Archive for category: Blog

Do you have questions regarding the benefits of Social Security when the time comes you need help? Do you ever wonder if this can pay for your needs for assisted living? In that case, you might be concerned about your future when you finally move to an assisted living facility.

 

 

 

Retirement Income for Seniors

 

Social security offers benefits to seniors who have worked in the U.S. via a retirement income paid into the program. For this reason, everyone who worked legally in the country is able to get benefits from it. Such benefits are often referred to as OASDI or Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance.

 

 

Basically, it is used as a source for paying for long-term aging care. Since the government is paying for this benefit, the relatives of the seniors are free to apply for adult day care, home care, or residential care.

 

 

 

Social Security Benefits

 

Cash payments are given directly to the individual. At the same time, there are no restrictions on how these payments are spent. The average amount received by the unmarried, widowed or single retiree is around $1,411 per month.

 

• If the senior is already 62 when he or she begins to collect social security, then the maximum benefit amount will be $2,158 per month
• If the age is between 66 and 67 years old, then the benefits will amount to $2,788 per month.
• If only at the age of 70 will a retiree begin to collect benefits, then he or she will receive a total of $3,698 per month as the maximum benefit

 

 

 

Cost Of Long-Term Care

 

Take note that the average amount of a social security check is just $1,350 per month, which is a bit short of the long-term care cost. For instance, one spouse requires residential care, while the other remains at home. Nevertheless, seniors with lower income will be eligible for supplemental security income and or its supplements.

 

 

 

Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

 

For people with limited income and assets, SSI is provided as financial assistance. SSI will evaluate the income and will fill in the gap in order to bring the income up to a pre-set amount.

 

 

If you are going to apply for an assisted living program, you should know that this provides activities, meals, and non-medical care for a group of individuals in a living environment.

 

 

 

Optional State Supplements

 

These are state-based financial assistance provided over the federal SSI benefit. This is where Social Security provides financial assistance for assisted living. They are also referred to as State Supplementary Payments.

 

 

States offer assistance for people with assisted living or adult foster care who are financially eligible in order to help pay for the room and board fees. These are offered above the amount they receive from Social Security SSI.

 

 

 

However, the money will be given directly to the adult foster care home or assisted living facility. The amount of assistance will range up to $1,000 per month which depends on the state where the senior is living.

 

 

 

---

Oxbow Living offers Assisted Living & Memory Care out of Nebraska and to the Surrounding Cities: Ashland, South Bend, Greenwood, Murdock, Elmwood, Ithaca, Mead

You know that you’re going to grow old. But you’ll never know when or if chronic illness might hit. This puts an emphasis on the importance of planning for long-term care.

 

It’s important to have assisted living in mind even before you completely lose your mobility or that your sickness keeps you from living independently.

 

 

How to Plan for Long-Term Care

 

Learn More about Associated Services

Long-term care services vary in terms of distribution and duration. In general, any services can be used on an average of 3 years.

 

Assisted living usually lasts less than one year, while long-term care in nursing facilities and any care in facilities last 1 year.

 

At home, unpaid care is suitable for 1 year, paid care for less than 1 year, and any care at home for 2 years.

 

It’s important to consider whether or not you want long-term care at home, or at a nursing facility.

 

 

Care at Home

Say you’ve decided to receive long-term care in your own home. Make sure that your house has the capacity to best support your needs.

 

If you can no longer fully care for yourself, your home should be equipped with the necessary gadgets and tools.

• Hearing gadgets such as a vibrating watch and vibrating alerts for when the telephone rings or when the fire alarm sounds.
• Vision gadgets such as a magnifying glass and screens.
• Safety gadgets such as railings in the tub, in the hallway, and near the toilet.

 

 

Plan for Your Health

Staying healthy will go along way toward making sure you won’t need long-term care anytime in the near the future. Healthy eating, regular physical activity, and avoiding drinking and smoking are the best ways to delay or prevent chronic illness.

 

Still, it pays to be prepared for when you become seriously ill or disabled. Talk to your family about who will provide care if you need it in the long-term.

 

You should also speak to your doctor about your medical and family history, so you’ll know if you need long-term care sooner or later.

 

 

Take Care of the Financial Details in Advance

Billions of dollars are spent every year on various long-term care services. It is important to have a plan as to how you can pay for these expensive needs.

