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Monday, April 13, 2009

Six Answers about You and Long Term Care

Long term care of elderly is everyone's concern since it will most likely affect you or a loved one. In this article I'll respond to 6 questions that encompass your long term care (LTC) concerns: What is LTC? Who needs it? Who provides help for it? What's the cost? Who pays for it? What should you do about LTC?
What is LTC?

You need LTC when you need help carrying out your activities of daily living (ADLs) for the foreseeable future. For seniors, this most likely means for the rest of their lives. Examples of ADLs are dressing, bathing, toileting, eating, transferring from bed to bathroom and continence.

Who needs LTC?

Boston College's Center for Retirement Research (BCCRR) (http://crr.bc.edu/images/stories/Briefs/20&ib_7-13.pdf.) found that three of every four 65 year olds are projected to need LTC in their future. The percent breakdown of elderly needing LTC will be:

31% - no care

29% - 2 years or less

20% - 2 to 5 years

20% - 5 years or more

Who provides help for LTC?

Long term caregivers do. They're either skilled or custodial caregivers. Custodial caregivers are typically family or friends, volunteers, or paid helpers. Heath care plans pay for skilled caregivers (i.e. medical specialists like doctors, nurses, etc.) but only for custodial services if these are given as part of a skilled care procedure.

You receive LTC in your home, at an adult day center, an assisted living facility, a hospice facility or at a nursing home.

What's the cost of LTC?

The cost for LTC services depends on where you're living and what level of long term care you're getting. Approximate annual costs may be $25,000 for home care at home; $40,000 for an assisted living base rate; and $80,000 or more for nursing home costs. These costs can cut deeply into your savings or legacy.

Who pays for LTC costs?

The BCCRR study shows that 18% of dollars spent on LTC come from direct out-of-pocket payments by individuals. Medicaid pays about 50% of LTC costs but only for those who have almost no assets since Medicaid is for the poor. Medicare paid 20% probably as transition costs only since Medicare is not intended to pay continual LTC costs. Only 7% of LTC dollars were paid for by private LTC insurance policies.

What should you do about LTC?

Clearly, you or a loved one will probably need some long term care in the last stages of life. And it's very costly. It can wipe out all your savings or legacy if you require a year or more of it. So you need to plan for how you can handle paying your LTC costs.

Three options for paying for LTC are:

1. Pay it out of your pocket (i.e. your own savings)

2. Buy LTC insurance so the insurance can pay it

3. Let Medicare pay it.

Paying for LTC yourself requires having a lot of money - enough earnings on your money to not jeopardize losing all your savings and legacy. Perhaps you should have at least $750,000 not including your home.

If you buy LTC insurance, you'll have to pay premiums each year. This is more costly the older you are when you start paying them. You get tax breaks for premiums paid. But starting earlier makes premiums less.

Medicaid will pay a person's LTC costs but only if they're unable to contribute their own money or assets to what Medicaid pays for you. Only until you have less than about $3,000, will Medicare pay for you at no cost to you. But you can't just transfer all your assets to loved ones one day and apply for Medicaid the next. You must transfer your assets away some 5 years earlier than when you apply.

So you can see that you need to look into what is the best strategy for you. Depending on your age and wealth you can find a strategy that minimizes your loss of wealth for dealing with the probability of needing LTC.

If you plan early and transfer assets away early, you can possibly save a fortune for you beneficiaries.



About the Author
Shane Flait is an educator and writes on financial, legal, and tax issues. He tells you what the issues are all about and gives you workable strategies to accomplish your goals. Find out more and get a free report on Managing Your Retirement => http://www.easyretirementknowhow.com You can contact him at contact@easyretirementknowhow.com

Friday, April 10, 2009

Diabetes and Nursing Care

Health and fitness is a tri-billion segment of the economy. Everybody seeks to be worry-free and debt-free while achieving a healthy lifestyle. Reality tells us, however, that not all can be free from getting inflicted with diseases because some of them are attributed by the natural side of existence. Genetics can give rise to ailments like cancer and diabetes. Diabetes and nursing care is collectively among the popular topics in the health sector nowadays because old people who have Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are to be treated in nursing homes and health agencies. The American Diabetes Association has created standards in order to guide nursing professionals to afford diabetics with extra care and treatment.

