Information and resources about elder care can be found in your local community as well as online. The Department of Health & Human Services Administration of Aging provides a website full of information including local services, benefits and long-term care planning. Elder care help is available for nursing care, nursing home, assistance with meals, social needs, legal and financial issues, psychological concerns and spiritual support. From occasional help at home to assisted living or full time care, your elder's individual situation will determine the level of assistance needed.
Support
It is beneficial to build a support group of family members, friends and anyone close to your elder who may want to be involved in ongoing care. You can get help with specific needs through communication with doctors for medical issues, social workers for community resources and your elder's religious leader for spiritual support. There are checklists and needs assessments that can help you make sure all elder care issues are being addressed.
Needs
You can get a list of service providers and available living opportunities in your local telephone directory or through a local Google search. You can talk with people who have personal experience with elder care, including friends and your elder's doctor to get valuable information in terms of quality care and services. There are onlinesurveys to determine your needs and match you with corresponding local services that are available.
Costs
The cost of elder services varies, and full time nursing home care can be very expensive. Private health insurance and Medicare or Medicaid may provide benefits for part or all of the ongoing living costs at home or in an elder care facility. The eldercare.gov website states that Medicare does not pay any costs for assisted living, and Medicaid, a combined state and federal program, may pay part of assisted living costs if financial need qualifies your elder. In terms of nursing home costs, the Medicare.gov website states that Medicare may pay a portion of nursing home costs under very limited conditions and Medicaid will pay the majority of the cost for a nursing home if your elder has financial need.
Challenges
If your elder is injured or gets very sick, short term arrangements may be needed. Ongoing monitoring of your elder's daily care is very important. Issues such as medicine interactions, loss of appetite or memory issues can present themselves quickly and will need to be addressed. Keep a close relationship with your elder's doctor to help with any problems.
Services
The Aging Parents and Elder Care website states that your elder's in-home care can include adult day care, companion services, home health care, house cleaning, rehabilitation, personal care, live-in care, transportation services and hospice. There are individual service providers for all of these and general services providers that help you make arrangements for any of them. For help with assisted living and nursing homes, options when your elder's needs are not able to be supported at home, there are local networks and nationwide networks of facilities.
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