This month we celebrate National Family Caregiver's Month! The National Alliance for Caregiving is partnering with the National Alliance on Mental Illness and mental health advocates to create a toolkit for people who are caring for someone who has mental illness. The toolkit will cover a range of topics including how take care of yourself, how to find community services, planning for the future and much more. 

The toolkit will be shared in a webinar taking place on Tuesday November 21st at 3:00 pm. 

Read more about the details and register for the webinar here.

Calm is the #1 app for meditation. It is designed to help with relaxation and meditation. It has an array of features including meditation, guided breathing, help with sleep and relaxation scenes and techniques. Being a caregiver is very rewarding but it can also be extremely stressful. Make time to focus on yourself, this app can help! 

You can also follow our social media platforms to see our stress relief photo every week! Follow us on instagram, twitter and facebook!

This month is Parkinson's awareness month, read below to learn more about it and #StartAConversation.

What is Parkinson’s Disease?

Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects dopamine producing neurons in the substantia nigra part of the brain. Around one million americans live with this disease and more than 10 million people around the world.Symptoms for parkinson’s disease develop through the years and it varies in each person affected by it. There is no cure yet, but there are different treatment options that can improve symptoms.

Parkinson’s Disease Symptoms

Some of the symptoms include:

• Tremors

• Slowness of movement (bradykinesia)

• Rigid Muscles

• Balance problems

• Changes in speech and writing

Parkinson’s Disease Causes

Most of the causes of the symptoms for Parkinson happen due to a loss of neurons that produce dopamine, which in turn causes abnormal brain activity. The exact cause is still unknown but there are some factors that might be related to it, including:

• Genes and specific genetic mutations

• Environmental Factors, including toxins

Tips for Caregivers

• Find support from a group or an association, like P.A.C.

• Involve an expert or a professional

• Organize and plan your care

• Take care of yourself too!

#StartAConversation

Caregiver education has evolved to become state-specific as senior caregiving services have moved to the home. Senior care has become it's own industry with both state and federal regulations which now include training certification requirements.

Senior care education includes learning about:

• Communicating with Seniors
• Age-related Illnesses such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease
• Infection Control and Environmental Safety
• Emergency Game Plan
• Safe Transfers and Assistance with Activities of Daily Living
• Personal Care and Toileting 

Buy Online Training and Maintain Ongoing Access with the Caregiverlist Certified Training courses.

Senior caregiver training requirements vary by state, based on state law requirements for licensed senior home care agencies and private duty senior care (caregivers hired and paid privately - this is still an old-school term used in the industry: "private duty").

Why do states regulate senior care? Because most senior care fraud starts in the home by a loved one or caregiver. Senior care can take an emotional toll on the caregiver and sometimes this can lead even good caregivers to take a wrong turn to justify financial, emotional or physical elder abuse.

In addition, many of our modern employment laws, such as payroll taxes which an employer takes out of each check for the employee and also contributes additional money for each payroll, provide for Social Security benefits, Worker's Compensation benefits and insurance protections and healthcare benefits.

States are passing legislation to protect both the caregiver and the senior. 

Caregiverlist provides a training portal to allow senior care companies to easily train all of their caregivers and track the training renewals while giving the caregivers a competency exam to test retention of the training skills.

Family caregivers and hire-direct caregivers can also take online caregiver training to learn basic caregiving skills to make sure they are maintaining safety and staying current with elder-abuse laws, privacy laws and the latest Alzhiemer's disease care and approved medications and other age-related disease care. Caregivers may view training required in their state and join the Professional Association of Caregivers to receive a t-shirt and lapel pin along with their online training course.

Nursing home daily rates are usually above $100 per day and can be higher than $400 per day, as the Caregiverlist Nursing Home Costs directory shows. Many Illinois nursing homes charge more than $300 per day for a private room and the median cost for a single room is $208 per day. Studies show that nursing home workers are among the most underpaid working women and men in the country with 1 in 3 nursing assistants relying on public assistance for some of their family's living needs.

Chicago Illinois nursing home workers participated in rallies on Thursday, April 14, 2017, to showcase their need for a higher hourly pay rate, seeking $15 per hour. Politicians, including two high-profile Democratic candidates for governor, Chris Kennedy and J.B. Pritzker, joined the rallies.

The Paraprofessional Health Institute reports in their research that nursing assistants and workers providing laundry, food and housekeeping services are underpaid, often viewed "as a cost to be managed rather than an asset to invest." Keeping the wage floor low leads to 50% of nursing home workers leaving their positions each year and adds to the dramatically growing gap in available trained long-term care providers.

Nursing homes employ Certified Nursing Assistants (C.N.A.'s) who must meet minimum training requirements and pass a state certification exam to care for residents.

• 91% of Nursing Assistants are Women
• 1 in 3 C.N.A.'s rely on taxpayer-funded public benefits such as food stamps, energy assistance or Medicaid
• Insufficient staffing levels contribute to high injury rates and high turnover
• The average turnover for nursing assistants exceeded 50% in 2012
• More than 1.3 million older Americans and people with disabilities currently reside in nursing homes
• 10,000 Americans turn age 65 daily and the number of older Americans age 85+ will triple by 2050

Indiana’s estimated senior population, those aged 65+, is approximately 14.6% of it’s total 6.6 million population, according to the Census Bureau. Evidence shows that many elderly will find themselves in need of nursing home care at some point, whether it’s for post-hospital rehabilitation or for more permanent long-term care. Elderly Hoosiers may seek long-term care one of the state’s 558 nursing homes.

