Caregiver Tip of the Month
As a new caregiver, one of your first tasks will be to learn everything possible about your loved one's health and medical affairs. Here is some of the information you will need:
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Names, phone numbers and addresses of your loved one's doctors, dentist and pharmacy (be sure to include complete details about any arrangements your loved one has made for discount prescriptions).
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Copies of health insurance policies, and the front and back of all insurance cards. If your loved one is 65 or older, you'll need a copy of their Medicare card.
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List of all medications (prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs such as aspirin, antacids, herbal remedies, nutritional supplements ... even daily multi-vitamins), dosage amounts and instructions for taking them (time of day, with food or between meals, etc.). Take this list with you to ALL of your loved one's medical appointments to help avoid dangerous prescription drugs interactions.
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Date and results of recent medical tests, including exams, xrays, CT scans and MRIs, and if possible, where each of the tests was done.
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Complete health history (also take this with you to all of your loved one's medical appointments); if possible, include major illness and medical conditions for your loved one's parents, brothers and sisters.
To help you, our sister website, Today's Seniors, has a free booklet where you can write down much of this information. For details, click on Our Family's Health History.
Our visitors ask ...
Q. I've heard that if a senior on Medicare receives a lot of expensive care, Medicare will try to recover those expenses through the sale of the senior's home and other possessions after the senior passes away. Is this true?
A. Absolutely not! Medicare will not try to recover the cost of the care they pay for, regardless of how expensive it may be.
However, if you rely on Medicaid to pay for your nursing home care, it's a completely different story. Medicaid (MediCal in California) will try to recover the cost of the long-term care services it paid for. First, it will go after whatever paltry assets remain in your estate. If that isn't sufficient, it will go after the assets you transferred to family members to qualify for Medicaid. As a result, your family may have to sell the assets they "inherited" to pay your Medicaid bill.
Daily Living Solutions
— products for seniors —
As we grow older, it often becomes difficult to use many everyday products because of arthritis and other conditions. If you or a loved one needs a little help – or a lot – we've selected a group of practical and affordable solutions from our affiliated merchants to help overcome those limitations.
Whether you are looking for yourself, or to help an elderly senior continue living in their own home, you'll find a wide variety of supplies and accessories – raised toilet seats, safety rails, incontinence supplies, large-handle eating utensils, pain relief, diabetic supplies, pill splitters and crushers, big-button telephones, canes, walkers, rollators, wheelchairs – and much more.
Everything is sorted into convenient categories in our Solutions for Seniors section.
Caregiving – Finding the money for care at home
– Part 1 –
The best place to start is Benefits CheckUp, a Web site created by The National Council on the Aging, a non-profit organization.
Millions of older adults are eligible for federal and state benefits, but are not receiving them, including assistance to pay Part B premiums for Medicare benefits. This is unfortunate because these programs can help with housing, meals, transportation, health care, prescription drug costs, legal services and utility bills, just to name a few.
Benefits CheckUp helps older adults quickly and easily find out which benefits they qualify for, and how to get them (many are available regardless of income). This is a free service and is completely confidential. It does not require your name, address, phone number, Social Security number, or any other information that could be used to identify you.
Simply complete the online questionnaire. In a few minutes, you'll have a list of programs for which you or your loved one most likely qualifies, including phone numbers and addresses. It also includes step-by-step instructions on how to apply for the benefits.
To visit Benefits CheckUp, click here.
Another valuable resource is the Eldercare Locator, a free public service developed by the U.S. Administration on Aging. It helps older people and their caregivers find state and local support services to help them live independently and safely in their homes and communities for as long as possible. Look for the resources you need by following the directions on their website. Or, call their toll-free phone number 1-800-677-1116, between 9AM and 8PM weekdays, Eastern Time.
(to be continued next month)
Caregiver Tip #2
Q. If your loved one is on Medicare and needs the services of a home health agency to recover after an operation, or for physical therapy to rebuild strength and stability because of muscular weakness, what is the most important question to ask the agency?
A. Is your agency Medicare-certified?
Medicare will not pay for the care your loved one receives unless it is provided by a Medicare-certified agency. But, less than half of home health agencies are certified. Care at home can be very expensive if you have to pay for it out of your own pocket.
Remember: Ask if the agency is Medicare-certified BEFORE you hire them.
Fact: Many excellent home health agencies are not certified by Medicare. But, it isn't because they aren't good enough. Instead, they only provide services that aren't covered by Medicare, but which their clients need to remain in their own homes.
Our visitors ask ...
Q. My parents live in [x state]. How are the Medicare benefits for that state different from other states?
A. Medicare is a federal government program that provides identical benefits in all states. For more information about Medicare, including helpful tips and warnings about some nasty surprises, click on Medicare benefits.
Medicaid is a slightly different story. Even though its basic structure is mandated by the federal government, it is a federal/state partnership. Eligibility for Medicaid varies by state. Contact your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) or your state's Medicaid office for more information. The telephone number(s) should be in the blue pages of your phone book.
For more helpful information from our website, click here. To see previous issues of this newsletter, click on Archives.
Aging Solutions is a free service of:
Solutions for Seniors, Inc.
1051 E HILLSDALE BLVD
FOSTER CITY, CA 94404
Your comments or suggestions for future issues are always welcome; email them to us at editor@aging-parents-and-elder-care.com
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