When managing health, some people require the support of professional care providers who plan and coordinate their care. Both case managers and care managers play key roles in providing such care, but in different ways.
Understanding the difference between case manager vs. care manager is necessary to make the proper choice on the type of care you need for yourself or a loved one who requires the help of a professional care provider. This includes those who need support in day-to-day life at home or customized care for coordinating plans and accompanying people when they travel.
Differences and Similarities With Case Manager vs. Care Manager
For those researching the type of care they need, the choice between case manager vs. care manager might provide a roadblock. It’s confusing to many. While the two share some similarities, they have key differences. The following provides an overview of both.
Who Is a Case Manager?
A case manager is often called a nurse case manager. The term “case management” has been around much longer than care management. It refers to healthcare professionals, typically nurses, who coordinate the overall care for patients.
In most situations, a case manager works directly for a healthcare facility, such as a clinic, hospital, or outpatient care facility. The American Case Management Association for example is a professional community of care management professionals who provide care for people in many different situations and with a wide range of services.
The Nursing Case Management Review and Resource Manual refers to case managers as those who “focus on care coordination, financial management and resource utilization to yield cost-effective outcomes that are patient-centric, safe and provided in the least restrictive setting.”
Case manager duties may include the following.
Developing a recovery time frame and monitoring its progress
Providing advice to clients and their families on critical decisions
Making the recovery process more efficient, including building relationships with other medical professionals
Providing healthcare-related financial advice to clients and their families
Encouraging a holistic approach to recovery
Monitor the patient’s emotional well-being and keeping them motivated
Who Is a Care Manager?
A care manager works individually with patients, helping to create care plans that help them through various stages of care as well as the transition between each. Organizations like the Aging Life Care Association® offer consultation, assessment, care coordination and advocacy to help individuals and their families find care managers who often work directly for the patient or with private agencies. They provide direct support to their client, taking an active role in each stage of care.
Care managers usually work with patients in their homes or during travel. They may work as a liaison between insurance and healthcare providers, managing medications and researching treatment options in addition to creating healthcare plans. Care managers, while relatively new, already have many job titles, including geriatric care managers, nurse concierge, and professional patient advocate.
Typical tasks of a care manager include the following.
Visiting patients in their home regularly to assess their health and wellness progress and discuss any changes needed to their healthcare plan, medications, etc.
Assessing a client’s medical care, including its suitability and legality
Ensuring patients know their rights
Ensuring that the health plan is meeting those rights
Offering professional advice and information to patients, their caretakers and loved ones
While they have some similar job duties, knowing the differences between case managers vs. care managers can help patients and their families make the best choices on their healthcare services.
3 Traveling Healthcare Workers on Getting the COVID-19 VaccineFebruary 25, 2021 As of February 25, more than 66 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in the U.S., and just over 13 percent of the total U.S. population has received at least one...
Everyone wants to find the best seat on an airplane, but everyone has different wants and needs. Depending on your preference and situation, you can seek out a window seat for great views and the best sleeping, an aisle seat for easier access, a middle seat to get closer to the front, seats close to the exit doors for peace of mind or seats close to the bathroom (for obvious reasons).
These days, boarding a plane can become a free-for-all. Many airlines do not give out seat assignments. Finding the right seat requires having a plan. Those who don’t sometimes end up being featured on those YouTube videos about angry airplane passengers.
You don’t want to be one of those people! Consider these suggestions before you even get to the airport and have a plan before you board.
Choosing the Window Seat
This is the first choice of many. That’s why these seats fill up fast. They are great for the obvious reason – you get a view out the plane. Another advantage is that you can use a hoodie or jacket for a pillow and lay your head against the inside wall of the plane. That’s one of the best in-flight sleep positions you can find. If you want a window seat because of the view, just make sure you don’t pick one that’s over one of the wings. Avoid choosing a window seat that’s directly over the wing of the plane. Seats over the wings offer restricted views, which defeats one of the primary pleasures of choosing a window seat. Moreover, the wing area can sometimes be noisier and may slightly affect the smoothness of your ride, especially during turbulence, as this section of the plane tends to be more stable but also less sensitive to minor altitude shifts, which can dampen the overall flying experience for those keen on feeling the ascent and descent.
