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How Relatives Pay for Home care Services in Darien, IL
Are you or an aging loved one at the place in your life where you are starting out to investigate the possible selection for elder care or some type of home care services? Are you checking out your choices of how these sorts of home care services will be purchased? Whether you are searching for home care right now or in the future, understanding what all your opportunities are will help you or an aging loved one be more confident knowing how these home care services will be handled.
Home care services may include daily assistance with feeding, dressing and undressing, bathing, light housekeeping and medication reminders.
Social Security and Medicare- Social Security is a golden age fund and disability pension for disabled workers. The quantity each person will receive is dependent upon the amount of money paid into the fund during his or her working years. If a husband/wife dies, the surviving husband/wife is entitled to widows or widowers pension. For nearly all of Americans, Social Security benefits will be their critical source of salary when they retire.
Medicare- Medicare is accessible to the majority of people age 65 and older. Medicare covers home care services that fall into the category of “home healthcare” or “skilled care”. This means that the service must be provided by a professional, must be ordered by a physician and the care recipient must be homebound in order to receive it. Medicare does not cover companion home care services. It will not cover private duty home care services.
Private Income- For many folks, money from different sources such as income off an existing small business may have a secure margin in their bank account by which to finance home care services they may need now or eventually. Any CDs connected to these accounts are also an added gain.
Retirement funds such as a 401(k), IRA, Keogh or other such groups are options to consider also when deciding how much and which level of care is needed for the senior loved one.
Pension plans made available to employees of some companies have provided reasonable cash flow for the retirees to live on and complement other cash flow they may have.
Stocks And Stock Mutual Funds- Some retirees are living off stocks or funds from the stock market. It is true that with the instability in the stock market of recent years, this is changing the way some individuals are looking at retirement income. There are still about 14 percent of retirees that have an income from this source.
Because of tax advantages for withholding stocks outside of retirement accounts and the income tax they must pay on withdrawals from the traditional 401(k)’s and IRA accounts, it is a good idea for seniors to have a good investment firm or certified financial planner helping them.
Home Equity- The equity earned on a home is another way of financing a retirement and any home care services needed in their advancing years. Sometimes the adult children are unable to provide all the care for their parents and must rely on some in-home care of their loved ones. This is just one more avenue that can be explored for possible means of financing home care for the family. There are more advertisements than ever about reverse mortgage as a way of having a retirement fund. Most financial planners will advice this as a last resort only.
Veterans Aid & Attendance Pension- This pension allows for veterans and the surviving spouses financial support that are in need of home care services this includes individuals who are in nursing homes and assisted living facilities.
Medicaid or Medi-Cal- Medicaid or Medi-Cal is a state funded program for individuals that require home care services (IHSS), are in a skilled nursing or intermediate care home and do not have any other income other than Social Security benefits.
With just a little analysis and financial planning, home care services for our aging loved ones need not be a concern to the adult child. Whether the time is right now or in the future, a seemingly daunting task is actually quite easy to navigate with proper planning.
Home care Services in Darien, IL counselors at Safe at Home Healthcare are available to talk with you about your in-home care needs including how to reduce caregiver stress while providing better, affordable care, including live-in care. We are an elder care agency providing Home Care in Darien.
Home Care is a Great Choice in Naperville, IL
If you are the child of aging parents, you might be encountering some problems. It can be problematic to take care of your own family, go to a work environment each day, and take care of your elderly parents. The strain can be difficult, especially when you want to do what is correct for your parents and make sure that your parents are taken care of even when you can’t be alongside them all of the time.
The good news is that there is a option that can help. You and your parents should give consideration to home care. Home care is a great choice for getting extra assistance for your aging loved ones. Home care is a type of care in which a healthcare professional or other skilled caregiver enters into your parents’ home to provide different services and types of care. You and your parents can decide how many hours each day a helping hand is needed and which times of day your parents need the most aid.
You may dedicate a lot of time fretting about your parents when you can’t be with them. Your parents may not want to leave their home to go into a nursing home or assisted living facility. The resolution to this situation is in-home care, which will allow your parents to stay in their own home where they are most secure and will minimize some of your fear and stress about the condition.
When you choose in-home care, the healthcare professional can relieve you of some of your tasks. The caregiver can help your parents with basic skills such as bathing and getting dressed each morning. The caregiver can even aide your parents if they need help using the toilet.