Researchers keep track on how diabetic people are given blood glucose treatments, and according to recent surveys, around 40% of the patients meet the goals while the remaining 60% have to be given more attention to achieve satisfactory sugar blood levels. In diabetes, there are there fields that need to be checked on to determine life expectancy among diabetics. These areas are cardiovascular risk factors like cholesterol, blood sugar level and hypertension control aspect. The basic information on diabetes and nursing care are health segments that experts and patients should be well-informed of so that appropriate treatments are secured.

In nursing homes in the United States and Europe, researchers and caretakers are continuously following certain protocols on diabetes and nursing care. These protocols are given to health directors of nursing homes so that they can be included in their regular studies. Follow-throughs are necessary to keep track on the efficacy of such codes of conduct. It has been discovered that diabetes appears to be on different degree for older individuals. Making it so complicated to manage diabetes are factors like aging process and health capacity to adopt treatments. There are opportunities, however, that health stability and prevention for the elderly to cope with diabetes and enhance the quality of their existence in the long run.

It's a serious note to learn all the angles of diabetes and nursing care. Elderly diabetes is triple times in need of extra treatment and hospitalization than those without diabetes. A great burden sets on the shoulders of those suffering such ailment especially when aging seems to conspire with it. Health care systems are being upgraded to meet the needs of diabetic individuals in nursing homes to avoid diabetes-related episodes like strokes and mild heart attack. Relatives of diabetics who are sent to nursing homes should not isolate themselves from the patients. Instead, they must extend support to whatever systems employed by the health professionals. They too can serve as caretakers when they opt to care for their loved ones at their own residence.

Ian Pennington is an accomplished niche website developer and author. To learn more about diabetes, please visit My Diabetes Site for current articles and discussions.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ian_Pennington

What To Look For In A Nursing Home

Enrolling a loved one or a family member in a nursing home is a tough decision to make. You need to be assured that your loved one is safe and well taken cared off in that nursing home. The life of your family- mother, father or any family member, depends on this decision. Usually the situation when a nursing home is needed comes unexpectedly. There is little time to prepare for this need. In choosing a nursing home, you should be sure of your expectations for your loved one’s new home.
1. Service Levels
Level 1
This service include basic household chores such as housekeeping or fixing of his or her room, doing the bed, laundry services, cooking of food and other chores.
Level 2
Service can include assisting the client to walk, bathing and toilet assistance, help on therapy and medical needs. An example of this is assistance to patients with dementia.
Level 3
These are given to clients who totally need assistance in almost every activity from helping with pain, physical feeding or more specialized therapies.
2. Check Twice, Buy Once
Before entering into a nursing home care program, make sure that you read the contract clearly and agree to everything that is said in the contract. Provisions on the contract will be made in coordination with the family members. All details of the contact should be in accordance to the law for the aged like the Aged Care Act. The execution of the contract should be made clear to all the staff of the nursing home.
3. Special Considerations
- See the whole place
Do not decide unless you made a tour of the whole facility. Visit the nursing home at different times so you can see the different shifts. Examine if they have enough staff at all times. You should be satisfied with your loved one’s new home before you leave him or her there.
- Check their services
Are the facilities complete? Are the nurses sincere, warm and friendly? Were the staff in high morale and satisfied with their jobs? Is there enough one-on-one service between nurse and patient? You need to be sure that the nurses are happy with their jobs because if not, this will reflect on their service to all the elderly including your loved one.
- Satisfaction with their services
Once you have thoroughly observed their facilities and services, try to assess if you are satisfied with what they are offering. It is important that you are totally convinced that they will do a good job in taking care of your loved one.
- Prices of services
Ask for a copy of their price list with a brief description of each service they offer.
- Smell around the facility
Check out the entire place if there is some unpleasant smell or any distinctive odor present inside or outside the facility. Try to investigate about it.
- Peace and Quiet
What is the level of sound around the whole facility? Is silence maintained in and around the place? Find out how each staff communicates with one another particularly in their hall ways.
- Sanitation
Sanitation is very important. Floors should be clean with no spills of any kind. Toilets, bathroom, kitchen, etc. should be regularly sanitized. Clean uniform or clothes should always be worn by their staff.
- Illumination
There must be proper illumination in rooms, hallways and other areas of the facility. Poor lighting can cause accidents especially during night time.
- Meal schedule
Monitor their mealtime. Observe if the residents appear content with the meals being served for them. Check their menu and find out if there are available choices of meals for the residents. Posters about choking should be made visible around their eating area as a reminder. Help should always be available for any problem or difficulty that may arise from the residents.
- Proper Temperature
Just the right temperature should always be maintained in the facility. Air conditioners should not be blowing directly on residents. Keeping residents comfortable should always be their priority.
- Privacy
A place where you can visit your loved one in private is also something to consider. Their staff should also freely discuss patient care within hearing reach of residents and visitors. Knocking before entering a resident’s room should also be observed at all times.
For more great nursing home related articles and resources check out http://nursinghome.goldenhq.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Morris

