Author: sps

How to Find and Compare Nursing Homes

Post author By sps
Post date June 20, 2016

Nursing homes are a necessary part of end-of-life care for many individuals. They provide care for seniors who are no longer able to receive care in their own homes, but who don’t require the level of care offered by a hospital. Until recently, nursing homes were rigid and institutionalized, more focused on rules and regulations than on quality of life for their residents. Now, culture is changing throughout many nursing homes to one of resident-centered care. They want their residents to feel as though they’re at home, as comfortable as possible in spite of their medical challenges. Knowing what to look for in a nursing home can help you find the one that’s right for your needs.

The Initial Search

When you’re looking for a nursing home, it helps to start with referrals. You may find that others in your community already have plenty of experience with the nursing homes in the area. Listen to what they have to say about those nursing homes and educate yourself as much as possible about the ones in your area that receive positive reviews—as well as the ones that stand out in negative ways. Then, ask yourself these questions:

What are my medical needs going to look like throughout the duration of my stay? If you know that your medical condition will worsen over the next few months or years, you’ll need to take that into consideration. Make sure that the nursing home is equipped with everything you’ll need for your increasing medical challenges.

How close is the nursing home to my loved ones? You want to be sure that your nursing home is easily accessible to the people who mean the most to you so that they can visit often throughout your time there.

Looking Deeper

After you’ve found a nursing home that you think will answer your needs, you can plan a visit to look it over. Talk with the residents, staff, and medical professionals who work with the nursing home if possible. There are several things that you should look for on this visit.

The Facility: Take in the sights and sounds of the nursing home as you walk through, using all of your senses. Do residents sound happy? Is it easily accessible to their family members? What about the food: does it look appetizing? Use all of your senses. While a “medical” smell isn’t uncommon, if the nursing home smells dirty, unclean, or otherwise unpleasant, it might not be the right place for you. Also, look over the amenities offered by the facility. A pleasant seating area for visiting with friends and family, comfortable rooms, and other options will make your stay in the nursing home more pleasant and make you feel like you’re at home. Examine the facility design and the options offered in the rooms. Evaluate the friendly, professional nature of the staff. All of these things will help you develop an accurate view of the facility.

The Residents: Take the opportunity to speak with some of the residents. Get a feel for the overall mood of the nursing home population. Are families visiting cheerfully? Are conversations generally pleasant? Feel free to ask residents what they think of their experience in this nursing home and take the time to talk with a few of them. Do their personalities seem to fit with yours? What about their attitudes? As you talk with the residents, you’ll be able to discern whether or not your personality will mesh with others in the nursing home.

The Nursing Home Quality Report: A look at the quality report will give you a good idea of the overall quality of the home. There will be an overall rating that gives you an idea of what qualified professionals think of the nursing home quality. You’ll get a look at the number of registered nurses on the staff, their health inspection, and other important information. The quality report will also help you assess how the admission process works.

Don’t forget about cost. Ultimately, the cost and payment options available in many nursing homes will determine whether or not they are a viable option for you. The most wonderful nursing home facility in your area still needs to have reasonable payment options. It’s also important to know whether or not your nursing home will work with your existing insurance or Medicaid coverage—which may help pay for your nursing home stay.

Being educated about nursing home care and the options in your area will help you make informed decisions about nursing home care. Planning ahead will prevent you from making unexpected, hasty decisions. You may spend many years in a nursing home. Seeking out the information you need ahead of time will allow you to be comfortable throughout those years.

To find out whether you are eligible for Medicaid coverage, please visit our FAQs page or call us today for your free Medicaid consultation.

Health and Wellness

Volunteer Opportunities for Seniors and Retirees

Post author By sps
Post date May 18, 2016

There are plenty of great charities and nonprofit organizations in need of help, but when you’ve got extra time on your hands and are looking for a great place to volunteer, it can be hard to know where to start! There’s certainly no shortage of opportunities for those willing to donate their time, skill, and talent during retirement. As you look for more ways that you can give back to your community, enhance your own life, and live an active lifestyle throughout your retirement years? Consider some of these fantastic opportunities.

Working with Children and Teens

If you have a heart for children or teenagers, there are plenty of chances to work with them and give them the attention they need in order to succeed. A former teacher, professor, or teacher’s assistant would make an amazing tutor or mentor for students. You can work with neglected children, become a host family for an international exchange student, or volunteer with at-risk children and teens. Senior Corps, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia are always looking for volunteers who are willing to give their time and energy to improving the lives of children and teenagers.

Vacation and Volunteer

Volunteering can take you to some fascinating places that you might never have considered without the volunteer opportunity. Try taking a vacation that will open up new volunteer opportunities, including tutoring in Navajo Reservation schools or restoring historic sites around the country. Want to take it further? You could volunteer in Nepal or take your teaching skills to Cambodia to instruct students in English, French, or math.

