Planning For Long-Term Care For Dummies E-Book

Carol Levine

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Ratgeber
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 594

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2014

Beschreibung

Expert advice on planning for your own or a relative'sfuture care needs As we live longer and healthier lives, planning for the longterm has never been more important. Planning gives you morecontrol, but it's not easy to find accurate information andanswers to your questions. That's where AARP'sPlanning For Long-Term Care For Dummies comes in. This comprehensive guide gives you questions to ask yourself andothers about how best to achieve your goals, whether you haveimmediate needs or can take some time to sort out thepossibilities. The book * Covers home modifications so that you can stay at home safelyfor as long as you like * Lays out the opportunities and costs associated withindependent living, assisted living, and other options * Gives you a range of driving and transportationalternatives * Sorts out the various sources of care at home * Helps you navigate the healthcare system * Reviews the legal documents you should prepare and update * Helps you determine whether you need long-term careinsurance * Offers checklists and other resources to help you makedecisions * Gives you guidance on how to talk to your family aboutsensitive issues If you're looking for trusted information on how to prepare forthe future care needs for yourself or a relative, this sensitive,realistic, and authoritative guide will start you on the rightroad.

Leseprobe

Planning For Long-Term Care For Dummies®

Published by: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774, www.wiley.com

Copyright © 2014 by AARP. All rights reserved. AARP is a registered trademark.

Published simultaneously in Canada

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without the prior written permission of the Publisher. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, [phone], fax [phone], or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions.

Trademarks: Wiley, For Dummies, the Dummies Man logo, Dummies.com, Making Everything Easier, and related trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc., and may not be used without written permission. AARP is a registered trademark of AARP, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.

LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY:WHILE THE PUBLISHER, AARP, AND THE AUTHOR HAVE USED THEIR BEST EFFORTS IN PREPARING THIS BOOK, THEY MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS BOOK AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. NO WARRANTY MAY BE CREATED OR EXTENDED BY SALES REPRESENTATIVES OR WRITTEN SALES MATERIALS. THE ADVICE AND STRATEGIES CONTAINED HEREIN MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR YOUR SITUATION. YOU SHOULD CONSULT WITH A PROFESSIONAL WHERE APPROPRIATE. IF PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE IS REQUIRED, THE SERVICES OF A COMPETENT PROFESSIONAL PERSON SHOULD BE SOUGHT. THE PUBLISHER, AARP, AND THE AUTHOR SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES ARISING HEREFROM. THE FACT THAT AN ORGANIZATION OR WEBSITE IS REFERRED TO IN THIS WORK AS A CITATION AND/OR A POTENTIAL SOURCE OF FURTHER INFORMATION DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE PUBLISHER, AARP, OR THE AUTHOR ENDORSE THE INFORMATION THE ORGANIZATION OR WEBSITE MAY PROVI! DE OR RECOMMENDATIONS IT MAY MAKE. FURTHER, READERS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT INTERNET WEBSITES LISTED IN THIS WORK MAY HAVE CHANGED OR DISAPPEARED BETWEEN WHEN THIS WORK WAS WRITTEN AND WHEN IT IS READ.

For general information on our other products and services, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 877-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax [phone]. For technical support, please visit www.wiley.com/techsupport.

Wiley publishes in a variety of print and electronic formats and by print-on-demand. Some material included with standard print versions of this book may not be included in e-books or in print-on-demand. If this book refers to media such as a CD or DVD that is not included in the version you purchased, you may download this material at http://booksupport.wiley.com. For more information about Wiley products, visit www.wiley.com.

This and other AARP books are available in print and e-formats at AARP’s online bookstore, www.aarp.org/bookstore, and through local and online bookstores.

Library of Congress number is available upon request.

ISBN: 978-1-118-72575-7 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-118-75650-8 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-75654-6 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-75660-7 (ebk)

Manufactured in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Planning For Long-Term Care For Dummies®

Visit www.dummies.com/cheatsheet/planninglongtermcare to view this book's cheat sheet.

