Every day, more and more families from across America are relying on ElderCareMatters.com to help them find competent "Elder Care Experts" who are located near them and who can help them with a wide range of elder care matters, such as legal services, financial planning, home care, senior housing, adult day care, geriatric care management, money management, insurance services, aging in place services, etc. 

Below are just a few of the many emails that ElderCareMatters.com receives daily from families across America requesting help with their elder care matters:

• I am looking for help for my 77 year sister who lives in Louisiana and has been abandoned by her children.  Can you help me? 
• I need to locate someone to provide home care for my wife.  We live in New Jersey.  Can you help us? 
• We need to find senior transportation services in the Miami area.  Can you help us? 
• My mother has been injured in an Assisted Living Home in Arizona and we need an attorney with whom to discuss this legal matter.  Can you help us? 
• Can you help me locate elder care experts in the Jacksonville, Florida area?

If you are a competent, caring professional who helps families plan for and/or deal with elder care matters, then you should definitely become a professional member of the national Elder Care Matters Alliance and you should be listed on ElderCareMatters.com – America's #1 source for Elder Care Experts, Information & Answers about Elder Care Matters.  Professional membership is just $15/month.

To request an Application for Membership to the national ElderCare Matters Alliance, send us an email at:  info@ElderCareMatters.com

Phillip G. Sanders, MBA, MSHA, CPA
Founder & CEO, ElderCare Matters, LLC
ElderCareMatters.com

Answer:  If you are a professional who helps families plan for or deal with ANY of their elder care matters, then you owe it to yourself to be listed on America's #1 online source for "Elder Care Experts"….

ElderCareMatters.com

ElderCareMatters.com is where you will find more than 2,000 competent, caring elder care experts located across America, including:

• Elder Law Attorneys
• Estate Planning Advisors
• Financial Planners
• Investment Advisors
• Geriatric Care Managers
• Insurance Professionals
• Life Care Planners
• Professional Organizers
• Reverse Mortgage Lenders
• Senior Move Managers
• Senior Real Estate Professionals
•  Tax Advisors
• Aging in Place Professionals
• Daily Money Managers
• And other elder care experts with long and successful careers working with seniors and their families

This is also where you will find some of America's best:

• Assisted Living Communities
• Alzheimer's / Memory Care Communities
• Continuing Care Retirement Communities
• Home Care Agencies

Together, we provide families across America with:

• Unparalleled professional expertise
• Up-to-date elder care information & answers to your elder care questions
• Competent, caring assistance with a wide range of elder care services

So if you are a competent, caring elder care professional who helps families with ANY of their elder care matters, then request today an Application for Membership in the national ElderCare Matters Alliance and get listed on ElderCareMatters.com - America's #1 source for "Elder Care Experts" plus information and answers about a wide range of elder care matters.

Phillip G. Sanders, MBA, MSHA, CPA
Founder & CEO
ElderCare Matters, LLC
ElderCareMatters.com

Answer:  It is my pleasure to provide you with the following list of the 87 different elder care services that are currently provided by the members of the national ElderCare Matters Alliance on ElderCareMatters.com:

1. Accounting Services
2. Adult Day Care
3. Advance Medical Directives
4. Aging in Place Services
5. Alzheimer's / Memory Care Communities
6. Annuities
7. Arbitration
8. Asset Protection Planning
9. Assisted Living Communities
10. Assisted Living Referral Services
11. Bankruptcy
12. Bill Paying
13. Budgeting
14. Caregiving Education
15. Companion Care
16. Conservatorship
17. Consumer Law
18. Continuing Care Retirement Communities
19. Cremation Services
20. Crisis Intervention
21. Daily Money Management
22. Dementia Care
23. Disability Income Insurance
24. Disability Planning
25. Elder Abuse Litigation Services
26. Elder Law
27. ElderCare Planning
28. Estate Administration
29. Estate Liquidation
30. Estate Planning
31. Family Law
32. Financial Planning
33. Funeral Services
34. Geriatric Care Management
35. Guardianship
36. Health Insurance
37. Hoarding Clean Up and Coaching Services
38. Home Care
39. Home Downsizing Services
40. Home Health Care
41. Home Modifications
42. Hospice Care
43. Independent Living Communities
44. Investment Services
45. Life Care Planning
46. Life Insurance
47. Litigation
48. Long Term Care Insurance
49. Long Term Care Planning
50. Medicaid Planning
51. Medical Services
52. Medical Alert Systems
53. Medical Claims Processing
54. Medical Equipment & Supplies
55. Medical Malpractice Litigation
56. Medicare Consulting
57. Medicare Supplemental Insurance
58. Medication Management Services
59. Moving Services
60. Nursing Homes
61. Personal Finance
62. Powers of Attorney
63. Probate
64. Professional Organizing
65. Public / Non-Profit Resources
66. Real Estate Services
67. Rehabilitation Services
68. Residential Psychiatric Care
69. Respite Care
70. Retirement Planning
71. Reverse Mortgages
72. Securities Arbitration & Litigation Services
73. Senior Housing
74. Senior Move Management
75. Senior Move Planning
76. Senior Relocation Services
77. Social Security Disability Services
78. Special Needs Planning
79. Tax Law
80. Tax Planning
81. Tax Preparation
82. Transportation Services
83. Trustee / Fiduciary Services
84. Trusts
85. VA Benefits
86. Wills
87. Wound Care

The goal of ElderCareMatters.com is to provide families across America with the help they need to plan for and deal with their elder care matters.  Let us know if there are other elder care services that you would like to have us list on ElderCareMatters.com – America's #1 source for Elder Care Experts plus information & answers about a wide range of elder care matters.

Phillip G. Sanders, MBA, MSHA, CPA
Founder & CEO, ElderCare Matters, LLC
ElderCareMatters.com
1-877-379-4500

Answer:  ElderCareMatters.com is an elder care resource to help families across America plan for and deal with their elder care matters.  With this goal in mind, we will continue to add more elder care-related services to ElderCareMatters.com in order to make this online elder care resource invaluable for families looking for help in planning for and/or dealing with their elder care matters.

Below are the 72 different elder care services currently listed on ElderCareMatters.com (with more services soon to be added): 

1. Adult Day Care
2. Advance Medical Directives
3. Aging in Place Services
4. Alzheimer's / Memory Care Communities
5. Annuities
6. Arbitration
7. Asset Protection Planning
8. Assisted Living Communities
9. Assisted Living Referral Services
10. Bankruptcy
11. Caregiving Education
12. Consumer Law
13. Continuing Care Retirement Communities
14. Crisis Intervention
15. Daily Money Management / Bill Paying
16. Dementia Care
17. Disability Income Insurance
18. Elder Abuse Litigation Services
19. Elder Law
20. ElderCare Planning / Long-Term Care Planning
21. Estate Administration
22. Estate Liquidation
23. Estate Planning
24. Financial Planning
25. Funeral Services
26. Geriatric Care Management
27. Guardianship / Conservatorship
28. Health Insurance
29. Hoarding Clean Up and Coaching Services
30. Home Care
31. Home Downsizing Services
32. Home Health Care
33. Home Modifications
34. Hospice Care
35. Independent Living Communities
36. Investment Services
37. Life Care Planning
38. Life Insurance
39. Litigation
40. Long-Term Care Insurance
41. Medicaid / Disability Planning
42. Medical / Healthcare
43. Medical Alert Systems
44. Medical Claims Processing
45. Medical Equipment & Supplies
46. Medicare Consulting
47. Medicare Supplemental Insurance
48. Medication Management Services
49. Moving / Relocation Services
50. Personal Finance / Accounting / Tax Preparation
51. Powers of Attorney
52. Probate
53. Professional Organizing
54. Public / Non-Profit Resources
55. Real Estate Services
56. Rehabilitation Services
57. Residential Psychiatric Care
58. Respite Care
59. Retirement Planning
60. Reverse Mortgages
61. Securities Arbitration & Litigation Services
62. Senior Move Management
63. Senior Move Planning
64. Social Security Disability Services
65. Special Needs Planning
66. Tax Law
67. Tax Planning
68. Transportation Services
69. Trustee / Fiduciary Services
70. Trusts
71. VA Benefits
72. Wills

If you need help with your family's elder care matters, you can count on ElderCareMatters.com to provide you with the experts, information & answers you need to plan for and deal with your elder care matters.

