Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Common Terms In The World Of Eldercare

By Agatha Lebouef


If you or a loved one is thinking about moving into some type of eldercare facility, this can be a confusing world to navigate. There are all sorts of commonly used phrases and terms to describe different types of facilities and benefits that you need to learn about before you dive into the sea of eldercare. Here is some helpful information that can make it all a bit easier.

There are many types of care and they all seem to have at least half a dozen different names associated with them. For instance, one choice is assisted living. This also can be called an adult living facility, domiciliary care, sheltered housing or even a community based retirement facility. In general, these are communities that include private apartments for residents. The monthly fees vary on the size of your apartment, but services typically include full meal services, a host of activities, an exercise facility and some basic help with daily personal chores. Rarely is any type of medical care provided, and the monthly fees are not covered by any type of government assistance.

Another option, though smaller, is the board and care facilities which cater to only five to six people or maybe less. The typical board and care is found in private residential homes and rates often include meals, services for laundry and housekeeping as well as daily help for chores but residents have private bedrooms, not apartments. Another term for this type is boarding home, group home or residential care home. There are times when Supplemental Security Income as benefits can pay for the fees, a portion or all. Also, a Medicaid 1915-c waiver can be equated with costs when living in some of these facilities.

The federal program SSI or Supplemental Security Income comes with the purpose to help seniors with low incomes by providing extra income. Basic needs like food, shelter and clothing can be addressed by this income. It principally aims to help elderly, the blind and those disabled. Costs for some board and care homes can be paid using SSI but hardly ever in nursing homes.

Another government program serving as a helpful resource for seniors is the Medicaid. This social health care program acts as health insurance and seniors receiving SSI benefits often automatically get enrolled here. Though sounding similar, you should note that Medicaid is different from Medicare. Even when Medicare provides insurance too, this is a trust fund wherein everyone who works pays for. This becomes similar in theory as with Social Security. Paychecks get deducted with a certain amount in order to cover for Medicare costs in the future. As for Medicaid and SSI, they are collected from the general tax dollars for the purpose of helping the poor, disabled, aged and unable to work given certain reasons.

Medicaid often can be used to pay for residence in a skilled nursing facility. This is often the only option for older adults who no longer can live alone, but cannot afford either assisted living or board and care or in-home care. Medicare can be used to pay for medical expenses in a nursing home, but not residential costs if you are simply living there but need no nursing care. These facilities also commonly are called nursing homes. Another option for those with a small income is a Veteran's care home, which obviously is open only to veterans and their spouses. Care ranges from independent living, assisted living and full skilled nursing care.

Around San Diego or Orange County, looking for eldercare options can be easier with Care Placement. The staff members will help you figure out which care comes best for your needs as well as financial capability. They have a list of appropriate facilities you can then visit and do your comparison for the realization of the best care services option to choose.




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