Table of Contents

Introduction

About This Book

Foolish Assumptions

Icons Used in This Book

Beyond the Book

Where to Go from Here

Part I: Getting Started with Long-Term Care

Chapter 1: Looking Ahead: The Big Picture

Planning for the Long Term Starts with You

What Is Long-Term Care?

Looking at long-term services and supports

Using Medicare as a starting point

Navigating the Roadblocks

Reasons for resistance

Benefits of planning

How Care for the Long Term Is Changing

Looking at why changes are being made

Keeping up with insider language

Meeting Your Changing Needs

Location, location, location

Timing and flexibility

Getting Professional Advice

Chapter 2: A Personal Inventory of Needs and Preferences

Looking at the Present — and the Future

Healthcare needs

Family, friends, and professionals

Personality characteristics

Attitudes about money

Creating a Long-Term Care Plan Based on Your Profile

Chapter 3: Researching Options for Services

Finding Information and Reading Between the Lines

Organizing your research

Federal government programs

State and local programs

Federal and state regulations

Community-based organizations

Taking Your Research to the Next Level: Site Visits

Chapter 4: Making Decisions: A Family Affair

Holding Family Meetings

Who should be included?

When should you get together?

What should be on the agenda?

Being Considerate of Others

Allocating responsibilities

Bringing in the outer circle

Dealing with Conflict

Mediators and counselors

Consensus and compromise

Part II: Long-Term Care in Different Settings

Chapter 5: Aging in Place

What Is Aging in Place?

Dealing with Two Major Hazards

Preventing falls

Preventing burns

Modifying a Home for an Aging Person

Categorizing types of home modifications

Checking out accessibility

Finding a contractor

Getting help paying for home modifications

Seeking Help at Home

Allocating tasks to family

Searching for services

Finding help for other chores

Putting technology to use

Preparing for an Emergency

Making an emergency plan

Putting together a disaster kit

Chapter 6: Independent and Assisted Living and Other Group Settings

What Is Assisted Living?

Interpreting industry and government language

Getting to know what assisted living offers

Checking out healthcare services

Finding more information on assisted-living facilities

Evaluating the Cost of Assisted Living

Choosing from the menu of cost plans

Asking questions to create a monthly budget

Beyond the Brochure: What To Look For When You Visit

Making notes about the common areas

Checking out the residential units

Investigating continuing care

Pitfalls to Avoid

Unnecessary trips to the ER

Additional costs or discharge from the facility after a hospitalization or change in condition

Exclusion from social activities or dining room seating by other residents

Failing to read the contract

Other Options for Group Living

Independent living for seniors

Affinity or niche communities

Cohousing arrangements

House sharing

Group homes

Chapter 7: Under One Roof: Generations Living Together

Multigenerational Living: Everything Old Is New Again

Why different generations are living together

Defining family households by generation

Considering family reactions beforemaking a decision

Where Should We All Live? Considering the Options

Having a relative move in with you

Preparing to move into your parent's home

Making fair financial arrangements

Making the Move

Getting started

Planning ahead

Sorting and packing

Settling in

Checking In over the Long Haul

Chapter 8: Beyond Your Home: Living in a Community

Understanding Why Community Matters

Defining age-friendly communities

Looking at livable-community initiatives

Taking a Walk Around Your Community

Looking at sidewalks and surrounding areas

Checking for places tostop, shop, and chat

Rating your community

Finding Community Services

Creating Special Communities for Older People

Navigating NORCs

Living in a Village

Chapter 9: Getting Around: Transportation Options

Judging Whether Driving Is Still Safe

Watching for warning signs for older drivers

Starting the conversation and evaluating needs

Adapting a Car for Older Drivers

Increasing safety with new technology

Making adaptations for disabilities

Knowing When It's Time to Give Up the Keys

Finding Alternatives to Driving

Public transportation options

Private options

Part III: Legal and Financial Planning for Long-Term Care

Chapter 10: Unraveling the Rules of Medicare and Medicaid

The Distinction between Medicare and Medicaid

Taking a Look at Medicare Basics

Are you eligible for Medicare?

