Aerlinthian

See: assisted living facilities

So many of us Baby Boomers, aka Sandwich Generation, know all too well about the emotional costs involved with caring for aging parents, but few will ever speak of the financial costs of elder care. It seems to be a taboo subject to speak of how much it costs to take care of Momma, but the bottom line is elder care is expensive and can put your family into financial ruin. The good news is there are ways to cut the costs of elder care, as one who has been there and done that, I sought out every available elder care cost cutting resource I could find.

When providing elder care for an aging parent, Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare only go so far each month, the deficit will have to come from your parent's estate or as it is in most cases, out of your own pocket. Your best resources to cut the costs of elder care will be those offered at the community level, which will be subsidized by state, federal or private agencies.

Adult daycare centers or senior citizens centers are facilities in which your aging parent can go to during the day that will allow you to continue working. The health and mobility of your aging parent will determine which facility will be the best choice, both of which will offer transportation, socialization and recreation as part of their elder care programs, along with some degree of nursing care. The out of pocket cost is just a small amount for the lunch served at either facility.

If your aging parent is unable to leave your home, there is Medicaid provided in-home health care that will provide qualified in-home health care during the day for your parent to allow you to continue working. If you don't work outside the home, you can receive part-time in-home respite care for your aging parent to allow you a much needed break from providing round-the-clock elder care. This in-home health care will not cost you anything.

The government sponsored Meals On Wheels program will bring home delivered meals for your aging parent. The meals are delivered fresh daily or frozen weekly (depending upon your location), along with milk, bread and desserts, which will help cut the cost of elder care by providing nutritious food at no cost to you.

Your local Alzheimer's Association is another good resource for cutting the cost of elder care by offering free adult diapers, pads, wipes, creams, etc., to qualified recipients.

A supplemental health insurance that will pay for medications and pick up where Medicaid and Medicare leave off is another way to cut the cost of elder care. Don't assume that Medicaid and Medicare will cover all medical expenses, they don't, and when a hospital stay in necessary for your aging parent, the hospital bills will follow.

A booklet listing all your community's elder care services and their contact numbers should be available to you at your local DFACS office, Social Security Administration or Veteran's Affairs office.

Utilize every available resource your community offers to cut the cost of elder care.

Re: long term health care

Long term care (LTC) actually represents a wide variety of different health care services. When selecting a long term care provider or purchasing LTC insurance, one should understand the different types of care that is available. These long term care services are essentially designed to help you remain as independent as possible by providing assistance when you are not physically or psychologically capable of being completely independent.

The most widely known type of long term care is the Nursing Home. A nursing home is a facility intended to provide care to individuals who cannot be cared for at home or in the community. Individuals entering a nursing home are usually incapable of taking care of themselves for physical or psychological reasons and require constant care around the clock. Nursing homes provide skilled nursing care and provide assistance in performing basic living skills, such as eating, using the toilet, or taking a bath. Costs for nursing homes vary from state to state, and according to the level of medical care required.

Continuing Care Retirement Communities are somewhat more upscale solutions that offer seniors a housing and care package that evolves with the health of the senior. Seniors purchase a housing unit in the community while still in good health. Over time, as their health deteriorates, they remain in the comfort of their community but are transferred from independent living to assisted living and ultimately to nursing home care as needed. This type of community provides a broad continuum of different long term care services.

Assisted Living is another type of long term care. Assisted living provides housing which can be a room or apartment organized in a small community. Patients in an assisted living facility are somewhat more independent and generally require a lower level of care than those in a nursing home. Assisted living communities provide some assistance in daily living tasks, organize social activities among members, and provide ready access to medical care when needed. Costs for assisted living vary depending on the type of housing provided.

Housing Programs are a healthcare version of a group or boarding home, where the patient lives with a group of people in a single residence or facility. Patients need some assistance in basic living skills but not skilled nursing care. Other types of housing programs may actually provide independent apartments when subsidized by the government for low income individuals.

Residential Care Homes are single family homes that provide a bed and bathroom for a patient along with services from a caregiver. These services typically include assistance in daily living tasks and meals. Fees for the room and healthcare are provided to the owner of the home. The patient lives with a family and typically one member of that family is a trained caregiver.

Community Services are partly underwritten by communities and include services such as adult day care, meals on wheels, transportation services, and case management services. These services are intended to help those patients that are receiving care from their families.

The last major type of care is informal care. This type of care is probably the most widely used type of long term care because it carries no cost. Informal care is provided by a patient's family and while there is no financial cost, there is usually a significant burden placed on the family member who is the caregiver.

This continuum of health care services may vary from state to state and be called slightly different names. Being familiar with your long term care options will help you to evaluate all your choices and make the best long term care choice in relation to your specific needs and financial situation.