This week we’re celebrating Case Managers in our program, and across the nation. Michelle Grasso BSN, RN, a Nurse Case Manager at Caregiver Homes based in Springfield, Massachusetts, shares her thoughts on what it means to her to support the many caregivers and their families in our practice this week and every week.

Michelle’s message:

“The week of October 13-19 is recognized as the National Case Management Week in the United States. It is during this week that the nation pauses to recognize the compassion, dedication and quality of patient care outcomes achieved by our case managers across the health care continuum. The practice of case management provides for a collaborative approach to care that is critical in meeting complex clinical and psychosocial needs of consumers and their families. Here at Seniorlink, we are fortunate to have two different roles for case managers, also known as care mangers; nurses and social workers. While each discipline is unique in the duties performed, there is one common denominator, our credo: We stand with the caregiver nation.

Over the past few years our teams have been recognized for their excellence by successfully completing a rigorous accreditation from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). Our case managers have successfully shown that they provide person-centered collaborative clinical assessments, care coordination, education, counseling, case monitoring/management, discharge planning, resource (referral) management, and advocacy. Due to the work our care managers provide day in and day out here at Seniorlink, we were the first organization in the country to receive a three-year Case Management Accreditation with an LTSS distinction from NCQA.

As a nurse care manager at Seniorlink, I have personally seen and heard countless stories of colleagues going above and beyond their job descriptions to help the families we serve. Our care managers do this out of compassion and dedication, without seeking praise or reward. It is during this week that we step back and applaud you for all that you do. Motivational author Leo Buscaglia said it best, ‘too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”‘

Thanks to Case Managers everywhere!