Elder care for families involves long-term planning for living arrangements and health care needs for an elder family member who requires some form of daily care and assistance. The key to finding appropriate care is knowing what options are available for various types of care, from in-home health care services to assisted living facilities and nursing homes. Your family should also learn your elder family member's wishes for who will be responsible for making health care decisions when he is unable to make those decisions himself.
Elder Care Resources
The Administration on Aging is part of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services and is the federal agency charged with providing information and resources for elder Americans, their caregivers and their family members. The agency also provides home- and community-based services under the Older Americans Act, such as home-delivered meals, adult day care and health promotion programs. A web tool called "Eldercare Locator" (see Resources) is available on the agency's website to assist you in finding service providers that help older persons remain independent.
In-home Care Services
If an elder family member requires medical services that do not involve skilled nursing care, in-home health care can be an important option for allowing him to continue living at home. You can arrange with a private home care agency to provide the necessary services. Be sure that the agency meets certain minimum standards regarding elder care by determining if the agency is accredited by one of the major accrediting organizations for home care agencies, such as the Community Health Accreditation Program.
Assisted Living Homes
When an elder family member requires some degree of medical supervision but wants to retain a measure of independence in a home-like environment, an assisted living facility may be an appropriate option. The costs associated with an assisted living facility are usually divided between rent paid for housing and fees for additional services, such as medical care. The fees for these services can often be covered by the resident's private health insurance. In some states, Medicare will provide some funding for these services because they are less expensive when provided at an assisted living facility rather than at a nursing home.
Nursing Homes
Probably the most difficult decision a family can contemplate is placing an elder family member in a nursing home, which is often a choice of last resort when a medical condition makes the person's ability to live independently impossible. Intertwined with this difficult issue are concerns about the quality and costs associated with nursing homes. In many cases, either Medicare or Medicaid can cover a significant portion of these costs. These programs also require nursing homes to be certified according to federal standards. You can use the government's official Medicare website (see References), which provides a search tool to help you obtain information for every nursing home in the country that is Medicare and Medicaid certified.
Medical Directive
An important decision for every elder family member to make is appointing a trusted family member to make health care decisions when she is unable to make such decisions for herself. The elder must complete a written medical directive, sometimes called a "living will," to give another person the legal right to make medical decisions for her. It is important for the elder family member to provide information as to what decisions she prefers in given situations.
Member Comments