What's included in original Medicare

What you get with Medicare Advantage plans

Prescription drug coverage

Durable medical equipment coverage

Home healthcare services

Getting Medicaid Ground Rules

Are you eligible for Medicaid?

What services Medicaid offers

How Medicaid works with home- and community-based programs

Medicaid-managed long-term care

Coordinating Benefits

PACE programs

Coordination with other health insurance

Chapter 11: Paying for Care: Long-Term Care Insurance and Other Options

Reviewing the Ups and Downs of Long-Term Care Insurance

Buying long-term care insurance

Continuing to pay rising premiums

Getting your claims paid for

Seeking out hybrid policies

Utilizing Disability Insurance

Selling Your Policy: Life Settlements

Considering a Reverse Mortgage

Receiving Money through Annuities

Chapter 12: Financial Matters: Money Management, Wills, and Trusts

Managing Money

Opening joint bank accounts

Granting financial powers of attorney

Where There's a Will. . .

Taking inventory of your assets

Considering types of wills

Choosing the executor

Taking the final steps

Settling the Estate with Probate

Reviewing the Rules on Estate Taxes

Establishing a Trust

Pros and cons of living trusts

Special-needs trusts

Looking into Guardianship

Part IV: Managing Your Health for the Long Term

Chapter 13: Choosing Good Geriatric Care

Checking on the Special Medical Needs of Older Adults

Identifying common chronic conditions

Dealing with multiple ailments

Finding the Right Specialist to Manage Care

Considering the need for a geriatrician

Finding a geriatrician

Navigating Hospitals

Where to go for emergencies and non-emergencies

Being admitted to the hospital

Planning for a hospital stay

Polypharmacy: Too Many Drugs?

Using caution with certain drugs

Getting medications right

Other risks and questions

Chapter 14: Demystifying Home Care

Examining the Many Varieties of Home Care

Services from a Home Care Agency

Different kinds of home care agencies

Choosing a home care agency

Paying for Home Care

Looking at Medicare's rules for eligibility for home healthcare services

Understanding Medicaid home care

Other kinds of insurance

Hiring home care workers on your own dime

Working with Home Care Aides

Paying Family or Friends to Provide Care

Is There a Doctor in the House?

Chapter 15: Understanding the Role of Nursing Homes in Long-Term Care

Nursing Home Basics

Defining nursing homes

Moving from hospital to short-term rehab

Comparing nursing homes for a long stay

Visiting Nursing Homes for a Long Stay

Checking off important points

Noting policy details

Checking Out New Models of Nursing-Home Care

Eden Alternative

Green House Project

Beatitudes

Culture change

Responding to Residents’ Problems in Nursing Homes

Chapter 16: Moving Toward Advance Care Planning

Thinking about Advance Care Planning

Realizing the importance of advance planning

Making wishes known with advance directives and living wills

Dealing with the Rules of Advance Directives

Finding the forms for advance directives and living wills

Putting your wishes down on paper

Choosing a healthcare proxy

Adding do not resuscitate (DNR) orders

Keeping your advance directive accessible

Choosing Physician’ Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST)

Understanding Care Options for Serious Illness: Palliative Care and Hospice

Palliative care

Hospice

Part V: Special Populations

Chapter 17: Services for LGBT Older Adults

Recognizing LGBT Aging and Health Issues

Physical conditions

Mental health risks

Knowing Legal Protections and Their Limits

U.S. Supreme Court and DOMA

Presidential memorandum on hospital visitation

Keeping Legal Documents at the Ready

Finding LGBT-Friendly Providers and Facilities

Finding healthcare providers

Considering independent- or assisted-living and nursing homes

Looking at LGBT-specific options

Chapter 18: Planning for Veterans

Getting into the VA System

Comparing VA to other healthcare systems

Eligibility for VA healthcare

Supporting Veterans and Their Families

Shared decision making

Caregiver support

Noting VA Options for Older Veterans

Receiving pensions

Using Aid and Attendance and Homebound programs

Finding the Right Residential Setting or Nursing Home for Veterans

Veterans’ medical foster homes

Community living facilities (Nursing homes)

