The Assessment & Recommendations Process

The first step in developing a customized Symphony Life Care Management Plan is an in-depth Assessment of our client’s current physical, cognitive, psychological, social, cultural and financial needs by an experienced Certified Care Manager. This includes interviews with current caregivers and medical providers (if desired), an assessment of their physical environment, an overview of available financial resources, a review of advanced directives, and a discussion of their personal values and wishes.

The Assessment is followed by a comprehensive Recommendations Report based on our years of experience caring for aging adults in every type of environment. It takes into account all of the information collected above and provides our best recommendations for the current and future care of your loved one, all within the context of family dynamics and available resources. This process will provide our client and their family members with the knowledge they need to make good decisions that will work well now and over the long term. If more urgent care is required, please read more about our Crisis Intervention services.

Our process typically goes as follows:

Introductory Phone Consultation

During an initial 20 minute telephone consultation, we give you the opportunity to tell your story so that we can gain a broad understanding of the issues that you and your loved one are facing. This consultation is free of charge because only by listening to you first can we begin to give advice or even a few pearls of wisdom. By the end of our conversation, we will know whether Symphony Care Management will be able to serve your needs: if we cannot serve your case well, we will provide you with resources and a referral to a trusted colleague in our network that will be a good fit. If we decide to move forward and form a partnership, the next step is the Collection of Data, which makes the process more time efficient and provides critical information for the Assessment. Book your introductory consultation now.

Collection of Data (non-emergent cases)

After receiving a signed Agreement, we will send you a pre-assessment questionnaire. All of the skills honed over our many years as Certified Care Managers are being used to perform the Assessment and it is critical that we gather all relevant information.

The In-Depth Assessment

Using this data, we provide our professional assessment of the strengths and possible limitations of the current situation.  Our years of experience allow us to identify when additional interventions may be required, such as in-home supports or residential care. We may also research additional services that can be customized to the unique needs of the client(s). Gaining a full understanding of the client(s) through this assessment allows us to put together creative solutions to complex situations and conditions. 

Recommendations Report (The Care Management Plan)

Once we have completed our Assessment, we put all the interviews and information together (the Symphony “magic”) into a comprehensive report of our recommendations with specific steps to take to move forward (the road map). Taking available resources into account, we make recommendations based on preferences, needs, and goals as well as budget. With an established network of providers and other professionals, we have an intimate knowledge of what’s available and which resources will best benefit the individual client. Our years of experience can also provide you with our sense of what level of care might be required in the future, so families can make informed decisions with the context of what may lie ahead. Our report includes a set of resources such as assisted living pricing, a menu of benefits that many people don’t even know exist, emergency plans (including necessary forms for emergency packets), and more to help families sort through the wide range of services and resources available to them. 

Sometimes, the Care Management Plan is all clients need to move forward with implementing the recommended actions. More often than not, however, clients rely on our Symphony Life Care Management services to implement the Plan and monitor progress over time to proactively manage care to avoid crises. Things can change quickly as we age: with Symphony as your ally and your advocate, you can rest assured that we will make the best possible recommendations for your loved one based on their changing needs.