When COVID19 hit, everyone had to think differently about many aspects of daily living that previously were just part of normal routines. How do we get groceries? How can I fill my prescription? I need to talk with my physician, but how do I do a virtual visit? I’m alone and home bound so how do I avoid being socially isolated? These challenges are all amplified for seniors, adults with disabilities, and their families. Many cobbled together ways to get by for a short while, but now that we know the challenges will be with us until a treatment or vaccine is found, they are searching for better solutions.

Figuring out how to find and manage resources can be overwhelming. It is hard to know where to begin. Even when services are in place sometimes you need an extra hand to make sure that appointments are kept, and in-home care is monitored. Private Care Managers provide these solutions all the time and have gotten creative in providing access to services and supports needed to maintain safety and well-being during the pandemic.

Some of the ways Springwell Private Care Managers have done this so far include:

• Safely picking up mail from a client’s home and getting her bills paid
• Reaching out to the caregivers and family members of our clients to provide emotional support, information and resources, and access to virtual support groups
• Finding and purchasing needed medical supplies for a caregiver
• Making video calls to clients up to 3 times/week
• Assisting a family to bring their loved one home from an Assisted Living Facility by providing resources and helping to secure appropriate in-home care
• Helping new clients find crisis placement in local Assisted Living Facilities
• Remotely facilitating telehealth calls with doctors
• Continuing advocacy with elder law attorneys, trust officers, and insurance providers
• Problem-solving around transportation limitations
• Coordinating necessary services like food and medication deliveries
• Helping a client to create a Zoom account over the phone, then share her screen so we could help her sign up for online classes and make sure her auto pay was working.

While the risk of face-to-face visits inside the home remains too high currently, Private Care Managers are now doing outside visits with some clients.

A Springwell Private Care Manager (PCM) is licensed and backed by an interdisciplinary team of nurses, social workers and caregiver specialists who are passionate about helping to ensure that families have the help they need and want. As a non-profit agency, Springwell is committed to providing affordable private care management.

Springwell’s Private Care Management Program is currently closed to new referrals.