Phillip G. Sanders, MBA, MSHA, CPA
Founder & CEO of ElderCareMatters.com
1-877-379-4500

Answer:  You should contact the local authorities immediately, report the theft, and ensure they understand that you’re fearful for your safety. In addition, I would terminate the services of your current caregiver and contact a local licensed home health agency.

To find  competent, caring elder care professionals across America who are located near You and can help you with your elder care matters, go to: www.ElderCareMatters.com - A FREE online resource to find elder care experts plus elder care information & answers to your elder care questions.

Bart Delsing, Owner & Chief Operating Officer
FirstLantic Healthcare, Inc.
Delray Beach, Florida  33445
561-243-7979
Member of the national ElderCare Matters Alliance, Florida chapter 

Answer:   This is a great question. Choosing the home health agency that is best-suited for your needs is essential, but the most important selection is the caregiver. Selecting a caregiver that understands the specific needs and dynamics of an Alzheimer’s patient is critical and will determine the success of a strong relationship between your parents. Here are the questions I suggest you ask: 

1. Is the home health agency licensed? If so, request a copy of their license. This will insure that the agency is operating under the regulations of the state.
2. How long has the agency been in business? It is best to choose a well-established agency. They generally  offer more experienced, trained caregivers.
3. Are the caregivers licensed, insured and supervised? You want an agency that has professional, general liability and workers compensation coverage. If the caregivers are going to drive your parents, you should inquire about non-owned auto insurance. If caregivers are transporting patients and utilizing their own vehicle, this is a must. If they’re going to use your parents’ auto, call your parents’ insurance carrier and inquire about adding them to coverage. Moreover, if driving is required, ask the agency if they run a DMV check on the caregiver.
4. Does the agency do an Assessment Visit? If so, is this done by a Registered Nurse and is there a cost ? This is another significant step in the process for a number of reasons. You might feel that your mother needs four hours per day, but after assessing her, the opinion of the licensed professional might be considerably different. A clinically trained expert can determine if other services are needed, e.g. physical therapy. In addition, a better understanding of the home surroundings will ensure a safer environment for your parents.
5. How often is the caregiver supervised and by whom? Look for a RN supervision answer here. If not, that’s a concern.
6. What type of background screening is required of the caregiver? You should focus on a criminal background, abuse registry and reference checks. For me, the criminal background and reference checks are the most important.
7. Can I/we interview the caregiver(s)? If so, is there a charge? Either way take advantage of it.
8. If we’re not satisfied with the current caregiver, what’s the agency policy on providing a replacement?
9. Does the agency have a minimum amount of hours that are required? Although this varies agency by agency, most require a four hour minimum.
10. What are the rates?
    1. Hourly
    2. Daily: This is typically a live-in case where the caregiver is present in the home for 24 hours per day. This practice varies agency by agency based on the availability of live-in caregivers.
    3. How often do they bill and are you required to pay in advance? If they request advanced payment, it is typically for two weeks.  See if you can pay this on a credit card. The credit card will offer some safeguard to you if you’re not happy with the agency and want to make a change. 

Another aspect of selection is whether or not your parents have Long Term Care insurance (LTC). If they do have coverage, here are some questions. 

1. What LTC carriers do they accept?
2. Do they accept Assignment of Benefits (AOB)? If so, this allows the agency to bill the LTC carrier directly.
3. Does the policy have an Elimination Period? If so, how long? If the policy does, which most do, you’re required to pay for services within the Elimination Policy. An Elimination Policy can range from 30 to as many as 120 days. 

I hope that I’ve given you a starting point for discussions with prospective home health agencies. I would shop  a minimum of three agencies and dig as much as possible.

To find  competent, caring elder care professionals across America who are located near You and can help you with your elder care matters, go to: www.ElderCareMatters.com - A FREE online resource to find elder care experts plus elder care information & answers to your elder care questions.

