Lifespan Services
Lifespan is a multi-service agency dedicated to providing health, social, and financial services for adults in need of assistance. Click to view our printable Programs and Services brochure.
Home Care
Home care aides help with personal hygiene, meal preparation, errands and light housekeeping. Schedules are tailored to meet your loved one's changing needs from 2 to 24 hours a day. All home care aides are bonded, insured and supervised by Geriatric Care Managers. Our staff has special expertise in dementia care. We are available after hours if problems occur. For a detailed, printable list of the home care services offered, click to view our Home Care Services brochure.
Hospital-to-Home, Hospice, Veterans Administration
The above services are an extension of Lifespan's home care services. Lifespan has extensive experience working with hospitals, hospice, and the VA and can help make your experience with them easier to manage. For more information on each of these specific home care services, click on the following links to view the respective printable brochures: Hospital-to-Home, Hospice, Veterans Administration.
Geriatric Care Management
Care Management is the heart of Lifespan's services and is needed when an older adult has challenges associated with aging. A Geriatric Care Manager is a nurse or social worker with specialized training and experience in aging and elder care issues. Care Managers help elders maintain independence by identifying needs and coordinating affordable, individualized services. Click here to view our printable Geriatric Care Management brochure.
Care Management is especially useful in the following situations:
- An older person requires a durable power of attorney for healthcare or Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST).
- One spouse is overwhelmed by the care needs of the other spouse.
- A frail elder is alone, and the concerned family is out-of-town.
- An older person is having problems living independently.
- An older person has been diagnosed with a chronic progressive illness and needs assistance with future plans.
- An older person needs help in arranging for services.
- An older person needs to move.
- The elderly person is having difficulty managing his or her finances.
We believe that geriatric care management can make a profound, positive influence in the life of an older adult and their families/loved ones.
Comprehensive Assessment
A health assessment may be needed when your senior has multiple problems and issues that need to be evaluated and addressed. One of our Care Managers personally visits the senior to assess physical and mental health, self-care abilities, living conditions, and adequacy of medical care, untreated health issues, and other miscellaneous needs.
Based on information from the visit and information provided by the physician and other involved parties, a full report is written detailing problems and needs. This document is often used by the family's physicians, attorney, trust officers or conservator as a care-planning tool.
Mental Health Services
Lifespan Care Managers help adults who have mental health challenges with development of independent-living skills, community integration and maximizing use of available state and local resources.
Placement Assistance
Lifespan Care Managers have extensive knowledge of Santa Cruz County elder facilities. Care Managers locate an appropriate facility, coordinate the relocation and help with the transition.
Friendly Visits
Lifespan's friendly visitor program provides regularly scheduled visits by specially trained staff to clients at home or in facilities. Friendly visitors offer social interaction, recreational activities, shopping, escort to appointments, and support with relocation. Click to view our printable Friendly Visitor brochure.
Financial Management
Professional fiduciaries provide assistance with budgeting, debt management, and checkbook balancing and with health insurance bills. Services are provided in the senior's place of residence, and services are customized to the senior's needs.