A geriatric care manager — now more commonly called an Aging Life Care Professional or care manager – is a trained professional, typically with a background in nursing, social work, counseling, or gerontology, who helps families navigate the complex medical, emotional, caregiving, and safety challenges that come with aging. They assess an older adult’s situation, help families create care plans, coordinate services, advocate during difficult decisions, and provide ongoing guidance and oversight so families do not have to manage everything alone. The roots of Aging Care Matters began long before the company officially opened in North Carolina. In 2005, Carla Payne began her work as a Tier 2 volunteer Ombudsman in Pennsylvania, advocating for older adults living in skilled nursing and long-term care settings. Through that work, she witnessed firsthand how overwhelmed families often felt trying to navigate medical systems, caregiving decisions, dementia, hospitalizations, family conflict, and long-term care planning. Carla opened Brandywine Elder Care Management in 2010 and successfully helped families with her co-owner, Erin Kershaw before moving back to NC in 2015. She founded Aging Care Matters in 2018 as a solo care management practice serving Triangle families. As families’ needs grew, so did Aging Care Matters. Today, Aging Care Matters remains grounded in the same mission it started with: helping older adults and caregivers navigate aging with greater support, dignity, clarity, and peace of mind. Aging Care Matters follows the professional standards and ethical principles, emphasizing advocacy, dignity, person-centered care, and coordinated support for both older adults and family caregivers. We believe aging care should never be one-size-fits-all because every family situation is different. We are a locally owned Triangle business — not a franchise or corporate chain. Decisions are made here by people who know the local healthcare systems, resources, providers, and communities we serve. Families are not treated like case numbers; relationships matter to us. What makes Aging Care Matters unique is that we provide both professional care management and three Adult Day Centers under one organization. This allows for better communication, continuity, oversight, and support across services as a family’s needs change over time. Recognized in local community voting and “Best of” recognition programs serving Wake Forest families and older adults. Carla has served in multiple leadership roles within the Aging Life Care Association (formerly ALCA), including: Carla was also recognized as the 2019 Southeast Chapter Member of the Year This recognition reflected leadership, advocacy, and contributions among care management professionals across six southeastern states. Aging Care Matters is distinguished as one of the few locally owned aging care organizations in North Carolina, led by a nationally Certified Care Manager, and also operates adult day care centers under the same organization. Aging Care Matters regularly participates in: Carla Payne, MA, CMC, founded Aging Care Matters after personally experiencing the overwhelming reality of navigating her own father’s decline and death in 2008 as a long-distance daughter. Trying to coordinate care, understand medical decisions, manage emotions, and advocate from afar gave her a firsthand understanding of how exhausting, confusing, and isolating aging care can feel for families. That personal experience deepened and shaped the professional work she had already begun in aging advocacy as an Ombudsman serving residents in skilled nursing and long-term care settings beginning in 2005. Carla saw, both professionally and personally, how families were often left to make enormous medical, caregiving, and financial decisions with little guidance, poor communication between systems, and no clear roadmap for what came next. Carla Payne and Aging Care Matters were featured in a major Health & Healing article that discussed aging, care management, Adult Day Care, caregiver support, and the challenges families face in navigating elder care systems. The article highlighted Aging Care Matters’ relationship-centered approach and expanding Adult Day Care programs in the Triangle. The Town of Wake Forest partnered with Aging Care Matters, Resources for Seniors, and other senior-serving organizations to host a public educational webinar led by Carla Payne on Adult Day Care options and caregiver support resources in the community. View Wake Forest News Announcement Carla Payne was featured discussing the role of Aging Life Care Professionals and the importance of helping families stabilize crises, improve communication, and navigate complex aging situations. The article highlighted Carla’s leadership role within the Aging Life Care Association Southeast Chapter. Carla Payne was featured as a speaker for Women In Networking in Wake Forest, discussing Aging Care Matters and support for older adults and caregivers in the Triangle. Aging Care Matters has been featured through Wake Forest Chamber and local business leadership organizations for its work supporting older adults, caregivers, Adult Day Care services, and aging care coordination throughout the region.
About Aging Care Matters
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Aging Care Matters was founded in 2018 to give Triangle families experienced guidance, advocacy, and support when an aging parent’s care became complicated, overwhelming, or uncertain. We help families navigate the medical, emotional, practical, and caregiving challenges of aging so they no longer have to figure it out alone.
Our Story
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By The Numbers
Our Approach
Guided by Aging Life Care Principles
Locally Owned & Relationship Driven
Care Management + Adult Day Care Together
Recognition & Professional Leadership
Credentials and Accreditations
Best of the Best – Wake Forest
Aging Life Care Association
Certified Care Management Leadership
Community & Professional Involvement
About Carla, Founder & Owner of Aging Care Matters
Meet Our Team
In the News & Community Recognition
Navigating the Stages of Aging – Health & Healing Magazine
Adult Day Care Programs & Services for Seniors – Town of Wake Forest Webinar
Aging Life Care Professionals to Gather in Raleigh – Wake Weekly
Women In Networking (WIN) Featured Speaker
Wake Forest Chamber & Community Business Recognition
