Home Health Services Underutilized by Seniors, Study Shows
Health Affairs estimates that 4 million older adults can only leave their homes with assistance, making accessing care challenging. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 1.3 million Americans receive care in nursing homes. According to A Place For Mom, more than 810,000 reside in assisted living. Home health care presents an alternative to nursing homes […]
Hiring a Caregiver: Should You Employ One Yourself or Go Through an Agency?
Most seniors prefer to stay at home as long as possible rather than move into a nursing home. For many families, this means eventually hiring a caregiver to look after an aging relative. There are two main ways to hire someone: directly or through a home health agency. Hiring directlyWhen you hire a caregiver directly, […]
Caregiver Contracts: How to Pay a Family Member for Care
Although people are willing to voluntarily care for a parent or loved one without any promise of compensation, entering into a caregiver contract (also called personal service or personal care agreement) with a family member can have many benefits. It rewards the family member doing the work. It can help alleviate tension between family members by making sure the […]
Medicaid’s Home Care Waivers Can Help You Avoid a Nursing Home, But the Line May Be Long
Medicaid long-term care benefits traditionally pay mainly for nursing home care, but the federal government can grant “waivers” to states allowing them to expand Medicaid to include home and community-based services. The downside is that receiving care in a nursing home is an entitlement while getting care at home is not. Medicaid is a […]
Finding the Right Hospital Bed Rental: Making a Comfortable Choice for Your Loved One
If you are caring for a loved one at home, you may need to rent a hospital bed. Here are the ins and outs of hospital bed rentals. The benefit of a hospital bed is that it adjusts to allow people with limited mobility to get in and out of the bed. The adjustable features […]
Immigration Policies Cause Upheaval in the Home Care Industry for Patients and Workers
As the population ages, the need for caregivers is growing, but more restrictive immigration policies such as those being promoted by the Trump administration could have a negative impact on a caregiving industry that is already facing workforce shortages. The impact of this crisis in Maine came with the recent announcement that Home Care for Maine in Farmingdale […]
How to Choose the Right Home Care Provider
Aging in place is the goal; wanting to stay in our homes as long as possible is the quintessential decision one can make. One of the hardest choices to make is selecting the appropriate in-home provider for your loved one and yourself. There are many criteria from which to choose. The first would be what […]
Medicaid for Home Care?
Did you know that all fifty states cover at least a portion of home care? It makes sense although many people may not realize that this is an option. It is historically cheaper than a nursing home and as we showed you in an earlier post, family members can be reimbursed as caregivers. Since Medicaid […]
The Boomer's Guide to Aging Parents- A Book Review
As Baby Boomers’ parents’ are aging, more and more books are coming out offering guidance. The Boomer’s Guide to Aging Parents offers practical information that is often left out of other publications. Written by a retired attorney who was also a nurse, Carolyn Rosenblatt has a unique perspective on this topic. The Boomer’s Guide to […]
