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Posts Tagged ‘Home Health Care’

Senior home care services aren’t for everyone. Depending on the individual’s health, the family or whatever unique situation, it can be impractical for a senior to remain home bound. So, what do you do? There are a lot of different senior care services to choose from. Make sure you know exactly what senior care services your loved one will get before you admit them.

The type of senior care facility you’ll need largely depends on if the senior care center is a temporary or permanent service, what level of independence is possible for patients, and the amount of care your loved ones need. Below are a few options for those who need more than what senior home care services can provide.

Senior Independent Living Apartments

This is for those who do not have serious health issues. Independent living apartments offer a place for senior citizens over 55 to live comfortably and in style in a complex or community of other senior citizens. Some have services like food preparation, transportation and housekeeping. It’s a good option for those who are still healthy enough to get around and be independent but want the convenience that comes with senior independent living centers. More senior independent living centers have developed addition senior care services like nursing and assisted living as they age.

Senior Living Apartments

The difference between this and the former paragraph is the word “independent.” Senior Living Apartments have more safety features and amenities for those people who can’t act independently anymore. For those considering home health care services, this might be a better option if staying at home is not a complete necessity. Senior care services in senior living apartments include: assisted living and nursing care, pools and spas, dinning services, clubhouse, social activities, laundry, grab bars in bathroom areas, pull cords, security and more.

Assisted Living Facilities

If your loved one needs help with day-to-day activities, this might be an option for you, especially if you’re considering non-medical senior in home care. Assisted living care provides long-term care for seniors that do not require the medical senior services that are provided in a nursing facility. Assisted living facilities provide meals, structured activities, living space, companionship, personal care, medication reminders, and assistance that’s associated with daily living. Assisted Living Facilities are designed to give seniors a safe and secure environment while allowing them to maintain the maximum level of independence.

The costs of assisted living facilities are usually covered by long term health insurance plans and Medicaid. It’s not covered by Medicare and most health insurance plans.

Nursing Home and Skilled Nursing Facility Care

If you need skilled nursing services around the clock, this may be a good alternative to home health care and in home senior care services. A nursing home, or skilled nursing facility, is a place where someone with an illness, injury, disease or condition can go for care. Skilled nursing facilities are usually the last choice for long-term senior care services, but, they are less expensive than hospitals. The services provided by a nursing home include: physical and speech therapy, skilled nursing and assistance with daily living. It’s usually covered by Medicare for the first 100 days if the person comes directly from the hospital. Medicaid coverage will vary by state and long-term insurance policies will likely cover some portion of it.

Medical Home Health Care vs. Non-medical Home Health Care…if you are reading this, you are likely among the thousands of caregivers needing help caring for a loved one at home.

What is the difference?

One significant difference is who pays the bill… you or insurance?

With a doctors order and insurance that is accepted by the agency and covers home care, these services are generally covered.

Medical home care provides skilled medical services such as:
Registered Nurse Physical Therapy Occupational Therapy Speech Therapy Home Health Aid Medical Social Worker These medical personnel can only come to your home by an order from the doctor. This can be initiated by a trip to the doctor, a call to the doctor and sometimes a call to a home care agency explaining your difficulty. They can then contact the doctor.

Several questions need to be answered at this point to help you decide what you need.
Is the patient recently home from the hospital? Is the patient falling at home? Are you confused about what medications to give the patient? Is there a significant change in functional ability or decline in activity level recently? Is the patient frequently going to the ER? Yes to 2 or more of the above questions may indicate a potential need for medical home health care. Discussing your felt need with your doctor will help you understand the issues and the answers.

You may want to learn how your care is likely affected by how your physical therapist or nurse is paid.

Non-medical home care

If you and your doctor have ruled out the need for medical home care but you still feel you need some help, consider non-medical home care.

Non-medical care means just that. Non medical. These services are often referred to as companion services. Your best bet is to Google “home health assistance” or the like.

You can always call a business and ask if they provide non-medical home care assistance. Beware though, most medical home care company’s WILL provide solely a home health aid but at a ridiculous price.

You may find better rates by hiring a company who provides only non-medical home care assistance. This is what they do best and they generally do it well.

Do your homework and use your phone. Ask the agency how long their workers have been there. Don’t be afraid to pay a little more if you feel you are following your gut. You are depending on these people to give you or your loved one the proper care and respect that they need and deserve.

Long-term care is a growing concern for many people today, because people are living longer. There are more people turning sixty-five then turning eighteen. The question I ask people is how they will pay for long-term care if needed in the future. The cost is ranging from $40,000 a year to $100,000 a year depending on where you live. There are different funding sources available for long-term care and they will be discussed in the article. The funding sources range from family to personal assets, federal government and long-term care insurance.

The first funding source for long-term care is your family. Your family is affected the most because of the emotional decisions that must be made for the person needing care. Your family must decide where that person will receive the care needed. The different places can be home, assisted living, adult day care and a nursing home. The cost of each place can be very different based on the level of care needed for the person. The money for these different places will be paid by the family. This can cause a financial hardship for all the family members.

The second funding source is someone’s assets, like cash, retirement money, and property. With the cost of care at $40,000 to $100,000 a year, the question is how long will someone be able to pay for this cost?