Bart Delsing, Owner & Chief Operating Officer
FirstLantic Healthcare, Inc.
Delray Beach, Florida  33445
561-243-7979
Member of the national ElderCare Matters Alliance, Florida chapter 

Answer:  Meeting the needs of your loved one from hundreds of miles away is no easy task. Increasingly, as the population ages, many families are finding themselves in similar situations. Professional geriatric care management specializes in the challenges associated with long distance care giving. This service is designed to ensure peace-of-mind when it is neither feasible nor realistic to be hands-on and act as a locally-based caregiver.  A professionally trained care manager specializes in caring for the aged, injured and disabled, and acts as a consultant and advocate for your loved one, ensuring the integrity of care you demand.  

For instance, at FirstLantic Healthcare, we conduct a thorough assessment of the client’s needs, evaluate his or her ability to function independently, review his or her physical, emotional, and social well-being, as well as financial viability and medical condition. We develop and discuss a plan of care, arrange for the appropriate services, and fully implement the plan, which can be as extensive or as minimal as the situation warrants. Services include:

-          Client advocacy

-          Comprehensive evaluations and assessments

-          Special needs trust and disability management

-          Crisis intervention

-          Supportive counseling

-          Medication management

-          Budget preparation

-          Attendance at appointments

-          Coordinating care and community services

-          Residential placement assistance

-          Guardianship monitoring and/or avoidance

-          Legal support through complementary documentations

Care managers are nurses or social workers, specialists that understand the intricacies of the healthcare system.  If and when you make the decision to hire a professional management company, be sure they deliver the right combination of service, professionalism and kindness. It makes all the difference in providing you a sense of security and alleviating the anxiety and concerns of taking care of your loved one in the best possible manner.

To find  competent, caring elder care professionals across America who are located near You and can help you with your elder care matters, go to: www.ElderCareMatters.com - A FREE online resource to find elder care experts plus elder care information & answers to your elder care questions.

Bart Delsing, Owner & Chief Operating Officer
FirstLantic Healthcare, Inc.
Delray Beach, Florida  33445
561-243-7979
Member of the national ElderCare Matters Alliance, Florida chapter 

Answer:  How fortunate for your friend that she had you to provide care for her when she needed it. I have seen many situations like this and I find them so sad. I am not an attorney, so please know that my advice to you comes from experience only and not a license to help with legal issues. My general advice to you is to seek an attorney who would be willing to communicate with the family for you. I work with attorneys certified in elder law and would start there. If this is the wrong area of law, these attorneys can point you in the right direction. 

If there was anything in writing from her to you, this would help your cause. If there were any witnesses to your conversations or to your working relationships, this would also help you. If she is aware and alert, you might consider having another conversation with her. If she has any friends that knew the two of you maybe one of them would advocate for you. 

I hope this helps, good luck and many blessings to you for reaching out to help an elder.

Amy Cameron O'Rourke, MPH, CMC
The Cameron Group
Orlando, Florida  32803
1-888-896-2010
Member of the ElderCare Matters Alliance, Florida chapter

Answer:  I do not mean to sound facetious when I say that your first responsibility when hiring a Home Care Aide is to avoid being the employer.  I will come back to that.

First, let’s differentiate between a Home Health Aide and a Home Care Aide.  The former is actually someone who works as part of a Home Health team, comprising Nurses, Physical Therapists, Speech Therapists, Occupational Therapists and Home Health Aides.  Home Health is a prescribed set of short term services, under a doctor’s order, to assist a patient who is return home from hospitalization or skilled nursing facility rehabilitation.  Such services may last 4-8 weeks.  In this assignment, Home Health Aides are responsible primarily for bathing services.

In non-medical home care, a Home Care Aide provides support for Activities of Daily Living (ADLs and Instrumental ADLs).  When a client or family hires a Home Care Aide, they should actually be hiring an agency, with the agency serving as the employer of record for the caregiver.  That agency should be providing the client and family with protection that includes liability insurance, a large dishonesty bond (we recommend $50,000), Workers Compensation insurance, Unemployment Insurance, all the payroll taxes, including Social Security, etc. being the responsibility of the employer agency.  There are many other reasons for ensuring that you hire an agency, rather than becoming the caregiver’s employer.  For example, what happens when the caregiver is sick?  The agency is responsible for covering.  If the client does not get along with the Home Care Aide, you want that to be the agency’s problem, not a matter of you firing the caregiver and then having to deal with an unemployment claim.