As the child of aging parents, you might be concerned that your parents don’t have the ability to cook dinner anymore, or you might be worried that your parents aren’t eating as well as they should be. A caregiver can help ease these anxieties by preparing meals and making sure they eat each day. You and your parents can even converse with the caregiver to speak about your worries and put together a dietary plan that makes everyone feel good about your parents’ nutritional needs.
If you choose to get in-home care for your aging parents, you can get supplemental help in the area of home tasks. Chances are that you have been trying to keep your home clean as well as your parents’ home. This can be especially arduous if you work a full time job on top of everything else. When you employ a professional in the field of elder care, that person can help with light housekeeping duties, which include doing the washing.
Perhaps one of the best features of elder care is that your parents will have some camaraderie during the day when you can’t be there. Your aging parents may be getting lonely, and you may be feeling troubled because you can’t spend the amount of time with your parents that you hope you could. You can stop being guilty that you aren’t with your parents and start feeling nice about recognizing someone is with your parents who takes care. Of course, a caregiver can even take your parents out of the house to doctor’s visits, the supermarket, the pharmacy, or just about wherever your parents wants to go.
Elder care may be the help you and your parents need. Your parents can live independently, and you can get the extra help you will need to make sure your parents’ needs are being met. Just knowing that somebody is there with your parents can ease some of the weight from you.
Home Care in Naperville, IL counselors at Safe at Home Healthcare are available to talk with you about your in-home care needs including how to reduce caregiver stress while providing better, affordable care, including live-in care. We are an elder care agency providing Home Care in Naperville.
How to talk to Elderly Parents regarding In-Home Caregivers in Aurora, IL
Caring for an aging parent who still lives in their residence is complicated. That is never more true than when the parent has considerable health issues that need constant care. Notwithstanding what age a person is, it is not easy to give up independence. That is why it is hard for children to talk to their aging parents about home care services. It is important to find ways to examine care services with parents in a smooth tone that does not feel alarming to them.
Feeling guilty- Children find it rather tough to approach parents about caregiver stress they have been going through since taking on the matter. Children often feel remorseful over thinking about care for their parents because their parents brought them up and the children feel as though they are letting their parents down if they need to bring in home care. The strategy for these cases may be to engage respite care to come to the home and aid in the short term. This will help test the waters to see how the parent does respond to having in-home care. The parent may voluntarily allow the offer of respite care to aid in regular elder care. This can comfortably rid the children of a guilty feeling that is not necessary in the first place.
Facing it Head-On– Beating around the bush when intending to talk to an elderly parent about elder care will conclude in not speaking about it at all. Have all the information and facts necessary to discuss to the parent what is needed and all the justifications that it is a useful strategy to hire elder care. The information gathered should include prices as well as possible offers to cover the costs if insurance does not cover it. Most elderly people are on a fixed income and that is something that children should consider before meeting with their parents about respite care. Be delicate but candid when coming near the issue.
Reality- The reality of a parent in need of an in-home caregiver is critical to stress in the course of the talk. Parents should be reminded that the children work full-time positions, have small children to care for or everything else that raises caregiver stress levels. Stress ends in bad communication skills and ultimately resentment and bitterness over having to undertake the extra obligation of caring for an elderly parent. When children take on the duty of caring for an ill parent, the connection often suffers greatly because of the stress related complications.
Worries- Be open and honest with the elderly parent when he or she has issues. The worries might seem like complaints or excuses, but they are real worries that the parent is feeling and should be addressed rather quickly. Two of the main fears the parent might have are cost and having someone in the home who is a complete stranger. Do not make pledges that cannot be maintained, but provide guidance gained by talking to a specialist about it.
Adult children who are care taking of their elderly parents understand early on that it is a daunting challenge at best. There are duties involved in caring for an elderly parent that are complex to handle. Children and parents should aid each other when they can. There is a time to realize that an in-home caregiver is the best answer. Be ready to take on the extra cost if the elderly parent cannot manage the cost themselves. Some insurance companies will cover the cost in certain circumstances. Otherwise, arrangements have to be made financially if an in-home caregiver is the only option.
