Long Term Care

  • Protecting a Senior Against Coronavirus

    Coronavirus is especially worrisome for those who are living with elderly loved ones. Family caregivers should take the following precautions to protect seniors from COVID-19.

    4 Comments
  • Choosing a Long-Term Care Facility: Tips from a Certified Nursing Assistant

    On senior living tours, guides often direct your attention to the shiny features they’re proudest of. These amenities may be great, but this checklist of essentials can clue you in to the subtler indicators of a quality community.

    5 Comments
  • 4 Steps for Successful Long-Term Care Planning With a Spouse

    As a couple, facing the financial and emotional requirements of long-term care is a challenge. Here are the four steps to successful long-term care planning with a spouse.

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  • Medicaid or Medicare: Who Pays for Nursing Home Fees?

    The high cost of a nursing home stay can overwhelm seniors and their family members very quickly. Depending on the circumstances, Medicare, Medicaid or both programs may be used to cover nursing home expenses.

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  • Emergency Planning: Is Your Loved One’s Long-Term Care Facility Prepared?

    Every long-term care facility should have a comprehensive disaster preparedness plan in place. Be sure to ask your loved one’s senior living community how they handle emergency situations like hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, floods and fires.

    1 Comment
  • Senior Housing Options for Dementia Patients

    Deciding what type of long-term care an aging loved one needs is far more complex when dementia is a factor. Explore senior housing options and the limitations of each when considering the appropriate level of care for a senior with dementia.

    15 Comments
  • Using a Reverse Mortgage Loan to Age in Place

    A reverse mortgage loan is one option that may deserve consideration as retirement needs grow and savings and Social Security benefits may not be enough to retire on comfortably and with confidence.

    1 Comment
  • Comparing End-of-Life Care Options

    Hospice, palliative care, home-based care, hospital-based care and long-term care facilities are all viable end of life care options. Compare end of life care types, where they are provided, the benefits offered and how these services are paid for.

    3 Comments
  • Top 5 Strategies for Protecting Your Money From Medicaid

    Many seniors must apply for Medicaid to afford long-term care. Here are strategies families can use to protect some of their assets while still qualifying for financial assistance with nursing home costs.

    23 Comments
  • Understanding the Medicaid Look-Back Period and Penalty Period

    Seniors with limited income and assets must often use a spend-down strategy to qualify for Medicaid, but gifting can trigger a penalty period of ineligibility. Learn about Medicaid asset transfer rules to avoid problems with paying for long-term care.

    8 Comments
  • How to Use a Life Insurance Policy to Pay for Long-Term Care

    Unsure about how you will be able to cover long-term care costs? Learn how to convert life insurance to long-term care services without jeopardizing your Medicaid eligibility.

    23 Comments
  • Short-Term Home Care vs. Long-Term Home Care

    Whether a senior requires temporary help at home following discharge or requires permanent support to avoid placement in a long-term care facility, in-home care services can be customized to meet their unique needs.

    7 Comments
  • Seniors Behaving Badly in Long-Term Care Facilities

    It’s impossible to anticipate how a senior may interact with other residents and staff in settings like assisted living facilities and nursing homes, but staff should be prepared to handle difficult interpersonal issues and defuse tensions.

    10 Comments
  • Senior Rehab: Medicare Coverage of Skilled Nursing Facility Stays

    Medicare pays for senior rehabilitation in a skilled nursing facility, but only for a limited time and under certain circumstances. Be aware of Medicare’s rules for rehab coverage to avoid costly surprises.

    42 Comments
  • What’s the Difference Between Skilled Nursing Care and a Nursing Home?

    Confusion often arises surrounding use of the term “skilled nursing.” Understanding the terminology used in the long-term care industry is an important first step in determining viable care options for an aging loved one.

    6 Comments
  • How to Talk to Aging Parents About Moving Into Assisted Living

    When talking to aging parents about assisted living, acknowledge why they might want to remain at home and reassure them that the decision is theirs to make.

    24 Comments
  • Senior Living Tours: What to Do When an Elder Refuses to Get out of the Car

    Often caregivers manage to convince their aging loved ones to tour a long-term care facility, only to find that upon arrival they won't budge from the car. Use these tips to empathize with your parent and encourage them to give senior housing a chance.

    5 Comments
  • Medicaid Estate Recovery: Long-Term Care Benefits Aren’t Necessarily ‘Free’

    The goal of the Medicaid estate recovery program (MERP) is to recoup all the money that Medicaid spent on a senior’s care. Learn how MERP works and what families can do to minimize the impact of the recovery process.

    92 Comments
  • Veterans Benefits for Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care

    Veterans with Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia may be eligible for certain benefits and services from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Some current and surviving spouses of veterans may qualify for limited VA support as well.

    19 Comments
  • VA Aid & Attendance Pension Helps Veterans Cover the Costs of Long-Term Care

    A tax-free monetary benefit from the VA can help low-income veterans who require the aid and attendance of another person pay for care services in their own homes and in residential settings like assisted living facilities and nursing homes.

    32 Comments
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