5 Great Ways to Pay for Home Care in Salem MA

1. Privately paying for long-term care means paying for care out of your own income, investments, savings and assets.

2. Long-term care insurance will pay for in-home care, assisted living, and nursing home care. This is the most appropriate and needed form of insurance protection available to us today. Long-term care insurance should be termed “lifestyle” insurance (it’s NOT nursing home insurance!). If your vision of your later years includes sitting at home in your own recliner, with your own remote control, watching your own TV….well, you should be planning for that future with long-term care insurance.

3. Reverse mortgages (Home Equity Conversion Mortgages) have become one of the most popular and accepted way of paying for many different expenses, including the cost of long-term care. Reverse mortgages are designed to keep seniors at home longer. A reverse mortgage can pay for in-home care, home repair, home modification, and any other need a senior may have.

4. Government assistance should be a last resort when considering how to pay for long-term care. This type of assistance refers to relying on the Medicaid system. Medicaid will pay for long-term care for seniors who cannot afford to pay for care themselves. Keep in mind that Medicaid is an under-funded and over-burdened system, therefore Medicaid resources are limited. This means that in many areas Medicaid beds in nursing homes are difficult to find. Families may end up driving long distances to visit their loved ones. Traditionally, Medicaid resources for in-home care are extremely limited, which means most seniors who apply for Medicaid end up in a nursing home type setting. The Deficit Reduction Act 2005 makes qualifying for Medicaid even more difficult for most families. Planning ahead is really the only viable option for families today.

5. VA Aid and Attendance Pension Benefit: The Veterans Administration has established a pension program whereby your purchase of personal care and attendant home services may be paid for through your acquired pension. If you are a Veteran or the surviving spouse of a Veteran who has served at least 90 days or more on active duty with one day beginning or ending during a period of war, and you are in need of assistance at HOME due to your disabilities, you may be eligible for VA's non-service connected disability pension.

Brought to you by www.rightathomemass.net.

Andover Caregiving - Right at Home

Check out Howard Aronson, our Merrimack Valley Community Relations Coordinator and the Right at Home, In Home Care booth at the expo at the Andover Senior Center tomorrow. This comes from their Boomer Venture program, so it is for all you Boomers who are taking care of frail parents.

May 28: Caregiving Expo.

A trade show event featuring numerous organizations providing elder services, including 50-plus communities, visiting nurses, assisted living, nursing home and hospice care. Hosted by the Town of Andover and the Andover Senior Center. Special time: 5:30-7:30PM.

When is a Good Time to Consider Home Care in Salem MA?

Here’s a great link to an article that is helpful to anyone considering starting elder care, home care, or geriatric care management services for an aging loved one.

Just click on the link below, and as always if you have questions or need help, please visit our website at www.rightathomemass.net.

My Mother’s Memory is Failing…..

http://donigreenberg.com/2009/02/28/dear-j-mother-memory-something/

Elder Care North Shore: Hospice of the North Shore and Attorney Susan Wall in a CEU/ Networking Event

As part of our ongoing educational series, Right at Home, In Home Care and Assistance of Salem and The Bertram House of Swampscott are pleased to present:

Hospice of the North Shore and Attorney Susan Wall in a CEU/ Networking Event Aging with Dignity

Presented by Hospice of the North Shore

This program will provide professionals with insight into national statistics/trends as well as their own personal and societal views towards aging in order to better serve their clients. By having increased insight, professionals can dispel myths and negative stereotypes about aging. This program illustrates keys to successful aging as well as the professional’s role in helping our elder’s age with dignity.

Advanced Directives

Presented by Attorney Susan Wall

Ms. Wall is a partner at Stern, Keilty, and Wall, LLC located in Salem, MA. She has been practicing law since 1988 and is a well known speaker who educates attorneys, social workers, health care professionals, and elders on the legal rights of the elderly.

1 CEU for Nursing, Social Work, and Case Management
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Bertram House of Swampscott
556 Humphrey Street
Swampscott, MA

Registration/refreshments 4:30 PM

5:00-6:00 PM program

Space is limited so please reserve your spot by contacting:

Lynne Nieman 978-744-5151
Or
Lnieman@rightathomemass.com

To view the invitation click on this link:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/15489349/Event-Right-at-Home-Home-Care-Salem-Massachusetts

Eye Disease and Cognitive Impairment?

Age-related Eye Disease May Be Associated With Cognitive Impairment

ScienceDaily (May 15, 2009) — Older adults with low scores on tests of cognitive function, including thinking, learning and memory appear more likely to have the early stages of the eye disease age-related macular degeneration, according to a new report.
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Age-related macular degeneration (AMD)—the leading cause of visual impairment in industrialized nations—has long been thought to share a common pathway with Alzheimer's disease, according to background information in the article. First, both conditions involve similar changes in the brain and eye, including the buildup of protein fragments known as beta-amyloid. "Second, clinical studies suggest that AMD and Alzheimer's disease share similar vascular risk factors, such as hypertension [high blood pressure] and cigarette smoking," the authors write. "Both AMD and Alzheimer's disease have been linked to an increased risk of stroke."

Michelle L. Baker, M.D., of the University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, and colleagues assessed 2,088 individuals age 69 to 97. Participants underwent cognitive testing, retinal photography for the detection of AMD and an extensive assessment of artery disease and its risk factors (including blood pressure, smoking status and body mass index).

After controlling for age, sex, race and the center at which they participated in the study, the one-fourth of individuals with the lowest scores on one cognitive test were twice as likely to have early-stage AMD as were individuals with higher scores. However, there was no association between AMD and scores on a second cognitive test, dementia or Alzheimer's disease.

"In conclusion, we found an association between low cognitive function and early AMD in this older population," the authors write. "These data, along with others, provide further support that AMD and cognitive impairment may share similar complex pathogenesis [development] and risk factors."

The research reported in this article was supported by contracts from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, with additional contributions from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Additional support was provided by a grant from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and by the National Heart Foundation.

HBO Alzheimer's Project

The HBO Alzheimer's Project started last night!! 54% of all Americans have been touched by Alzheimer's Disease. In the future, it will be more. The more we understand, the more we can walk our road ahead or help a friend walk theirs!

Lynne Nieman and Howard Aronson from our Right at Home offices went to the opening here in Boston last month....hopefully, this will be On Demand for more to see.

Optical Health and Cataracts

Optical Health and Cataracts
Q. What's the 'scoop' on cataracts?

A. A cataract is a clouding of the lens in the eye that affects vision. The lens is a clear part of the eye that helps to focus light or an image on the retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. In a majority of cases, cataracts are related to aging and are very common. According to the U.S. National Eye Institute (NEI), by age 80, more than half of all Americans either have a cataract or have had cataract surgery.

To receive a sharp image, the lens in the eye must be clear. If the lens is cloudy from a cataract, the image will appear blurred. The lens primarily consists of water and protein. When the protein clumps up, it clouds the lens and reduces the amount of light that reaches the retina. Protein clumps are responsible for most age-related cataracts. Once the clouding becomes severe enough, blurred vision will result.

The symptoms of a cataract include cloudy or blurry vision, faded colors, the appearance of halos around lights and increased glare. Poor night vision, double or multiple images in one eye or frequent changes in your eyeglasses or contacts may also be indicators of cataracts.

The risk of cataracts increases with age. Other risk factors include certain diseases such as diabetes, smoking, alcohol consumption and prolonged exposure to ultraviolet sunlight. The NEI recommends an eye exam through dilated pupils every two years for those 60 and older. For more information check out www.nei.nih.gov/health/risk.asp.