Caregivers in Aurora, IL at Safe at Home Healthcare are available to talk with you about your in-home care needs including how to reduce caregiver stress while providing better, affordable care, including live-in care. We are an elder care agency providing Home Care in Aurora.
Elder Care Naperville, IL: Our Parents Are Aging: How Can We Tell if They Need Help?
Adult children get busy with their own lives, and many live quite a distance from their aging parents. If you are a “long-distance child,” the holiday season may present your only chance to detect changes in your parents’ health, their environment and their overall attitude toward life. What should you watch for that could help you decide if you need to suggest to your parents that they get some help?
For years, when I knew my brother and his wife were going to visit our parents, I’d prepare my sibling for how “bad” Mom and Dad were going to look. Our parents both lived with degenerative diseases, and each had a different type of dementia. It seemed to me, their primary caregiver, that they were fading away. My sister saw them nearly once each week, as well, and she agreed with me. We didn’t want our brother to be shocked by their failing health, so we prepared him. Or so we thought.
It turned out that our parents were so pumped up about their son coming to visit, that he’d arrive and see our elders looking really quite good. I then felt foolish for having over prepared my brother in excess for something he just couldn’t see.
As soon as my brother would leave, like a deflated balloon, our parents would sink back to the level where they were before the visit. One year – and this nearly broke my heart – my mother was so excited about the visit she could talk of nothing else. Then, after my brother left, Mom asked which weekend he was coming. She’d totally forgotten the visit had happened.
Still, the aging parent can only keep up this wellness act for a short time. So, if an adult child coming from a distance can stay a few days, he or she does have a chance to get a fresh look at how the parents are doing. Their input can help the caregiver who sees the parents daily, since a primary caregiver may not notice subtle changes.
Also, we who live close to our elders, or who are primary caregivers, tend to do what needs to be done, so it could be that the elders are losing certain abilities and we haven’t noticed. That’s when someone who only sees the elders occasionally can be really helpful.
Do Mom and Dad “Cover” for Each Other?
Long married couples can often finish each other’s sentences. They can help each other read, eat and do other things so common to daily life that no one stops to notice that they are such a team they are “filling in the gaps” for each other. Often, even they don’t know this is happening. When you visit, try to “separate” the team a bit. See if Dad’s hearing is getting worse, but Mom is hearing for him. See if Mom’s balance is bad in the morning, but Dad is getting her breakfast and making sure she is steady before anyone else sees her. In other words, see if it takes a team for them just to hang on.
Teamwork is wonderful, and it’s beautiful to see long-married couples working seamlessly beside each other. However, if there are health issues that need tending to, this teamwork can be detrimental. Getting each of your parents alone will help you identify strong and weak points.
Elder care counselors at Safe at Home Healthcare are available to talk with you about your in-home care needs including how to reduce caregiver stress while providing better, affordable care, including live-in care. We are an elder care agency providing Home Care in Naperville.
Elder Care Naperville, IL: 12 Fun Ways Seniors Can Get in Shape
If you’re a senior, few things are more important to your health than exercise. The problem? Many seniors find themselves able to do fewer physical activities as they get older. Frustration often ensues, and this can create a vicious circle that leads to even less activity, further senior health problems, and in some cases, immobility. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Seniors shouldn’t feel that they are limited in the activities available to them. In fact, it’s quite the contrary — there are dozens of exercises for seniors, many of which are non-traditional, low-impact exercises that limit stress on the body and risk of injury.
Here are 12 exercises that are sure to keep you engaged at every age.
12 Great Exercises for Seniors
1. Take up dancing. A recent study at the University of Missouri showed that dancing helped improve seniors’ gait and balance and could help prevent dangerous injuries from falls. “Dancing is a fantastic way to get some cardiovascular benefit, improve your coordination and balance, and meet local seniors who enjoy similar activities,” says Carrie Plummer, MSN, an instructor at the Vanderbilt School of Nursing in Nashville, Tenn. For many types of dance classes, you don’t even have to bring a partner.
2. Become a Zen master. “Research has shown that participating in low-impact exercise classes, such as tai chi or yoga, can help improve strength, balance, and coordination and reduce stress,” says Plummer. “Many yoga poses can be modified to work for those who are less flexible or have decreased upper or lower body strength.”
