Maria Basso Lipani

About

Maria Basso Lipani writes the popular website www.geriatriccaremanagement.com, where she puts her expertise as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker to good use answering care planning questions. Maria is a graduate of Columbia University School of Social Work and is licensed in California and New York. She worked with chronically ill older adults and their families for several years at Kaiser Permanente in San Francisco before becoming the manager of a federally funded caregiver support program in New York City. Today Maria oversees a program to reduce preventable readmissions at a hospital.

Recently Published on Caring.com

  1. Saturday October 15, 2011

    1. How do we find a better home health agency?

      Answer - If you're unhappy with the home health aides you can absolutely call the agency that sent them, explain the behaviors, and ask for different workers. Finding a better home health agency would be a much bigger feat in part because this episode of home care (i.e. an episode that follows a hospitalization) is paid for my Medicare and it is only temporary...

  2. Saturday January 15, 2011

    1. How do I determine what's the best facility to put my parents in?

      Answer - An excellent and free resource to help you choose the right facility for your parents is A Place For Mom (www.aplaceformom.com). You can talk with an Elder Care Advisor who is familiar with the facilities in your parents' community and can help you plan care with both of them in mind...

    2. My mom is 88 and has been diagnosed with Dementia. What's next in taking care of her?

      Answer - There are several next steps after an Alzheimer's diagnosis. Many will vary from situation to situation, but the following five are ones that I believe are critical for all family members of those with Alzheimer's:

    3. Would a home health aide or assisted living facililty be the most financially beneficial?

      Answer - Depending upon where your grandparents live, the cost for 12 hours per day of a home health aide and the cost of an assisted living facility for both grandparents may be about the same. For example, near or in a big city a home health aide might cost $20 per hour and you could expect the cost of an assisted living to start at $3500 per month per person...

  3. Tuesday October 05, 2010

    1. Who do I talk to at Mom's nursing home about concerns regarding her care?

      Answer - The middle stages of dementia, where it sounds to me your mother may be, are among the most challenging. Behaviors like the ones you are describing are the norm and can be very concerning and upsetting to family who see such a stark contrast to the person they knew before the disease...

  4. Thursday August 12, 2010

    1. How can Mom keep her HUD apt without jeopardizing Medicare?

      Answer - This is an excellent question and one that may require a lot of action on your part in the next few days to find a resolution. If I were you here's what I would do:

  5. Wednesday August 04, 2010

    1. My aunt is in denial about my uncle's Alzheimer's. How can we best help her?

      Answer - It is absolutely legal to call social services in any situation in which you are concerned about the health and/or well-being of another person. It is especially important to do so when the adult in question has dementia or another illness that impairs judgment.

  6. Thursday July 08, 2010

    1. My mother suffers from schizophrenia and has suffered most...

      Answer - Being a caregiver for a parent with schizophrenia is especially challenging for all the reasons you shared. It can be considerably harder when that parent isn't taking medications and, based on your description of your mom, it doesn't sound to me like she is doing so.

  7. Monday June 21, 2010

    1. How to best coordinate caring for dad between seven siblings?

      Answer - First off I have to commend you. Managing the care of a parent among several siblings is never easy and I’m contacted quite often by siblings who can’t get along and so can’t ever get to what is best for their parent. You and your six siblings have done an incredible job of taking care of your fatur...

  8. Monday April 05, 2010

    1. Is it common for rehab facilities to require residents to wear adult diapers for convenience?

      Answer - In a word - Yes.

    2. Should the nursing home tell Dad he should stay?

      Answer - In answer to your question, it's not the facility's responsibility to tell your father that he should remain in the nursing home. The physician may be willing to recommend this to him if asked to do so, but perhaps not even then.

  9. Friday March 19, 2010

    1. How Do We Deal with Mother with No Hope of Cooperation?

      Answer - In a situation like yours, the best you can do is to have your mother evaluated by a psychiatrist. If she does have dementia, it must be diagnosed. Then guardianship should be sought for control of her assets. Of course she may not agree to the evaluation, so if not, I would urge you to contact Adult Protective Services in your county...

  10. Monday February 22, 2010

    1. I think she needs more care, they say no. Help?

      Answer - What an ordeal! I'm so sorry that you and your mother are going through this and it does sound like "home" was the wrong discharge plan. There are a few ways to go about getting some help and I would suggest that you start down both paths simultaneously to see which one brings help first.

  11. Friday February 19, 2010

    1. My mom and her Assisted Living do not get along...

      Answer - I don't have any suggestions for getting her to stop self-transferring, but I do have a suggestion for determining the best setting for her: ask her where she wants to be. You might be surprised by her response and it could save you a lot of unnecessary back and forth...

    2. How do I know which type of home is more appropriate?

      Answer - Choosing between care homes can be tough, but the good news here is that you don't have to know which is better. Each facility has a set of criteria and will decide whether it's staff can manage her needs.

  12. Wednesday February 17, 2010

    1. How do you go about finding a Geriatric Care Manager?

      Answer - There are three core services that I recommend family caregivers look for from a geriatric care manager and your question includes all three. They are:

  13. Monday December 21, 2009

    1. Is there a law for assisted living room size?

      Answer - Title VII of the Older Americans Act requires that each state have an ombudsman program that functions solely to "investigate and resolve complaints made by or on behalf of older individuals who are residents of long term care facilities". The link below will help you locate the program in your state...

  14. Monday November 16, 2009

    1. Is assisted living right for Mom even though it angers my siblings?

      Answer - Probably the toughest part about caring for an aging parent (or caring for anyone for that matter) is that there is no handbook. Only you know your mom and her temperament so it’s tough for me to lay out an exact strategy. That said, I think what’s most important in all of this is that she be helphelped...

    2. Mom needs to move in with me, but how do I proceed?

      Answer - I’m so sorry to hear about your father’s death. Sudden deaths are very traumatic and in this case even more so because the loss revealed something you didn’t know about your mother…and that something changes everything.

  15. Monday October 26, 2009

    1. What housing options are available?

  16. Friday October 02, 2009

    1. How do I find an elder care moving manager?

      Answer - What you described as an “elder care moving manager” is more commonly known as a “relocation specialist,” but the concept is exactly the same. In fact, an entire niche market has sprung up in recent years to assist with moves that occur later in life.

  17. Friday September 25, 2009

    1. Where do I find a companion for my dad?

      Answer - You have a few options for finding a companion for your elderly father. The first two no-cost thoughts I have are as follows:

  18. Thursday September 24, 2009

    1. How do we get Mom to move out?

      Answer - You and your wife have every right to have your home back if your mother-in-law’s behavior and sister-in-law’s interfering are intolerable. No one can force either of you to personally provide your mother-in-law with housing and care, not even the s...

  19. Tuesday September 15, 2009

    1. What is the process for getting a loved one placed in a care home?

      Answer - The process of moving a person with dementia to a care home is one that's often left to the family or the person who has durable power of attorney (DPOA). If an older adult with cognitive impairment has neither family nor a DPOA, the state would step in and appoint a guardian to make decisions about care...

  20. Sunday September 13, 2009

    1. How do we get Mom to see the need for longterm care?

      Answer - Depending upon whether your mother-in-law has early or middle stage dementia, moving her at this time could prove challenging. Not because it is her choice or something that she needs to necessarily agree to, but because in her mind she is quite capable of caring for herself and perhaps even capable enough to care for her dying husband...