Hunger and Poverty Relief

Have a passion for feeding people? That doesn’t have to stop at your own front door. Northwest Harvest and Meals on Wheels are amazing volunteer opportunities for anyone looking for a chance to help feed people who would otherwise go hungry. You can work with Habitat for Humanity or a number of other local programs to build and repair affordable housing for people who need shelter. Doctors and nurses go on plenty of medical mission trips both out of the country and within their own towns. No medical experience is no problem! The thing that’s needed most is willing hands.

Disaster Relief

Following a natural disaster, volunteers are needed more desperately than ever. From earthquakes and tsunamis to tornadoes, floods, and more, every natural disaster needs plenty of hands to help restore the quality of life that people left behind. Red Cross volunteering is a great way to find your way into these needy communities. You can bring CPR and other lifesaving skills directly to the people who need it most or work to handle supplies, donations, and administrative tasks. Survivors of the crisis will likely be stunned, in need of comfort, and waiting for assistance to start rebuilding their lives in the aftermath of the disaster. Retired physicians, nurses, EMTs, pharmacists, and other medical professionals can offer their skills to the Medical Reserve Corps. Interpreters, chaplains, office workers, and legal advisers are always in need in disaster relief areas.

Tour Guide

Love talking to people and have plenty of knowledge to share? Working as a tour guide might be the perfect opportunity for you! You can offer your skills to lead tours for universities, museums, botanical gardens historical sites, or land conservation groups. Work with public or private organizations according to what appeals to you! You’ll be in the perfect position to preserve landmarks and educate visitors. Have a more specialized set of skills? Try rehabilitating birds of prey or driving and maintaining antique steam cars.

Political Activism

If politics is your specialty, volunteer with a political campaign, grassroots organization, or political action committee. You can lead rallies for or against any given issue, taking your passion to the next generation. Knock on doors, call voters, or circulate petitions to help increase awareness about a variety of candidates and topics. Have a passion for helping military service members and their families? Consider finding a volunteer organization in your area that will allow you to thank them for their service.

Legal Advocate

If you’re passionate about standing up for people who might not be able to stand up for themselves, working as a legal advocate is a great way to volunteer your time and energy. You can advocate for foster children, defend the rights of minorities, or represent battered spouses in domestic abuse cases. You also have the option to work on behalf of environmental organizations, public land trusts, and animal rights groups or work with governments of developing nations to advance human rights. You can also take on a volunteer role in an administrative office or non-profit organization.

Humane Societies and Animal Shelters

Have a passion for animals and helping them find their forever homes? Volunteer to care for animals in shelters! You can also organize fundraising events, perform administrative tasks, or volunteer as a legal advocate or grant writer. Other volunteers will help rescue pets after floods, fires, and natural disasters. You can even foster one or more animals to help give them a temporary place to live until they find that forever home.

Environmental Volunteering

If your passion is for the environment, there are a wide range of opportunities available for you. Work with the National Park Service, preserve coral reefs, and advocate for protection of endangered wildlife populations. You can pick up trash and remove invasive plants in rivers. Gathering water samples from streams for environmental studies is also an important task.

Professional and Creative Opportunities

If you have a wide range of creative or professional skills, you can put them into play in a variety of areas. Try offering your skills as a photographer, a graphic designer, or a musician. Offer your skills in marketing, human resources, IT, strategic planning, marketing, accounting, and more. You can also work as a board member to help create a community-wide impact: try HandsOn Network or All For Good as a great starting place. As a former accountant or someone who just happens to be good with numbers, helping people complete and file their taxes is an amazing volunteer service, especially for those who might otherwise struggle with the task.

Elderly People

You may be retired, but you’re not ready to call yourself old yet! Working with an elderly person is the perfect way to give back some time and energy. You can work with seniors to help with paperwork, bill paying, and grocery shopping or simply offer companionship and a listening ear. Volunteer with older drivers to help maintain safe driving skills in spite of deteriorating physical ability. Work as a handyman to help an older neighbor or returning veteran with home repairs, ramp construction, and other needed tasks that they may not be able to handle on their own. In many cases, your efforts may be what enables an elderly individual to continue to live independently.

Create Your Own Opportunity

If you’re looking for a place to volunteer, but haven’t been able to find something that fits your passions and skills, consider creating your own volunteer organization! If you see a need that is going unfilled, there’s no one better than you to fill it. Your new creation will open doors for others to volunteer, too.