3. Hit the links. Golf is a go-to game for competitive seniors who want to get back to nature in a fun way.
Elder care counselors at Safe at Home Healthcare are available to talk with you about your in-home care needs including how to reduce caregiver stress while providing better, affordable care, including live-in care. We are an elder care agency providing Home Care in Naperville.
Elder Care Naperville, IL: Balancing a Loved One’s Needs With Your Own
Do you provide assistance for an older person who needs care? People of all ages can be caregivers, but it is very common for older people to become caregivers to their spouses or other loved ones, and – too often – they begin to neglect their own health at an age when they should really be paying more attention to it.
Caregiving is both mentally and physically stressful, and caregivers are considered to be at increased risk for physical health problems and depression. If you are a caregiver in your senior years, it is even more important that you take care of your own health.
The Health Effects of Caregiving
Whether caring for an ailing spouse or another loved one, many caregivers become so concerned with their care-providing role that they neglect their own health, putting themselves at increased risk of:
Poor physical health: 16 percent of caregivers say that their health declined after they become caregivers.
Psychological stress: Approximately half of all people who provide Alzheimer’s care, a common type of elder care, report experiencing distress. The effects of psychological stress can be widespread and may include depression, burnout, alcohol and drug use, and other problems.
Self-neglect: Caregivers are more likely than non-caregivers to eat poorly, be sleep deprived, not exercise, not rest when ill, and postpone medical appointments.
Death: Caregivers are at higher risk of dying than the general population.
Elder care counselors at Safe at Home Healthcare are available to talk with you about your in-home care needs including how to reduce caregiver stress while providing better, affordable care, including live-in care. We are an elder care agency providing Home Care in Naperville.
Exercise Class Helps Alzheimer’s Patients
Judy Buck is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, diagnosed about a year and a half ago.
“I can’t imagine what it’s like,” the 68-year-old Henrietta woman said of the time when she won’t know everything that’s going on around her.
But she is not waiting.
Judy and her husband, Dick Buck, 69, enrolled in a class at the JCC of Greater Rochester, New York for people with Alzheimer’s and the spouse or family member caring for them. She struggled in the first session to follow some of the footwork. She practiced at home, and the second time stayed in sync with the group.
“I was able to learn something new,” Judy Buck said.
Alzheimer’s Research
As researchers keep working on long-term treatments in the quest for a cure, attention is being paid to non-medical approaches to managing the disease and improving life for patients and the people closest to them.
The JCC, which several years ago piloted an exercise program in conjunction with the Alzheimer’s Association, developed that idea into Music, Mindfulness and Motion. The six-week class meets for an hour on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and combines aerobics with strength, balance and visual training. The program, led by certified personal trainers Carm Heidt and Kathy Mulvehill, is open to the public and funded with a $10,000 grant from the Konar Family Foundation.
Early diagnosis means that people are functioning longer with the disease, increasing the need for activities to promote general health.
“In the past, they didn’t call us till it was late-stage and they were looking for a nursing home,” said Paula Casselman, director of programs and services for Alzheimer’s Association Rochester & Finger Lakes Chapter. “The earlier they are diagnosed, the quicker they can receive treatment that helps in social engagement and physical activity. It’s not a cure for the disease, but it improves quality of life.”
Read more about day care centers for those with Alzheimer’s.
Alzheimer’s care counselors at Safe at Home Healthcare are available to talk with you about your in-home care needs including how to reduce caregiver stress while providing better, affordable care, including live-in care. We are an elder care agency providing Home Care in Aurora.
Elder Care Naperville, IL: The Importance of Taking Medications Correctly
With the continued increase in pollution — the popular adage that proclaims, “Health is Wealth” was never truer than it is today. However, with the rising cost of healthcare, it would seem that great wealth is indeed needed in order to maintain health. As a result, many (especially the elderly) choose to augment their medication or totally skip them. This problem had become so prevalent that in 2005, Katherine Binns, the President of Harris Interactive (a healthcare research company), stated that almost half of all the prescriptions for drugs, which were supposed to be taken regularly, were either not completed or never filled. This is especially true for seniors who aside from possible cost issues may have difficulties such as depression and memory loss to consider.
