When it’s time to arrange long-term elder care for a loved one, you’ll be facing a taxing time full of stress and expense, on top of all you are already going through. Which has potential to be even more challenging when your loved one requires specialized care, needs a full-time nurse, or has some other form of care that costs money that may not have. The fact is, assisted living costs are exorbitant, and the money you spend giving aid to your loved one is on the rise.
According to assistedliving.com, 70% of all people over the age of 65 will need some type of long-term care. Additionally, costs are on th increase. In 2012, a survey found that the average monthly rent for a person receiving long-term care increased by $100 from previous year. If this trend continues over the next decade, what was once a stressful situation has the potential to turn into an unbeatable monster.
So while setting up assisted living for someone you love may seem like a battle you can’t win, now’s not the time to give up hope. There are several strategies, that a person on any type of budget can implement to help offset assisted living costs. Here are just 7.
7 Strategies to Reduce Assisted Living Costs
1. Research is a golden ticket. As much as most people would like for the a situation like this to work itself out, that’s simply not going to happen. Research opportunities, before the time arise, as a preemptive measure, and you’ll see how much easer the process ends up.
2. Start saving money now. If you are reading this, then you likely have a loved one who will need assisted living at some point soon. If so, start squirreling money away ASAP. Every little bit you put away has more power than you can imagine, especially when money is tight later down the road.
3. One and done, with care. If you have to re-home a loved one after already placing them in assisted living, you are essentially adding unnecessary costs. To avoid this, don’t be afraid to ask the tough questions from the start; ask people who work for the company about the standards, check licenses and names, and have your attorney review the living contract. Your loved one is worth the extra time.
4. Negotiations work. Many assisted living companies offer incentives (just like any business), for new patients. Before you agree to any arrangement, inquire about perks that may reduce your monthly payments. You’ll be surprised at how much people will want to work with you.
5. Keep a broad eye out. If you exhaust your resources in the area you live in, branch out. You may be surprised at the resources in neighboring communities and cities. Use your time to take a closer look into other opportunities, and consider an alternate locale.
6. Insurance may work in some situations. Assisted living, as we noted above, is expensive in any situation. For those who are on a tight budget, perhaps it’s time to consider insurance options, beginning with Medicaid or Medicare. While these government programs are a good start, they don’t always pay for everything. So take a look at some additional insurance programs to help offset what they lack.
7. Discuss the types of care you require. Not every person who needs assisted living needs the same care. Some people only need assisted living, as opposed to being moved into a facility. When deciding what will work best for your loved one, it’s important to place value on what they truly need. Expenses related to living at home, versus general assisted living costs, are particularly relevant to those on a budget.
If all else fails, then perhaps it’s time to speak a care advisor about your particular needs. A knowledgeable person who spends a majority of their time assisting our elders might be your ticket to long-term savings, while giving the care your loved one deserves.
For more information on how we can help you through this difficult time, please don’t hesitate to contact us to discuss your options.
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The post 7 Helpful Tips to Reduce Assisted Living Costs first appeared on SEONewsWire.net.]]>By Marion Walsh, Esq. and Sandi Rosenbaum, Special Education Advocate
On March 4, 2015, between 6:30-8:00, the Lower Hudson Valley Special Education Advocacy Task Force will be holding a Policy Discussion Forum at the Arc of Westchester (The Gleeson-Israel Gateway Center, 265 Saw Mill River Road (9A), Hawthorne, NY), to discuss the Executive Budget and the proposed waiver of special education requirements. This is an essential meeting to attend to understand the effect of the budget on special education services. 
The Governor’s proposal for his executive budget contains a proposal to allow school districts, private schools, and BOCES to obtain a one-year waiver from following requirements or providing services which are mandated by New York law, but which are not required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Here are just some of the services and mandates that could be affected:
- Autism requirements in 200.13 including parent counseling and training;
- Minimum daily/weekly requirements for home and hospital instruction;
- Notice requirements for CSE;
- Special Education Consultant Teachers required to have access to general education teachers to participate in instructional planning;
- IEP must include the name of the school and whether it is BOCES, public, or private;
- Evaluation AND implementation within 60 school days – Federal law has only an evaluation time frame, implementation “ASAP”; and
- Evaluation team must include members with relevant credentials – Federal law doesn’t require a multidisciplinary team
The Governor is proposing this for mandate relief, as well as to enable school districts to implement innovative programs. But there could be a significant loss of services to students.
The Governor and Board of Regents are selling this as allowing Districts to apply for waivers so that the District can implement an innovative special education program that is consistent with federal law, in order to enhance student achievement. The District, before initiating a proposal for a waiver, would have to provide notice to parents in the District and obtain input before applying for the waiver with the New York State Education Commissioner.
The proposed provision expands existing opportunities for districts to seek waivers from NYS requirements that exceed those of the Federal IDEA, subject to notifying all affected parents and providing them a 60 day comment period, which comments would be submitted as part of the waiver application. One downside is that only currently affected parents need be notified; since special education programs and placements are fluid, the parent of a student who has benefited from the affected program in the past, or may in the future, would not even be notified that the district received a waiver to deviate from state law in certain respects.
The proposed provision actually expands existing, though little-used, opportunities for Districts to seek waivers from the Commissioner for the purpose of enhancing student achievement and opportunities for placement in general education settings. There has been an opportunity in place for some time for Districts to seek waivers to offer innovative special education models outside the defined continuum of service. Any such program which has a waiver granted for three consecutive years may be granted a permanent waiver.
Become educated on this issue and contact your state legislators as soon as possible, as valuable services could be at risk.
Learn more about our services by visiting www.specialneedsnewyork.com.
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