If you’ve made the decision that your loved one requires long-term nursing home care, you are likely aware that the complexity of caring for a senior loved one is likely only matched by the financial details in relation to their care.
Join Senior Planning as we explore the elevated costs of Nursing home care as well as the available pay options.
Snowflakes drift past the windowpanes, and the warmth hissing from the radiator invites hot cocoa drinks and soft tones.
Winter is a time of cozy togetherness, of holidays and family time – and also of unique hazards.
For the senior population in particular, the cold and stormy season brings many health and safety concerns to the fore. It’s important to be aware of common pitfalls and take the necessary precautions to protect ourselves and our aging loved one during this season.
As we age, our body works harder to regulate its internal temperature. This means that older individuals have a bigger risk of developing frostbite and hypothermia.
What is Hypothermia?
Hypothermia is the term used when a person’s body temperature, which is normally at 98.6 degrees, drops below 95 degrees.
Symptoms of Hypothermia include:
Practical tips to prevent Hypothermia:
Income and asset limits for the Elderly
Sam is 69 years old and the proud owner of a home, a car, and a great life insurance policy. In addition, he still receives a monthly income of $3,500 from the supermarket he had founded. His physical health has deteriorated to the extent that it is clear to his spouse and children that he requires nursing home-level care. A quick online search reveals that the current income and asset limits in New Jersey for seniors are $2,742 income per month and a total of $2,000.00 in assets.
Unaware of the various options available to applicants in NJ and other states who are above the income limit, such as setting up a QIT, Sam’s family assumes that he is ineligible for Medicaid.
Recalling that their aunt – who only owned a car and several stocks and bonds – was unable to be approved for Medicaid when she required care, convinces them not to even waste their time applying.
Thus, they continue spending upward of $2,000 each month for a live-in caretaker, while pushing through the days and weeks until they’d be forced to pay the astronomical fees involved in nursing home care.
What Sam’s family, among many other families struggling with the costs involved in caring for an aging, loved one, fails to realize is that there are different types of care available through Medicaid and that each category of income and assets are evaluated differently. Read on to discover more with Senior Planning.
You’ve realized that your aging parent requires a caregiver. Now, how do you go about making that happen?
After sensitively discussing the need for a private caregiver with your loved one and ensuring that all family members involved are on the same page, it’s time to hire an appropriate caregiver. For most, this is unchartered territory, and so many important decisions must be made.
What are our expectations of the hired caregiver?
Should you hire an independent caregiver or hire via a home care agency?
How is the hired caregiver being paid?
What should you be aware of when vetting applicants?
Think of three elderly individuals you know. They may be your parents, grandparents, neighbors or other relatives and friends. What does their relationship with technology look like?
Grandpa bangs away at the proudly preserved typewriter in his living room, resisting all contact with the newfangled devices his children and grandchildren are obsessed with. No weekend meetings with the grandkids on zoom and no online ordering when the ache in his back acts up. Max and Martha help with the finances and the family does their best to visit and keep his loneliness at bay.
Elderly Lynn next door, on the other hand, has embraced online banking, shopping, candy crush competitions, and videoconferencing with her children living overseas. She even took advantage of her earlier senior years to hire a teacher and learn how to navigate these software and devices. She enjoys the independence and camaraderie that is now hers, as she maintains control over her personal finances and remains in touch with family and friends.
Practical Limitations//Seniors and Software
Rrrring.
Seeing the familiar, though fuzzy, numbers on the screen of my phone this early in the morning is never a good sign.
Dad.
I fumble for my glasses and answer the call. Dad’s voice is calm, but distant. Mom had fallen off the bed. Again. In the early stages of dementia himself, I am relieved that he called as soon as he realized the situation was too difficult to handle alone.
Driving home an hour later, the elderly couple safely back in bed – save for some minor bruises on Mom’s left foot-, my own feet still sock-less, it hit me with certainty that my parents are no longer fit to be living alone. Fear for their safety mingles with helplessness as near-dangerous scenes of the past few months flit through my mind. Who knew if the next emergency would end so simply?
We’d tried introducing panic alarm bracelets, video monitors around the house, and a walker for mom, who struggles to maintain her balance. Our parents’ reaction was vocal protests and hurt feelings, their illogical reasoning mirroring clouded eyes.
As their children, our eyes, too, blurred with tears. Was it possible for us to ensure that our beloved parents – who had kept us warm and safe as we matured – feel safe and respected in their old age? Read on as Senior Planning explores how to implement safety precautions for seniors while maintaining their dignity.
The Safety vs. Sensitivity Challenge
