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Free Source for Elder Care Solutions
Being a Family Caregiver can take a toll on anyone. When the levels of responsibility start crashing in, including parenting, job stress, financial worries, and emotional concerns in addition to caregiving, you may feel isolated and alone.
We understand the process of supportive care and strive to provide the best resources to help prevent caregiver burnout. We recommend options that provide temporary relief for a primary caregiver, like In-Home Care, Home Health, or Respite Care. These types of care are helpful to family caregivers who need support or make arrangements because they will not be around to care for their loved ones at certain times.
Our local experts understand the importance of ensuring that aging adults can live as independently as possible. However, we know that there are times when independence is no longer an option for some. We take pride in being knowledgeable of the different services and resources available to help aging adults live safely whether at home, with their loved one, or seeking to transition into a senior living option.
Services and Local Resources
- Elder Law Referrals
- Estate Sale Referrals
- In-Home Caregiver or Companion Services
- Long-Term Financial Planners
- Senior Living Options
- Veterans Resources and Much More
Senior Care Solutions to Help You Feel Supported and Empowered
Reducing Extended Leaves
A staggering 70% of working caregivers suffer work-related difficulties trying to handle both roles, according to the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP. With so many caregivers feeling that they don’t have a choice in caregiving responsibilities or being aware of the multitude of senior solution options available, a sense of helplessness is common.
The stress of caregiving, especially with additional responsibilities, can often affect work performance. The need to cut back on work hours, arriving late or leaving early, turning down promotions, or losing job benefits is real. The toll it takes on work-life can turn things upside down. Speaking with a professional helps caregivers understand what resources are available to support their role as family caregivers.
Solutions Alleviate ElderCare Concerns
Choosing the right senior care option can be complex. If you’ve never searched for senior care options, you may not know where to begin and the options can seem staggering. Until the situation arises in your own life and a loved one’s health changes, requiring you to learn fast, senior solutions may not have hit your radar.
We review the unique needs, preferences, and budgets of each individual before making recommendations. The recommendations we make are pre-vetted by our local experts to ensure transparency is provided regarding pricing and services available. No matter the situation, whether planning for the future or in a crisis, we have the answers and resources to help.
We can help with discovering the possibilities of these care options:
Assisted Living communities offer help with daily activities for people who can get around independently. Though each community provides different levels of support, it is important to consider not only the level of care that your loved one needs at this moment but the needs they may have in the future.
Memory Care communities are often located within larger assisted living facilities or smaller residential settings and help people with Alzheimer’s, dementia, or other memory issues. These secure environments are designed to enhance memory functions and decrease potential confusion for residents.
Respite Care is often used to help provide temporary relief for primary caregivers. Whether the family caregiver needs to travel out of town or is unavailable to provide care for a certain period. Respite options can be offered at home, in a healthcare community, or at an adult daycare center.
We can also help with exploring ways to pay for care:
Private Pay is the most common way senior care services are paid with. This simply means that an individual has the resources to pay for care without needing assistance from other programs.
Veterans Aid & Attendance is an important benefit but is often overlooked by families with Veterans or surviving spouses. If eligible, the additional monies can help ailing parents or loved ones pay for care.
Long-Term Care Insurance varies greatly and an individual must have this purchased before they need it. Most policies say the individual must need support with activities of daily living (ADLs) and is in current need of these services. Depending on the individual’s policy, this may cover $100 per day but could be worth more over 10 years.
No Cost Service
We review the care & violation history, service offerings, and reputation of every care provider we recommend. We are paid by the thousands of care providers in our network, so our service is at no cost to our clients or their families.
We are experts in helping aging adults and families with care solutions, recommending services like support groups, meals on wheels, Elder Law Attorneys, Estate Planners, and more. As we walk with you on this journey, we promise to guide you with our expertise and knowledge to help you make the most informed decision.
Are You Suffering From Caregiver Burnout?
Try Our Caregiver Stress Test Here
Caregiving can take a toll on anyone. When the levels of responsibility start crashing in, including parenting, job stress, financial worries, and emotional concerns in addition to caregiving, you may feel isolated and alone.
Are you suffering from caregiver burnout? If you see yourself in the early warning signs below, you may already be impacted without realizing it.
Be aware of these warning signs:
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Feeling lethargic
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Sleeping too much or too little
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Weight loss or gain
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Extreme fatigue
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A loss in interests that normally bring joy
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A sense of hopelessness
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Impatience with family or the person you’re caring for
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Anxiety
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Lower resistance to illness
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Neglecting your emotional and physical needs
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Mood swings, anger, or depression
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Physical ailments like headaches or stomach aches
Struggling To Pay For Care?
With 7 out of 10 people needing long-term care in their lifetime, the reality is that a member of your family will require help. When faced with the overwhelming amount of things to consider, it is easy to panic. Making decisions about care options can be challenging. Figuring out how to pay for this care is an essential part of moving forward with making a care plan, but how will you pay for care?
Elder care costs have risen in recent years and are climbing. With ElderBenefit, you’ll have someone to guide you through the ways that a loved one can afford care so you can find the right local senior care options for their needs and their budget.
