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Warning Signs Your Aging Parent Needs Home Care

admin — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 20:32:47 +0000

Families must recognize when an aging parent needs help at home

By Chris Berry

Is your mom or dads unopened mail piling up? Is your dad, who previously took great pride in his wardrobe, wearing dirty clothes and paying little attention to his appearance? Are there bruises or cuts on your aging parent’s arms that they cannot explain or remember? When you ask your aging parent these questions do they dismiss you and ensure that everything is alright?

(Related: 2014 Pension Rates)

It is difficult for aging parents to admit that they need help because that is to admit that they are no longer able to take care of themselves. “Denial is the unrealistic hope that a problem is not really happening and will go away by itself. Admitting they need help and accepting assistance is not easy for people as they age. It represents a loss of independence. Denial plays a major role – and signs get ignored,” says Paul Hogan, Founder and Chairman of Home Instead Senior Care.

As a result, it is the family’s duty to identify the warning signs that an aging parent may need assistance with day-to-day living tasks. Recognizing these signs doesn’t necessarily mean that your parent needs to be put in assisted living or a nursing home, but it likely means that they some help in their home. Here are are some signs that will allow you to recognize is your elderly parent needs some help at home:

Rotten food sitting around
Failure to attend important appointments
Bruises that cannot be explained
Difficulty getting up when seated
Trouble with walking, balance and mobility
Difficulty completing tasks that were once easy
A tendency to forget
Body odor
Poor hygiene
Intense urine smell in the house
Obvious decline in grooming habits and personal care

Extreme clutter and dirty laundry piling up
Piles of unopened mail or an overflowing mailbox
Notices of late payments, bounced checks and calls from bill collectors
Declining diet or weight loss
Disinterest in hobbies and activities
Extreme mood swings
Failure to take medications – or taking more than the prescribed dosage
Diagnosis of dementia or early onset Alzheimer’s
Unexplained dents and scratches on a car

Christopher J. Berry is an elder law lawyer in Michigan Dedicated to helping seniors, veterans and their families navigate the long-term care maze. To learn more visit http://www.theeldercarefirm.com/ or call 248.481.4000

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Obamacare’s Impact On Michigan Seniors

admin — Tue, 19 Nov 2013 17:27:54 +0000

Obamacare has influenced major changes in the United States’ health care system, especially in Medicare.

By Chris Berry

Recently the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) updated its Medicare Advantage (MA) enrollment estimates, projecting a major increase in seniors who will be enrolled in MA plans by 2023. With conflicting enrollment projections, MA is left with mixed signals regarding its future. It remains to be seen how Obamacare’s significant reductions will affect MA plans and how beneficiaries will react to potential changes to MA plans.

The Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB), through Obamacare, provides news powers for additional cuts in Medicare. IPAB is made up of 15 unelected bureaucrats who must meet a newly created Medicare spending target. In the event that spending surpasses the target, the board must make recommendations to Congress that will rein in spending.

The ability to cut physicians reimbursement rates is the only major tool available to IPAB that could reduce Medicare spending. For the first time since 2016, the trustees project that Medicare spending will surpass the target spending level. Mostly as a result of constantly-increasing government regulations and uncertainty of reimbursement, doctors are departing from the Medicare program.

Information was released from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that 9,539 physicians who had accepted Medicare opted out of the program in 2012, a major leap from the 3,700 who dropped out in 2009.

Because Obamacare gradually lowers seniors’ out-of-pocket costs in the Medicare Part D coverage gap, commonly knows as the “donut hole,” it will raise the cost of the Part D benefit, a portion of which will be passed along to the beneficiaries.

According to the CBO, “enacting those changes would lead to an average increase in premiums for Part D beneficiaries of about 4 percent in 2011, rising to about 9 percent in 2019.” Of the 48.6 million Medicare enrollees in 2011, just 3.6 million actually fell into the category of the donut hole.

This average premium increase means a lot considering how few seniors actually fall into the gap. While the average premiums of all Part D beneficiaries will increase, of the 48.6 million Medicare enrollees in 2011, only 3.6 million actually fell into the donut hole.

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How to Choose a Caregiver

admin — Wed, 23 Oct 2013 14:36:41 +0000

By Chris Berry

Depending on your needs caregivers can fulfill a number of different roles. There are a number of benefits to having a caregiver. In this article we will discuss those benefits, how to find a caregiver, and the questions you should ask along the way.

A caregiver can observe and update you regarding your nutrition, hygiene, physical activity, and services along with other daily issues. When receiving care it is very helpful to have someone ensure you’re at the right place at the right time. Like weekly and monthly doctor’s visits, shopping, and therapy. A caregiver can ease some of the pressure you’re facing and help you be where you need to be.

