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Kim Whaley and her associates recently met with Jill O’Donnell and Jennifer Aronson from IRIS Consulting for Seniors. Jill and Jennifer came by our office for lunch to chat about how we could foster collaboration between the services we offer and facilitate access by older adults to the services they need.
The idea behind IRIS, explained Jill, is to help the children of older adults, or others who care for them, navigate the network of services that exists for older adults. Many family members or friends caring for an older person do not come to realize the complexity of that system until a time-sensitive issue presents itself. For example, an older adult may become ill and require greater care in short order. Those who have found themselves in such a position will be familiar with the frustration that so often accompanies wait lists for retirement homes, nursing homes and home care services for seniors.
Pre-emptively touching base with an expert to ensure that a strategy is in place for an older adult’s future care needs is one way of ensuring that he or she will have access to needed services in due time, and will be able to avoid having to settle for second best, or worst.
Preventative planning is also a way to ensure that older adults are involved in planning for their needs, which can curtail conflict between joint powers of attorney, guardians, and family members down the road.
Professionals such as lawyers and doctors can also benefit from assistance in order to better understand the range of services available to older adults, and how to access them.
For more information on the services offered by IRIS, visit their website at: www.irisforseniors.com/services.html.
