At the center of the tools to help with geriatric care management you will find the Personal Health Record (PHR).  Wikipedia has this to say about the Personal Health Record: "The PHR is an ill-defined concept that has been developing over several years."  You'll be pleased to know that it doesn't stop with that.  In fact, it goes on to describe some of the key elements.

Perhaps the most common confusion is comparing the PHR to and Electronic Medical Record (EMR).  An EMR provides a hospital, doctor, therapist, or even insurance company with useful information.  It does little, however, to directly impact the people most affected - the senior and caregiver trying to understand a care regimen.  The few interactions with these systems which do exist, such as Explanation Of Benefit (EOB) statements, are often confusing and frustrating for aging parents.  Little or no information is available from these systems on care plans, medications, multiple disease states, life style, state of mind, living circumstances, support networks, caregivers, or the other complexities faced by seniors.  They do not represent a holistic picture of the environment impacting independence and quality of life.

The Personal Health Record (PHR) has developed in response to this need.  The PHR provides a way for individuals to build and maintain a health care record independent of their health care provider and easily understood by the family.  The reliance on the individuals' understanding of their health situation and care plans to populate the PHR means that great care must be taken with the completeness and accuracy of the record.

Most caregivers can build this PHR either as collection of paper documents or using a variety of computer tools.  A geriatric care manager can help by understanding all the materials to include, off loading the time consuming tasks from a caregiver, taking advantage computer tools, and providing a knowledgeable review of the contents.