If you do hiring a caregiver directly – or through a so-called “referral agency” – you are going to be considered the employer of record.  You have enough on your hands without that added responsibility.

Bert Cave, President
Support For Home
Sacramento, California  95825
916-482-8484
Member of the national ElderCare Matters Alliance, California chapter 

Answer:  The first question you have already asked is the most important one.  Choosing someone to care for a loved one is one of the very hardest decisions that families can make.  Below are a number of the questions that we think should be asked to help ensure an informed decision.

1. Do we hire a caregiver or do we hire an agency?  The answer to that question is another question — "What happens if something goes wrong?"  This is really important.  In hiring individual caregivers, there is not much recourse if she or he does not show up or gets sick or does something they should not do.  You can fire them, but then you are starting over, and, if they damaged property or, even worse, stole from you, you are on your own.  With an agency as the actual employer of your Home Care Aide, it is their responsibility to "make things right."  If your regular Home Care Aide is ill, the agency should provide backup coverage.  Liability insurance, dishonesty bonds, Workers Comp insurance, background checks, payroll taxes, etc. — these are all things you should expect from an agency, not items you should have to worry about.
2. Are the caregivers provided by the agency truly employees of that agency?  Frankly, if the answer is “no,” look elsewhere.  If a private duty (non-medical in-home care) agency does not take the responsibility of hiring caregivers, but tries to send “independent contractors,” there are several problems you need to worry about.  The first is that the company is trying to back away from taking responsibility, legally and ethically, from the caregivers it sends.  Secondly, there is the question of who is paying workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance and other personnel expenses.  The chances are that you may end up, as the client, being responsible for more than you think.  A referral agency that looks like it is cheaper, in terms of rates it quotes, may result in much higher real costs to you, as a result.
3. Are the caregivers covered by liability insurance and adequate dishonesty bond insurance?  Ask to see the Certificate(s) of Insurance for the agency.  If they cannot / will not give you a copy, look elsewhere.  As to dishonesty bonds, we believe that agencies should carry a $50,000 bond.
4. Is there a charge for meeting with you to do an assessment or for signing with the agency for service?  The answer absolutely needs to be “No.”
5. Are the caregivers assigned by the agency certified (e.g., Certified Nurse Assistants) or proven to have comparable skills and experience?  This is really important, especially if personal care is involved.
6. Are caregivers thoroughly tested for attitudes, behaviors and personality, not just skills?  For example, many of the better agencies use the Caregiver Quality Assurance tests from LeadingHomeCare.com.
7. Are thorough background checks performed before the agency hires caregivers?  Some private duty agencies point with pride to their use of governmental background checks, which, in reality can be quite limited in scope.  California's Department of Justice check, for example, only gives state and local data for the last five (5) years.  Agencies should include a nationwide felony/misdemeanor check, a Federal crimes check, DMV records, and Sex Offender Registry verification.  The nationwide check includes running the social security number through a national database to retrieve address history.  A check is then run wherever additional residences are found.  Reference checks should be part of all background checks.  Additionally, a negative TB test within the last year should be required and a ten point drug test.
8. Is there a minimum number of hours or days required by the agency?  The answer should be no, but shorter shifts will probably cost more than longer shifts, per hour, since they are harder to staff with good caregivers.
9. Is a knowledgeable, empowered member of the agency’s management team assigned to answer the agency’s phone outside of office hours?  The answer needs to be yes.  Answering services and junior staff cannot help with your urgent needs at 2:00 AM.

This is not an exhaustive list, but it is a good place to start.  One other question you should ask every agency you talk to is, “What other questions should I ask?” 

Bert Cave, President
Support For Home
1333 Howe Avenue
Suite 206
Sacramento, California  95825
916-482-8484
Member of the national ElderCare Matters Alliance, California chapter

Answer:  The situation you describe is not at all unusual.  A complete answer would require a little more information about your husband – and his caregivers.  Whether your husband has any level of dementia, for example, could make a very real difference in his ability to accept care.  If dementia is present, make sure the caregivers are skilled in working with folks with that condition.  If they are not, tell the agency supplying them to replace them.