Relationships with family members often cloud judgment. An objective professional caregiver can ease communication and properly advise the patient, as opposed to a family member.

Before choosing a caregiver you ought to consider the range of services that you will be requiring. Consider the following when doing so:

Review the activities within a typical day of the patient to determine the exact duties required.
If the patient suffers from dementia or physical disability be sure to search for a caregiver with the corresponding experience
Decide whether it is necessary for the caregiver to prepare meals, and also consider their ability to create diet-specific meal choices.

After identifying your specific needs list, visit the following resource and connect with appropriate pool of caregivers to begin your interviewing process.

Additional resources:

www.caregiverlist.com

www.caregiver.com

Begin with preliminary phone interviews, describe the job in detail and include the required hours in addition to pay offered. Next, schedule the in-person interview. It is best to have another family member or friend participate in the interview to offer an objective perspective. Prepare a list of questions prior to the interview. Ask questions relevant to the caregiver’s experience and expertise pertaining to the daily activities list you created.

Previous jobs?

Duties?

What type of patient medical limitations have you worked with?

What is your experience cooking for other people?

Is there anything in the job description that you are uncomfortable doing?

Have you had to deal with a patient emergency in the past?

Can you keep track of and administer medications?

Would you be able to transfer someone from a wheelchair into a car or bed?

How do you feel about caring for a disabled person? Or a person with memory problems?

Can I contact at least two work-related and one personal reference?

Determine the person who is most qualified and with whom you feel the most comfortable. Check the references of at least two final applicants. Quality applicants could have other opportunities, so do not delay very long before making an offer.

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Majority of Hospitals Fail a Medicare Test

admin — Wed, 04 Sep 2013 13:35:26 +0000

The federal agency that administers Medicare will be reducing its reimbursement payments to 2,225 U.S. hospital this fiscal year, as a result of their insufficient progress on reducing readmission rates for the patients they treat.

According to an analysis by Kaiser Health News of data released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the payment reductions aren’t significant — the average penalty is 0.38 percent, and the penalties amassing $227 million.

However, close to two-thirds of the hospitals that are subject to readmission guidelines are affected, indicating how difficult it can be to improve treatment outcomes for patients that are seriously ill.

There are some health care reformers that have strongly contended that readmission rates are a meaningful measure of both the quality and cost of hospital care. Often times readmission can be a sign that a patient didn’t adhere to his or her prescribed medications or rehabilitation instructions following their discharge. Reformers argue that the responsibility for this type of breakdown falls on the shoulders of the hospital and its staff.

Medicare’s Payment Advisory Commission estimate that roughly one and eight readmissions can be avoided, and that every 10 percent reduction in such readmissions would reduce Medicare’s annual costs by $1 billion.

Source: MarketWatch

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Long-Term Care Insurance Receives More Bad News

admin — Mon, 02 Sep 2013 13:34:00 +0000

The nation’s largest seller of long-term care insurance, Genworth Financial, is engages in an “intense, very broad, and deep review of all aspects of our long-term care insurance business,” President and CEO Tom Mclnerney told investors.

Sources within the industry say that the firm may withdraw from the market in the event it does not win regulatory approval for new rate hikes on roughly 650,000 older, existing policies.

In addition, the firm requires state to approve changes that would enable the company to sell policies that more strictly underwritten and that offer shorter benefit periods, lower daily benefits, and other changes.

(Related: Preventing Alzheimer’s)

“We are prepared to take actions such as suspending sales in states and ending new sales through distribution channels where we cannot offer products within an acceptable risk-adjusted return,” the spokesman said.

A major downturn has created a struggle in the long-term care insurance business as the result of a combination of benefits that are higher than expected, and lower than anticipated returns on lower investments.

The weak investment incomes can mostly be attributed to an extended period of historically low interest rates. Long-term care insurance companies earn a major portion of their revenues from their investments of premium income, predominantly in high-grade bonds.

Source: Forbes

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Medicare Does Not Pay for Long-Term Care

admin — Fri, 23 Aug 2013 18:59:56 +0000

Contrary to popular belief, Medicare does not pay for long-term care. Millions of Medicare enrollees must pay for long-term care services like personal assistance at home, assisted living, and nursing home care from their own pocket (savings).

People often misinterpret the coverage provided by Medicare’s “post-acute” home health care and skilled nursing facility benefits. Post-acute services focus on medically-related skilled nursing and therapy services some patients require following hospital or outpatient treatment. Skilled nursing visits for wound care and physical therapy are examples. Contrastingly, long-term care is comprised of personal assistance with routine activities like bathing, going to the bathroom, and managing medications, typically, for a period of three months or longer. Despite their distinct differences, because home health agencies and skilled nursing facilities offer both types of care, confusion is often the result.

