REPRINTED FROM THE HUFFINGTON POST
By Jim T. Miller
Most medical costs to treat beneficiaries with Alzheimer's disease are covered by Medicare, but unfortunately, long-term custodial care costs that most patients eventually need are not. Read more...
Monday, February 10, 2014
Friday, October 4, 2013
How to ask a sibling to chip in for a parent's care
Reposted from CNN Money
The financial burden of caring for an elderly parent is typically a large one: Family caregivers spend an average $5,500 a year, AARP reports.
That's not to mention the physical and emotional toll. (Depression rates among working women caregivers over 50 are 2½ times higher than those of non-caregivers, one study found.)
So if your siblings aren't sharing the load, you're probably bearing some resentment. "Caregivers often don't know how to ask for help," says Gail Hunt of the National Alliance for Caregiving. "They just keep plugging away without realizing they're burning out." Read more...
Friday, September 6, 2013
How to Prepare to Financially Support Your Aging Parents
REPOSTED FROM US NEWS AND WORLD REPORT
Caring for an aging parent may be the highest calling of your life. But it can also rob you of time, money and your own experiences. In some cases, these personal sacrifices can create bitterness and regret, causing ill will toward the very people you love and have pledged to help.
Virtually every expert who has weighed in on this topic agrees that to be in a position to help another person, you first must help yourself. In reference to caregiving, this means you need to protect your finances, well-being and time when developing a program to care for one or both aging parents. Read more...
Caring for an aging parent may be the highest calling of your life. But it can also rob you of time, money and your own experiences. In some cases, these personal sacrifices can create bitterness and regret, causing ill will toward the very people you love and have pledged to help.
Virtually every expert who has weighed in on this topic agrees that to be in a position to help another person, you first must help yourself. In reference to caregiving, this means you need to protect your finances, well-being and time when developing a program to care for one or both aging parents. Read more...
Monday, August 5, 2013
Negotiating Senior Caregiving with Siblings
REPOSTED FROM CARE.COM
A 2009 study by the National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC) reveals that almost fifty million Americans have served as an unpaid caregiver to an adult, often a parent. Sixty-six percent report that another unpaid caregiver helps with the role. Sharing caregiving responsibilities with family members alleviates the demands of assisting a loved one, but agreeing on who does what, when and how, can sometimes add to caregiving stress.
And when siblings are the caregivers, things can become even more chaotic. Sibling rivalry and decades-old arguments don't always go away because of an aging parent. Sometimes you can all work together harmoniously, but sometimes it takes a little planning and compromising. Read more...
A 2009 study by the National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC) reveals that almost fifty million Americans have served as an unpaid caregiver to an adult, often a parent. Sixty-six percent report that another unpaid caregiver helps with the role. Sharing caregiving responsibilities with family members alleviates the demands of assisting a loved one, but agreeing on who does what, when and how, can sometimes add to caregiving stress.
And when siblings are the caregivers, things can become even more chaotic. Sibling rivalry and decades-old arguments don't always go away because of an aging parent. Sometimes you can all work together harmoniously, but sometimes it takes a little planning and compromising. Read more...
Thursday, May 9, 2013
10 Things Everyone Should Know About Medicare
Reprinted from US News and World Report
Almost all Americans who work pay into the Medicare system, but not everyone knows about the benefits they will become eligible for when they turn 65. Read more here.
Almost all Americans who work pay into the Medicare system, but not everyone knows about the benefits they will become eligible for when they turn 65. Read more here.
Friday, April 26, 2013
New poll shows American attitudes toward aging and long-term care
Reprinted from The SCAN Foundation
On April 24, the Associated Press - NORC Center for Public Affairs Research released the findings of a national poll on long-term care, funded by The SCAN Foundation. This poll surveyed Americans 40 and older on their attitudes, perceptions, and experiences around aging and long-term care issues.
Key findings of the survey include:
* Widespread misperceptions of the cost of long-term care, with most Americans underestimating the cost of nursing home care and overestimating what Medicare will cover.
* Nearly one-third of those polled would rather not think about getting older at all, and when prompted, a majority worry about losing their independence.
* Only 35% of Americans are setting aside funds to help pay for future long-term care needs.
* Family matters: 68 percent of Americans age 40 or older believe they can rely on their family in time of need.
* Though Americans are concerned about issues of aging, nearly 60 percent have not taken the step of talking about long-term care preferences with their families.
* A majority of Americans across the political spectrum support public policy solutions for financing long-term care, with more than 75 percent in favor of tax incentives to encourage saving for long-term care expenses, and 51 percent in favor of a government administered plan.
|
Monday, February 25, 2013
Valley Care's art therapy instructor in the news!
Colleen Sherts, the art instructor at our adult day services centers, is featured in a lovely article in the Feb. 21st edition of the Sewickley Herald. See the article here.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)