 

There are several payment sources and options available:

• Government health insurance programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid
• Private financing options, such as long-term care insurance
• Personal funds, including pensions, savings, and income from stocks
• Services through the Older Americans Act
• Veterans’ benefits

 

Find out which payment option is applicable to you and prepare accordingly.

 

 

Tackle the Subject of Long-Term Care

A lot of people find it difficult to talk about long-term care, much less make a decision on how to go about it.

 

But it is important that you sit down with relatives and discuss the details. Spare yourself and your family from the pressure and stress that come with the need to make an immediate decision.

 

A sudden injury that catches everyone off guard will create major confusion.

• Some family members may not approve of assisted living while others do.
• Some family members who agree to home care may not readily agree to be the designated caregiver.
• The family might not be prepared financially and emotionally to deal with your long-term care needs.

 

As you can see, planning ahead has many benefits.

 

 

 

---

Oxbow Living offers Assisted Living & Memory Care out of Nebraska and to the Surrounding Cities: Ashland, South Bend, Greenwood, Murdock, Elmwood, Ithaca, Mead

The idea of moving out of your home and into an independent living community can be overwhelming especially when you consider the various opinions that people may have about it. Besides that, you have to make major decisions or weigh a lot of options. So, it wouldn’t be surprising if one has reservations about it.

 

However, it doesn’t have to be that way. You might be surprised how independent living is not scary and overwhelming as you think. You just have to learn the truth about many misconceptions that surround this particular topic. As you know them, it could help you choose the right home or community for you.

 

Here are some of the most common misconceptions:

 

It is Depressing

Perhaps, the first thing that pops into many people’s minds is that adult living is going to be depressing. It’s a common thought that nursing homes or assisted living communities will be dark or even traumatizing.

 

However, it’s exactly the opposite. In fact, these communities work hard to keep happiness and warmth every day by creating activities and programs that they can participate in. These modern facilities even resemble a small-knit community or a small country club rather than a hospital-like setting.

 

 

Residents don’t do their own Activities

Living arrangements in these communities are often unclear to the average person. Most people think that their residents won’t have a lot of freedom to various activities of daily living.

 

From the name itself, independent living would give seniors the care that they need without taking their freedom to do things such as cook for themselves, host social events, bring overnight guests, and the like.

 

 

Pets are not Allowed

In the past, many senior care living facilities disallow pets among their residents. However, independent living has significantly changed over the years in order to make their residents’ lives more worthwhile.

 

Nowadays, almost all communities allow residents to keep their pets with them. Animals are known to bring emotional support to people. That’s why it is more than wonderful to know that it is now possible to do so.

 

 

There aren’t a lot of Engaging Activities

On the contrary, senior living assisted facilities have a multitude of activities and events that help keep their minds and bodies active at their age. These range from crafting, knitting, hobby groups, to sports fests, swimming, and many more.

 

Indeed, these communities work on a holistic approach that will not only provide them with the best senior care possible but still keep their quality of life intact.

 

 

The Bottom Line

Truly, these misconceptions about independent living would remain as they are: myths. With these aforementioned truths that prove the true quality of these communities, the idea of considering it won’t be as overwhelming as it was. If you still have hesitations about senior housing facilities, you can always visit and see for yourself before you make a decision.

 

 

---

Oxbow Living offers Assisted Living & Memory Care out of Nebraska and to the Surrounding Cities : Ashland, South Bend, Greenwood, Murdock, Elmwood, Ithaca, Mead

There will come a time when your loved ones find it difficult to perform daily tasks. When this time comes, you have to make a decision regarding their long-term care. You have to make further considerations if your loved one requires a facility with memory care.

 

 

When it comes to senior care with considerations for memory assisted living might not be a sufficient solution. In the case of conditions like dementia, you might need to find an assisted living facility that has a memory care unit.

 

 

The question is: how do you choose?

 

 

Differentiating between Assisted Living and Memory Care

 

Assisted living and memory care comprise two kinds of residential senior care. The former mostly caters to seniors who find it difficult to live independently. Such facilities make sure that the elderly get the help they need to perform everyday activities, including bathing, dressing and eating.

 

 

There will also come a time when specialized help will be needed by your loved one, especially if they develop memory-related conditions like dementia. In this case, they would be better off if provided with memory care services.