The third source is two programs of the federal government called Medicare and Medicaid. Medicare is based on your health and will pay for home health care for a limited time. Medicaid is based on your wealth and will pay only for nursing home care. Most people will qualify for Medicaid after they have spent down their assets and income. If you are married, the spouse at home can keep $2000 of income to live on and $100,000 of assets. If you are single all your assets are to be spent down to qualified. These rules for Medicaid are different for each state and I would call your local social security office to know your state rules.

The last source is long-term care insurance and has been around since the eighties. This policy is designed to give people options on the amount of money to available for long-term care and the different places where the money can be used. The money can be used for home health care, adult day care, assisted living and a nursing home. The amount of money sit aside for care will be decision by the amount of premium paid by the individual.

In conclusion, the idea of paying for long-term care can be very stressful based on the cost. Deciding on which funding source to use to pay for long-term care can be hard. It will be based on the individual situation on which source to use. The best way to decide is to talk to your financial person about which source would be best for your situation.

Health management and the housing of elders are expensive in modern living conditions. To avoid irrelevant tax payments, financial planning is essential to control elder care costs. Long term insurance policies help to manage elder care costs to a great extent.

Today, the costs of assisted living range from $1000 to $5000 per month. The cost of assisted living can be covered by certain long term care insurance policies. Rent for independent living and retirement house changes according depending on the quality and services offered. Rent for senior houses and retirement homes without meals ranges from $800 to $1,500 per month, and with food, the cost can be $1400 to $3400 per month. This includes nursing care and recreational facilities. Long term care in a nursing home costs from $3000 to $6500 or more per month. Shared or private rooms have different rates. Elders who need help for everyday activities opt for home care service. Home health care costs around $50 to $85 for each visit. If medications and other services are provided during home health care, then the rate averages about $90 per visit. An average of $100 is paid for 24-hour home care service.

Adult day care program costs range from $10 to $50 per day. Geriatric care manager charges $40 to $100 per hour. Elder care cost for emergency response service ranges from $35 to $50 per month. The fees for medication reminder services for the elder run about $20 per month. Expenditure of each meal delivery also ranges from $2 to $5. Wheelchair vans are highly expensive and the cost for round trip services is $50 to $100. Medicare, Medicaid, managed care plan, supplemental insurance and long term care insurance are some of the financial alternatives for providing elder care.

It’s increasingly likely that you are going to live a long life, into your 80s, your 90s and quite possibly even into your 100s. When you live a long life, the chances are you’ll need some long-term care. And, when you need that care, you’ll want to receive it in your own home surrounded by familiar things and the people you know and love.

That’s what most people want. Problem is, when that time comes, many people discover that Medicare has very specific rules about what home care is covered and what isn’t. The care that isn’t covered forces many people to deplete a lifetime of savings or force loved ones to become unpaid caregivers. Long-term care insurance is an option worth considering as an alternative and it’s best to start looking into this protection in your 50s and early 60s while you are still healthy enough to qualify. It’s certainly worthwhile if you are concerned about Medicare’s ability to pay in the distant future.

The following is a general overview of what Medicare covers (currently) in terms of home health care. Care must be temporary and part-time, and you must meet these requirements:

Your doctor must say that you need the care. Your doctor must document that you need care at home and make a plan for that care.

You must need skilled care or therapy (physical, speech or occupational).

You must be homebound. Homebound means that leaving home is a major effort and you cannot do it without help. When you do leave home, it must be to get medical care, or for short, infrequent non-medical reasons such as a trip to get a haircut, or to attend religious services or adult day care.

The home health agency must be Medicare-approved.

If you meet all the requirements for home health care, Medicare will pay for:

Occasional skilled nursing care: This is care that can only be done safely and correctly by a licensed nurse. That’s either a registered nurse or a licensed practical nurse.

Physical therapy: Physical therapy includes exercise to regain movement and strength to part of your body, and training on how to use special equipment to take care of yourself.

Occupational therapy: Occupational therapy helps you do daily activities by yourself, such as eating, putting on your clothes or combing your hair.

Speech-language therapy: Speech-language therapy is exercise to help you speak more easily and clearly.

Medical social services: These services can help you with social and emotional concerns related to your illness. For example, you might need counseling or help finding resources in your community.

Some medical supplies such as wound dressings, but not prescription drugs.

Some medical equipment such as a walker or a wheelchair.

Medicare might pay for personal care like bathing, help using the toilet or help with dressing if you are also receiving skilled care such as nursing care or other therapy. But keep in mind that many people need long-term care simply as a result of the frailty that comes about simply because of aging. Medicare doesn’t cover this type of need and you’ll pay out-of-pocket or have insurance to cover qualifying circumstances. Medicare also does not pay for 24-hour-a-day home care, prescription drugs, meals delivered to your home or homemaker services such as cleaning, laundry and shopping.

Typically, when Medicare does cover home care you do not have to pay for anything except 20 percent on certain kinds of durable medical equipment. There is no time limit on home health care as long as you continue to meet the requirements.

If you are interested in learning more about long-term care insurance as an option to pay for home care costs visit the Consumer Information Center of the American Association. There is a wealth of information and you can access the Associations comprehensive online directory of over 3,000 insurance professionals who can assist with your long-term care insurance needs.