ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the assessment function in case management, and focuses on the clinicians' experience with older people and their families. In addition to the growing need for case management services throughout the population, other factors applying specifically to those in middle- and upper-income groups have created the demand for services in the private-practice sector. Private-sector case managers act as a single point of entry into the complex array of agencies and services. Whether in a private practice or agency setting with elders or with other client populations, assessment for the purpose of care management is a continuous dynamic process with four overlapping phases: assessing the fit between the client and the service; assessing the family or significant others; assessing the (older) person and his or her environment; assessing the situation over the course of service. The chapter also details social workers with a bachelor of social work degree—BSW assistants—help carry out task-oriented services for older clients.