How To Find Affordable Senior Housing

A few years ago Miranda M. lost her husband. After a short time her grandson (her only available relative) persuaded her to move across several states to be closer to him.
He located a nice retirement apartment where meals, housekeeping, and transportation are provided. By using her small Social Security income, and funds left by her loving husband, Miranda was just able to afford her rent and basic living expenses.
She didn't much like taking all her meals in the community dining room, so she continued to fix some of them in her own kitchen.
She reluctantly accepted the help of housekeeping for the heavy cleaning. But, as she said, "I need to keep busy. If I can't make my own bed and dust around I feel like a useless slug. I intend to keep doing for myself just as long as I can get up out of this chair."
But for one unforeseen disaster, Miranda and I never would have met, and she would have happily lived on in her sunny apartment.
You see, disaster struck because Miranda lived too long.
Both she and her grandson had counted on Miranda dying before her 85th birthday. It made perfect sense, they thought, as her family was not generally long-lived.
Her sister and brothers had all passed away at relatively young ages, as had her parents. Miranda figured she would be long gone before her money ran out.
There was only enough left to cover two more months in the retirement apartment when Miranda's grandson called me.
What was she to do?
Her monthly income of under $900 wasn't enough to pay for rent, utilities, food, and her medications in the least expensive apartment he could find. He asked me to find her a place in a Medicaid nursing home.
Well, Miranda certainly wasn't nursing home material.
There was nothing wrong with her mind. She could fix her own meals, and she could keep up her apartment (with a little muscle help). She really had no medical needs, and wouldn't have qualified for Medicaid and nursing home care even if she had wanted to.
Which she certainly didn't.
Her only real problem was lack of money (and a grandson who wasn't any better at planning ahead than she was).
After talking with her doctor and the manager of her apartment to confirm that she really was capable, I set out to try to find a "Section 202" apartment.
Section 202 housing - named after the section of the federal legislation authorizing it - is rental housing specifically for people over the age of 62 who have incomes under 50 percent of the area median income.
According to HUD, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the average Section 202 resident is a woman in her 70s with an annual income of less than $10,000.
Section 202 residences are built and run by private, non-profit groups who have received loan incentives from HUD. HUD is not involved in day to day operations. Rents are calculated according to income, and rental assistance funds pay whatever balance remains.
Luckily for them, Miranda and her grandson live in a large metropolitan area. There are always more options in a larger town. But somewhere between 20 and 25 percent of Section 202 funds have been set aside for use in non- metropolitan areas, so these apartments aren't only found in big cities.
Hunting for a Section 202 apartment can be labor-intensive. When an apartment becomes available it rarely stays empty long. Often there are lengthy waiting lists.
The first piece of business was to telephone every apartment complex on the Section 202 list (see below for the web address to get a list). I verified that they were still participating in the program, and asked whether they had any vacancies.
Frankly, I didn't expect a "yes" to the vacancy question, but it never hurts to ask.
