The concerns about finding suitable senior care are growing across the country. Even the New York Times has published editorials discussing the many issues that plague senior citizens as they attempt to find the most beneficial assistance while navigating all of the red tape that exists. The purpose of all these rules and restrictions is to help people, yet many people find that it actually does the exact opposite of all this. With the senior population now bigger than ever before, it’s important that the red tape is as minimal as possible in order to maximize the help that is given.
The first priority should always be the needs of the person. If the senior care that you have helped set up for them is not doing this, things need to change. Our nation is currently trending toward pushing people to nursing homes, yet this is not always the best level of care for them. A lot of seniors do need intensive medical attention like this, but a lot just need the friendship and companionship that an in-home caregiver can provide. Passing an elderly person back and forth from home to home is also detrimental. Studies indicate that strange locations can induce dementia like symptoms, and the senior does not have a guaranteed chance of recovering from this. In other words, this type of guess and check method of finding the best senior care does more harm than good.
However, sometimes movement is a necessity. It’s unfortunate, and it can be harmful, but sometimes mistakes are made when it comes to judgment of an individual’s needs. The best way to avoid this is to make transitions as seamless and pain free as possible. For example, when care becomes necessary, baby steps can be the best option. Starting with in-home care is almost always the best choice since it has no invasive qualities, keeps the senior within their home, and still provides them with assistance with all of their daily tasks.
Unfortunately, not everyone is eligible for in-home care through their insurance. This is unfortunate, and does not help seniors as much as they could be. The best way to avoid this is to either be able to afford care out of pocket, or to have a policy in place long beforehand that will cover the type of care that you wish to have. There are in-home healthcare policies out there that focus on providing high quality in-home care, but most of these need to be obtained through private insurance. Again, a lot of seniors rely on public healthcare through Medicare and Medicaid. In fact, it is mandated that Medicare be signed up for in some form. Going beyond the minimum requirements can quickly become costly and eat up the fixed income that Social Security provides.
The system is not perfect right now, and being aware of that is the first step toward getting the best care for your elderly loved one. If you know the problem, it becomes much easier to solve it. The earlier you plan, the more likely you are to find a working solution on the first try and avoid further issues down the road.
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