Assessments

• Meet with and assess a client’s physical, cognitive, and social functioning
  
  
• Examine issues of safety
  
  
• Consider quality of life issues and how to address
  
  
• Speak with primary caregiver, family members or other contacts who might provide information or context
  
  
• Interview primary care, specialists or other practitioners or involved parties to gather as much background information as possible
  
  
• Gather information about chronic illnesses and current strategies being used to deal with them
  
  
• Review charts and other documentation supplied by family, facilities and practitioners
  
  
• Provide a detailed report of our findings
  
  

Discharge Planning & Medical Coordination

Often families will contact us when their loved one is about to be discharged from a Hospital, Rehabilitation, Nursing or Respite facility. When this is the case, we can be helpful in several different ways:

• Help determine and plan for the next step
  
  
• Help determine what living environment will now be most appropriate
  
  
• Meet with nursing staff at facility to go over medical issues and medications
  
  
• Arrange for  and coordinate upcoming follow up visits, medical treatments, transfer of records and documents
  
  
• Find local doctors and/or specialists in new living arrangement
  
  
• Transfer medications, coordinate prescriptions and delivery services with new pharmacy
  
  
• Set up medication management system in new location
  
  
• Coordinate with multiple physicians
  
  
• Communicate medical information from different specialists and practitioners to client and family
  
  

Eldercare Benefits Guidance

• Help with applications and communication with Group Adult Foster Care, Veteran’s Aide and Attendance and other benefits
  
  
• Assist in understanding and translating Social Security and Medicare applications, requirements and benefits and how to get the most out of what you are entitled to
  
  

Escorted Medical Transportation and Medical
Coordination Assistance

• Escorted transportation to and from doctor's appointments, lab tests and other medically necessitated activities
  
  
• Assistance  with translation and dissemination of medical advice and information to client and/or client's family or to otherprofessionals involved in the client's care
  
  
• Coordination and monitoring of medical information from one or more physicians, specialists or other providers
  
  

Family Facilitation/Mediation

• The use of an independent and impartial voice advocating for families to come together to make those changes and decisions that are in the best interest of their loved-one, including caregiving roles and responsibilities of family members and friends
  
  
• In-house facilitation services to assist families who experience the common emotional stress related to a loved-one’s chronic or sporadic illness and have problems making or implementing the difficult decisions about how to proceed
  
  
• Professional Mediation for families that cannot reach a consensus for a care plan or disagree over the care of a loved-one and/or which family members should be involved
  
  

Financial Management Assistance

• Bookkeeping and Bill Payments
  
  
• Tracking  Investments
  
  
• Preparing, submitting and following up on Health Insurance Claims
  
  

Home Safety Evaluations

• Tour the client’s living environment to determine potential dangers and report these safety hazards to the client and the client’s family
  
  
• Make recommendations to client and family on ways to improve the safety and security of the client’s living environment
  
  
• Make recommendations about ways to utilize assistive devices, technologies and innovative ideas to increase client’s safety and security
  
  
• Assist with the hiring of firms who can implement home adaptations, if necessary
  
  

Household Services Management

• Errand assistance
  
  
• Shopping
  
  
• Home maintenance
  
  
• Cleaning, gardening and organizing
  
  
• Preparing  home for sale
  
  

Individualized Care Plans

• Create individualized plans of care based upon assessments that meet the client’s particular needs
  
  
• Prepare short-term care plan for more urgent care issues
  
  
• Follow up with development of long-term care plan after urgency is no longer an issue
  
  
• Help clients and families deal with resistance to change
  
  
• Implement care plans or assist clients and family members to obtain and put appropriate services in place
  
  
• Suggest strategies for dealing with chronic illnesses and their symptoms
  
  
• Coordinate in-home services through AZA’s Home Healthcare division if desired or consider other agencies as appropriate
  
  
• Review necessary legal documents such as Power of Attorney, Health Care Proxy, Living Will , Do Not Resuscitate Order
  
  
• If appropriate, review financial resources to determine options for alternative housing, programs and other services
  
  

Legal Assistance

Referrals & Recommendations about:

• Estate Planning and Probate
  
  
• Wills
  
  
• Trusts
  
  
• Guardianships
  
  
• Healthcare Proxy and DNRs
  
  
• Living Wills
  
  
• Powers Of Attorney
  
  

Medication Management

• Coordinate with pharmacies on ordering and paying for medications
  
  
• Set up  medication monitoring and tracking systems
  
  
• Set up electronic tracking and recording of medication compliance
  
  
• Use of Private Duty Nursing to distribute medication pursuant to schedule
  
  
• Assist Elders with Medicare Part D
  
  

Monitoring & Supervision

• Monitor our clients’ care to ensure the efficacy of all services
  
  
• Proactive observation of changes that may warrant adjustments in care
  
  
• With team management and medical advice, develop modified plan of care to  prolong the maximum quality of life
  
  
• Supervision of household services and in-home care
  
  
• Monitor wards under Guardianship
  
  

Referrals

Due to our extensive network of preferred providers, and our experience with and knowledge of geographically appropriate facilities and agencies, we are able to refer you to high quality, reliable providers such as:

• Alternative Therapists (Acupuncture, Yoga, Tai Chi, etc..)
  
