By Micky Baca
Contributing Writer
REGION – As a society, we struggle collectively with preparing for the later stages of life, says Kate Granigan, CEO and Chief Engagement Officer at Alder, an aging care consulting firm, in Newton, MA. All too often, families of aging parents and seniors themselves don’t reach out for help until they are facing a crisis and struggling to cope, and by then the options have narrowed.
Adult children living across the country, who think mom and dad are doing fine, come home for Thanksgiving to find they are not managing to keep up their home, bills, or healthcare. Mom falls and breaks her hip. Dad suddenly can’t remember how to do basic tasks. The family is now scrambling to decide what to do.
Granigan says it doesn’t have to be that way. Families can plan ahead for what can, and should be, a joyful period of life.
In fact, Alder has been helping families and seniors analyze and plan for their aging needs for 33 years. They have helped more than 5,000 families make good choices.
“The goal is aging by choice, not by default,” Granigan says.
Serving Greater Boston and beyond, Alder has a staff of 33 certified and highly experienced social workers, occupational therapists, and nurses that offer professional services to help clients plan for and navigate all stages of aging. Starting with assessing a client’s unique needs, Alder’s life care managers can assist families in analyzing their senior’s current situation, exploring short and long-term options, and creating a life care management plan. From evaluating assisted living and nursing home choices, to looking at in-home care and aging in place, Alder provides objective information and recommendations. They help clients with things like medical and insurance decisions, locating trusted professionals to assist with financial planning, and ensuring legal documents reflect their goals.
Alder looks at the whole person, their home environment, and support system. Care managers interview the senior client as well as family to learn their priorities and interests.
Life care managers also help resolve family conflict, which is one of the biggest challenges in dealing with decisions for an aging family member. Families are often overwhelmed and don’t know where to start, Granigan says. Talking to parents about their needs can be difficult, as many seniors feel they don’t need help. Alder can be a mediator, and seniors often view their recommendations more positively without the emotions heightened by family dynamics.
Alder also helps families respond to emergencies, whether or not they have planned ahead. If a fall or crisis occurs for clients they have worked with, Granigan says, Alder can step right back in again. Emergency events are also a main reason why families choose to begin a relationship with Alder. While proactive planning will always increase the options available, Alder will readily tackle any urgent needs to ensure the older adult is advocated for and has what they need to move forward.
Alder is a private pay service not covered by insurance, which Granigan explains gives them the freedom to be truly objective, with no ties to defined programs, and no referral fees. Their recommendations for providers, like assisted living, long-term care, and home services, are clinically based and grounded in professional knowledge and experience, she says. Alder’s own services are provided on an hourly basis, with no long-term contracts, so customers can use them as needed.
“People are spending money to age,” Granigan points out. “But we may be able to ultimately save you money. Part of our assessment is helping clients understand what to plan for, what the associated costs may be, and whether insurance or other resources can help cover it.”
In fact, for those with limited funds, there may be an even bigger incentive to have a consultant assess their life care management options, Granigan says. “If you have limited funds, you better get it right.” Mistakes like choosing the wrong living facility and having to reverse course can be extremely expensive.
Each client is assigned a life care manager who works with them hands on. They coordinate other providers where needed, such as contractors for aging in place, renovations, or in-home help. They can also attend medical appointments as needed. A lot of families continue to work with their Alder care manager for years—some for as long as a decade—as needs arise.
Granigan has been working to change peoples’ perceptions and approach to aging through education, seminars, podcasts, and national awareness campaigns for many years. She is a member and past president of the Aging Life Care Association, the nation’s largest professional organization for life care managers.
Having worked in geriatric care for more than 30 years, Granigan says she considers it more of a calling than a job. Her overall message to seniors, and everyone really, is to start early thinking about and having conversations around aging. Managing aging should be considered just as regular medical care, financial planning, or estate planning are.
“We are trying to stay young,” she says. “We don’t want to face our own aging. And by facing our parents’ aging, we are actually facing our own mortality too. I think that aging has become a taboo topic, and I think that is a shame.”
Since people are living longer, Granigan notes, our senior years are really a huge part of our lives, often as long as middle age and young adulthood. By avoiding planning for your aging needs, she says, you are setting yourself up for a less-than-ideal journey.
“Why not create a journey that is made up of things that will let you have a joyful aging experience,” she asks. “Aging can be wonderful.”
Alder offers a free half-hour phone consultation to get started. “Whether it’s for yourself or for a loved one, there’s no risk in picking up the phone and having a conversation,” Granigan says.
