Finding a senior caregiver is often an “immediate” need. People who have not experienced the need for senior care for a family member usually do not understand why senior care is so often very quickly needed.
Senior care, like many things in life, is something most people just hope they will never need. And because of this, people do not plan ahead. Even those families who save money to be able to pay for senior care during their retirement years, usually do not think about the type of care they would like and where they will have the care.
A fiend of mine was visiting Chicago from Texas this week and her story highlights why senior care is very often a challenge. She and her husband live in another state and have two children under the age of 5. Her father-in-law was a no-show for a Mother’s Day brunch. One of the brothers went to his house to find that he was in a diabetic coma which the doctor’s think may have happened a couple days earlier. The father-in-law had to have a leg amputated and they also discovered he has dementia.
He is recovering in a nursing home but Medicare will only pay for a nursing home for up to 100 days after a major medical incident and even during that time Medicare will usually not cover everything (personal items, etc.).
My friend and her husband must return to Texas for their jobs and their children’s activities. Decisions must be made quickly regarding the father-in-law’s care once Medicare will not continue to pay for the nursing home. He cannot live alone in his home. Is it time for him to move to an assisted living community or will he stay in his home with caregiving services? And how much does everything cost?
Research senior care options and costs in your area before you need them – then you will at least understand the options and the realities of what Medicare does and does not cover. You will also have one less stressful item to deal with when a medical emergency happens to a senior loved one. Review nursing home costs and ratings before you need a nursing home for rehabilitation.
Remember that senior home care agencies are licensed and regulated in most states and deliver the security of professionally managed care in the home. Assisted Living communities vary in the services they provide – some specialize in care for memory loss and have more advanced care services, such as nursing home care. Other Assisted Living communities focus on providing a home to active seniors only.
Senior caregivers are needed nationwide. Anyone with a caring personality may apply to a part-time or full-time companion caregiving position in their area or refer-a-friend to work as a senior caregiver and be entered to win weekly and monthly prizes.