(Related: Preventing Alzheimer’s)

Medicare’s home health care benefits covers intermittent skilled nursing and therapy visits for those who are homebound and have a doctor-certified medical need for services. Those who argue that the home health benefit covers long-term care generally focuses on home health aide visits, which provide some personal assistance to those eligible for skilled visits. However, coverage of these visits is limited and data suggest that they are a small portion of the overall home health program. Only 17% of Medicare home health visits, accounting for roughly 11% of home health spending, are aide visits with the majority of these visits being allocated to people with temporary, not long-term needs for personal assistance.

Medicare will cover up to 100 days of skilled nursing facility care following a hospital stay of at least three days for those with a daily need for skilled care, like intravenous injections or physical therapy. Data indicates that majority of Medicare-financed skilled nursing facility stays are much shorter than they would be if providers maximized Medicare to pay for long-term care. Ninety percent of Medicare-covered skilled nursing facility stays are for a period of 60 days or less, with more than half (52%) being 20 or fewer days.

It is imperative that Americans understand the limits of Medicare coverage when considering long-term care decisions. Also, policy leaders like the Commission on Long-Term Care, need to portray an accurate picture of how long-term care if financed. The Commission should clearly state that most Medicare enrollees, like most AMericans, have no insurance protection for long-term care.

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Alzheimer’s Disease Improved by Exercise, University of Maryland Study Shows

admin — Tue, 06 Aug 2013 12:24:56 +0000

Older adults with mild cognitive impairment improve memory recall and brain function with regular exercise.

A recent study by the University of Maryland School of Public Health shows that exercise may improve cognitive function in those at risk for Alzheimer’s by increasing the efficiency of brain activity associated with memory.

Led by Dr. J. Carson Smith, assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology, the study offers new hope for those diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). if is the first to show than an exercise intervention with older adults with mild cognitive impairment (average age 78) improve not only memory recall, but also brain function, as measured by functional neuroimaging (via fMRI). The findings are published in the August issue of the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.

“We found that after 12 weeks of being on a moderate exercise program, study participants improved their neural efficiency – basically they were using fewer neural resources to perform the same memory task,” says Dr. Smith. “No study has shown that a drug can do what we showed is possible with exercise.”

Two groups of physically inactive older adults, ranging from 60-88 years old, were placed on a 12-week exercise program that focused on regular treadmill walking and was guided by a personal trainer. Both adults with MCI and health brain function improved their cardiovascular fitness by close to ten percent by the end of the intervention. More importantly, both groups improved their memory performance and showed enhanced neural efficiency while engaged in memory retrieval tasks.

These results were realized with a dose of exercise consistent with the recommended physical activity for older adults. The guidelines stress moderate intensity exercise that increases your heart rate and makes you sweat, but isn’t so strenuous that you’re unable to carry a conversation while doing it, on most days for a combined 150 minutes per week.

Christopher J. Berry is a Michigan elder law attorney Dedicated to helping seniors, veterans and their families navigate the long-term care maze. To learn more visit http://www.michiganelderlawattorney.com/ or call 248.481.4000

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Alzheimer’s Disease Improved by Exercise, University of Maryland Study Shows

admin — Tue, 06 Aug 2013 12:24:56 +0000

Older adults with mild cognitive impairment improve memory recall and brain function with regular exercise.

The post Alzheimer’s Disease Improved by Exercise, University of Maryland Study Shows first appeared on SEONewsWire.net.

Ms. Jones Celebrates 114 Years, New York’s Oldest Citizen

admin — Fri, 26 Jul 2013 14:36:44 +0000

With her nieces and caretaker wheeling her to her party, Ms. Jones held her head high as she wore a navy blue dress covered with small white flowers, a matching hat, and sunglasses. Not long thereafter, her head was drooping, and her nieces wheeled her upstairs for some rest. Ms. Jones’ family, friends, and well-wishers got together at the Brooklyn senior center where she lives to celebrate her 114th birthday.

Ms. Jones is the oldest resident of the state of New York, the second-oldest American and the third-oldest person in the world, among those whose ages have been verified by the Gerontology Research Group.

She’s living history and a blessing, a true blessing,” said Richard Clay, her 69-year-old godson. “I have a little ways to go to catch up with her.”

Born July 6, 1899, in Lowndes County, Alabama, Ms. Jones is one of the world’s 61 living supercentenarians whose ages has been verified by the research group through documents like birth records and census counts. A supercentenarian is someone 110 or older. “I consider her to be a superhuman being,” said her oldest niece, Lavilla Mushatt Watson, who is “81 and proud of it.”

