Help for your Aging Clients- an estate law firm’s perspective
Posted on February 9, 2012 by Whaley Estate Blog>Whaley Estate Litigation
The issue of aging parents is something that will affect us all at some point. Are they safe enough to be living alone? How can we be sure that the care they are receiving meets their needs? While we do not want to see that our parents are beginning to have problems, confronting them about their difficulties and/or investigating what assistance is available to them can be even harder. How can we determine what is available in terms of at-home assistance, retirement living and long-term care—and what are the differences?
Our firm recently had the pleasure of meeting Audrey Miller. Audrey, who is a registered social worker, is the founder and managing director of Elder Caring Inc. (“ECI”), which has a team of experts with backgrounds in Social Work, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy and Gerontology in different cities across Canada. ECI was created to meet a growing demand in the community for services with a focus on the health and well-being of the older adult and their family.
“We meet with you and your family in your home to discuss and identify areas of concern. We will identify community resources to assist you and access publicly available services whenever possible. We are your case coordinators. We liaise with your medical team, family members and involved service providers to ensure a coordinated approach to service delivery.”1
All matters are referred through Audrey, who assesses the situation and then assigns the appropriate team member to work with a family. Audrey has spent the last 25 years working with differently-abled individuals and their families, focusing on rehabilitation issues to improve function at home and in the community. She is also a qualified expert witness in Rehabilitation and Life Care Planning in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice.
What is important, is that Audrey knows how to navigate the system, which changes all the time.
Where available, a Geriatric Care Manager will meet and assess the older adult in his/her own home. The assessment includes environmental, functional, emotional, cognitive, and caregiver issues which results in a Wellness Plan or ‘roadmap’ for care. ECI also provides ongoing Wellness Monitoring services for the older adult.
ECI also provides counselling by registered social workers, and will customize Care Plans to help manage caregiving and work responsibilities.
We sought out Audrey to find out more about the services that Elder Caring Inc. is able to provide to lawyers dealing with elder law issues.
Audrey and her team provide professional advice and support to law firms, the professionals within them and to their clients. For example, assistance and support may be sought:
in assisting substitute decision-makers in respect of health care, nutrition, shelter, clothing, hygiene and safety;
in assessing and providing care plans in cases where we need to find out if our client’s parent is managing safely in their current environment;
in bringing members of a family onto the same page in respect of care for an aging parent and allocating responsibility.
When you meet Audrey, you will see that she is incredibly professional; she has a wealth of knowledge and experience in the field of elder care. But what sets her apart is a mix of warmth, enthusiasm and understanding—she is easy to talk to, and obviously very committed to the care of older adults.
To contact Audrey Miller, please check out her website at: http://www.eldercaring.ca/
Or call Toll Free at 1-866-473-8887 or Toronto at 416-658-8887.
Or by email at: amiller@eldercaring.ca
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Footnote:
1. http://www.eldercaring.ca/services/for-families/