Long term nursing homes care can deplete a senior’s assets fairly quickly if the family private pays. While Medicare pays for the first 100 days of nursing home rehab care after a hospital stay, any time after that, costs are absorbed by the senior. Most people don’t know how much nursing home care costs in their area. Unfortunately, few people think of the cost of care until it’s too late to plan.

Indiana senior care planning includes understanding costs of nursing homes in the chosen area, along with their overall ratings. Long-term senior care costs are a concern among our readers and we at Caregiverlist® have an ongoing mission to educate the consumer. To that end, we are constantly updating our nursing home cost database and have released the latest costs and ratings for Indiana nursing homes.

Below is a snapshot of Indiana nursing home costs and ratings:

Total Number of Nursing Homes: 558
Average Single Price: $219
Average Double Price: $180

Average Rating: 2.6 (out of 5) Stars
Star Rating Snapshot:
5-Star: 11
4-Star: 152
3-Star: 254
2-Star: 94
1-Star: 47

You can also see Indiana’s updated nursing home cost infographic for January 2017 here.

Many Indiana seniors and their families will opt to hire an in-home professional senior caregiver if around-the-clock care is not needed. The average hourly rate for senior home care in Indiana is approximately $20 per hour. A quality home care agency will provide liability and worker's compensation insurance and payroll taxes as required by law.

Are you looking for the best Indiana nursing home whose cost falls below the state average? Miller's Merry Manor in Wabash, IN fits the bill. This 84-bed long-term care facility is not only one of the highest rated nursing home in our database, with a 4.2 overall star-rating, the cost of a shared room is $161, 10.59% lower than the average double price of $180 in Indiana.

We suggest families consult with a professional to determine what sort of financial action plan can help with the costs of long-term care, before it is needed. Caregiverlist® can also provide a care plan to find senior home care agency options in Indiana and help you learn about the costs for senior care.

Seniors and their family caregivers can research nursing home costs and ratings in any state nationwide through the Caregiverlist® Nursing Home Directory, the only resource with this trademarked information.

Caregiverlist® has released the January 2017 daily costs of nursing homes in Indiana. The 558 Indiana nursing homes have an average cost of $180 per day, or $67,500 per year for a semi-private room. They have an average Caregiverlist® Star Rating of 2.6 out of 5 stars. Indiana's nursing home rates are among the lowest in the area; only Illinois' nursing home averages are lower at $166 per day. Michigan's nursing homes are the priciest in the area with an average cost of $229 per day for a semi-private room.

Michigan, the “Wolverine State”, has the longest freshwater shoreline in the world along Lake Michigan. Michigan ranks 15th most expensive in Caregiverlist®’s national nursing home cost database, with an average room rate of $229 per day for a shared room, or about $83,500 annually.

According to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, the state’s population in 2015 was 9,922,576. Of that, 1,570,671 or 15.83% of the entire population of Michigan was 65 years or older. AARP reports that most nursing home residents are elderly: 88% of nursing home residents are 65 or older, and 45% are 85 or older. Most seniors find themselves in nursing homes after a hospital stay, mainly for rehabilitation services. However, some seniors will find that a longer nursing home stay is needed and, once Medicare’s initial 100 paid days are complete, that nursing home care will have to be private pay.

Michigan senior care planning includes understanding costs of nursing homes in the chosen area, along with their overall ratings. Most people don’t know how much nursing home care costs and few people think of the cost of care until it’s too late to plan.

Long-term senior care costs are among our readers’ top concerns. Because of that, Caregiverlist® constantly updates our nursing home cost database and have released the latest costs and ratings for Michigan nursing homes.

Below is a snapshot of Michigan nursing home costs and ratings. You can also see Caregiverlist’s® at-a-glance Infographic for Michigan Nursing Home Costs for January 2017 here.

Total Number of Nursing Homes: 455
Average Single Price: $256
Average Double Price: $229
Average Rating: 3.0 (out of 5)

Star Rating Snapshot:
5-Star: 36
4-Star: 186
3-Star: 189
2-Star: 20
1-Star: 24

The Michigan nursing home with the highest Caregiverlist® Nursing Home Rating is Eaton County Health And Rehabilitation Services in Charlotte, MI with a perfect 5 stars (out of 5) across all five categories. This facility has 142 rooms and its single-room cost, $225, is around 12% lower than the average price of a single nursing home room in Michigan. A shared room at the facility costs $220 per day, or 4.27% lower than the average double price of $229 in the state.

In-home caregiving is an alternative to institutional care If around-the-clock care is not needed. Deborah Moerland, FirstLight Home Care owner in Okemos, MI says, “Being at home is a much more comfortable place for most people. They are familiar with their surroundings and they have a much higher morale when staying in their own home. It is also much more affordable than other options. Home care also allows people to remain independent and maintain a higher quality of life.”

Caregiverlist® can provide a care plan to find senior home care agency options in Michigan and help you learn about the costs for senior care. Seniors and their family caregivers can research nursing home costs and ratings in any state nationwide through the Caregiverlist® Nursing Home Directory, the only resource with this trademarked information.

Caregiverlist® has released the updated daily costs of nursing homes in Michigan for January 2017. The 455 nursing homes have an average cost of $229 per day for a semi-private room and have an average Caregiverlist® Star Rating of 3 out of 5 stars. Michigan's nursing home rates are the highest in the area. Wisconsin comes in second with $212, and Indiana has the least costliest nursing home rates in the area, with $164 per day for a semi-private room.