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Your Senior Health Care Bill: $260,000 !

Editor — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:00:00 +0000

According to a new study by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, it is estimated that a average couple from the age of 65 until they pass away will need $260,000 to pay for out-of-pocket medical costs and nursing home fees. Learn more in this article from Inside Elder Care.

About 5 percent of 65-year-old couples will face catastrophic medical and long-term care costs exceeding $570,000, according to researchers Anthony Webb and Natalia Zhivan.They estimate those expenses would have exhausted the total financial assets of 85 percent of all retirees even at the peak of the stock market in 2007.

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New Social Security Benefits for Alzheimer’s

Editor — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 13:00:06 +0000

This article from Inside Elder Care informs us about the Social Security Administration’s new Compassionate Allowances Program. This is a fast-tracking system that will greatly expedite the process of patients being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and start receiving benefits.

According to the Administration, approximately 200,000 people under the age of 65 currently suffer from the symptoms of early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Due to the sheer volume of potential benefit applicants, the Administration will also benefit from this new program as it will reduce the time and effort of the appeals process that in the past would contribute to slowing down the system for every patient.

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Research Group Suggests: Shift Long-Term Care Payment Responsibility from Medicaid to Medicare

Editor — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:00:23 +0000

This article from McKnight’s Long-Term Care News informs us about a recently released policy brief from the research group Mathematica which shows us the best way to coordinate care for long-term care residents who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid.

More than half of all nursing facility residents are dual-eligibles, according to the policy brief. It is projected that 42% of all nursing home funding will come from Medicaid in 2010, while Medicare will provide only 20%. Roughly 35% will come from private pay, according to the brief.

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Lessons can be Learned from European Health Systems

Editor — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 13:43:15 +0000

This article from The Philadelphia Inquirer discusses the myths of European Health Systems. Should the U.S. change our for-profit health insurance programs ?

One of the most bewildering aspects of the current health-care debate is the failure to learn key lessons from health systems abroad.

Conservative talk show hosts decry the alleged evils of “socialized medicine” in countries with universal health coverage; they warn grimly of rationed health care. Yet there’s nary a peep from Rush Limbaugh or Glenn Beck - let alone Congress - about countries such as Germany, France, Switzerland, or Japan, where coverage is universal, affordable, and top quality, and patients see private doctors with little or no waiting.

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Woman helps Elderly care for their Pets, Especially Cats

Editor — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 13:00:22 +0000

Sister Marijon Binder, founder of Touched by an Animal and Cats-Are-Purrsons Too, boards and cares for the pets of seniors who are going into the hospital or nursing home. Learn more about this volunteer program in this article from The Chicago Sun-Times.

When paramedics arrived, they turned him over only to discover he was clutching his cat, Kelly. There was no way he was going to let go of his beloved pet, so paramedics took them both to the hospital. That’s when a savvy nurse called Sister Marijon Binder for help.

Binder runs two North Side organizations dedicated to helping seniors and their pets, especially cats. Binder helped Patrick find a nursing home. Today, Kelly lives with Binder, and every other Sunday she takes the cat to the nursing home to visit Patrick.

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Profile: Mark McClellan - Washington Wonderkind

Editor — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 13:00:27 +0000

Mark McClellan is the driving force behind the new Long-Term Quality Alliance. Discover in this article from McKnight’s Long-Term Care News why and how Mark has become the key go-to person on issues of healthcare and long-term care.

Long-term care leaders have the highest respect for McClellan, who at only 46 is a bit of a Washington wunderkind.
“In my nine years, there’s no [public servant] I think more highly of than Mark McClellan,” says Larry Minnix, CEO of the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging.

Not only was McClellan familiar with the issues at CMS, he knew how to bring people together and possessed integrity, recalls Minnix, who began his tenure at AAHSA in 2001.

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Top Brain Fitness Programs for Sustaining Mental Acuity

Editor — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 13:00:16 +0000

Healthy brain function in seniors involves more than memory and coordination. This article from Inside Elder Care discusses brain training programs that could ultimately help the elderly with everyday tasks, relationships and improve their overall quality of life.

It stands to reason that the more aware and capable you are of cognitive reasoning and performing independent living activities the higher your self confidence and emotional health.

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The Miracle Berry

Editor — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 13:00:31 +0000

Read this article from MSN’s Natural Health to discover the many health benefits of blueberries. Medical research has shown that this powerful little fruit that is high in antioxidants can possibly reverse the loss of short-term memory that happens as we age.

In tests at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston, blueberries beat out 39 other common fruits and vegetables in antioxidant power - even such heavyweights as kale, strawberries, spinach, and broccoli. Much of that power comes literally “out of the blue” - from anthocyanins, the pigments that give blueberries their deep blue hue. Blueberries are bursting with them.

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The Caregiving Words we use Matter

Editor — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 13:00:19 +0000

This blog by Tender Loving Eldercare reminds us that the words we choose to say can make a powerful difference. Words are a direct reflection of our thoughts.

While on the frontline of caregiving, I heard some nurses use the word “declining” rather than “deteriorating” when describing their care recipient. A small difference in words, yet clearly a different description. If they were describing you, or someone you love, which term would you prefer they chose? One is such a kinder word to use than the other.

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How to Create a Elder Care Support Network to Reduce Stress

Editor — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 13:00:37 +0000

Caring for an elderly loved one can be emotionally and physically draining. Here in a very helpful list from Inside Elder Care of steps to take to develop a strong support network.

In order to be able to sustain your generous efforts, you need to seek out and be able to ask for assistance. You will want a network of people and agencies you can rely on for consistent support, when you need a respite or in the event of an elder care crisis.

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