  
• Assistive Device and Adaptive Equipment
  
  
• Assisted Living Facilities
  
  
• Equipment Providers
  
  
• End of Life Planners and Hospice Services
  
  
• Errand Assistance and Other In-Home Service Providers
  
  
• Estate, Probate, Elder Care and Disability Insurance Attorneys
  
  
• Financial Planners
  
  
• Home Health and Companion Agencies
  
  
• Home Maintenance Providers
  
  
• Home Modification and Adaptation Services
  
  
• Independent Living Communities
  
  
• Medical Practitioners who Provide Home Visits
  
  
• Medical Professionals and Specialists
  
  
• Medication Management Services
  
  
• Moving and Relocation Services
  
  
• Personal Alarm and Personal Safety Equipment Providers
  
  
• Physical, Occupational, Speech, and Nutritional Therapists
  
  
• Private Duty Nurses
  
  
• Retirement Communities and Senior Housing
  
  
• Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Facilities
  
  
• Social Activity and Adult Day Health Programs
  
  
• Supportive and Home Safety Equipment Providers
  
  
• Transportation Agencies and Services
  
  
• Other Providers (based upon your requests)
  
  

Relocation/Transition Assistance

AZA Care Management and Home Care oversees seamless relocations and transitions that allow families to spend more quality time with their loved-one, rather than the cumbersome tasks of moving and dealing with other logistics.  Our involvement with national associations gives us the depth and breadth to handle state-to-state moves and those that just relocate seasonally.  Our services also support assisted living facilities by coordinating paperwork for the continually changing EOEA regulations.
 
AZA provides assistance from beginning to end – whether a loved-one is moving to be closer to family in Massachusetts or those moving a loved-one from this region to be closer to them.  From helping to find the right facility, assisting with required paperwork, transferring personal belongings and setting up necessary social and medical support services, AZA can manage the process.  A sampling of what we can do is below:

Placements

• Provide a list of quality residences in the elder's preferred geographic area
  
  
• Tour residences with Client and family and assist with decision making
  
  
• Advise Client and families on financial eligibility

Applications

• Help gather required documents for move-in such as: completed application, all legal documents (sometimes need to be signed and/or notarized), financial documents & tax returns, medical screening and approval,  medical records, current medication list, list of medical/psychiatric providers and services, etc..
  
  
• Coordinate out of state medical treatments, records, documents and appointments
  
  
• Set up appointment with current doctor and obtain Doctor approval letter
  
  
• Arrange for screening by Assisted Living  or Rehabilitation facility
  
  
• Work with family in choosing appropriate room size, location, plan new living space, etc.
  
  
• Work with facility in planning move in date and process

Legal / Financial Guidance

• Assist with setting up Power of Attorney, Health Care Proxy or Do Not Resuscitate Order 

Moves / Conversions

• Prepare a house for sale
  
  
• Sort and organize possessions
  
  
• Supervise moving day
  
  
• Accompany, assist, orient and monitor Client during transition process
  
  
• Set up new services in new location including: housekeeping, laundry, dining, mail service, personal assistance, beauty salon services, house account, telephone, cable television, etc..
  
  
• Set up para-medical services in new location such as: Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech & Language Therapy, Podiatry, Dental, Auditory and Vision Services
  
  
• Prepare families for dealing with their loved-one’s resistance to moving

Orientations

• Meet with staff at facilities to go over medical issues and medications
  
  
• Transfer medications, set up new pharmacy account and delivery service in new location
  
  
• Set up medication management system in new location
  
  
• Provide companionship during orientation period
  
  
• Find local doctors and/or specialists
  
  
• Help Clients and families transition into facility
  
  
• Coordinate personal caregiving services if appropriate
  
  
• Support families in crisis who cannot elicit cooperation of their loved-one
  
  

Respite Care

AZA Care Management and Home Care provides short-term monitoring and supervision for clients while his or her caregiver or family member takes a vacation or well deserved break.

Currently, over 50 million people in the United States care for an elderly parent(s), a spouse, or a child with disabilities, in addition to their own day-to-day responsibilities.  Being a caregiver is a demanding and difficult job which can become overwhelming. Respite care provides short-term breaks that relieve stress, restore energy, and promote balance in caregivers’ lives.  Seeking support before becoming exhausted or overwhelmed and anticipating regular relief are key to care giving success for the long-term.

At AZA, we offer regularly scheduled as well as intermittent respite care for our clients and their families. Our Care Managers will visit your loved-one while you are away and are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to respond in the event of an emergency.  Our Care Managers communicate with family members as frequently as they desire or on an ongoing basis, so that they can take time off with peace of mind.

Our Care Managers can also:

• Escort your loved-one on outings and errands
  
  
• Coordinate and oversee Companions and Home Health Aides or any other personal or medical care assistance
  
  
• Manage and monitor medication systems
  
  
• Supervise home maintenance or other in-home services
  
  
• Transport and escort your loved-one to and from medical appointments