 

 

Some assisted living facilities do have memory care units, but they are quite different from each other. While memory care services still fall within the realm of long-term skilled nursing, it is solely for patients who suffer from different memory problems, including Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

 

 

A memory care unit provides round-the-clock supervised care. The layout of the facility is also designed to not confuse residents. Meaning, the layout is specifically designed to make navigation easy for patients suffering from memory problems.

 

 

In terms of cost, facilities that offer memory care services do charge more because of the kind of specialized service provided.

 

 

Choosing a facility

 

If your loved one has trouble, memory assisted living facilities with memory care units are an option for their long-term care. Here are some factors to consider in choosing a facility:

 

• Staff training. Memory issues are complex and as such, seniors who suffer from memory-related problems need specialized and skilled help. Facilities offering memory care services should have staff who are trained to deal with the different aspects of memory issues.

 

• Meals. Nutrition is important to maintain senior health. As such, it’s important to know what kind of food will be served. And most importantly, it’s best to know if the food offered is healthy for their body and mind.

 

• Programs. Just because someone is suffering from memory-related issues doesn’t mean they aren’t able to participate in activities. Take a look at whether or not the facilities offer programs or activities to help with memory. It could be as simple as doing crafts. It also helps if a facility offers exercise programs to promote overall health.

 

• Other services. This may include housekeeping, laundry services, and transportation.

 

 

 

It’s important that your loved ones find a facility that not only provides for their needs but also looks after their overall well-being.

 

 

 

---

Oxbow Living offers Assisted Living & Memory Care out of Nebraska and to the Surrounding Cities: Ashland, South Bend, Greenwood, Murdock, Elmwood, Ithaca, Mead

Having and maintaining independence is important. This is especially true when you’re in the twilight years of life. This independence is constantly being threatened by chronic illness or the body’s natural response to aging.

 

Fortunately, there are hundreds of facilities spread all throughout the country that allow the elderly to maintain some form of independence. The problem often lies in consumers not knowing the differences between these places. As you will discover, there’s a significant difference between an assisted living facility (AL) and a nursing home.

 

The Presence of Medical Care

Assisted living facilities, while able to provide for the comfort of their residents, are not medical facilities. This means that they don’t require medically trained personnel (e.g. nurses, doctors, physical therapists) to be onsite on a daily basis. However, many of these facilities are often marketed in a way that implies that round-the-clock medical care is available. And this can create a misunderstanding for those residents with multiple complex and chronic medical issues.

 

The Presence of a Regulating Body

As they are non-medical in nature, assisted living facilities are not (or don’t necessarily consider themselves) subject to stringent regulation. Consequently, they don’t abide by the requirements set by the Departments of Public Health and Health Care Services, the way skilled nursing facilities do. Instead, regulation falls under the Department of Social Services and Community Care Licensing Division. Over the years, licensing inspection visits have been increased and is expected to be done annually by 2019.

 

Assisted living facilities also do not have a standard rating system. They have no version of Nursing Home Compare, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services five-star rating system for nursing homes. A rating system is helpful to consumers who would like to make informed decisions when choosing an assisted living facility for their loved one.

 

The ‘hospitality’ myth

When there’s limited information out there, families looking at AL can easily fall prey to the so-called ‘hospitality myth’. Catherine Hawes director of the PAINS Project explains it like this, “They (families) don’t have realistic expectations … they walk into the facility and they’re guided through by the marketing person who makes a lot of promises about what’s available. They see the spiral staircase. They see the oriental rugs. They see the plants and they think: ‘This is great … Mom will have her own room, her own half bath … She can bring her own furniture.’ It’s what I would like. I just want to have a nurse there and I want to have enough staff.”

 

There’s nothing wrong with making creature comforts a priority when selecting homes for elderly loved ones. But it should not be the only priority. Family members need to be asking the right kind of questions. What level of medical care is available? Are there medical personnel present all throughout the day? How are medicines dispensed and who does it?

 

 

A person in their twilight years is bound to have the need for medical care at some level. At the end of the day, the best facility, whether an assisted living facility or nursing home, can be determined through extensive research and careful consideration. Ultimately, that facility should strike a balance between keeping you or your elderly loved one in the best health possible while allowing for independence.

 

Depending on what needs you are looking for, contact Oxbow Living Center today for more information on what we can provide your family.

 

 

---

Oxbow Living offers Assisted Living & Memory Care out of Nebraska and to the Surrounding Cities : Ashland, South Bend, Greenwood, Murdock, Elmwood, Ithaca, Mead