A 2021 Cost of Care Survey conducted by Genworth reported that a private room in a nursing home costs $297 per day or just over $9,000 per month. The cost of semi-private rooms are slightly less expensive, at $260 per day or $7,908 per month. To hire a home health aide, the median national cost is $169 a day or $5,148 a month. Of course, these costs vary by state and tend to increase each year.
Each individual’s scenario is different and care isn’t one size fits all. But there are ways to pay for senior care to consider. Check our list below for some of the most common ways that care can be funded to ease the financial burden:
Long Term Care Insurance: One way to pay for care is through an already-purchased supplemental policy through a life insurance company that covers long term care, which would reimburse a policyholder for a set amount per day for home care services.
Private Pay/ Family Funds: An individual can pay for care with their own funds or with the help of family members, like children or siblings to cover the cost. Consulting an elder law attorney is always a wise thing to do.
Life Insurance: Whole life insurance policies (not term life insurance policies) are a source of payment for long-term care costs. The possibilities include selling the policy, surrendering the policy or converting to a “life assurance” policy. There are considerations to understand, as surrendering or selling the policy may result in receiving 50%-75% of the face value of the policy. The life insurance conversion to life assurance includes a savings guarantee plus an investment portfolio.
Veterans Pension: Qualifying veterans and their surviving spouses have a home care allowance. Assistance is available from the Department of Veterans Affairs like around the clock nursing care, physical therapy, help with the daily tasks of life, comfort care and pain management. Learn more about these resources at http://www.benefits.va.gov/benefits .
Annuities: When you have an annuity, the underwriter receives a lump sum of cash and then dispenses regular monthly payments to an individual after they retire. The money can be earmarked toward a nursing home or any other care needs.
Catastrophic Auto Insurance: When an accident results in an injury that requires special care, this type of coverage acts like personal-injury protection or “no fault” insurance which covers home care expenses.
Workers’ Compensation: This may help cover home care costs related to an accident or illness that occurred on the job.
Reverse Mortgages: For people aged 62 and up who own their home, funds can be given in monthly installments or a lump sum. There are eligibility requirements, terms and conditions, so speaking to a bank representative is important.
Medicaid: This joint federal and state program helps people with limited income and resources. A waiver program may cover home care services and nursing services, with varying regulations by state. Although Medicare does not pay for long-term home care services, the waiver program is available through the Area Agencies on Aging. Medicaid can also cover short-term home health care based on illness or injury-related health situations.
401k Withdrawal: These funds are available to you at a certain age and can cover the costs of senior care. Withdrawals are penalty-free from retirement accounts after the age of 59 and a half.
Social Security Benefits: Though they may not cover the full cost of assisted living, these funds can be used to pay toward it.
Area Agencies on Aging: These valuable resources can inform adults age 60 and up on the services available locally. Speak with your local AAA by visiting www.eldercare.gov and search by zip code.
We can help you navigate this new scope of senior care. ElderBenefit can take the mystery out of planning, giving you the tools and resources to make the right decisions for your loved one and family.
Common Mistakes When Searching On Your Own
For many people, when a loved one has a change of health due to illness, injury or advanced age and requires senior care options, there is a feeling of fear. The urgency of the situation can lead to decisions made quickly, without the right information needed to match their loved one with the senior care that makes the most sense for their needs, desires and budget.
Knowledge is power. Learn from the universal errors that families make as they navigate the senior care arena:
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Guilt is Never Helpful in the Decision Making Process: Considering senior care options can be an emotional situation. Don’t let fear drive your choice. It is not uncommon for families to select a community based on extras like a swimming pool or a pool table on site, as they want to give their loved one things that they think they’ll want, rather than on the community that is right for their needs.
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Visiting Only One Community is a Mistake: As you start this process, you will realize that communities are vastly different, with amenities and skills that vary. Recommendations from friends are valuable but remember that your mother has different needs than the mom of a friend or coworker.
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Don’t Take a Community Operator at Their Word: Visit communities with an open mind. Listen to the information that you’re given but operators and marketers of communities have pressure to have a full house of residents. It is unfortunate, but facts can be stretched so always do your research. A community may say they are skilled at caring for dementia residents but may have little actual experience.
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Look Beyond the Landscaping: A community may be enticing from the outside but still have been cited for violating regulations. Always remember to look at the big picture, including history and reviews, not just the outward appearance and the beauty of the grounds.
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Don’t Decide Based on the Words of Experts in Other Fields: Having professionals to rely on is important but your accountant, doctor or social worker probably isn’t spending a lot of time researching senior care communities. Their recommendations are generally word of mouth so ask them about their first-hand knowledge with a community. Have they visited it? Researched the community’s state survey record?
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Never Assume That All Communities are Equal: Not all communities are equipped to help your loved one in the same way. Although they may all possess the same license type, their care offerings, strengths and focus are different.
We can help you explore the communities that are right for your loved one and not be distracted by the factors that aren’t important. By vetting communities across the country, we can help you avoid the common stumbling blocks that families encounter.
