Answer These 7 Questions When You Need Senior Care, part 2
4. What services do you need?
Long-term care entails services that cover a variety of medical and non-medical needs. Typically, caregivers providing long-term care will help with non-medical daily activities, household duties, transportation and companionship. People who receive long-term care because of chronic illnesses or disability cannot care for themselves for a long period of time. They may require more care than help with daily activities, such as medical care from skilled professionals and outpatient treatment from a hospital. Take a look at this list of services in long-term care, and assess what you or your senior loved one might need:
Amada Senior Care caregivers assist with:
- Bathing
- Dressing
- Meal preparation/feeding
- Medication reminders
- Walking/ambulating/exercise assistance
- Housekeeping
- Errands/shopping
- Toileting
- Most non-medical assistance
Other providers, like nursing homes, rehabilitation facilities or hospice assist with:
- Physical, occupational or speech therapy
- End-of-life services
- Fitness and wellness programs
- Disease prevention and management
- Medication prescription refills
5. How will you finance care?
Payment for care can come from three options:
- Government Aid (Medicare, or Veterans’ Benefits)
- Personal Funding or Private Pay
- Long-Term Care Insurance
Use the Genworth calculator to estimate what long-term care would cost you and your family. From Genworth’s summary of 2016 Cost of Care Survey findings, you will notice that homemakers or caregivers make a national median hourly rate of $20; assisted living facilities cost a median of $3,628 monthly; and a private nursing room home will cost $253 daily. These numbers are not meant to scare you, but to provide an honest generalization of the rising cost of long-term care.
Most people will find it extremely difficult to fund long-term care on their own spending, out-of-pocket. Middle-class families will find themselves in limbo between needing government assistance, but not qualifying for it. Making a long-term care insurance claim can seem a beast of a challenge, especially dealing with multiple calls, records and approval processes. will be able to guide you through the process of reviewing and filing a claim so that you can start receiving your benefits as soon as possible. Find a location near you here.
6. Who will provide care?
Your answers for questions from above will be very helpful when you decide who will provide senior care for you or your loved one. Know that there are many providers competing for your business and that you, within the constraints of your regional location and the payment options you have, are definitely able to find solutions that are best for you or your elderly. Depending on the level of care you need, you may find yourself choosing between these care provider options:
- Licensed Agency
- In-Home Private Caregiver
- Independent/Assisted Living Facility
Caregivers can be contracted independently to help seniors needing long-term care. However, independent caregivers may not have liability protection in the case that they cause harm to a senior or if they become injured on the job. This creates a dangerous risk for lawsuits that can carry on for ages. Licensed agencies fully screen their caregivers and hire them as employees under sufficient coverage. You will find trustworthy caregivers. Furthermore, if you or your senior loved one must live in a facility to receive care, an advocate near you can help you with placement.
7. How will you monitor care?
In old age, the family becomes important in new ways. With time, families change. All age, including children who were once cared for by their now-elderly parents. Roles may flip when children become the care providers instead. This may be done through managing hired help or by the children and spouses close to a senior providing the care themselves. But when family is far away, it is even more important to monitor the care of an elderly loved one. How would you be able to do this?