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Things to know while Easing the Transition to Elder Care

Things to Know While Easing the Transition to Elder Care

Easing the transition to Elder Care for a loved one can be daunting. Getting old is inevitable. Some elderly people suffer from Alzheimer’s disease. This is the progressive decline of cognitive function such as language, behavior, judgement, emotions and our ability to function with complex tasks. Once this disease progresses with an aging loved one, there is often need to assist them in their everyday lives.

However difficult it may be, placing your loved one in an elder care facility may be the best thing that you can do for them. This is especially true if their needs require medical professionals . A few other reasons an elderly loved one may be better off in assisted living are the following:

Health issues for the elderly person or for other family members – stress and health conditions can take its toll if you’re a caregiver.
Behavioral changes and adjusting may become a problem. The ill and elderly may tend to be irritable, aggressive, sensitive, and slow. This can test a caregivers patience and understanding.
In assisted living or nursing home, proper medical care can be provided quickly.
In your own home, time and work may be compromised. Difficulties arise when you have few or no volunteers to help with an aging loved one while you are away at work.
However harsh it may sound, during current financial times, many find it difficult to leave their job to care full-time for a loved one.
Caring for an aging loved one at home, especially suffering from dementia, will be 24/7 and near impossible without support from family or friends.

Before transitioning your aging loved one into an elderly facility, seek advice from your family and the family doctor.

Transitioning is not easy for your aging loved one nor for all in the family; and whatever additional services are needed, should be already accessible or prepared.

Part of the easy transition should include making a list of the needed care before going into the facility such as:

Diet
Daily or routine activities
Medical needs
Hobbies or recreational activities
Visitations from families and friends
Other special provisions

The change of environment may cause stress to your aging loved one because there will be new faces and different surroundings than they are used to. People suffering from dementia can become easily confused and frightened.

The best way to encourage them to accept this transition is by exposing them gradually into the new home, and to fill their new room with old and familiar items to make them feel comfortable.

Another suggestion might be to have a member of the family stay or visit often as your loved one tries to familiarize themselves with their new surroundings. Having support from a loved one while they adapt to the new surroundings can mean a lot and allows a more easy transition to the new place.

Some elder facilities offer a “buddy system” that would allow a family member to stay there until their resident becomes familiar with their new home.

And other facilities prefer that family postpone any visitation for several days to a week. Sometimes the elder person will adapt to the home more quickly if they don’t have a loved one nearby.

Be Prepared. Chose a home that listens to your feelings. Keep communication easy and open for everyone involved in the transition and the move will go fine.

Author: Jesse Waugh is a veteran writer with over 8 years of writing and proofreading experience. Jesse has a solid understanding of content marketing and can deliver high-quality, targeted contents for any topics or niche of interest that includes health, health aged care, respite care and more.

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A few “comforts” to help your loved one ease into Assisted Care

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Residential Care for the Elderly and Funding Options Available

01/162 Comments

Residential Care for the Elderly – Funding Options

While living at home is still a possibility for many elderly people, others find that it becomes more difficult to remain independent as they grow older.

A residential care home facility can be a good way for older people to get the services they need in one place. There are even homes that provide nurses who can look after residents with complex or advanced medical conditions. In addition, they can benefit greatly from being around other elderly residents and having a social community with which to interact on a daily basis.

Funding a home when you can no longer live lone

However, residential care is not fully funded in most cases. People who choose residential care either for themselves or their loved ones will have to think about how to fund their stay in a residential care facility.

Working with Your Local Authority

If you are considering moving into a resident care facility but you are concerned as to how you will finance the process, then you can contact your local authority for advice. Most people will be expected to contribute to their care costs either through their savings, income, or any assets that they may have. Many local authorities utilize a means test in order to assess your costs as well as the value of your property and assets.

Typically, (for the UK) the first £14,250 of your assets and savings are not counted towards the assessment of your means. If you have assets with a value between £14,250 and £23,250, then your local authority will help subsidise the costs of your care.

If you have any assets above £23,250, then you will be responsible for funding your own care. In addition, the Government has recently handed down legislation dictating that caps will placed on the monetary amount of care that they will cover. There will be a lifetime cap of £75,000 on care costs, and an additional cap of £12,000 per year for hotel (“room and board”) costs.

In the US, some local authorities participate in schedules where your residential care costs are deferred and are paid out of your estate when you die. If you have a significant amount of assets and no heirs, this may be a good choice for you if you qualify for the program. You may also qualify to have some of your nursing care costs covered on the NHS or Medicare, though this will not provide for your room and board.

Making Residential Care a Part of a Retirement Savings Plan, or Asking for Help from Loved Ones

While a pension might provide enough money to cover some of your basic costs, it will not be enough to pay for the costs of a residential home or care facility. By making additional savings a part of your retirement plan, you can provide for yourself or a loved one who needs residential care when they are elderly. Increasing your pension contributions while you are still working can go a long way towards covering costs. In addition, you may be able to receive some financial help from your loved ones. The benefits of professional residential care often outweigh the costs.