By wanting to cut cost, many individuals do not realize that the benefit of saving a little money in the meantime may actually be more detrimental in the long run. Prescription drugs are precisely given with the particular dosage and duration in mind. Altering the formula in any way can lessen the effectiveness of the drug, or make it harmful to the patient. Furthermore, many medications are control released and are designed to release medication over the entire day. Techniques such as cutting them in half and taking only a part can alter its mechanism and affect the potency. In the end, it may turn out to be more costly as the ailment you are trying to treat or regulate is not properly addressed. As former U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Coop correctly stated, “A drug can’t work if you’re not taking it.” Seniors are the most affected by this problem since they generally have the most pills to take.
Chuck Cruden, a former senior’s advocate who worked for an organization that focused on issues specific for the elderly, states that high cost is the number one problem. According to him, many of them live on a fixed income while the cost of living continues to rise. However, Cruden is also aware that altering or skipping medication is not the proper response. “It’s not something to gamble with,” he points out. Instead, there are several ways a patient can try to circumvent the problem. While it is not applicable to all, generics are often a good option as they can be 60-70% lower than their branded counterparts. Also, paying for pharmaceutical bills in parts rather than in lump sum may be less of a burden on the cash flow.
Other than cost, medical noncompliance becomes an issue because of cognitive concerns such as forgetfulness, doubt whether the drug really works, a fear of possible side effects, a feeling that the symptoms of sickness have disappeared, confusing instructions, etc. To remedy this, assistance should be given which may be in the form of a caregiver or through assisted living. Caregivers are extremely important as they can help create a routine for the elder patient, which can greatly simplify an otherwise complicated and tedious routine. Even something as simple as arranging the medicine from the most, to the least important is already a big help since it increases the probability that the more serious ailments are treated first. Additionally, caregivers can employ more advanced tools such as pill cutters to make sure that the medicine is easier to swallow, as well as electronic tracking systems to help in reminding the patient of the right time to take the pill. In the same way, assisted living is also a viable option for patients who may need more constant and consistent care in order to avoid future complications.
Home care counselors at Safe at Home Healthcare are available to talk with you about your in-home care needs including how to reduce caregiver stress while providing better, affordable care, including live-in care. We are an elder care agency providing Home Care in Naperville.
Caregivers Aurora IL: November is American Diabetes Month
As November arrives, we look forward to Thanksgiving and being with family. However, we should not forget that November is also American Diabetes Month. It affects 26 million people in America, while another 79 million are at risk. These numbers are staggering. Most of us have a relative or know someone that suffers from this disease. So what exactly can we do about this epidemic?
The Stop Diabetes website offers different ways on how you can become involved. Donating money or joining local American Diabetes Month meetings are great options to help raise awareness. Also, local offices can put together special events to help raise money to support research and education. Don’t forget to ask your local hospital or assisted living center if you can volunteer by providing elder care.
Two important factors in the fight against diabetes are diet and exercise. By educating those who have the disease, you can help take a critical step in the right direction. It’s common knowledge that diets low in carbohydrates and processed sugars can help maintain insulin levels. However, research has found that vegan, vegetarian, or plant-based diets are effective in regulating diabetic symptoms. You must explain that exercise is as necessary as a proper diet. When you exercise regularly it increases muscle, lowers body fat, and increases the body’s receptiveness and utilization of insulin. Also, being active decreases blood pressure and the potential for heart disease. Caregivers who deal with senior care are better off teaching the elderly about nutrition since physical activity declines in old age. That is not to say that seniors can’t exercise.
Nearly a quarter of the population over 60 has been diagnosed with diabetes. Heart disease and stroke are prevalent risks of diabetes that increase with age. Seniors are often forgotten about because there is a notion that elder care can be difficult. When offering senior care, volunteers must be aware that the elderly are also susceptible to cognitive degeneration. Caregivers who help seniors in assisted living situations are truly special people.
While the numbers of diabetics are enormous and only seem to be growing, through raising awareness, maintenance and education they will diminish with time. If those who suffer from diabetes can be educated about nutrition and exercise, then their health can be maintained. By raising awareness and educating the 79 million who are at risk, there will be no need for them be diagnosed with this unnecessary disease.
Caregivers at Safe at Home Healthcare are available to talk with you about your in-home care needs including how to reduce caregiver stress while providing better, affordable care, including live-in care. We are an elder care agency providing Home Care in Aurora.