Even without other factors being present, however, it is important for us to remember that home care is intrusive.  Your husband has been an independent adult for a long time, I assume.  Having to give up some of that independence is a real challenge for any of us. 

What I would recommend is having the discussion with your husband focus on the issues concerning the specific Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) that spurred the decision to initiate home care.  Making sure you and your husband – and his caregivers – understand the specifics of the plan of care is very important.  These “X” services will be performed; everything else will be left to your husband.

Also, in your question, you refer to multiple caregivers.  Ideally, you want to have one consistent caregiver providing services.  If care is provided seven days per week, it may require two people, but there should not be more than two in the team.  The caregiver(s) should be consistent, rather than just whoever shows up.  If the latter is happening, talk to the agency providing service.  Your husband – and you – deserve consistency.  It will result in a higher level of service and make it a lot easier to set the parameters of what is “in” and what is “out” of the plan of care.

Bert Cave
President of Support For Home
Sacramento, California
916-482-8484
Member of the national ElderCare Matters Alliance, California chapter 

Answer:  The best way to tell if one is ready for in-home care is to have developed a “baseline” of abilities to perform the normal Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) that we must perform in order to live well and safely at home. 

These activities are actually broken down into two groups.  Activities of Daily Living which include personal hygiene and grooming; dressing and undressing; feeding oneself; functional transfers such as moving from bed to a chair; control of urinary and fecal discharge; toileting; and walking or other forms of ambulation.  These basic ADLs are complemented by a set of “Instrumental” ADLs, including ability to do housework; prepare meals; take medications; manage finances; shop for necessities; communicate on the telephone; use technology.

Ideally, we should assess our ability to perform these activities early in our adult lives, when we are well able to perform them.  This removes emotion from the exercise and allows us to do a more objective job of planning for the future.   Or, I may have no problem with mobility at this time but determine that having to depend on others to safely move from bed to a chair means I will need home care

The Advance Living Directive’s focus on our ability to perform normal activities helps us create an objective base for making future – or current – decisions about home care.  If I do not plan ahead, I am likely to be more emotional and much more stressed when the time actually comes.  Working through that planning process with my spouse and children will also get all of us on the same page, before there is any opportunity for distress or discord.

We all understand the need to develop Advance Health Care Directives, Trusts, Wills and the like.  This is simply another instance of planning for the future.  The good thing is that the focus on ADLs and IADLs is not tied to chronic medical conditions, requiring health care.  I may have Diabetes or COPD, for example, and still be perfectly capable of performing the normal activities of living at home. There is obviously a correlation, but the need for home care (non-medical) needs to be assessed separately.

Bert Cave, President
Support For Home
Sacramento, California  95825
916-482-8484
Member of the national ElderCare Matters Alliance, California chapter

Answer:  The short answer is “medical services”.  Home health care is normally the result of hospitalization or time spent in rehabilitation in a skilled nursing facility.  It is short-term care provided to help a patient transition back home.  Normally, home health care will last four to eight weeks, and the typical services that will be included, as a result of a doctor’s order, are provided by one or more of the following:

1. Registered Nurse.  This may include wound care, for example, for someone suffering from a pressure ulcer (bed sore).
2. Physical Therapist.  A patient recovering from a fall or surgery may need guided physical exercise to regain some lost mobility.
3. Speech Therapist.  For example, a stroke victim may lose some ability to communicate verbally (aphasia).
4. Occupational Therapist.  The focus may or may not be on the ability to perform a job.  Skills in this area are defined broadly (see below).
5. Home Health Aide.  This person is normally focused on assistance with bathing services, which may also be provided in non-medical home care.

 Home care is typically non-medical in nature.  It is focused on what are called Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) and Instrumental ADLs: More on Question of the Day: "What is the difference between home health care and home care?"…

This week's Featured Elder Care Expert is Bert Cave, President of Support For Home, a home care agency located in Sacramento, California.

