Jennifer Voorlas, M.S.G C.M.C

Caring.com Expert

About

Jennifer Voorlas is a geriatric care manager in Los Angeles, California, and president of Geriatric Care Consultants. She has a master's degree in gerontology from the University of Southern California and is certified by NACCM, the National Academy of Certified Care Managers.

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Recently Published on Caring.com

  1. Thursday March 24, 2011

    1. FAQ: What's the Best Way to Find out What Happened During an Aide's Shift?

      Answer - The best way to find out what happened during an aide's shift is to look at his or her notes, since it's rare for a family caregiver to overlap with an aide's shift and have the opportunity to speak in person each day.

    2. FAQ: What's the Difference Between a Personal Aide and a Home Health Aide?

      Answer - The main difference between a personal aide and a home health aide is in the level of medical care they provide. Although personal aides typically have home health aide certification (which involves competing a 76-hour, nurse-supervised training program), they provide mostly personal care -- such as bathing, grooming, and dressing...

    3. FAQ: What's the Best Way to Hire a Personal Aide Independently?

      Answer - If you're going to hire an aide independently, it's important to realize ahead of time that the process of finding candidates, researching backgrounds, checking references, and matching the aide with the patient is going to take a fair amount of time. It's best not to cut corners, or you can end up in a bad situation...

    4. FAQ: How Do You Fire a Personal Assistant?

      Answer - If you have a care manager on the case, let him or her handle it. Care managers do the matching and hiring, and if any problems arise, the care manager should handle them. A good care manger might be able to step in and fix the root issue, for example, before resorting to firing.

    5. FAQ: How Can I Find a Companion to Be With My Loved One While I'm at Work?

      Answer - If you're employed, start with the company you work for. Many companies are starting to provide services to help employees with work/life balance, including providing information and referrals for geriatric care managers. This is a new trend because studies have come out finding that people on the job...

    6. FAQ: What's the Difference Between an Elder Companion and a Personal Aide?

      Answer - Although people often use the terms interchangeably, there's a difference between an elder companion and a personal aide in terms of both responsibilities and training.

    7. FAQ: What Do I Do if the Night Aide Keeps Falling Asleep?

      Answer - If someone you hired to be a night shift aide keeps falling asleep, that's not a good sign. I'd start watching other aspects of his or her behavior more closely.

  2. Monday February 21, 2011

    1. Is there such a thing as a geriatric health manager?

      Answer - I own a geriatric care management company called Geriatric Care Consultants in the Los Angeles area. I am a solo practitioner who is nationally certified as a care manager and I hold an advanced degree in gerontology. In-home or in-facilities are often necessary when the family does not know the next...