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Aging Transitions is a Geriatric Care Management Company Dedicated to Improving the Quality of Life for Older Adults & Their Families
Serving the St. Louis Metro Area

Intro

Aging Transitions is a Geriatric Care Management Company Dedicated to Improving the Quality of Life for Older Adults & Their Families Throughout the St. Louis Metro Area


Do you or an older loved one need a Geriatric Care Manager?

    Caregivers:

  • Does an older loved one's sudden illness or injury require more help than you can provide?
  • Do physical or mental changes have you concerned about an older loved one's safety?
  • Do you need to find a local professional you can trust to assist and support your older loved one because you live too far away?
  • Are you taking more and more time away from work and family to help your older loved one?
  • Are you worried about your older loved one’s ability to drive safely?
  • Are you uncertain about whom to call and what help is available?

  • Older Adults:

  • Do you need a little help with some daily activities, but don't know who to call?
  • Would you like someone to accompany you to doctor appointments to make sure the right questions are asked and the answers documented?
  • Are you interested in Independent or Assisted Living options but the process of learning about the communities and arranging a move is a little overwhelming?
  • Do you feel like you don't know where to turn for information about available programs and assistance?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, Aging Transitions can help you.

woman talking to elderly mother

Geriatric care managers provide many services for the elderly and their families. As your geriatric care manager, I have the education and training necessary to assess, plan and coordinate an appropriate solution for your immediate and on-going concerns. Relying on extensive knowledge of available resources, Aging Transitions will serve as an experienced guide through this process.

—Catherine Ray, MS



Getting started with Aging Transitions

Please call, email or use the form below to find out how we can help you.

After you get in touch, we'll have a phone conversation to learn about your specific situation. During this conversation you can learn more about me and determine if you think I would be the right Geriatric Care Manager for your situation. There is no charge for this conversation.

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Our Mission

From the minute we are born our lives are full of transitions, but the transition from adult child to caregiver for parents or other older loved ones is one of the most challenging transitions we face.

The roles we grew up with change in dramatic ways as parents or older loved ones begin to need help with everyday tasks. Conflicts among family members are common when there is disagreement about if help is needed, how much help is needed, and who should provide it.

For older adults, the transition from a completely independent able-bodied person to someone needing help is difficult as well. Arthritis, diabetes, heart disease, COPD, and dementia are but a few chronic conditions that can make older adults feel like their bodies and brains have turned against them.

At Aging Transitions our mission is to help families make informed choices about care for their older loved one, provide options for any support services required, and provide strategies for conducting difficult conversations.
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Services

Aging Transitions provides personalized solutions and ongoing support.

Our focus will be on helping older adults live the life they want, while maintaining autonomy and dignity.
To accomplish that we will:
  • Evaluate your loved one’s specific situation including strengths, challenges, functional and cognitive abilities, support system (family, friends, faith based community), their personal wishes and goals, and financial resources.
  • Provide strategies and recommend resources for immediate concerns.
  • Coordinate day to day activities and appointments.
  • Provide referrals to medical, legal, and financial professionals.
  • Allow you to remain the advocate for your loved one while we manage the details of their changing abilities and needs.
Non-Discrimination Clause

Aging Transitions, LLC, does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), genetic information, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations.

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About

photo of Catherine Ray

Catherine Ray, MS

After receiving an MBA in Marketing, I worked in the corporate world for several years before becoming a stay at home mom. When my mother-in-law became ill, my family didn't know what to do—we didn’t know what options were available to us. I was driven by that experience to study aging, earning a Master of Science Gerontology.

I've since had experience as a Geriatric Care Manager for an in-home care company, also at a dementia care facility (doing cognitive assessments of residents), and then at a long-term care facility (advocating for residents' rights) before founding Aging Transitions in 2013.

My job is to anticipate your questions and concerns, locate community resources that will be beneficial to you, and provide appropriate options for other services you may need. It can be challenging for families to negotiate the new circumstances encountered when an older loved one needs care. I will provide education and strategies for handling those situations.

❖ Click to Read Catherine's Story

My mother-in-law, Mary Conzelman Klostermeier was diagnosed with Corticobasal Degeneration, a parkinsonian related syndrome.

Mary’s need for help was gradual. As her family, we were in denial about the severity of her situation and didn’t want to make her do anything she didn’t want to do. There was so much we didn’t know or understand about care options. Mary moved to independent, assisted, and then skilled nursing care. I now know there were many things we could have done to make those moves easier. More importantly, I now know she could have stayed in her home longer with appropriate assistance.

After I earned the MS in Gerontology, my own mother experienced a sudden illness and I unexpectedly became a 12 hour/day caregiver. It didn’t take long for me to experience caregiver stress. I felt: sad about my mother’s illness, helpless because we didn’t have a diagnosis, hopeless because I couldn’t change my mother’s situation, and guilty because there were other things I wanted and needed to do with my time.

I knew my mother needed professional in home care but the decision to hire a home care company was not easy. My parents didn’t want their children to be caregivers but they were nervous about having someone in their home. I made the decision to call a home care company and set up a home care visit. The visit went well and my parents agreed to try it. The first caregiver was not a good fit. The second caregiver was excellent and became a trusted and caring aid for my mother.

Eventually we obtained a correct diagnosis, my mother was treated, and she recovered. It is the rare older adult who will say, "You know, I do need someone in my home to help me." Instead of asking my parents if I could make the appointment, I gently told them when the appointment was. Thankfully, it worked out beautifully, better than they imagined it could.


Professional Associations

❖ Aging Life Care Association (ALCA)
❖ The Gerontological Society of America
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ALCA member logo

AGING LIFE CARE™ is a trademark of the Aging Life Care Association*. Only ALCA™ Members are authorized to use this term to identify their services. AGING LIFE CARE PROFESSIONAL™ is a trademark of the Aging Life Care Association. It is an indication of membership in ALCA, and only ALCA Members are authorized to use this term.

*Formerly known as the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers

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Resources

For more information about common aging issues, please visit these links:

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❖ Administration on Aging
Information on a wide variety of aging topics.
❖ Benefits Check Up
Helps identify money saving programs you may benefit from.
❖ Dementia: Alzheimer's Association,
St. Louis Chapter
Valuable resources for families struggling with any kind of dementia.
❖ Driving Concerns
AAA - American Automobile Association: Practical suggestions for senior drivers.
❖ Health Information: National Institute on Health
Videos on health issues that affect seniors.
❖ Hearing: Hearing Loss Association of America
Hearing Assistive Technology
❖ Medicare: Plan Finder
Step by step approach to finding the right plan for you.
❖ No Call List
Sign up for Missouri's No Call List
❖ Parkinson Disease Association, St. Louis Chapter
Services and Programs
❖ Pleural Mesothelioma
Need-to-Know information
❖ SAGE
Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders
❖ Social Security Administration
Retirement Planner: When to Start Your Benefits
❖ Vision: All About Vision
How to keep your eyes healthy and information on eye problems.
❖ Geriatric Care Management in the News
St. Louis Post Dispatch, October 24, 2013
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Contact

Mailing Address: 8816 Manchester Rd. #138 St. Louis, MO 63144

➽ Fax: (314) 334-0440

☏ (314) 304-6177

I'll get in touch as soon as possible, usually within 24 hours.

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