Volunteering is a rewarding use of your time that you’ll never regret. Don’t spend your retirement years wishing you’d found a chance to give back! Instead, dive in with a local organization and see what difference your skills can make as you leave a legacy for future generations.

Paying for Senior Care: Medicaid Vs. Private Insurance

Post author By sps
Post date April 16, 2016

The cost of senior care strains many family budgets to the breaking point. You want to offer your loved one the best care possible, but cost is a major factor in determining the facilities that will work for your family. To help make senior care more affordable, there are several payment options to consider. It’s important to keep in mind, however, that a number of these options are available only for seniors and families who have taken the time to think ahead and plan according to their upcoming needs.

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How Does The Medicaid Spend Down Process Work

Post author By sps
Post date November 20, 2015

Medicaid is a joint federal and state health care safety net for low income seniors, children and disabled citizens. Since it is funded by both the federal and state governments, there is much variation from state to state as to what is covered and who is covered.

Medicaid Made Simple

How to Find the Right Home Care Aide

Post author By sps
Post date August 28, 2015

Geraldine was in her late 80s when she decided it was time to find the right home care aide for her needs. She especially needed companionship and help with housekeeping. She had always been very particular about who she allowed in her home and for how long.

Although her daughter had tried on several occasions to have home care aides come over to help with tasks such as mopping the kitchen floor and dusting around the house, Geraldine found it very difficult to allow someone else to do the work.

She was a very independent woman with a can-do attitude. Having grown up in the bay area of California, she was one of the first women in her family circle to go to college. She enjoyed reading books upon books about anything and everything. She secured a job as a typist and was highly adamant about learning new technologies.

She was among the first women of her generation to transition from a regular typewriter to an electronic typewriter and then ultimately a computer. Even in her late 80s she was sending out emails to relatives and friends.

In her late golden years, her favorite activities were dancing and talking on the telephone.

The right home care aide finally came when a newly trained home care aide arrived at her doorstep one summer morning. The home care aide treated Geraldine with respect and talked with her about family, work, and the local news. The defining line for Geraldine in finding the right home care aide was that she needed someone who was out-going, yet able to do tasks without making Geraldine feel incapable or disrespected.

At first, finding the right home care aide may seem limited to friends and nearby relatives. But this is not necessarily the best option and closes the avenues of help that your loved one may receive.

A friend may end up spending the whole morning chatting with the senior and not lifting a single finger to get urgent tasks completed around the house. Relatives may not have the resources or time to be able to consistently help out the senior causing frustration on both sides.

A great avenue to consider is online reviews of home care and word-of-mouth referrals. When someone can vouch for the home care aide’s experience, demeanor, and professionalism, it can make a world of difference to the senior.

After personal safety, another important item to look for in a home care aide is their compatibility with the senior in the home. Do they treat the senior with respect? Do they answer questions in a cordial manner? Are they able to work and listen/talk at the same time? Do they meet all or most of the wants of the senior?

Does your home care aide charge by the project or by the hour? I find it’s easier to pay by the project so that you know what tasks will be performed. Others, however, prefer to pay hourly rates so that they can include or take out specific services during a session. Speaking of cost, it’s also important to note that if you’re eligible for Medicaid, you may be able to use that to help defray the cost of in-home care services.

Home care aides may take care of a range of other responsibilities as well, such as: meal planning, light cooking, following up on doctor appointments and check-ups, and ensuring that the senior they are taking care of is in good health.

Even though some home care aides may not have the same chemistry with your loved one that they share with others, having a solid understanding of your loved one’s needs is a great way to begin the search process for the right home care aide. Keep communication open, and be willing to explore all of your options!

Please visit SeniorAdvisor.com for more tips on finding a caregiver for your loved one.

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Medicaid Liens and Estate Recovery

Post author By sps
Post date August 10, 2015

The amount of the Medicaid lien corresponds to the amount of money Medicaid had paid for the care and needs of the deceased Medicaid recipient during their lifetime.

Below we’ve provided an example to better illustrate the way it would play out in real life circumstances.

Say a deceased Medicaid recipient owned a property with $100,000 of equity. If the Medicaid recipient resided in a skilled nursing facility for 11 months, Medicaid would have paid approximately $110,000 with the average monthly Medicaid rate at nearly $10,000 a month. With this situation Medicaid would acquire full ownership of the property since they have paid more than the $100,000 of equity in the home to recover some of their losses.

If the Medicaid recipient was in a skilled nursing facility for approximately three months in which Medicaid paid out about $30,000, Medicaid would place a lien on the property for $30,000 and recover the money once the property sold. The remaining $70,000 would be left to the heirs.

Heirs may sell the home and use the proceeds to satisfy the Medicaid lien or if the wish to keep the home, they may payoff the lien with their own personal funds.