Geriatric care manager
A professional, usually a nurse or social worker, hired to assess an older person's needs and coordinate their care.
What it means
A care manager assesses the situation, recommends what should change, arranges services, and can act as the family's representative with providers.
They are paid privately, usually by the hour, and they are not regulated as a single licensed profession — background and credentials vary.
They are also called aging life care professionals.
Why it matters
They are most valuable where the family lives far away, where the situation is complex, or where family members cannot agree — someone independent changes the conversation.
Because credentials vary, what they are asked to do and what they are qualified for is worth checking explicitly.
When you are likely to meet it
- When helping a parent from another state.
- When care needs exceed what the family can coordinate.
- When siblings disagree about what is needed.