Funding Your Residential Care – A Smart Choice for the Future
Entering a residential care facility is not a decision to be taken lightly. Funding your care can be done through use of your assets and help from your local authority. Don’t leave arranging your finances until it is too late.

Author: Ryan Hughes writes about Health and Aging.

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When a Relative Dies, What You Know about Survivor Benefits will be Important

09/17Leave a Comment

Survivor Benefits

D. Victor Pellegrino, Utica, New York, is an elder care attorney who has been “Protecting The Assets of Seniors and Their Families For Over Thirty Five Years” His helpful hints and knowledgeable notes are available at his Website and Facebook.

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When a Relative Dies…what you need to know about Survivors Benefits can be very important. Listed Below are a few of the questions you might have at the time of a relatives death–

How do I apply for benefits?

If you are not currently getting Social Security benefits

You should apply for survivors benefits promptly because, in some cases, benefits will be paid from the time you apply and not from the time the worker died.

You can apply by telephone or at any Social Security office. We will need certain information, but do not delay applying if you do not have everything. We will help you get what you need. We need either original documents or copies certified by the agency that issued them.

The information we need includes:

•Proof of death—either from a funeral home or death certificate;

•Your Social Security number, as well as the deceased worker’s;

•Your birth certificate;

•Your marriage certificate, if you are a widow or widower;

•Your divorce papers, if you are applying as a divorced widow or widower;

•Dependent children’s Social Security numbers, if available, and birth certificates;

•Deceased worker’s W-2 forms or federal self-employment tax return for the most recent year; and

•The name of your bank and your account number so your benefits can be deposited directly into your account.

If you are already getting Social Security benefits

If you are getting benefits as a wife or husband based on your spouse’s work, when you report the death to us, we will change your payments to survivors benefits. If we need more information, we will contact you.

If you are getting benefits based on your own work, call or visit us, and we will check to see if you can get more money as a widow or widower. If so, you will receive a combination of benefits that equals the higher amount. You will need to complete an application to switch to survivors benefits, and we will need to see your spouse’s death certificate.

How much will I receive?

The benefit amount is based on the earnings of the person who died. The more the worker paid into Social Security, the greater your benefits will be.

Social Security uses the deceased worker’s basic benefit amount and calculates what percentage survivors are entitled to. The percentage depends on the survivors’ ages and relationship to the worker. If the person who died was receiving reduced benefits, your survivor’s benefit is based on that amount. Here are the most typical situations:

•A widow or widower, at full retirement age or older, generally receives 100 percent of the worker’s basic benefit amount;

•A widow or widower, age 60 or older, but under full retirement age, receives about 71-99 percent of the worker’s basic benefit amount; or

•A widow or widower, any age, with a child younger than age 16, receives 75 percent of the worker’s benefit amount.

•Children receive 75 percent of the worker’s benefit amount.

Maximum family benefits

There is a limit to the benefits that can be paid to you and other family members each month. The limit varies, but is generally between 150 and 180 percent of the deceased’s benefit amount.

D. Victor Pellegrino, Utica, New York, is an elder care attorney who has been “Protecting The Assets of Seniors and Their Families For Over Thirty Five Years”

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Alzheimer’s is on the Rise – What are the needs ahead?

10/11Leave a Comment

More than 5 million people in the United States are living with Alzheimer’s disease, a 10 percent increase from five years ago, according to a new report from the Alzheimer’s Association. This number includes 4.9 million people over the age of 65 and between 200,000 and 500,000 people under age 65 with early onset Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.

The report confirms the beginning of the long-forecast dementia epidemic. With 78 million baby boomers entering or approaching their 60s, someone in America develops Alzheimer’s every 72 seconds. By mid-century, unless scientists discover a way to cure or delay the disease, someone will develop Alzheimer’s every 33 seconds, the Association says.

The escalation in reported cases is in large part due to success in fighting other illnesses like heart disease and cancer. “We’re keeping people alive so they can live long enough to get Alzheimer’s disease,” explained association vice president Steve McConnell.

But those living long enough to get cognitive diseases like Alzheimer’s are not covered by Medicare for their long-term care costs. Victims who require care must rely on family members, long-term care insurance (if they were able to purchase it before getting sick), or Medi-Cal.

The report comes as Congress is considering more funding for research into Alzheimer’s and more help for family caregivers. The Alzheimer’s Association report was released at a hearing chaired by Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) who, along with Sen. Kit Bond (R-MO), has introduce The Alzheimer’s Breakthrough Act of 2007 (S. 898), which doubles funding for Alzheimer’s research, and The Family Assistance Act of 2007 (S. 897), which creates a $3,000 tax credit for families caring for a loved one with a chronic condition like Alzheimer’s to help them pay for prescription drugs, home health care and special day care.

If you or a family member have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s (or have a family history of Alzheimer’s) it is important to seek legal guidance and develop an appropriate financial plan as early as possible. Estate planing documents should be prepared to name an agent (typically a family member) to manage your finances and make health care decisions for you in the event you are mentally incapacitated. If you already have estate planning documents, they should be reviewed for “Government Benefits Planning Language” that would enable your family to qualify you or your family member for appropriate benefits if the need ever arose.

Author: Sean Ethington
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sean_Ethington

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