Caregiverlist Senior Care Guide

Senior care needs may arise suddenly and require a quick education on services available and the costs of senior care. Other seniors may decide to plan ahead to organize their preferred senior care providers. Either way, when the need arises, seniors and their family members must learn about the local senior care options and costs.

Step 1: Identify the Senior's Financial Resources

Seniors and their family members must first determine the senior's financial resources. Based on a senior's financial assets and monthly income, they will either qualify for Medicaid or Medicare health insurance. At age 65, all seniors in the U.S.A. receive Medicare or Medicaid health insurance. Medicaid health insurance is for very low-income seniors and Medicare health insurance is for all other seniors.

Identify Senior's Financial Assets

1. Determine Assets Owned Including House and Car
2. Establish Power of Attorney for Finances
3. Establish Power of Attorney for Health Care
4. Establish Trust or Will and Assign Trustees or Executor

Note: a separate Power of Attorney for health care and finances makes sure the person responsible for maintaining any ongoing life support systems for a senior is not someone who will have a conflict of interest due to inheriting financial assets.

Step 2: Determine Senior Care Options for Medicaid and Medicare

Medicaid Senior Care Options

• Nursing Homes Accepting Medicaid as Payment
• Senior Home Care Visits (in a few states)

Medicare Senior Care Options

• Nursing Home Care: Up to 100 Days (fully reimbursed for first 20 days, with Medical Doctor Approval) in nursing homes accepting Medicare
• Skilled Home Health Care: Short visits for therapy by a Physical Therapist, Occupational Therapist or Speech Therapist for rehabilitation, or Registered Nurse when critical vital signs or open-wound monitoring is necessary
• Hospice Care: Caregiver to relieve primary caregiver and Registered Nurse and Certified Nursing Aide to monitor care when senior qualifies for hospice (2 years or less to live)

Step 3: Determine Veteran Status for Veterans and Veteran's Spouses

Veterans of certain foreign wars receive status as a Veteran and qualify for Veteran's senior care benefits.

• Veteran's Nursing Homes
• Veteran's Continuing Care Assisted Living Home
• Veteran's Aid and Attendance Senior Home Care

Note: some veteran's nursing homes are for men only.

Veterans and their spouses who qualify may receive a senior caregiver to assist with Activities of Daily Living — bathing, meals, exercises, light house cleaning and monitoring of medical conditions. Contact a senior home care agency near you to begin approval for benefits.

Step 4: Determine Type of Senior Care

• Senior Home Care: seniors who prefer to remain in their own homes may hire a licensed senior home care agency to provide caregiving services. Licensed senior home care agencies will provide a professional caregiver who follows a customized plan of care and maintains daily care notes. Costs are between $16 and $26 per hour or $180 to $350 per day, depending on the care needs.

• Assisted Living: seniors who would like to relocate may consider an Assisted Living community or Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC). Costs for assisted living are from $2,500 and up, with most assisted living communities in major metropolitan areas requiring a minimum of $4,000 per month.

• Nursing Home Care: seniors usually do not opt for nursing home care until it is a necessity. Nursing homes are rated on quality factors during a health inspection which takes place at least every year and a half. Review the top nursing home ratings before choosing.

Step 5: Compare Senior Care Options

• Compare Nursing Home Costs and Ratings
• Compare Assisted Living
• Compare Home Health Agencies
• Compare Hospitals
• Compare Veteran's Administration Hospitals
• Compare Medicare Suppliers
• Compare Medicare Plans
• Compare Medicare Providers