Choosing the Aisle Seat
Aisle seats are often sought after for their convenience, despite their reputation for leaving passengers more exposed to passing traffic and service carts. If you’re someone who may need to stretch regularly, make frequent trips to the bathroom, or simply appreciate easier access to exit the plane upon landing, an aisle seat is ideal. For those who are injured, ill, or just want to rest undisturbed, securing a spot away from the main walkways, such as behind a divider or in a bulkhead row, can minimize the chances of being accidentally bumped by passersby or service carts. This strategic choice enhances comfort without sacrificing the accessibility benefits of the aisle seat.
Choosing a Seat Near a Bathroom
If you suspect you’ll need to make frequent bathroom trips, then an aisle seat near the front or the back of the plane puts you where you want to be. Choosing a seat near the bathroom is particularly advantageous for those with small children, anyone who anticipates needing to change clothes during the flight, or travelers with medical conditions that require frequent restroom use. However, be aware that these areas might be noisier and sometimes gather lines during high-usage times of the flight, such as after meals and just before landing. Opting for an aisle seat near the bathroom combines convenience with a little more legroom and ease of movement.
Choosing the Middle Seat
Who would choose the middle seat? You would, if you’re a relatively small or thin person who wants to sit near the front and be among the first people off the plane. The middle seats are often the last ones taken. You’ll be surprised to find how easy it is to find a middle seat near the front, even if you are among the last group to get on a plane. The middle seat might not be everyone’s first choice, but it offers unexpected benefits such as being typically available even on nearly full flights, providing a chance to secure a seat even with late bookings. Additionally, for those traveling in groups, selecting the middle seat often means you can sit adjacent to your companions, making communication and coordination during the flight easier.
Which Seat to Choose If You’re Injured or Impaired
Those flying with injuries or physical impairment should always call ahead and make arrangements with the airline. They will usually find the best seat for you (typically at or near the front). Make sure to arrive earlier than usual. You’ll want a seat that allows you the most room possible. You also can’t sit in the exit row. And you want to be near the bathroom to lessen the distance you must move if you need to make a bathroom trip. A smart move is to call a Non-Emergency Medical Transportation company, which not only can set all of this up for you but also have a nurse fly with you.
Other Tips
When choosing your seat, whether in advance or on the plane, consider these practical tips to enhance your comfort and flight experience:
Seat Selection Strategy: If you’re booking your seat in advance, take advantage of seat maps to choose the best available spot based on your preferences. If you’re selecting your seat on the plane, like with some airlines that offer open seating, quickly assess the environment. Aim for quieter areas away from large groups or families with small children when possible.
Engage in Quiet Activities: Bring a book, e-reader, or other personal entertainment to gently signal to others that you’re not open to chatting. This can help you maintain a quiet space around you, making the journey more relaxing.
Dress Appropriately: Airplanes can get chilly, so dressing in layers allows you to adjust your comfort level as the cabin temperature changes. Consider a lightweight sweater or a scarf that can double as a blanket.
Seat Recline Awareness: While you can’t always control whether the person in front of you will recline their seat, choosing seats in rows that are behind exit rows or in front of bulkheads can guarantee that no one will recline into your space. These spots are often more stable and offer a bit more legroom.
Remember, the key to a pleasant flight often lies in preparation and flexibility. With a thoughtful approach to selecting your seat and preparing for your travel environment, you can significantly improve your in-flight experience.
Moving loved ones or choosing to relocate your parents is never an easy task. There are ways to make it go more smoothly, including good communication, making a detailed plan, choosing what type of living arrangement best suits them and hiring professional help.
Nothing will make the process perfect. While the tips below will help, it’s perhaps most important to remember why you are doing this in the first place: out of love and caring. That can help you maintain a positive attitude, which will benefit you and your loved ones more than anything else.
As much as you do not want to talk to aging parents and loved ones about the need to relocate, they want to talk about it even less. However, situations reach the point where they no longer can live on their own or in their current house (usually a large one they’ve been in for years).
