N America News May 2017

76 NORTH AMERICA NEWS / MAY 2017 , A.G.E. Consultants was established in 1998 by Barbara Applegate and Jeane Thorne to offer their extensive experience and skills to support families providing loving care to aging relatives. In 2009, P.E.A.C.E. with A.G.E. was added to offer home care services consistent with their teamapproach and high standards. A.G.E. Consultants serves the Greater Phoenix area. Barbara tells us more about the organization. Growing Old Gracefully Caring for an aging parent can be richly rewarding, but also chaotic, confusing and overwhelming. For an aging adult, losing one’s self-sufficiency can be frightening and embarrassing. At A.G.E, we work to help preserve your peace of mind and your aging parent’s dignity. We provide full geriatric care management services to families worldwide with aging loved ones living in the Phoenix metro area. While geriatric care management services are not currently covered by Medicare and most insurance companies, A.G.E. Consultants understands the need to provide these services to aging seniors and their families. If you are caring for an aging parent or loved one, please take the time to see how we can support you in your heroic efforts as a family caregiver. You are not alone. Some 43 million Americans now find themselves caring for an aging parent who may have grown frail and needs the love, kindness, compassion, and of course, the help of others. Our Care Giving Philosophy We feel more attention should be given to the complexities of caregiver issues. Our mission is to support and guide adult children through the process of care giving for an aging parent — to assist in balancing the realities of care giving with care for oneself. We believe in the personal rights of the aging parent and the adult child. We believe in the human worth and dignity of all people. We believe everyone is entitled to age with the support necessary to ensure a good quality of life. We believe everyone has the right to live life with enthusiasm and comfort. Working as a Team Empowering older persons and their families is a vital component of our professional services. Our care for each client is managed by a Geriatric Care Management Team which consists of: – Geriatric Care Manager Social Worker, – Geriatric Care Manager Nurse, – Director of Companion Services, and Select Caregivers. Our team works closely with you to offer the following services as needed: Geriatric Psycho-social Assessment This crucial first step helps you understand the care your aging parent’s needs. This assessment includes an evaluation of your loved one’s emotional, mental, social, physical and living arrangement needs. We follow this up with a written report containing all the information gathered during the assessment to help get you started providing appropriate care. Geriatric Care Management Through our ongoing geriatric care management, we help you manage your loved one’s essential daily needs. This may include such support services as: – Home Care Services through P.E.A.C.E. with A.G.E. (see more below) – Nursing Assessment/ Medication Management – Coordinating medical appointments – Advocacy to assure that your parent’s rights to quality care are met in a timely manner. Consultation Services When ongoing geriatric care management services are not required, we offer individual consultation for families caring for their aging family member. Crisis Intervention In a crisis situation, we can offer emergency services to stabilize your parent’s situation. This includes assistance with emergency housing, caregivers, medical problems, security concerns or protection from possible harm due to abuse, neglect or extortion. Home Care Services from P.E.A.C.E. with A.G.E. We carefully match caregivers with seniors based on their unique personal needs. Caregivers provide a full range of home care services and respite care and are a part of the AGE Consultants Geriatric Care Management Team. Some of the services PEACE with AGE offers are: assistance with daily personal care; meal planning and preparation; transportation to special activities and medical appointments; medication reminders; shopping; socialization; respite care; light housekeeping; laundry; exercises; personal assistant. About Barbara Applegate Barbara Applegate, MSW, ACSW, C-ASWCM is a Certified Geriatric Care Manager Social Worker and the owner of A.G.E. Consultants, Inc. As a member of the Geriatric Care Management team, she offers over 35 years of experience working with adult children and their aging parents in the field of geriatrics, healthcare and mental health. From the beginning of A.G.E. Consultants, Inc. Barbara has implemented the unique model of Geriatric Team Care Management by blending the skills of both the nursing profession and social work profession to provide the best oversight of the issues of eldercare. Under Barbara’s leadership the team advises the families about elder life issues and care needs. This team helps both the family and the client in understanding and planning for the eldercare needs. Barbara holds a Masters of Social Work and post masters certification in Gerontology from Arizona State University. Barbara has been a past board member of the National Council on Aging, Western Region Chapter of the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers. She is currently an active member of the National Association of Social Workers and National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers. Barbara is the co- author of Parent Care: A Survival Guide for Adult Children of Aging Parents. 1702CA29