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Senior Care: Turn Up the Music

Image by thelefty via Shutterstock

I woke up crabby, achy, and feeling old. Had nothing to give until these videos surfaced.  As a follow-up to my last post, Jobs with Elderly: Personal Trainer, here is inspired senior care that reinforces Jame’s Brown’s urging to ““Get Up Offa That Thing!!”

Who is Caring for Whom?

Dress for Success!!

I think Nana is keeping her granddaughter young.
Get Up Offa That Thing!!  We have no excuse.… More

Senior Helpers: The Virtual Assistant

Jobs and Services
Virtual assistants are online helpers who work from home or through outsourcing firms. A virtual assistant is a real person who can be located anywhere.  The services they provide range from professional administrative, technical, personal, or creative assistance.
If you are semi retired with suitable skills you may be able to make money working from home.   Rates range from about $5 per hour to $50 per hour.
Aging in Place
If you are a senior who needs help… More

Every Day is Valentine’s Day for In Home Caregivers

We Are All Caregivers
Today is Valentines Day.  For most of my life it was one of my least favorite holidays because most of my significant others would either ignore it or panic under the pressure.   I felt guilty for wanting some acknowledgement of feeling.  I envied friends who received flowers, jewelry, and chocolates on Valentines Day. In my older age I have learned to recognize and show love no matter what day it is.  It is one of the best things about aging.
We Know When… More

What is Companion Care?

Definition of  Companion Care
Companion care is non medical care for people confronting long-term physical and mental challenges.  Clients are people who want to live their lives to the fullest in their own homes and communities. The goal of companion care is to help individuals maintain and enhance their well-being and independence.   A wide range of non-medical services can be defined as companion care . These include:

Companionship: spending quality time in the… More

Convert Life Insurance to Assurance Benefit (Long-Term Care)

What is the Assurance Benefit?
The Assurance Benefit is the exchange of a life insurance policy for a long-term care benefit plan at the time that long-term care needs to be paid.  The Assurance Benefit is a unique financial option for seniors:

No wait periods
No care limitations
No costs to apply
No requirement to be terminally ill
No premium payments.

Policy owners use their legal right to convert an in-force life insurance policy to enroll in the benefit plan and are able to… More

Medicaid 5-Year Look-Back (options), Part 3

Two previous posts covered the Medicaid Five-Year Look-Back Period as a high-level description and with the details everyone needs to know.  This post covers some of the options that may provide an alternative.
PERMITTED TRANSFERS

While most transfers are penalized with a period of Medicaid ineligibility of up to five years, certain transfers are exempt from this penalty. Even after entering a nursing home, you may transfer any asset to the following individuals without… More

SAN DIEGO: HOME CARE, HOSPITAL CARE, SENIOR CARE

TEACHING COMPASSIONATE CARE
The UC San Diego Medical School is training its graduates to provide care beyond good technical and clinical skills.  Doctors must be able to relate to anyone who walks or is carried in the door, whether it is a 90-year-old grandmother or a teenage drug addict.  They learn to accept involvement in the real life drama of patients’ lives whether it is listening to them, comforting them, prescribing for them, or simply feeling compassion for… More

SENIOR HOUSING OPTIONS: UNDERSTAND ADLs AND IADLs

WHAT KIND OF HOUSING?
Adults usually need a certain set of skills in order to be able function independently.  The senior care professions calls them the Activities of Daily Living and use them to develop a functional assessment.  A functional assessment helps identify medical issues and diagnose cognitive abilities in addition to helping evaluate a person’s ability to manage every day tasks.
You can use the ADLs informally to help narrow down the kind of housing… More

RETIREMENT COMMUNITIES MEET INDIVIDUAL NEEDS

Retirement communities are for retirement age people who cannot or no longer wish to live in a single family residence.  Most communities are expensive. Some are more affordable than others.  Look for non-profit facilities or communities that offer rental housing if your budget is tight.
Communities differ in the amount of on-site assistance and care provided.  Three types of retirement communities are:

Active (on site medical care not required)
Active and Supportive… More

“GREEN HOUSE” ELDER CARE HOME? YES, PLEASE!

 
RETHINKING ELDER CARE HOMES
Nursing homes often fell like hospitals, with a central nurses’ station, tile floors, institutional food, and long hallways to shared patients’ rooms.  The processes of a nursing home are designed around staff efficiency.
The Green Houses look and feel nothing like that.  They are designed around comfort and concern for the residents.  The homes were developed by Dr. William Thomas, an upstate New York geriatrician. … More