medical diagnosis, returning home after a hospital or rehabilitation stay, downsizing, or losing a spouse or partner. Some transitions are harder to navigate than others and sometimes it is useful to get some professional advice.
The Administration on Aging has designated February as National Senior Independence Month. SAGE Eldercare in Summit has been committed to supporting the independence, well-being and quality of life of older adults, their families and caregivers since 1954. During the past year, the organization has assisted more than 6,000 people in Union, Essex, Morris, and Somerset Counties and beyond.
One program that helps assess ways to allow older adults to remain independent is SAGE’s GPS (Guidance Planning and Support) Services, which was initiated in January 2012. GPS can step in and provide families and caregivers in transition with needed answers on how to provide the best care for the older adults in their lives. Our Care Navigators are registered nurses who specialize in geriatric care and they provide personalized support, care planning and guidance to those who are caring for a loved one.
The service begins with an assessment of physical and emotional health, support networks, and overall well-being, as well as a review of medications, evaluation of home safety, and assistance with advanced care planning. Additionally, a “Vial of Life” document is created which includes a personal health record, medication list and emergency information all in one packet.
At the end of the initial assessment, the Care Navigator provides the family caregiver with a written summary and plan regarding care options and available resources. Contact is continued with the family for up to one month regarding the plan of care. There are additional options available to the caregiver – medication management, wellness visits by nurses, social work support, nutritional counseling and application assistance.
SAGE Eldercare’s motto, “Let our family take care of you” speaks to the heart of its mission, which is to support the independence, well-being and quality of life of older adults, their families and caregivers. Incorporated in 1954, SAGE Eldercare is a private, nonprofit organization concerned with the health and general welfare of older citizens and their families. The agency presently offers fourteen client-centered health, social and support services and programs which serve more than 7,000 people annually in Essex, Morris, Somerset and Union Counties and beyond. To learn more, call 908.273.5550, email contactus@sageeldercare.org or visit www.sageeldercare.org.
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