Insurance is one of the toughest topics to talk about when it comes to senior care. Not because insurance itself is a difficult topic (although it certainly is!), but because the answer to a lot of insurance related questions, at least pertaining to the senior care business as a whole, tends to be, “it depends.”
Medicaid–Medi-Cal, for those of us here in California–is attempting to make insurance a little bit easier to navigate when it comes to care. They have recently expanded funding to help seniors and those with disabilities stay in their homes for longer. Previously, this was something that was done on a state by state basis, with only a handful of states really giving funding to in-home care, such as New Jersey and Minnesota. Now, funding for in-home care is widely available in almost all states thanks to recent changes that the U.S. government has put in place.
The infrastructure plan that President Biden has been promoting makes Medicaid funding more easily available to all states. Using these funds for in-home care services is still optionals for states, but it is one more barrier that’s been removed for low income seniors that are in need of care. There are $12.7 billion dollars in matching funds from the U.S. government for states that do adopt Medicaid-paid in-home care.
It’s one more thing that can help seniors age in place and get more out of their senior years.
Things like managing medications, preparing meals, getting around the house, and other daily tasks that we often take for granted in our own lives can be incredibly difficult for some seniors to navigate. Just because these difficulties exist does not necessarily mean that the individual requires to move into a nursing home. In fact, if increased difficulties with daily tasks are the only issue that your loved one is facing, a nursing home probably is not the right choice for their senior care.
Each situation is different, and what’s best for one family might not be what’s best for your family. But for the most part, finding the solution that helps to meet your loved one’s needs and is minimally disruptive to their established lifestyle is usually the right choice. That’s why we love in-home care so much. It allows seniors to live their lives pretty closely to how they always have, but without relocating or disrupting the routines that they’ve been living for years. It keeps life as close to normal as possible, while still providing the little bit of extra support needed to keep your loved one safe.
If you’re looking for the best care possible, you’ve come to the right place. Check out our website–a lot of the resources on this site are designed to help you provide the care that your loved one needs in an informal manner. But if you think that more than family care is needed in your situation, let us know. One of our professional caregivers would be honored to talk with you in a little bit more depth to help you find exactly the care that you’re looking for.
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