Every day this week, Mr. Cave will answer one of your questions about home care, and this selected question along with Mr. Cave's answer will be posted on the Featured Elder Care Question of the Day section of  ElderCareMatters.com.

So if you would like to ask Mr. Cave a question about home care matters, just send a short email (a few sentences only please) to:
questions@ElderCareMatters.com.

And remember to bookmark ElderCareMatters.com and check back every day to see if your question is our Featured Elder Care Question of the Day.

Phillip G. Sanders, MBA, MSHA, CPA
Founder & CEO of ElderCare Matters
1-877-379-4500
www.ElderCareMatters.com

Answer:  In most cases, private duty home care translates to private pay home care, with families looking to their own resources to pay the cost.  Fortunately, an increasing number of families have obtained long-term care insurance policies, which provide a great deal of support toward the cost of in-home care, as well as, if needed at some point in the future, assisted living facilities. 

 A second important source of financial support for in-home care for some families is Veterans Affairs Aid and Attendance Benefits.  The Aid and Attendance program reimburses clients who qualify a significant portion of homecare costs.  The process for applying is a bit complicated and lengthy, but it can be well worth it.

There are obviously other sources of income for seniors who want to “age in place” in their homes, including reverse mortgages, and so forth, but long-term care insurance and Aid and Attendance are the two every senior and every family should look at, whether it is for a senior today or planning for home care in the future.

Bert Cave
President of Support For Home
Sacramento, California  95825
916-482-8484
Member of the national ElderCare Matters Alliance, California chapter

Answer:  If you are an elder care professional and you would like to "get the word out to thousands of families across America in a cost effective way about how you can help them plan for and deal with their issues of aging", then you should join our 1,250 elder care experts as a lifetime member of the national ElderCare Matters Alliance.  And, now, if you are one of the next 250 members, you will receive a 25% discount off the regular lifetime membership price.

This 25% discount is available only to the next 250 elder care professionals who join the national ElderCare Matters Alliance.

So if you are a competent, caring elder care professional – take advantage of this special 25% discount offer and pay only $337.50 for a "lifetime membership" (and there are no annual membership dues, ever!) to the national ElderCare Matters Alliance.

To request an Application for Lifetime Membership, send an email directly to: psanders@eldercarematters.com

Phillip G. Sanders, MBA, MSHA, CPA
Founder & CEO
ElderCare Matters, LLC
1-877-379-4500
www.ElderCareMatters.com

If you are an elder care professional and you would like to "get the word out to thousands of families across America in a cost effective way about how you can help them plan for and deal with their issues of aging", then you should join our 1,250 elder care experts as a lifetime member of the national ElderCare Matters Alliance.  And, now, if you are one of the next 250 members, you will receive a 25% discount off the regular lifetime membership price.

This 25% discount is available only to the next 250 elder care professionals who join the national ElderCare Matters Alliance.

So if you are a competent, caring elder care professional – take advantage of this special 25% discount offer and pay only $337.50 for a "lifetime membership" (and there are no annual membership dues, ever!) to the national ElderCare Matters Alliance.

To request an Application for Lifetime Membership, send an email directly to: psanders@eldercarematters.com

Phillip G. Sanders, MBA, MSHA, CPA
Founder & CEO
ElderCare Matters, LLC
1-877-379-4500
www.ElderCareMatters.com

Answer:  Yes.  But it depends upon where you live.  In Massachusetts there are what we call Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRC's).  A senior will enter in an independent situation (eg. their own apartment); then if needed move to an assisted living facility on the premises (or in some cases get assistance in living within their own apartment), and then, if needed there is a nursing facility component.  Otherwise, each state will have certain home care programs available to allow people to remain in their home and get care.  Some of these opportunities are simple private pay care management companies.  Others are part of state programs.  Each state is different.  If you are interested in home care in your state, you need to contact the equivalent of your Office of Elder Affairs, or an Elder Law Attorney, or Geriatric Care manager to find out what would be available to you.

Another source to find an elder care expert near you is this ElderCare Matters website:  www.ElderCareMatters.com/statechapters.htm.