Without children, Ms. Jones divorced her husband soon after being wed, but her nieces said she always took care of her siblings’ families. Her family credits her longevity to her focus on treating others well. For example, Ms. Jones paid for Ms. Watson’s college education.

“I am who I am because of her,” she said. Ms. Jones stayed independent well into her 90s, Ms. Watson said.

With her declining eyesight, which degenerated around the time she reached 100, she pretended she could see in front of her family.

“She was so independent, she didn’t want us to know,” Ms. Watson said.

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Ms. Jones Celebrates 114 Years, New York’s Oldest Citizen

admin — Fri, 26 Jul 2013 14:36:44 +0000

She’s living history and a blessing, a true blessing,” said Richard Clay, her 69-year-old godson. “I have a little ways to go to catch up with her.”

“I am who I am because of her,” she said. Ms. Jones stayed independent well into her 90s, Ms. Watson said.

With her declining eyesight, which degenerated around the time she reached 100, she pretended she could see in front of her family.

“She was so independent, she didn’t want us to know,” Ms. Watson said.

The post Ms. Jones Celebrates 114 Years, New York’s Oldest Citizen first appeared on SEONewsWire.net.

Caregiver Burnout

admin — Tue, 09 Jul 2013 13:12:35 +0000

Caregiver burnout is a serious threat that can be avoided.

Caregivers often experience burnout when they have responsibility of taking care of someone who has a debilitating illness or condition and is experiences physical or emotional problems as a result.

A number people take care of a loved one at home in addition to a career or school. Caregiver burnout is often revealed in the form of insomnia, headaches, fatigue, and exhaustion. And while taking care of a loved is an important job, taking care of oneself cannot be overlooked.

There a number of things to consider doing to avoid emotional and physical burnout.

By setting aside time for yourself, you will be able to better take care of those around you.
Taking good care of oneself can mean doing things like practicing meditation once in a while or getting regular physical exercise.
Both of those things can relieve the stress and frustration that people who take care of others sometimes experience.

Below are some of the most common signs of caregiver burnout so you will be able to identify them and help yourself immediately.

Feelings of depression, loneliness, or hopelessness are fairly common with people who devote themselves entirely to taking care of a family member or someone who is close to them. Oftentimes therapy can be of help, because you will have an outlet for your emotions. Talking to another person about what you are feeling will help.

When someone begins to withdraw from friends and society in general, this can be a sign that energy is depleted. Spending so much time taking care of someone else can drain you and make you lose enthusiasm. This can also lead to a decrease in regular activities that you once enjoyed. Even increased thoughts about death are common among people who start to get discouraged taking care of someone else.

Guilt can be part of this problem. Thinking that you don’t have the right to be frustrated or stressed may be the reason why you smile even when overwhelmed. It also causes one to become extremely irritable and react irrationally to small things.

Accumulation of this stressful burden can result in a number of emotional and physical problems which can pose a major threat. It is imperative to maintain a healthy diet and keep your daily priorities in order to remain physically and emotionally healthy. Lastly, a strong support system can go a long way helping you avoid caregiver burnout.

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Senior Home Solutions for Seniors Who Want to Age at Home

admin — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 18:34:59 +0000

Senior Home Solutions allow seniors to grow old at home with common modifications that include walk-in showers, and specialized bathtubs with a front door.

Inspired by his 88-year-old grandfather’s struggles getting into the bathtub, custom remodeler and business owner Matthew Welch created Senior Home Solutions as a one-stop solution for elderly or disabled adults

“I saw that, and as I person, I knew that there had to be another way,” said Welch, who recently opened up his new home renovation business called Senior Home Solutions. “So I ended up doing some research, and everything we found shows that is going to need assistance going forward.”

Senior Home Solutions make customers’ homes more accessible with walk-in bathtubs, wider doors for wheelchairs, or in some cases, an over custom plan. Welch’s goals is to re-envision people’s homes into one that better suits their needs with age.

“Everything we learned about older adults is that they want to remain independent; they don’t want to move,” he said. “They want to remain in their home – but things that they used to like about their homes are now obstacles.

According to the United States Census Bureau, 14.1 percent of Michigan’s population is more than 65 years old. There is an ever-growing population of adults who would rather live independently and with as little dependence possible.

“Living in a retirement facility can cost anywhere from $4,000 to $8,000 a month; it’s very expensive,” Welch said. “People sometimes don’t know that changes they make in their home can make staying there a possibility. And they would probably live better and be more comfortable.”

