Case manager is a term that applies to different areas of expertise. Most broadly, a case manager is a service provider who assesses a client’s needs and connects the client to appropriate, available community resources. If you are considering whether or not a case manager is right for you or a family member in Florida, read on to learn what a case manager can help you with.
What Does a Case Manager Do?
Case managers operate in a lot of different areas to meet the needs of their clients.
- Hospital Case Manager: This is typically a nurse case manager who helps with needs assessment, treatment plan, and discharge planning as the client leaves the hospital for home, rehabilitation, or long-term care. They consider the patient’s health insurance as they make these decisions to ensure the best health outcomes while incurring the least financial burden.
- Home Healthcare Case Manager: These individuals help provide hands-on care management and coordinate the healthcare team and caregivers. They help notice changes necessary to serve the client’s best interest and communicate with the medical team and insurance as necessary.
- Health Insurance Case Manager: Health insurance is a huge driver of the care we are able to receive. A case manager for the health insurance company is sometimes assigned to ensure that the patient is receiving quality, necessary medical care in the most efficient and economical way possible for the insurance company.
- Geriatric Case Manager: In our practice, we offer geriatric case management to our clients and others in our community. This specific type of case manager works to assist elderly clients and their families with a plan of care for the future, including long-term care and living arrangements. Similarly to the other management services above, a geriatric case manager works to assess and coordinate the needs of the client and manage ongoing care, serving as the eyes and ears for the best care. It is a privilege for our office to help clients increase and preserve their quality of life to the fullest extent possible.
What Qualifications Should Case Managers Have?
Case managers must have certain qualifications to assess, advocate, and adequately care for their clients. For some case managers, this comes from their training as a nurse or social worker. However, at a minimum, case managers typically hold a license or certificate in a health or human services field. The requirements for case management vary by state and/or the employing organization.
In Florida, case managers must have a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Social Work, Social Sciences, or a related field and pass the Certified Case Manager (CCM) exam. Special exceptions may be made for individuals whose equivalent professional experience and/or education may be substituted in lieu of required qualifications.
Most importantly, when considering management services for you or your family member, you will, of course, want to ensure that they are licensed and certified. A quality case manager will also have “soft skills” such as kindness, empathy, strong advocacy and assessment skills, and the ability to communicate with the client and his or her family a plan of care in a supportive and appreciated way.
At the Law Offices of Amy B. Van Fossen, it is our privilege to provide geriatric case management to our clients and our community. If you would like to discuss the compassionate care of one of our case managers for your loved one, please contact us today.