In addition to general communication sites like those mentioned in my previous post, family communications can be aided by a geriatric care manager.  The geriatric care manager is actively involved in the day to day care.  As such they often serve as a communication bridge between a variety of caregivers (such as home health providers, companion services, or home aids) and the family.

At My Health Care Manager our Health Care Managers use technology to help with this communication.  Some of this is done with simple reports or other outputs from our case management system that help to plan and organize the activities of the visiting agencies helping with eldercare.

A more advanced tool used by our Health Care Managers is the client portal.  This is a special purpose portal that allows authorized family members to view key data about their loved one.  It also provides a discussion board and other communication capabilities between the Health Care Manager and all the family members authorized to view information.  Caregivers can also provide updates regarding upcoming appointments or other events and even updates to the Personal Health Record such as prescription drug changes.    One of the favorite features for families is the posting of Contract Logs showing the most recent direct activities with the Health Care Manager and their loved one.  Instead of wondering what went on the doctors visit yesterday or relying on sketchy details from mom or dad the portal user can read the Health Care Manager's firsthand account.