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Be an Advocate!
Your Guide to Choosing Long-Term CareHow to select a nursing home or assisted-living facility for someone you loveMaybe you’ve watched over a period of years as a parent slid slowly into confusion. Or maybe a stroke or broken hip changed everything overnight. It’s painful enough to see someone you love in failing health, but it can be anguishing when you realize the family simply can’t care for the person at home.What level of long-term care does your loved one need—and how do you go about finding a facility you can trust? There are three types of care available, some of whose services overlap: Assisted-living facilities. These provide small apartments or rooms for people who are independent, but need or want some help with meals and housework. Social activities and nursing assistance also may be offered. Some assisted-living centers are attached to skilled nursing facilities. Rent is not covered by insurance or government subsidy, and it can be costly. Rehabilitation or transitional units. These are designed for people who no longer need to be in the hospital, but still need medical care and support during the transition from hospital to home. If the person has been hospitalized at least three days, Medicare covers many of the expenses for up to 100 days. Skilled nursing facilities. Also known as nursing homes or extended-care facilities, these are designed for permanent, round-the-clock nursing care and supervision. Two-thirds of nursing home residents have some kind of mental impairment. Medicare may cover a significant part of the costs for the first 100 days; after that, you can expect to pay at least $4,000 a month out of pocket if you don’t have long-term care insurance. Searching out the right facilityThere are many excellent facilities in the Lehigh Valley region, and community resources to help you in your search, says geriatrician Keith Doram, M.D., of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network’s Center for Healthy Aging. He suggests the following strategy.
Coping with feelings of guiltDuring the search, you’re likely to go through many emotions—guilt, grief, relief, fear and hope, to name just a few. “Be realistic,” Doram says. “Remind yourself that if you can’t meet her needs without sacrificing your own, your mother will be much better off in the right care facility.”It takes special people to work in a skilled nursing facility, and they have the training and equipment to do it well, Doram says. “Your job is to be supportive. Visit as often as you can. Get to know the staff and keep in close communication so you’ll feel involved.” In fact, many people find their relationship with a parent improves when they’re not overwhelmed with day-to-day care. Staying on top of financial and legal mattersOnce Medicare runs out, long-term care residents must pay out of pocket as long as their resources last. If savings are depleted, Medicaid (the entitlement program for low-income people) will take over—but not every facility has to accept Medicaid payment. A long-term care insurance policy can set your mind at ease about these concerns.Can you be confident about the quality of care in your long-term care facility in the years to come? Nursing homes are tightly regulated and continuously monitored by federal and state agencies. You have a right to ask about the facility’s compliance with regulations and to see the results of its latest survey.
Want to Know More? For a checklist you can use in your nursing home search, or a copy of the Senior Directory (a current listing of resources for older adults in the Lehigh Valley), call 610-402-CARE. This page last updated 3/31/08 08:59 AM
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