State-operated veteran homes

Domiciliary program

TRICARE For Life

Using Other Resources to Navigate the VA System

Chapter 19: Services for Family Caregivers

Defining Family Caregivers

Family caregivers by the numbers

What family caregivers do

Family caregivers’ rights and obligations

Becoming a Family Caregiver

Identifying yourself as a family caregiver

Readying yourself for negotiation

Checking Out Different Types of Family Caregivers

Family caregivers who are employed

Long-distance family caregivers

Multicultural caregivers

Looking for Help

Family and friends

Federal programs

State programs

Community-based organizations

Internet resources

Part VI: The Part of Tens

Chapter 20: Ten Myths about Aging and Long-Term Care

Serious Memory Lapses Are Normal in Older Adults

Older People Fall: Not Much You Can Do about It

All Over-the-Counter Drugs Are Safe

Americans Dump Their Older Relatives in Nursing Homes

Medicare Pays for All Long-Term Care

Hospice Is Just a Place Where People Go to Die

Millionaires Take Advantage of Medicaid

Long-Term Care Means a Nursing Home

Assisted-Living Facilities Are Regulated Like Nursing Homes

Long-Term Care Insurance Covers All Your Needs

Chapter 21: Ten Resources with State-by-State Information

Identifying Local Services through Area Agencies on Aging

Assessing Assisted-Living and Rehabilitation Facilities

Finding Community Services and Housing Options through Eldercare Locator

Getting Support for Family Caregivers

Modifying Your Home with Rebuilding Together

Getting Information on Medicaid in Your State

Calculating Costs

Finding Your State's Advance Directives

Solving Problems through an Ombudsman

Resolving Complaints through Quality Improvement Organizations

Part VII: Appendixes

Appendix A: Glossary

Appendix B: Resources

AARP

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)

Administration for Community Living

Other Resources

About the Author

Cheat Sheet

More Dummies Products

Guide

Table of Contents

Begin Reading

Pages

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

36

37

38

39

41

42

43

44

45

46

47

48

49

51

52

53

54

55

56

57

58

59

60

61

62

63

64

65

66

67

68

69

70

71

72

73

74

75

76

77

78

79

80

81

82

83

84

85

87

88

89

90

91

92

93

94

95

96

97

98

99

100

101

102

103

104

105

106

107

108

109

110

111

112

113

114

115

116

117

118

119

120

121

122

123

124

125

126

127

128

129

130

131

132

133

134

135

136

137

138

139

140

141

142

143

144

145

146

147

148

149

150

151

152

153

154

155

156

157

158

159

160

161

162

163

164

165

166

167

168

169

170

171

172

173

175

176

177

178

179

180

181

182

183

184

185

186

187

188

189

190

191

192

193

194

195

196

197

198

199

200

201

202

203

204

205

206

207

208

209

210

211

212

213

214

215

216

217

218

219

220

221

222

223

224

225

226

227

228

229

230

231

232

233

234

235

236

237

238

239

240

241

242

243

244

245

246

247

248

249

250

251

252

253

254

255

256

257

258

259

260

261

262

263

264

265

266

267

268

269

270

271

272

273

274

275

276

277

278

279

280

281

282

283

284

285

286

287

288

289

291

292

293

294

295

296

297

298

299

300

301

302

303

304

305

306

307

308

309

310

311

312

313

314

315

317

318

319

320

321

322

323

343

344

Introduction

Planning for the long term is an important part of ensuring the best possible future for yourself or a parent. (In this book I generally use “parent” to stand in for any older person you care about.) But because you’ve picked up or downloaded this book, you probably already know that. What you may not know is the broad scope of decisions, services, and choices that planning encompasses. Many people start with a specific question about topics such as buying long-term care insurance or choosing an independent- or assisted-living facility and find that they need to explore many other avenues as they pursue their goals of good health, independence, choice, and quality of life.