Selecting an Aging Life Care Professional®
How Do I Find an Aging Life Care Professional?
We have made it easy to locate a professional near you! Just click the button to the right to use the Find an Aging Life Care Expert search tool to locate professionals by city, state, or zip code.
Aging Life Care Professionals are members of the Aging Life Care Association® (ALCA); an organization of practitioners whose goal is the advancement of expert assistance to aging individuals and their families. ALCA is committed to maximizing the independence and autonomy of aging adults and strives to ensure the highest quality and most cost-effective health and human services. Through education, advocacy, counseling, and service delivery, ALCA members assist older persons and their families in coping with the challenges of aging.
ALCA promotes the highest standards of practice. Membership in ALCA is open only to qualified individuals with specialized degrees and experience in human services, including, but not limited to, social work, psychology, gerontology, nursing, or therapy. Those who are at the Advanced Professional level of membership hold one of four ALCA-approved certifications. Only members of ALCA can call themselves Aging Life Care Professionals®. Aging Life Care Manager®, Aging Life Care Specialist® or used the trademark term Aging Life Care™.
Questions to Ask
Aging Life Care Professionals have diverse experience, education, and backgrounds. In addition to being members of ALCA, many are licensed in their state in specific fields (such as nursing or social work).
Aging Life Care Professionals may call themselves consultants, managers, advisor, or by other titles. While knowledgeable in eight core areas of Aging Life Care™, individual professionals may have specific areas of expertise. You will want to hire someone who regularly handles clients with similar needs to yours.
Aging Life Care Professionals who primarily work with older adults bring more to their practice than an expertise in geriatrics. They bring knowledge of aging issues that allows them and their staff to overcome the myths relating to aging and to focus on the problems at hand. At the same time, they will bring an experience of working with resources in your community. They are most aware of real life problems, health and otherwise, that emerge as persons age and the tools that are available to address those issues. They are also connected with a community of social workers, nurses, psychologists, elder law attorneys, advocates, and other elder care professionals who may be of assistance to you.
It is important for the wise consumer to ask questions. Some of these include:
- What are the primary services provided by your agency/business?
- How many Aging Life Care Professionals are in your agency/business?
- Is there a fee for the initial consultation and, if so, how much?
- What are your professional credentials?
- Are you licensed in your profession?
- How long have you been providing Aging Life Care management services?
- Are you available for emergencies?
- Does your company also provide home care services?
- How do you communicate with your clients and families?
- What are your fees? (These should be provided to the consumer/responsible party in writing prior to services starting.)
- Can you provide me with references?
The answers to your questions will assist you in determining whether that particular Aging Life Care Professional and agency/business has the qualifications important to you for a successful relationship. If you have a specific issue that requires immediate attention, be sure to inform the Aging Life Care Professional of this during the initial conversation.