CAPS and the Health Care Case Manager
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A Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS) consultant for home modifications can play an important role in support of a Health Care Case Manager. According to AIHCP, a Health Care Case Manager is sometimes referred to as the “Captain” of a patient’s health care. In this role, the Health Care Case Manager is a resource manager to help procure and coordinate the many services that will be needed by a patient recovering from a medical situation. This role is designed to provide both leadership and management to the patient’s care plans. They are the coordinators of patient care delivery, as well as the patient advocate, and quality and costs experts of the health care team.
Clearly when a person needs significant health care there are many other people and agencies who will be involved in that recovery. A Health Care Case Manager is tasked with the responsibility of coordinating those other people and agencies to ensure the patient receives correct, timely, and financially appropriate care.
According to VerywellHealth, all case managers are involved in the assessment of a client's needs and the linking of that client to the available services and resources. As such, all case managers work as a coordinator and facilitator rather than a provider of client services. Resources can include:
Doctors
Care Givers
Hospitals
Insurance Companies
Medical Equipment Vendors
State Disability Agencies
Occupational Therapists
Physical Therapists
Attorneys
Home Modification Contractors
Lenders
Aging in Place Specialists for Home Modifications
In each case the Health Care Case Manager will act as the captain of the ship to coordinate these services to bring the required support to the patient. In many cases, a patient may need to modify their home to accommodate their medical condition, whether it is temporary or permanent. Without home modifications, a patient may need to move to an assisted living facility or nursing home. This is where a Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS) consultant for home modifications can help by developing a plan to modify the home to accommodate the patient’s needs.
The CAPS certification program was developed by the American Association of Retired People (AARP) and National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) to train qualified individuals in the process of planning and installing home modifications to enable people to age in place in their homes, regardless of their age or medical status. The CAPS certification applies the principles of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Fair Housing Act (FHA) to a residential property to make the home safer and more accessible to the patient/client.
A CAPS consultant for home modifications is an inspector, planner, and project monitor. A CAPS consultant works with clients to determine their goals for aging in place (AIP) and create a plan to reach their goals.
Home with Accessible Front Entry
Within that plan will be CAPS and AIP services which include: building inspection; planning the project; researching and helping the client select specialized assistive products and installations; identifying and selecting contractors, explaining best practices for design and installation of key components in AIP home design; coordinating the budget; prioritizing comprehensive solutions based on the client’s needs, budget and urgency; working with contractors to avoid common mistakes for design and installation of AIP solutions; and monitoring the project installation to ensure the client’s needs and goals are met. A Health Care Case Manager should not be expected to figure out what home modifications are best for the patient just like they are not expected to diagnose a patient’s medical condition or prescribe medicines.
Photo of Richard Acree, CAPS