THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, May 29, 1996 TAG: 9605250199
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 10 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: EARNING A LIVING IN VIRGINIA BEACH
SOURCE: BY LORI A. DENNEY, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 83 lines
Marilyn Fall knows what caring for an aging family member is like. She is currently caring for the elderly members of some 29 Hampton Roads families.
Fall owns Elder Care At Home Inc., a geriatric care management business where she oversees all aspects of an older person's care 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
``A lot of families don't know where to turn for help or what services are even available,'' said Fall, who has spent the last 25 years in nursing and has a master's degree in gerontology from Old Dominion University. ``Many people don't know how to transfer someone from the bed to a chair. That's where care management comes in.''
It's Fall's business to handle it all. She can help a family find the right nursing home or recommend and hire a qualified nurse's aide. She's the overseer of medications, working closely with the family doctor and is the eyes and ears for family members who live far away. She's the home maintenance expert who hires landscapers, exterminators, and the like and the teacher for those who know nothing about elderly care.
She's helped clean out many a cluttered home, going so far as to organize garage sales for her aging customers. She can balance a checkbook while appraising any potential health risks in the surroundings.
And, yes, she's also schooled in crisis intervention, counseling and support.
Fall visits her clients once a month or more if necessary. Between personal visits, Fall spends many hours on the phone helping smooth out problems and making sure that adequate physical care is being provided.
Fall is paid for the initial assessment and then paid for phone calls and visits on a monthly basis.
She's been known to make impromptu visits to nursing homes and private homes to evaluate caregivers, sometimes late at night.
Aside from overseeing care, one of Fall's primary goals in assisting elders is to help them keep their independence for as long as possible. Nearly half her patients suffer from dementia, with half living in nursing homes and the other half still living at home, she said.
``An older person can maintain (his or her) independence with as little as six hours of help a week whether that help is someone to drive them to appointments, throw in a load of laundry or oversee home maintenance,'' said Fall, who works out of an office in her home but has plans to move to a commercial office soon. ``All those little things help a person stay independent and that sense of independence is so important for older people.''
Fall began her care management business nearly five years ago after obtaining her master's degree from ODU. At 58, Fall found that her age hampered her marketability for bigger companies. It didn't take her long to decide that her best option was to incorporate all of her skills - management and health care - into her own business where her age has now become an asset.
``I think my age is an advantage,'' she said. ``I can identify with the problems they're having. It's not that I'm having the same problems, but I know one day I will and that helps with compassion.''
Fall's business is not short-term. Typically, once she's hired she's in it for the long haul. In four years, she's overseen the care of four people who have passed away.
``This is not a happy business. The pleasure I get is the association with the clients and knowing I can improve their quality of life,'' said Fall, who on her own keeps contact with a family for up to a year after a loved one's death.
Families are billed monthly for Fall's services and though she oversees the hiring and firing of aides, she does not oversee the payment of wages.
When Fall's not working to help a client, she's involved in innumerable groups and associations dealing with the elderly. She's a member of the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers, National Council on Aging, Southern Gerontological Association, American Society on Aging, Virginia Public Health Association, Alzheimer's Association, task forces on aging in Virginia Beach and Norfolk, Hampton Road Caregivers' Coalition, Mayor's Committee for the Aging, Ghent Day Care Advisory Board and the Tidewater Association for the Continuity of Care. MEMO: To reach Elder Care At Home Inc., call 464-4800. ILLUSTRATION: It is Marilyn Fall's business to help a family find
the right nursing home or recommend and hire a qualified nurse's
aide, to work closely with the family doctor and to be the eyes and
ears for family members who live far away.
Staff photo by CHARLIE MEADS by CNB