You are a take charge person. You like being in the driver’s seat. It’s your life and you want to be sure you get to live it your way.
Perhaps you cared for your parents and want things handled differently when you reach your own elderhood. Maybe you do not have children and wonder who will help you when you need it. Perhaps you do have children and want to have your independence, make your own decisions.
This blog is for those who want to proactively plan for their later years. Check out our monthly posts for thoughts that can help you decide what will work best for you in terms of housing, paying for care, and meeting life’s challenges as you age.
Want to set up a plan? Call us for a consultation: 302-200-9719
Once you have come to terms with your diagnosis, it’s a big step to let others know. You can’t control their reactions, but you can help them learn more about your condition and how best to support you.
April 16 is National Healthcare Decisions Day. To honor the importance of advance planning, we present issues to consider when you appoint someone to make healthcare decisions for you should you become unable to voice your own wishes (a coma, dementia, under anesthesia during surgery). This person is known as your “health care agent”
If you want to make one last move to where you can receive all the levels of care you might need all in the same place, you may want to consider a continuing care retirement community (CCRC). From independent living with high-end amenities to assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing, it’s all available on a single campus.
If you don’t wish to remarry or live together, there is a growing trend of older adult couples keeping their respective homes while enjoying a romantically exclusive and intimate relationship. They are freed from expectations of domestic chores and eventual caregiving, yet enjoy more emotional support and companionship than if they were simply dating.
Medicare provides a yearly opportunity to address prevention and wellness with your doctor. These visits are 100 percent paid for by Medicare. But they are NOT the “annual physical” you were accustomed to in younger years. It’s wise to understand the difference.
Most people are surprised to learn that Medicare pays for only a limited amount of the daily care you are likely to need in your lifetime (about 14%).
Medicare covers only services delivered by medically trained professionals. That means you need to have savings or insurance and rely on a collection of local programs. Or family and friends who may be able to pitch in with labor or funds.
Allowing a stranger into your home can leave you feeling quite vulnerable. It’s important that you trust the individual and the company that does the background checks, verifies training, and puts together the schedule.
You also need to interview each company to find out pricing and minimum number of hours, and to see if they have independent quality ratings.
Choosing an assisted living community, a continuing care retirement community (CCRC), or a memory care facility is a big decision. You want to get unbiased recommendations for a good match from the start.
Your elder care support team will include friends and family, health care providers, and professional advisors. An Aging Life Care Manager can help you select wisely and coordinate these services effectively.
How you pay for care at home depends on whether the service is by medically trained staff or by nonmedical caregivers. Also, what you can mix and match in terms of community programs and help from friends and family.
Medicare pays only for care in the home that requires the skills of a nurse, nursing assistant, physical therapist, or other medically trained professionals.
