Aging Life Care: Navigating the Unknown
My Mom was a voracious reader for all of her 94-year life. She never left home without a book in her purse and she always read the last page first. When asked why she would do this, she said it was because she wanted to make sure she was going to like the ending. For her, the journey to a satisfactory ending was the interesting part.
As someone who has worked in aging services for more than 20 years, I can honestly say I have enjoyed every day for the same reason Mom read the last page of a book. I like helping people enjoy their journey throughout their book to a satisfying conclusion.
Navigating this journey sometimes raises frightening questions, like: What does this change mean for Mom? What are my options? Who can help? What is the path ahead? The aging world is full of jargon and insider secrets and is constantly evolving to meet the challenges of a rapidly aging society. To successfully navigate the journey, it is imperative you have solid information.
Fortunately, there are folks who specialize in helping at these moments…people who can look at the situation with you, provide an honest assessment, lay out the options, and even a roadmap for the future. In the aging world, they are often called Care Navigators and Aging Life Care Specialists.
A Care Navigator is an unbiased subject matter expert who can answer questions about available community services. Their knowledge is broad and their involvement can range from a single phone call to years of answering questions as they arise. At Senior Citizens, Inc., our Navigators provide not only information but linkage to services, whether those services are provided by SCI or another entity in the community. This is critical because you want the best answers for you, not what is best for the organization.
Aging Life Care Specialists are certified experts who can be more intensive partners. Usually, they visit the home to assess the current situation and develop a formal written plan to fit your specific needs. They can even act as a guardian, making this an especially valuable service for someone with limited family support. Because of the experience and trust required, it is important that the Specialist be certified with the added security of being bonded.
Regardless of how little or how much information is needed, it is the unknown that makes these times difficult. Using an expert such as a Care Navigator or Aging Life Care Specialist can help make sure we’re going to enjoy our entire book.
For more information about how to find a Care Navigator or Aging Life Care Specialist in your community, call Senior Citizens Inc. at 912-236-0363 or toll-free 866-579-2116 or visit www.seniorcitizensinc.org.
Patti Lyons is president of Senior Citizens, Inc., a nonprofit organization in Savannah and coastal Georgia that has been helping people age successfully since 1959. She serves as the chair on the Meals on Wheels America Board and is a governor’s appointee to the Georgia Council on Aging. Learn more at www.seniorcitizensinc.org.
This article originally appeared in the November 2020 issue of Ardsley Living.