Bobbi Kolonay RN, BSN,MS, CCM, GCM
Options for Elder Care
Serving Pittsburgh & all counties within 100 mile radius
including Allegheny, Westmoreland, Mercer & Butler
4876 Ottawa Court, Gibsonia PA 15044
With the "Aging of Allegheny County" children of the baby boom generation are discovering the realities of caring for their aging parent(s), adding to their already busy lifestyle. For most, the job of choosing the type and level of care needed for their loved one is a daunting one. Options for Elder Care owned and operated by Registered Nurse Bobbi Kolonay is a viable solution for your family.
Bobbi Kolonay RN, BSN,MS, CCM, GCM with Options for Elder Care, provides the following:
- Education on options available within the elder care system of Pittsburgh and surrounding suburbs
- Development of a comprehensive plan of care that would assess the type and level of care needed
- Expert advice from a "concerned outsider" that may be needed by the aging loved one and resistant family members
- Assessment of the medical, social, financial, insurance, and housing needs
- Recommendations, coordination and monitoring of care provided in the home
- Manage care for a loved one for out-of-town families
- Assist with placement in a personal care home, retirement community or assisted living
- Provide options to resolve family conflicts in the care of their aging loved one
- Assessment of financial options including a thorough analysis of the health insurance plan (Medicare, Medicaid, veterans benefits, private insurance) to
assure the most cost effective outcome - Coordination of care with other providers in the field of elder law, financial planning, geriatric medicine, insurance and home health care.
Testimonials
As a physician who specializes in care of older patients, I found working with Bobbi in caring for Mrs. H a most rewarding experience. She brought to her care not only high levels of knowledge and skill in medical and social issues, but also the kind of dedication to promoting her well-being that we expect from family members. Mrs. H unfortunately suffered from a complex mix of problems, including progressive cognitive impairment as well as progressive weight loss and frailty.
Bobbi worked efficiently to get her through the diagnostic testing and subspecialty consults required to address these problems. Throughout this work-up, Bobbi communicated regularly with her family and with me, keeping all of us informed and aware of each other's views. When it came time to make decisions about treatment, she coordinated a meeting among Mrs. H, her family and myself. This meeting served vital purposes: it allowed all the stakeholders to be informed, to express their views, and to reach consensus about how to proceed. Most importantly, Mrs. H was able to voice her wishes for further care in the presence of her family.
With Bobbi's involvement, and only because of it, Mrs. H received the kind of care that all vulnerable elderly deserve, and too few get. Her family lived outside the area, but even had they been in the area, family do not have the expertise to manage so effectively the many challenges with which Bobbi dealt: finding an appropriate level of care, arranging help in the home, expediting and transporting Mrs. H to appointments, communicating with physicians and family, coordinating the family meeting, and supporting Mrs.
H emotionally throughout the process of moving, undergoing extensive evaluation and hearing bad news.
Bobbi's involvement made what would have been, under usual circumstances, a trying ordeal for the patient, her family, as well as her physician, an experience in which all could be satisfied that the right things were done, in the right way, at the right time.
Dr. Eric Rodriguez
Benedum Geriatric Center
On November 28, 2002 my life changed dramatically. My widowed mother sustained a debilitating stroke paralyzing her entire right side, impairing her ability to swallow and decreasing her mental competency. Within one day my mother went from being completely independent in all areas of her life to total dependence on others to provide all her care. Being the trustworthy medical daughter in our family I was called upon to manage this family crisis.
As a mother of three children and a professional case manager, I thought my life obligations were already at the maximum level I could function. I thanked God every day during this crisis that I had the expertise to know what options were available for my mother along with the knowledge of the elder care system in Pittsburgh to assist me with this full time responsibility. Within a seven-month period I coordinated five changes in living arrangements for my mother, trying to accommodate her adamant desire to return to her home. During this same time period, my dear Uncle was diagnosed with multiple myeloma and died within nine months of the diagnosis. I was also called upon to assist his family to manage his remaining quality of life.
Please contact me at:
4876 Ottawa Court
Gibsonia PA 15044
Email:
OptionsForElderCare@Comcast.net
Contact Phone:
412-443-1365
Fax: 724-443-6051