Most older adults want to remain in their own home among the neighborhood they know and with the personal routines and independence they hold dear. Sometimes, however, unforeseen changes happen in one's life that affect the entire family. Difficult decisions, complex, unfamiliar information, injuries, illness, death of a spouse and a multitude of unknowns can make it harder to take care of the day-to-day needs entirely by oneself. For example, it may be time to use a geriatric care manager when:

• An aging parent requires assistance to live independently in his/her home and does not want to “burden” the family;
• The time to downsize and relocate to another living arrangement is necessary;
• A spouse or adult child becomes overwhelmed with time-intensive caregiving responsibilities alongside his/her own work and family demands;
• Siblings differ on the next steps to take with progressive illnesses or end-of-life issues of a parent;
• A family member finds long-distance care of parents increasingly difficult to manage;
• An attorney questions a client’s capacity or suspects issues of neglect;
• A health provider needs a comprehensive assessment of medical and non-medical needs to facilitate formulation of an accurate and complete care plan