Budget Battles & The Future of Elder Care

Unless you have been hiding under a rock for the past two weeks, you should know that there is a major debate raging in Madison, WI, and around the United States. And no matter what side of the labor protests you side with, there is no doubt that the underlying issues will affect the future of senior care.

The protests that are raging in Madison are being done by public sector unions who oppose the new governor’s plan to balance the state budget. Both sides know the budget crisis is big and something must be done. He wants to cut back on the meaty benefits package that many state employees are getting, which are in many cases far higher than private employees. And he wants to make sure this does not happen again by limiting their ability to collectively bargain. That really set off many of his constituents, especially the public school teachers, and the protests began. Thousands came to the Madison capitol steps, and sparked a nation wide debate on how best to get our finances under control

The purpose of this article is not to splice the labor issues, but to consider the larger issue of what a budget crunch is going to mean for senior care across the country. Here is the reality: we are broke. As a nation, and as individual states. Legislators, governors and presidents have been authorizing new spending bills left and right, but there is not enough money coming in to cover them.

Where is this all going? One place: tax hikes and more spending cuts, across the board. Legislators do not want to end up dealing with Greece has dealt with in recent years, with out of control debt. Nobody wants to go bankrupt, here. And in all likelihood, there are to be cut spending to all sorts of major programs, including some that seniors depend on.

Here’s one article from the Orlando Chronicle that explains the dilemma. As you can see, this is not a Republican / Democrat issue, but a mathematical one. Nobody knows how to predict where the cuts will come exactly, or how deep, but they are going to come. And baby-boomers who are going to be seniors soon would be wise to consider how to best find affordable health care when they need to retire.

Here is why: it costs a state around $6,000 per month in Medicare funds to care for a patient in a nursing home. Naturally, this figure adds up very quickly. As states are looking for places to cut spending, they will not overlook this. And I expect they will turn to cheaper options, like Home Health Care.

Senior Home Care: Is it the Future?

Home Health Care agencies are popping up all over the country, both because many seniors would prefer to stay home then move into a senior care facility, and because home care is generally cheaper than assisted living, which patients usually pay for themselves. This trend is likely to continue as states buckle down on their budgets. If they can affordably take care of Assisted Living patients who need help with activities for daily living, could they also conceivably care for nursing home patients in their own home and save lots of money doing it?

They will certainly look into it, and if you are in this position, you really should consider it, too. Whether you are fitting the bill yourself, or Uncle Sam is helping out, home health care companies are figuring out ways to be more efficient than other forms of care for elders.

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Finding the Right Senior Caregiver, part 1

Recently, a scam artists bilked an 89 year old man out of thirty thousand dollars. Of course, this type of thing happens all the time, right? But there was something especially heinous about this story: the scammer was the man’s caregiver.

Here’s the story. In this case, the caregiver was a woman who pretended to cozy up to the wealthy man and start a romance. She was 58 years old. As he grew to trust her, he asked her to go buy a new car for him, which she could drive him around in. So he gave her the money. Thirty grand.

She bought the car, all right! She bought it, and put it in her name…

Thankfully, this time, the woman did not get away with it. She was arrested, tried and convicted for her fraud, and she even has to pay the money back in restitution. Justice has happened!

But the issue raises a larger issue in my mind: How do you choose a caregiver that you can trust? After all, this story took place in an Oregon assisted living home, but seniors who get home health care from an agency or an individual are far more vulnerable, even. When a person begins to get to know them, to understand how they operate, they could be very easy prey for a scam artist. It could happen through a false romance, but more likely, it could happen in far more subtle ways. A credit card disappearing. Old jewelry, lying around, is suddenly gone. Or it could happen in the most drastic ways of all: the caregiver winds up in the will of the senior, receiving lavish gifts. And the family can do nothing.

With this in mind, we will be exploring how we as family members can protect the ones we love when choosing a caregiver. The discussion will move far beyond protecting from fraud. We will look at how to find a person that will encourage your loved one. Someone who can really be able to relate to them. Someone who knows what they are doing.

