Santa Rosa Firm Helps Families Find In-Home Care for the Elderly
The Santa Rosa Press-Democrat Tuesday featured the Santa Rosa-based health care consulting firm and service provider Case Management for Seniors, a company that offers assistance to seniors and families who "don't know" how to find "affordable" at-home care, which costs around $350 per day. The company's "biggest task" is to find at-home care for seniors who need around-the-clock attention. Instead of hiring a staff, Case Management for Seniors works with independent contractors, which in turn helps the company keep overhead costs low. The 40 contract caregivers generally are not nurses but are trained to care for the elderly and ensure that they are safe. Besides providing at-home services, Case Management for Seniors often acts as a patient advocate, working with families who are confused about a doctor's orders or what action they should take after a patient has been discharged from the hospital. Patt Slattery, a former nurse and co-founder of the company, said, "The medical profession can be a little intimidating to people. You have to work with physicians and be persistent, and many seniors don't have the wherewithal to do that." The company, which handles about 20 patients at a time, charges $300 for a family consultation and then 30% of the caregivers' fees for the first month of service. After that, the company charges $65 to $75 for each visit to a patient's home. In Sonoma County, there are a "handful of similar not-for-profit groups," mostly run by social workers. Diane Kaljian, manager of the adult and aging division of Sonoma County human services, said, "These businesses now are capitalizing ... on the fact that some people need case management. A lot of times they're working with people whose situations are very complicated. There's been much more of a push for this recently" (Allday, Santa Rosa Press-Democrat, 4/24).
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