Sometimes it’s so easy to get caught up in materialistic things, well, ’stuff’, really…’stuff’ that we will never be able to hold on to for long or take with us after we are gone.  This couple can not afford the ’stuff’ that the rest of us seem obsessed over some days.  This couple must pay for their medications, food on their table, clothing on their back (which they are certainly not buying at the trendy stores), and other bare necessities of life.  What they can hold on to is each other.  They expressed a love toward the other that was rare, it was unique.  They did not find joy in what the ’stuff’ they had and were not sorrowed by the ’stuff’ they did not have.  This couple found joy in one another and the mutual love they shared and their sorrow came from the fact that they were both ill and would soon have to be separated due to a number of needs factors.

Without getting into too much further detail for privacy reasons, I left their home with tears in my eyes, I called my husband, told him I loved him, and realized that my relationship with others and my personal choice to have a relationship with God was all that mattered.  It’s not the stuff that makes life meaningful…there is SO much more to life than that and for that alone, I am thankful!

If you have a life story to share, please e-mail me at info@pavelko.org

Would you prefer to age in place at home, a 55+ community, or other type of community setting?  Should your health decline, would you prefer to bring someone into the home to care for your needs or would you prefer to move to a community setting ?  Determine what your personal desires are and make them known to family and friends.

2. When are you considering hiring services or moving to a community?

While some communities have current availability, there are other communities in Lancaster that have over 5 year waiting lists and longer.  Once you determine what your personal desires are, be sure to start putting a plan into place for yourself.  Would you desire to move into a two bedroom cottage?  If so, consider placing your application on a waiting list.

3. How much can you afford to pay for services?

You may often hear that in-home care is half the cost of long term care in a nursing home.  This is not always the case!  You may be paying $432 for around-the-clock care at home opposed to $250 per day in a nursing home.  Make an informed decision for yourself regarding the care that is needed and desired by the individual and his or her family.

4. Who can you turn to for trusted advice and further direction?

Make sure you have good trusted relationships formed with your children and other trusted relatives and friends, your attorney, financial planner, and geriatric care manager.  These professionals can often provide you and your family with further direction as it pertains to planning ahead for the potential need for long term care.

5. Are you aware of ALL options available to you in your community?

In-home care and retirement communities are NOT the only options available to you.  Adult day services, medication devices, emergency call systems, home renovations, and therapy are just a few of the many options out there that may be available to your loved one.  Additionally, explore all of the funding options that may help subsidize the cost of care.

Ask your loved one who, what, when, and where questions and show a sincere interest by showing them that you are interested in what they are trying to tell you.  Perhaps they want to see their brother, but he has since passed.  Rather than creating anxiety and sadness by telling them that their brother passed away, ask them what they miss about their brother?  What did they enjoy doing most with him?

Any individual, senior or child, one with memory loss or cognitive ability need validated…they need accepted and acknowledged as a human being.  Naomi File is the founder of the Validation Technique.  View this incredible video with Naomi and Gladys Wilson.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrZXz10FcVM I hope you have gained as much from this video as I have!  Please feel free to share your own experiences and leave a comment.

The CLASS (Community Living Assistance Services and Support) Act Law, which is part of the Health Care Reform, will be set up as a voluntary national insurance program to help pay for long term care at home.  This    Both part-time and full time employees will have the option to take a payroll deductions, which again, will go towards paying for long term care at home.  They will be eligible for an average of $75 per day, should they reach the point where they are not able to perform the basic Activities of Daily Living, which include bathing, dressing, continence, toileting, transferring, and eating.   This money can be used to pay for a wide variety of services from non-medical to home modifications and more.   Keep in mind, an individual must pay into this program for five (5) years before benefits are payable.

Please use the following link as a resource.

http://www.lifecarefunding.com/blog/file.axd?file=2010%2f5%2fCLASS+Act+Summary+-+UNUM+5+10.pdf

There are many services available in the home from live-in care, companion care, medical care, and even behavioral care.  In addition, there are many forms of technology out there, in turn, keeping seniors safer in their homes longer.

Do you have a contingency plan in place?  Should your loved one need long term care, are you aware of ALL of the options out there?  Do you grasp how long waiting lists are these days?  Are you aware of what financial resources are available to help subsidize the costs of long term care at home or in a retirement setting?  And, does  your loved one meet the financial qualifications required by the community of preference?

While many individuals want to age in place (and that is a realistic possibility), it is important to make sure your loved ones are not on the borderline of qualifying for a community of their choice.  If they are close to not qualifying now and assets are tapped into for in-home care, a few months from now, they will likely not qualify. EDUCATION and having a plan in place needs to be the #1 priority!

You may have asked all of the right questions and are ready to make the final decision about which retirement community is the right one for you.  But first, you want to see if you can really call this community home.  Walk around and see how you feel…

• Sit on the bed and living room furniture.  Are you comfortable?
• Could you call this community ‘home’?
• Do you feel safe?
• Do you have similar interests to that of the other residents?
• Are you comfortable talking to the staff?

With there being over 60 retirement housing options in Lancaster County alone, make sure that you are taking a look at more than one community, asking all of the right questions, and seeing which community you feel most comfortable with.

If there are questions that you feel are important to ask the retirement community, please share a comment for others to read.

Many of you are asking how the Health Care Reform is going to affect you, your families, our community, and nation as a whole.  The National Council on Aging, a nonpartisan, nonprofit service and advocacy organization, recently provided a document with some Straight Facts for Seniors that you can read here.

5 Facts Include:

• The law will provide health coverage for millions of uninsured Americans – plus extra protections for most people who currently have insurance.
• The law will not cut any benefits provided under traditional Medicare – and it will even improve some benefits.
• The law will help you find and afford long-term care at home.
• The law will improve care for older Americans in other ways.
• The law will reduce Medicare spending growth – and it’s fully paid for.

Click here to read more.  Feedback is welcome.

Now that you may have had the opportunity to take a look at the community and listen as to what is going on at the community, now it is time to sit down, have a meal, and ask a few more questions…

• Take a tour of the community of your choice over the lunch hour and see if you like the food, atmosphere of the dining room, and food selection.
• Are there options to choose from at each meal?
• Does the community accommodate special diets (diabetic, low salt, low potassium, etc.)?
• Who monitors individuals’ diets?

After an individual moves in to a community, many may or may not complain about the food and dining selections.  Be proactive, sit down, relax, have a meal and see for yourself if you are comfortable with the community’s dining experience.

Do you have enough money saved for retirement?  Start planning ahead now by setting aside money for retirement and considering Long Term Care Insurance so that all of your assets are not depleted on Long Term Care, but on things you enjoy!

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the average costs in the U.S. (in 2009) are:

• $198/day for a semi-private room in skilled nursing
• $3,131/month for care in a Personal Care Home (for a one-bedroom unit)
• $19/hour for Homemaker services
• $21/hour for a Home Health Aid
• $67/day for care in an Adult Day Health Care Center

Do you have enough saved to support these expenses at retirement?  Click here to see what you need to save for retirement.