So stay tuned for our series, “Finding the right Caregiver.”

Helping Seniors Start a New Chapter

Our philosophy on elder care is simple: we don’t just think it’s enough to just care for elders’ health and housing needs. We think they ought to be treasured. They have inherent value. Always have. And the fact that they cannot “contribute” to society at the same level they used to is of no concern of ours whatsoever. A person’s value is not measured by their contributions. It is built it, and it cannot be taken away.

That is why this idea makes me so happy. Recently, the Marquis Home Health company began something called the “New Chapters Program.” It seems to be rooted in this value system. Seniors should not simply be taken care of, they should be listened to. They still have hopes and dreams. They have things they are passionate about. And far too often, they believe that all of these are out of reach. The New Chapter Program sets this notion straight.

This program is initiated by the employees of Marquis Home Health. Employees listen to their patients, trying to understand what makes them tick. And when they are able, they try to step in and help them “turn a page” in their life. To start a new chapter in their life.

For instance, there was one man who used to love skiing. It was a major part of of his growing up. But today, he lives in an Oregon assisted living community, and he has multiple sclerosis. So obvkously, skiing is out of the question, right?

Wrong.

The good folks at Marquis Home Health helped him take to the slopes again, even in his condition. Here is a picture:

This particular story can be found here at an Oregon news site.

Another woman wanted to turn a page in her life by getting into the digital age. Marquis bought her a laptop. She was overjoyed!

Don’t mistake this program for a version of the “Make a Wish” program. These residents aren’t dying. They simply want to begin a new phase of life. And the program validates their wishes. And by doing this, they show how much they value these seniors.

We think that’s awesome.

The Rise of Senior Home Care

As the evolution of the elder care services continues, here is another trend that is emerging more and more. I saw this when Entrepreneur’s list of the 100 fastest growing franchises came to my attention. This year, three of those businesses are senior home health agencies.

This should not come as any surprise. There are forty million seniors in the United States, and that number will skyrocket in the coming years. Besides, the economy is making it difficult for many families to seek out assisted living communities, which tend to be a bit more expensive than home care solutions.

Anyway, home health agencies are finding success in the same way that residential assisted living homes are. Many seniors want to be in a home setting. Their home, if possible. Those who do not have chronic medical needs, but simply need help with ADL’s like dressing themselves or moving around the house do not necessarily need full time care. They need someone there at certain hours of the day, and it does not necessarily have to be a nurse.

Here’s an example of one agency: Senior Helpers. This company (#52 on the fastest growing franchise list) hires nurses and caretakers around the country and places them in the homes of residential clients. Portland residents can find them online at www.seniorhelpers.com/portland. Others just go to their main homepage.

Home health agencies meet the needs of seniors and their in these positions well. They do the hiring of caretakers, which always includes a background check. They take care of the paperwork. You don’t have to be an employer. You’re a client. And all you need to do is work with the agency.

It’s a fine solution for a growing number of Americans who need elderly care. And it makes good sense why people are opting for agencies rather than starting their own homecare businesses by default.

Elder Care Services at Tax Time

There’s a new article from Elderly Care Services. It talks about the difficulties of preparing taxes for seniors, but highlights a couple of quick ideas that can help. It bears repeating and elaboration here.

Caregivers should know, first of all, whether they can claim their aging loved one as a dependent on their return. This would require that their loved one is unable to care for himself, and that he lives in their house and is under their 24 hour care. There are other stipulations obviously, but they are worth looking into for any caregiver. Why? Because the potential tax return could be worth it. Caregivers incur a lot of expenses that normal people do not. Oftentimes, many of those expenses can be claimed on their return. Caregivers really ought to look into this possibility.

Second, the article advises seniors who plan to file independently to seek out help from a tax aide volunteer. Many volunteers help out with the AARP Tax Aide program. This begins at the start of February, and it is free of charge, since most senior returns are relatively straight forward. More complex filers might have to hire out professional tax counselors instead.

Anyway, the over all point is this: taxes are not fun, but there is relief out there. Relief for the filer and for the family!

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