Lo and behold, and miraculously for Miranda, there actually was a vacancy in an older building near downtown. Because it's not in the pretty suburbs it isn't as popular as some of the others. For our purposes, it was a palace and a kingdom all in one. Beggars couldn't be choosers!
If there hadn't been a vacancy, Miranda and her grandson would have had to visit each apartment complex and place her name on every waiting list. Sometimes the wait can be as long as 2 years or more, so I don't advocate waiting as long as Miranda did.
Along with her application form, Miranda was required to give the apartment manager proof of her income (a Social Security statement or a pay stub). She was asked about previous landlords who could vouch to her suitability as a tenant. She was asked to provide copies of her pharmacy bills, as those expenses are taken into account when the rent is calculated. This particular apartment manager also wanted a statement from her doctor that she was truly independent.
If she had planned on visiting multiple places, Miranda would have taken along several photocopies of all her information so she could leave it everywhere she applied.
This is where having someone to come along is invaluable. The job can be overwhelming and exhausting for an older person.
If she hadn't found this affordable place, Miranda probably would have had to move in with her grandson (NOT a happy thought for either of them), or find a little private room to rent in someone's home, or try to find someone looking for a roommate. I was ready to try whatever it took to keep her off the street.
Because time was short Miranda had to take what was available. She has since put her name on the waiting list at two other apartments that are a little nicer and closer to her grandson. The great thing about Section 202 apartments is that you can move whenever and wherever you wish - depending of course on the terms of the lease you have signed.
To locate a directory of Section 202 housing in your state, go to https://hudapps.hud.gov/nhls/selectState.do?cmd=doInit and choose your state. If you, or someone you care for, is over 62 and on a limited income, Section 202 housing can be a lifesaver. It's very important to plan ahead, though, because these apartments are popular.
If you have concerns about finances becoming a problem in the future, start NOW to investigate your options. There's nothing more frightening than outliving your savings - - ask Miranda.
The Eldercare Team invites you to learn how to help an elderly parent or other relative deal with all the ins and outs of the eldercare maze. Pick up resources, more articles and plenty of tips about helping seniors at http://www.eldercareteam.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Molly_Shomer

Friday, April 3, 2009

APA ITU DEMENTIA?

PENGENALAN

Dementia atau 'nyayuk' adalah satu keadan digeneratif saraf yang mengakibatkan penurunan keupayaan intelek dan keupayaan fungsi. Ia boleh menjejaskan kualiti kehidupan bukan sahaja untuk pesakit tetapi juga penjaga pesakitdari aspek sosial dan kefungsian pekerjaan.

Di peringkat primer kebanyakan warga emas yang mengalami kemerosotan kognitif tidak dikesan pada peringkat awal. Dianggarkan 5 hingga 10 peratus dari kalangan warga emas mengalami penyakit dementia. Bilangan pesakit dementia dijangkakan meningkat dengan peningkatan populasi warga tua.

Kebanyakan dari kalangan masyarakat beranggapan nyanyuk, pelupa dan kekeliruan adalah satu keadaan yang normal untuk warga emas sebagai satu proses penuaan. Persepsi ini perlu diubah. Kewujudan pusat jagaan warga emas ini antara lain bertujuan untuk membantu warga emas yang mengalami dementia dengan cara membuat saringan dan pengurusan pesakit dan juga penjaganya.