Do You Need Professional Caregiving Advice
For Your Elderly Mother, Father Or Relative?

Over the last decade, Pittsburgh Geriatric Care Manager Paula Tchirkow, MSW, LSW, ACSW has offered caregiving advice to thousands of adult children, elderly parents and relatives and attorneys, financial advisors and bank trust officers via numerous articles she authored for both consumer (newspapers and magazines) and professional media including local, state and national legal and financial publications.

Most recently, Paula wrote caregiving articles for major online media such as SeniorMag.com and looks forward to offering practical tips and strategies for adult children in other online media in the coming months.  Look for Paula’s articles soon on Caregiver.com and check out the March 2004 issue of Today’s Caregiving Magazine.

To date, her articles have appeared in the The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, The Lawyer’s Journal, SBN Magazine and SmartBusiness Magazine in Pittsburgh, The Pittsburgh Business Times, Financial Planning Magazine, The Bulletin, the publication of the Allegheny County Medical Society, to name a few.

Following are some of those articles plus new ones we’ve added on our website to help you care for your elderly parent as he/she moves through the natural aging process. Look for more articles here in the future months ahead.

The Tipping Point: How Do I Know When My Elderly Parent Needs Advanced Care? Recognizing and Managing Your Parent's Care Needs

Featured on SeniorMag.com

This article answers the question posed by many caregivers: How do you determine when your parent needs advanced caregiving?

Remember the Studebaker?
Reminiscing as Therapy for Your Elderly Parents

Today’s Caregiving Magazine, March 2004

For those elderly parents who are depressed due to illness, loss of spouse or a variety of other situations, this article offers hope and comfort, illustrating how reminiscing can improve self esteem and enhance quality of life so that that life still has purpose and meaning.

Putting On The Brakes:
How To Know When Mom Or Dad Should Stop Driving?

If you’ve ever wondered if your elderly parent should still be driving, this article will answer that question and present the 20 warning signs that tell your mother or father may be driving unsafely.

Hiring a Geriatric Care Manager:
Practical Tips for Finding, Evaluating and Selecting the Right Professional

Should Your Elderly Mom or Dad Come To Live With You?
Inside Tips on What You Should Know Before You Make that Critical Decision

Adult children are often torn as to whether their elderly parent should come to live with them.  Read this article before you decide to take this important step.

Do You Have the Mettle?
What It Takes to Become a Successful Geriatric Care Manager

Featured on SeniorMag.com, Dec 2003 - March 2004

If you or someone you know is planning to become a geriatric care manager, you must read this article! Find out if you have what it takes to follow this career path.

Caring for Elderly Parents, and a Business, is Manageable if Planned For

The Pittsburgh Business Times, May, 2003

Is your elderly mother or father a partner in your business, or are you the sole owner? Have you ever wondered what you would do if your elderly parent took ill suddenly and you had to drop everything to tend to him/her? How would this affect your business?  Hurry! Read this article for some helpful tips before it’s too late.

A Caring Matter

SBN Magazine, March 2002

Are you responsible for your elderly parent who lives alone? Are you sure he/she can care for himself/herself adequately? See what tips Paula offers here to adult children.

When It’s Your Turn to Take Care of Your Parents

Small Business News, 1999

Similar to the article above, this article presents five steps you should take to avoid a family and business crisis in the event your elderly parent becomes chronically ill or suffers from dementia.

Professional Articles

Advocates for the Elderly and ‘Eyes and Ears’ for Elder Law Attorneys

The Pennsylvania Lawyer, November/December 2002

Geriatric care managers are advocates for the elderly and “eyes and ears” for elder law attorneys.  Read this article to learn how important GCMs are to attorneys’ elderly clients.

Elder Law Practice May Evolve Dramatically in the Next Decade

Lawyer’s Journal, April, 2001

In the next decade, geriatric care managers will play a critical role in the elder law practice, perhaps in a multidisciplinary setting, where they will be part of a law firm’s staff. Read what elder law attorneys had to say about the importance of GCMs in the legal industry.

Growing Old Together

Financial Planning Magazine, September 2001

If you are a financial advisor, you must read this article! Here you will learn the value of a geriatric care manager to both you and your elderly client and why it is so important for this healthcare professional to be part of your team.

The Role of Professional Geriatric Care Managers

The Bulletin, Allegheny County Medical Society, October 1998

This article discusses the role of the geriatric care manager in the medical community, specifically the partnership with physicians and other healthcare professionals.

The Role of the Attorney in Geriatric Care

The Pittsburgh Legal Journal, November 4, 1996

The combination of a rapidly expanding elderly population and the complexities of elder law has made it clear that the geriatric care manager is a necessary and significant team player in responding to the healthcare needs and concerns of attorneys’ elderly clients.