Some of the most common changes include ripping out conventional bathtubs in favor of walk-in showers, or the specialized bathtub with a front door. Other popular changes are modular interior ramps, low-sitting cabinets, door widening, and the installation of grab bars.

Senior Home Solutions has been received well.

“We’ve receive a positive response, which is incredible,” he said.

One group that has been contacting Welch’s business is disabled veterans, who are searching for ways to reduce the impact of their injuries on their lives through home modifications. Veterans who are deemed more than 5 percent disabled can receive grant funding to defray the cost of renovations.

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The Importance of Durable Power of Attorney

admin — Thu, 16 May 2013 15:27:10 +0000

A durable power of attorney protects you in the event that your health declines quickly and you are unable to make health care decisions on your own.

Medical and financial Durable Powers of Attorney can’t prevent accidents or keep you young, but they can certainly make life easier for you and your family if times get tough.

While it may not be common knowledge, it is Older Americans Month and Elder Law Month, and there is no better time to talk about Elder Law and Durable Power of Attorney.

Elder Law is a specialized area of law that involves representing, counseling and assisting seniors, people with disabilities and their families with a number of legal issues, from estate planning to long-term care issues. Its emphasis, according to The National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, is to promote the highest quality of life for individuals.

Durable Power of Attorney for health care is perhaps the most difficult and important Elder Law issue that needs to be addressed as we age. A health care Power of Attorney, or health care proxy, is a legal document that defines the person who is authorized to make health care and medical decisions for another person. This is imperative in the case of older people, who often descend rapidly into poor health, rendering them unable to make health care decisions for themselves.

While there a number of subtleties involved in creating a Durable Power of Attorney, three that stand out are:

It must be executed. This means it must be signed while a person is still mentally competent to do so.
It must appoint a person, or people, who will be able to make decisions on the other person’s behalf if required.
It must define a triggering event, or the action that will put the proxy in effect. This is usually defined as when a person becomes incapacitated.

You can learn more about the details of developing a health care POA here.

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DOMA Increases Medicare Costs For Same-Sex Married Couples

admin — Fri, 10 May 2013 15:46:31 +0000

Medicare costs more for same-sex married couples as a result of DOMA.

In response to the Supreme Court reviewing the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), news outlets are reporting that DOMA increases private and federal health care costs for same-sex couples. As a result of a DOMA — which prevents the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages — these couples are not privvy to the same benefits offered to hetrosexual married couples in programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. Politico recently reported, “The result is thousands of same-sex couples [are] facing more limited access to health insurance and steeper costs for coverage than their heterosexual counterparts.”

Fact or Fiction?

Fact. DOMA equates to limited access and higher costs when it comes to Medicare.

DOMA prohibits the federal government from acknowledging same-sex couples’ marriages. As a result, Medicare is more expensive for same-sex couples because it keeps these couples from qualifying for spousal benefits. This impacts same-sex married couples’ Medicare eligibility and enrollment, and can result in higher Medicare costs for these individuals.

Eligibility

To qualify for Medicare Part A (hospital insurance) without paying any monthly premium, a person must:

be 65 years or older;
be a legal resident of the United States for at least five years; and
have worked for at least ten years (40 work credits) in which Federal Insurance Contribution Act (FICA) taxes (consisting of both Social Security and Medicare taxes) were paid, or be married to someone who has met this requirement.

Individuals who meet these criteria are exempt from paying monthly premiums for Part A because they or their spouse paid Medicare taxes while working. With that said, this provision does not apply to same-sex married couples because DOMA does not accept same-sex married couples as married. As a result, those in same-sex marriages are not eligible for Part A through their spouse and must meet all eligibility requirements individually, or pay a monthly premium. This premium was $441 in 2013 if the individual has less than 30 work credits, or $243 with 30 to 39 work credits.

Additionally, DOMA prohibits same-sex married couples who might be covered by their spouse’s health benefits from deferring enrollment in Medicare Part B (medical insurance), which helps pay for doctors, outpatient hospital care and other medical services. Currently, Americans who turn 65 must enroll in Part B unless the individual is still working, or is married to a spouse who is still working, and is covered by their employer’s group health plan.

These individuals can defer Part B enrollment without risk of being penalized and are able to choose to keep their employer’s or spouse’s employer’s insurance instead. However, those in a same-sex marriage cannot claim exemption from Part B enrollment even if they are married to a spouse who is still working and who is covered by their employer’s insurance because the federal government does not consider them married.

Thus, DOMA hinders same-sex couples Medicare benefits because same-sex married couples cannot enjoy Medicare spousal benefits, which can end up costing same-sex married individuals more when it comes to both eligibility and enrollment.

Credit to MedicareNewsGroup.com

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