An important point to keep in mind in starting these difficult conversations is to have them while your parents are still independent enough to adapt to new situations and make new friends. One mistake is waiting too long when they no longer can make these changes easily or at all.
Choosing Where To Relocate Parents
Senior relocation can mean many different things. It’s important to have conversations about what would work best for them – and possibly you. It can include moving them to a home closer to where you live. It also can mean moving them into a care facility, also possibly near where you live. In some cases, it might mean moving in with someone else (including you). The important issue is to decide what is best early on and stick with it.
This includes not only the living arrangement decision mentioned above but also every detail of the move itself. The earlier you start the plan to relocate your parents, the better. Putting it off does not help. Plan on when you will handle issues such as cleaning out the home of things that can be thrown out or given away and packing what will be taken, Take a “room by room” attitude. The sooner you start and get everyone involved, the better.
Hiring Professional Relocation Services
In many cases, it can be best to hire professional movers who can help relocate your parent’s belongings. It also is beneficial to look into charities that will come and get many of the items you wish to throw away.
This also applies to transporting your parents. Senior Relocation Services offered by Flying Angels can handle all the arrangements for traveling with elderly parents and loved ones, ensuring they have the smoothest and safest trip possible to their new destination. That includes both arranging transportation with airlines and providing an experienced nurse to travel with them during their flight.
These ideas can help with making the relocation of loved ones and parents go more smoothly. Keep them in mind as you enter this difficult period. And don’t forget the positive attitude and end goal – getting them to a place where they will have a happier, healthier life.
Traveling for the holidays when you are disabled goes smoother if you take the proper steps. The first and most important is to contact your airline and ask for assistance, as well as making preparations such as packing sufficient medicine, properly transporting your wheelchair, and making reservations for adequate accommodations at your destination.
Traveling for the holidays when you’re disabled does require a certain amount of “homework” and preparation. However, airlines and airports have decades of experience providing help to people in your exact situation.
Here’s a look at some issues involving travel for the holidays if you’re disabled.
Contact the Airline
Airlines and airports are mandated by federal law to accommodate the needs of those traveling while disabled, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. The Air Carrier Access Act protects the rights of all disabled air travelers on flights in, to and from the United States.
This applies to those with chronic conditions or injuries. The support can come in many ways. By contacting the airport and letting them know your needs, you can get the following types of help.
Assistance moving from the terminal entrance through check-in, security, and reaching the gate
Early boarding on the airplane, and support in reaching your seat
Airplane seating accommodations that meet disabled passenger needs
Assistance with loading and stowing any devices or equipment you must bring on the flight
Accommodations for service animals (this includes emotional support animals)
Your first, best move, is to contact the airline you are flying on and the airports you are traveling to and from.
Wheelchairs
It’s possible to take your own wheelchair with you to your destination. Typically, you will be transferred before boarding the plane into a special wheelchair designed to fit in the narrow aisle of the airplane. Your own wheelchair is securely stowed away for the flight. Attendants will have it there for you when you arrive at the gate at your destination airport.
Medications
It’s important to take stock of your medications and determine how much you will need to take with you to last throughout your trip. Another approach is to take enough medication for the first few days of your trip and have a prescription that can be filled when you reach your destination. If you are leaving the United States, it’s important to do the research on laws and regulations covering medication.
This is an area where many can benefit from a medical transport company that handles all the details of your trip, including making arrangements to have a nurse fly with you who will monitor your health and managing all the equipment and medication you need during your flight.
Best Accommodations When Traveling For The Holidays
Most major cities around the world have accommodations for those traveling for the holidays while disabled. This requires thorough research on your part. Features to look for include wheelchair accessibility, wheel-in showers, grab rails, shower chairs, and electric beds. For those who may need oxygen, it’s important to see if that is available. This is another area where a full-service medical transport company can provide help.
These are some of the issues that can make traveling for the holidays while disabled as comfortable as possible. Keep them in mind as you make your preparations. The bottom line is that the holidays are a time to gather with friends and family – something that should be available for everyone, even those who have disabilities.
