Healthy Living, Senior Health, Nursing, Counseling & Therapy and Disability

Tag: Senior Living

Home health care helps support the nation

Home health care helps support the nation

With modern medicine becoming ever more professional and breaking new ground at every turn it is little wonder then that the populations around the world are living longer and healthier lives, but that with an elder community more assistance is needed and the role of home health care is becoming even more important.

In the past it was easier to, once a person reached a certain age simply send them to a home which catered specially for the elderly, or in home care services for seniors if you prefer, but these days times have changed. The elderly are living longer and fuller lives, which demands more and more senior homes, non medical home care being built, senior health clinic  and senior clinic staff needing to be trained.

Simple fact of getting older

Senior Independent Living or Senior Assisted Living Selecting The Right Nursing HomeIn recent years these elderly people are keener to spend their final years in the privacy of their own home rather than be packed into an institution or elderly care home and waited on hand and foot. This in itself causes problems but at the same time creates opportunity. It is a simple fact of life that when you get older you cannot always expect your body to do the things which you may expect it too. Climbing stairs, running baths and even going to the bathroom are things which many of us take for granted, but are issues which many struggle with on a daily basis.

Some of these problems can be combated with the aid of machines such as stair lifts or wheelchair ramps, but the human element is always going to be a factor when dealing with home health care. Contraptions these days even allow you to be lifted into and out of the bath by levers and pulleys and special baths have been designed to allow easy access for those with diminished movement. Scooters give the immobile a chance to move around, be it shopping or simply moving from the kitchen to the lounge. So if your looking make changes to your home to aid a parent, it may be expensive to add that stair lift, or adult walk in shower, but keep in mind the construction that will take, so you might have to hire a dumpster rental company to remove all the debris from the construction.

Many people prefer to spend time in the comfort of their own homes

senior clinicMany people however, be they elderly, disabled or simply recovering from an operation, prefer to spend time in the comfort of their own homes. Services offered include visits by doctors and nurses, specialists such as physiotherapists or speech and language therapists encourage people to quicker recovery or give them a better quality of life. The most important person in the general scheme of things is the care giver or carer as they are sometimes called.

These skilled people will go to the home of a patient and do almost anything to increase their comfort levels. From cooking to cleaning, help with mobility, gardening, changing of bed linen or even something as simple as being somebody to talk to. The carers provide an invaluable service to home health care and without them people all over the world who have difficulty functioning, would not have half the quality of life or enjoyment which they currently experience.

Home health care is the way forward in treatment for these people and should see a boom in the coming years as old age homes become less fashionable.

 

Long Term Care Insurance and Basic Plan of Action for Senior Care

Long Term Care Insurance and Basic Plan of Action for Senior Care

Why Long Term Care Insurance

Nurses and other professionals know that one of the most devastating issues a family can experience is trying to figure out how to pay the exorbitant costs of Long Term Care.

Many people believe that when the time comes, they will rely on the government (Medicaid) to pay for their care. However, as the baby-boomers age, the cost of care will out-weigh our government’s resources. It is important to plan ahead, and insure yourself against the cost of Long Term Care in the future.

Know the Facts!

Long Term Care InsuranceIn a recent survey by the American Health Care Association, 76% of the people surveyed said they do not expect to need long-term care in the future.

Unfortunately, many people do not plan for long-term care. Instead, families would “crisis manage” when a family member needed constant care.

Today, most seniors are aware Medicare pays very little for long-term care and Medicaid only pays when you are impoverished.

Most people’s savings plans can not withstand one to two years of long-term care costs.

If you are like most seniors, long-term care cost is the only major catastrophe left with no plan. Most people have insurance for:

  • Home, Fire and Burglary
  • Automobile damage and liability
  • Medical Insurance

The Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 makes it a federal crime to “knowingly and willfully” transfer financial assets in order to qualify for Medicaid coverage for nursing home and other long-term care services.

70% of those in nursing homes nationwide are on a welfare program called Medicaid.

Once on Medicaid, your choices for care are limited to facilities that have chosen to participate in the program.

What’s Your Plan?

Today, the cost of care exceeds $50,000 per year whether you are in a nursing home, or at home receiving care.

Traditional health insurance and Medicare were never designed to pay for Long Term Care.

It is estimated that half of women, and one third of men will need Long Term Care in their lifetime.

Today, Long Term Care Insurance covers the cost of in-home care, adult day care, nursing home care, and assisted living. Therefore, if you do not want to end up in a nursing home situation, and you would prefer to stay at home and receive care for as long as possible, consider Long Term Care Insurance.

Basic plan of action for Senior Care

Assisted Living CommunityIf you’ve never had to deal with or care of an elderly family member it can be stressful find out all the info to do this. But here is a start to help you get on track. You want to do this with a few different health care providers to find out with one with best work with you.

This service is for older adults and families in one or more of the following situations:

  • Declining capabilities may call for more support at home, or a change in their living arrangements.
  • The older adult is in a medical crisis.
  • The primary family caregiver is in crisis.
  • The family lives at a distance.

After an initial phone inquiry, we meet with our new client and some family members usually in the client’s residence. There we assess the client’s medical, cognitive and social needs, as well as the living environment.

Then we prepare and present a written plan of care (professional recommendations). The elder care consultant designs the plan according to such considerations as:

  • Physical needs.
  • Emotional or Social needs.
  • Financial Resources available to meet goals.

The goal of each plan is to enable the elder to continue to live at home as independently as possible or to successfully transition to either a retirement community or a skilled care center. Often, we are asked to implement the approved plan in collaboration with the family.

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