Carolynn Nagao-Marcotte is a licensed social worker and Aging Life Care Manager.

By Carolynn Nagao-Marcotte

An Aging Life Care Manager is very similar to a traditional geriatric care manager, but the name is changing to reflect the wider range of services we provide.

I see our role as being problem solvers for an older adult and their family.

Often times the family will notice that things aren’t really working out anymore, but they’re not able to figure out why. We’re able to go in there and figure out what the person needs and how we can help them stay at home, if that’s what they want. Or we help them with the process of relocating- researching the facility, touring the facility, the application process, going through the insurance – we can help with all of that.

I had one client whose family felt she couldn’t stay home anymore that she should move in with one of her daughters or an assisted living facility, which she did not want to do. We had to bring in a lot of services for her – but were able to make that happen. Those services included Home Care – bringing in private aides – arranging transportation and she needed a lot of assistance with medical advocacy, since her family lived out of state.

Having those services in place allowed her to stay at home, which is she wanted and it also gives the family that piece of mind that she’s going to be safe at home.

Carolynn Nagao-Marcotte is a licensed social worker and Aging Life Care Manager with Community Living Options (CLO), which provides a menu of services to assist older adults and their families with challenges of aging and disability. CLO is a private pay program at Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services, a non-profit elder services agency dedicated to supporting the independent and wellbeing of older adults. For more information about CLO, call 617-628-2601.