Mental Health Issues

​"My sister was recently diagnosed with a mental illness. She is supposed to visit her psychiatrist once a month, but she cannot drive and will not let me take her. I am concerned she will decide not to keep her appointments. What do I do?"

In a situation like this, sometimes a neutral third party person can fulfill this role.  Oftentimes, an individual may not feel comfortable having family or friends escort them to appointments. Maybe they are embarrassed by their diagnosis or are estranged from the family. As a neutral third party, our social workers can help arrange transportation or accompany your sister to her psychiatrist's office to assist with her coordination of care

"I think my mother is suffering from depression. I do not know what I can do to help, nor does she appear to respond to any of the attempts I have made to improve her mental state. Can you help?"

Yes, Decision Point Consulting's licensed clinical social workers are trained to provide counseling services for individuals suffering from depression and/or anxiety. Upon completion of an initial assessment, a recommendation will be made in regards to the frequency of counseling sessions. Sessions may be conducted in the individual's home or at our office depending upon the client's preference.

"My wife has a mental illness resulting in behaviors that are difficult for my family to cope with and understand. Can you help us?"

Yes, Decision Point Consulting's social workers have many years of experience in successfully counseling families who are dealing with a loved one's often difficult behaviors brought on by mental illness. They will work with your family to develop and implement coping strategies specific to your situation. Additionally, a behavior modification plan can be implemented to encourage appropriate behaviors and interactions with the individual suffering from the mental illness.

​

​​Decision Point Consulting, Inc. 

Frequently Asked Questions

​

​

Fees and General Information

Social Work Definitions

Aging Health Issues

​Mental Health Issues

Fees and General Information

​"Does Medicaid or Medicare pay for your services?"

At this time, Medicaid and Medicare do not pay for case management services provided by social workers. Therefore, services provided by Decision Point Consulting, Inc. are conducted on a private pay fee basis.

"Are your services covered under medical insurance or long term care insurance policies?"

We do not participate in medical insurance programs for payment. However, many long term care insurance policies will cover some or all of our care management services. If you have a long term care insurance policy, it is your responsibility to make sure your policy covers case management services. You will also need to make arrangements with your policy carrier to receive reimbursement for our services. Upon request, our social worker can discuss with your insurance carrier exactly what type of services we provide to help determine eligibility of coverage. Decision Point Consulting, Inc. does not directly bill long term care insurance policies.

"What are your rates for services?"

The amount of the fee depends upon the specific type of service provided. Services are billed on an hourly pro-rated basis. Our clients have complete control over how much or how little time our staff spends assisting them. Every situation is unique, so we tailor our services to meet any budget. Please call our office or email us for current rates.

"Do you charge for the initial phone call"

There is no charge for an initial phone consultation with our social workers to determine if our services will meet your needs. Should you decide to proceed with our services after the initial consultation, we ask that you review and sign a contract prior to the implementation of any services.

"How do you receive referrals?"

We receive referrals from clients themselves or family members seeking help for their loved ones. We also receive referrals from elder law attorneys, trust officers, physicians, home health agencies and other social service agencies, as well as, from families have have served in the past. 

Social Work Definitions

​"Who is a Social Worker?"

A social worker is an individual who holds a degree in social work from an accredited university.  Social workers are professionals who want to promote the welfare of individuals and the communities in which they live.  Some of the roles of a social worker include being a clinician, advocate, facilitator, client and family therapist, crisis interventionist, care manager, conflict mediator, and community liaison.

"Who is a Geriatric Care Manager?"

A professional geriatric care manager is a health and human services specialist who helps families who are caring for older relatives.  The geriatric care manager is trained and experienced in any of several fields related to care management, including nursing, gerontology, social work, and psychology. When hiring a geriatric care manager, you want to find one with a degree from an accredited university, as well as, professional training and experience specific to the issues involved in caring for an aging adult. 

"What is Case Management?"

Case Management is a collaborative process that assesses, plans, implements, coordinates, monitors, and evaluates options and services required to meet the client's needs.  It is characterized by advocacy, communication, and resource management and promotes quality and cost effective interventions and outcomes.  Learn More

​

Aging Health Issues

​"I don't think my father should be living along anymore, but he is not ready for a nursing home. What are my options?"

There are a variety of options available for your father, three of the most common include:

• Your first option is to hire someone to come into the home. Home care services can be provided through a home care agency or through private individuals. Prior to hiring home care, you will need to have an idea of the services your father will require, such as supervision, assistance with meals, housekeeping, laundry, personal care, etc. The cost for home care is usually paid out-of-pocket; however, some long term care insurance policies do provide for home care services.
• Your second option may be living with family members. The family members may be able to provide many of the support services to meet your father's needs. If the family members work, you may be able to use home care as described above or you may be able to use adult day care services.
• Your third choice is senior housing options, such as retirement communities, residential care facilities, or assisted living facilities. There are many housing opportunities available today other than nursing homes. Each type of housing provides different levels of care and services.

If you are having difficulty determining which services your father will require as well as which option is most appropriate, our social workers can assist you with an assessment, evaluation of your options, and assistance in obtaining the appropriate services.

"My Grandmother is becoming more forgetful. How do I know if she has Alzheimer's Disease?"

There are many factors that can cause forgetfulness, such as stress, grief, depression, poor nutrition, anxiety, medication interactions, etc. The only way to know if your grandmother as Alzheimer's Disease is to have her evaluated by a physician. You can start by taking her to her primary care physician. If possible, talk to the physician prior to the appointment or at the appointment to alert him/her to  your concerns because your grandmother may not disclose or admit any memory problems to the physician. The primary care physician should give her a comprehensive physical, including blood work and urinalysis, to determine if there are any physical or chemical reasons for the forgetfulness. Depending on the results of those tests, the physician may refer her to a neurologist or dementia specialist for further evaluation.

While our social workers cannot give you a final determination as to whether or not your grandmother has Alzheimer's Disease, we can work with your doctor to provide an evaluation that will help make that determination. Once a diagnosis is made, we can provide education and coping strategies for living with dementia as well as develop a plan of care and then assist with the implementation that plan.

"My aging parents still live at home, but need more assistance to care for themselves. My siblings and I live out of town and cannot come in to help them often enough. For that reason, my parents do not always tell us when they need help. How do we know our parents are safe and doing okay?"

Many families face this kind of situation today since children have to move away from home in pursuit of education, employment and marriage. Our social workers can help give you peace of mind by periodically visiting your parents to assess their situation. How often we visit them is up to the family and the urgency of concerns needing to be addressed. Our social workers travel to the individual's home whether it is a residential property or living facility. Each visit is followed up with a report back to a designated family member along with any recommendations necessary to maintain the individual's independence as long as possible.

​