Susana Lannik, Attorney at Law
Newton, Massachusetts  02458
617-658-2980
Member of the national ElderCare Matters Alliance, Massachusetts chapter

Answer:  The experts of the national ElderCare Matters Alliance.

ElderCareMatters.com is now offering a NEW Ask an Elder Care Expert service.

Each week one of our 1,200 experts will answer your family's important questions about elder care matters – from legal, financial, housing, health care, etc.

If you would like to ask one of our Elder Care Experts a question about his/her areas of expertise, just send a short email (a few sentences only please) to:  Questions@ElderCareMatters.com

Every day we will post one of your questions along with an answer provided by our Featured Elder Care Expert of the Week to the homepage of www.ElderCareMatters.com (which is currently visited by thousands of families each week).  Yours may be one of the questions posted.

So bookmark www.ElderCareMatters.com and visit us daily as questions about a wide range of elder care matters are answered by some of America's top elder care professionals with years of experience helping families plan for and deal with their issues of aging.

Phillip G. Sanders, MBA, MSHA, CPA
Founder & CEO
ElderCare Matters
1-877-379-4500
www.ElderCareMatters.com

The ElderCare Matters Alliance is a national organization of 1,200 elder care experts who help families across America plan for and deal with their issues of aging, including providing families with a host of elder care resources that can be found on www.ElderCareMatters.com

If you are a competent, caring elder care professional – you need to belong to the national ElderCare Matters Alliance.

To request a Lifetime Membership Application to the national ElderCare Matters Alliance, send an email to psanders@ElderCareMatters.com

www.ElderCareMatters.com – America's online source for elder care experts who help families plan for and deal with their issues of aging.

Phillip G. Sanders, MBA, MSHA, CPA
Founder & CEO
ElderCare Matters
www.ElderCareMatters.com

Answer:  Infrequent medical care visits are often due to physical or mental impairment that reduces the elder's ability to recognize health issues and seek treatment in a timely way. Sometimes, unable to drive any longer, it is difficult to get to the doctor. Once there, they are likely to give incomplete or wrong information. They might fear seeking help because they do not want to be a burden or worry that their privacy or independence will be taken away. In preparation for their doctor's visit, the RN Care Manager can make a priority list for discussion. Problems such as joint pain, incontinence, confusion and weakness should not be passed off as simply symptoms of aging. A home care giver can accompany the elder to the doctor, keeping his visit to the doctor on track. With the care giver's help, critical instructions about treatment can be written down and followed at home.

Mary E. Peters, MS, CMC, RG
Care For Life, Inc.
Charleston, South Carolina  29455
843-852-9090
Member of the national ElderCare Matters Alliance, South Carolina chapter

Answer:  Unfortunately, homecare is not covered by medical insurance.  In our society, what is referred to as "private duty" homecare is considered non-medical, as opposed to "home health," which includes skilled nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy.  That means that private duty homecare is not covered by Medicare or other forms of medical insurance.  In many cases, that homecare is as vital to the wellbeing of our clients as an RN visit, because the activities of daily living (ADLs) which we support are necessary if a person is to successfully live at home (for example, assistance with eating, dressing, toileting, transfers from bed to chair, and so forth).

So, how do we pay for homecare?  In many cases, private duty homecare translates to private pay homecare, with families looking to their own resources to pay the cost. 

Fortunately, an increasing number of our clients have obtained long-term care insurance policies, which provide a great deal of support toward the cost of in-home care, as well as, if needed at some point in the future, assisted living facilities.  There are many good sources of information on the Internet concerning long-term care insurance.  One consistently good source is AARP.  You can start with their basic page on long-term care.

Bert Cave
Support For Home
Sacramento, California  95825
916-482-8484

Answer:  Depending on the law of your State, your wife may be able to, in effect, be employed by her aunt to provide care.  If the aunt does not have the means to pay your wife in cash, it might be possible to structure an arrangement whereby the aunt can agree to pay your wife out of the proceeds of the eventual sale of the aunt’s share of the residence.  That obligation can possibly be secured by a mortgage on the aunt’s interest in the house.

Scott Makuakane, JD, CFP
Est8 Planning Counsel LLLC
Honolulu, Hawaii
808-587-8227