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by Gail Arno, CMC, ECM Director of Care Management Even in the best of times, incomplete and under-developed family support systems with strained familial relationships and poorly developed communication skills can be extremely challenging
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Our team is happy to help. Call (916) 206-4420 or send us a message – we respond within one business day.
That’s a question we hear often — and honestly, the fact that you’re asking it may already be your answer. If you’re feeling stretched thin trying to manage your loved one’s appointments, medications, and daily needs — or if you live at a distance and lie awake worrying about their safety — you don’t have to navigate this alone.
Some common signs that a Care Manager can help include a recent hospitalization or health scare, a new or progressing diagnosis, family disagreements about next steps, or simply the sense that things are getting harder to manage. Since 2010, ECM has walked alongside hundreds of Sacramento-area families in exactly these moments. We’re here to listen, help you think clearly, and make sure your loved one gets the care they deserve.
Yes — and this is often where families tell us our involvement made the biggest difference. A health crisis is frightening and fast-moving, and hospitals, as wonderful as they are, are busy places. Important decisions can happen quickly, discharge plans can feel rushed, and it’s easy for families to feel lost in the process.
When you have an ECM Care Manager in your corner, you have someone who can be present at the bedside, ask the right questions, communicate directly with the medical team, and make sure your loved one isn’t sent home — or to a facility — before the right support is truly in place. We’ve been doing this for families since 2010, and we’ve seen firsthand how having a knowledgeable, caring advocate in the room changes outcomes. You shouldn’t have to face a crisis alone.
**Please note that we do not provide 24/7 emergency response in Solano county at this time.
This is one of the most common and heartbreaking challenges families face, and you’re not alone. Many older adults are understandably reluctant to accept outside help — it can feel like a loss of independence or control. ECM Care Managers are experienced at building trust gently and respectfully with resistant clients. We meet people where they are, move at their pace, and often find that once a loved one gets to know their Care Manager, that resistance softens. We’re also here to support the family while that process unfolds.
Yes — and this is one of the most meaningful roles we play for many families. Long-distance caregiving is incredibly stressful, and the worry of not knowing what’s really happening day to day can be exhausting. Your ECM Care Manager can conduct regular check-ins, attend medical appointments, monitor changes in your loved one’s condition, and keep you updated with honest, clear communication. Many of our most grateful families are the ones who couldn’t be there in person — and trusted ECM to be.
ECM has two offices in Northern California. Through our Sacramento location, ECM proudly serves families throughout the Greater Sacramento region, including communities across Sacramento, South Placer, and the western slope of El Dorado. Through our Vacaville office, we also serve Yolo and Solano counties. We are local — and that matters. Our Care Managers know the hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, home care agencies, and community resources in this region inside and out, so we can connect your family with the right support quickly, without the guesswork.
Since 2010, we’ve built deep roots in this community, and we consider it a privilege to be trusted by Sacramento-area families during some of the most important moments of their lives. Not sure if we serve your area? Give us a call — we’re always happy to help point you in the right direction, even if it turns out someone else is a better fit.
**Please note that we do not provide 24/7 emergency response in Solano county at this time.
Our services are primarily private pay. While traditional Medicare does not cover care management, some long-term care insurance policies may provide reimbursements for our service.
ECM’s services are billed on an hourly basis. ECM will charge in increments of one tenth of an hour, rounded off for each specific activity to the nearest one-tenth of an hour. The minimum time charged for any specific activity will be two-tenths of an hour. Some activities such as telephone calls (0.2) and letters (0.2) have a minimum professional charge regardless of the actual time spent.
To streamline the billing process and avoid separate charges, ECM factors travel time into the total billable time incurred for a service visit. This travel time includes the time spent traveling to and from your location to perform our services. Under most circumstances, there are no additional charges or fees for mileage incurred.
We know that when a family reaches out to us, they’re often in the middle of a stressful situation and don’t have time to wait. We make it a priority to respond promptly — typically within one business day — and we can often schedule an initial consultation within the same week. If you’re facing an urgent situation, please don’t hesitate to call us directly at (916) 206-4420.
