Aging In Place Advocate

One of the biggest misunderstandings I see around senior care is what Medicare will pay for.

A parent falls and breaks a hip. They go to the hospital, then they may go to rehab. Because Medicare is covering parts of that, it’s easy to assume Medicare will keep helping once they’re home, or if they move to assisted living.

However, that doesn’t happen the way people expect.

Medicare may cover the hospital stay and some short-term rehab after something like a hip fracture. But it generally does not pay for the ongoing help your parent may need after that, whether that is help at home or the monthly cost of assisted living.

That’s usually where the bigger long-term expense starts.
Your dad comes home, but he may now need help getting dressed and someone there when he showers. He may not be able to manage the stairs the way he used to. You and your siblings may start talking about home care or assisted living because no one feels good about him being home alone anymore.

That kind of help can go on for months or years, and for most people it is paid for with a parent’s own income and savings, long-term care insurance if they have it, or in some cases Medicaid or VA benefits.

A lot of people don’t learn any of this until something happens.
If your parents are doing well right now, this is a much better time to understand how it works.

Navigating Senior Living

8 Behaviors to Take Note of if You Think Someone Might Have Alzheimer's - Better Health While Aging Worried that an older person might be developing Alzheimer's? Learn about 8 research-proven behaviors to look for, and report to the doctor.

Be aware of ailments that can catch you off guard after age 50.

When you’re past 50, some ailments can announce themselves suddenly and painfully. And aches and ouches you might not worry much about when you’re younger could be a sign of bigger problems in middle age. https://wb.md/479dt0i

An alarming statistic to say the least.

Medical error is the nation’s third leading cause of death, behind only cancer and heart disease, according to researchers at Johns Hopkins. They estimate that it causes more than 250,000 deaths each year. Have you ever experienced miscommunication, inadequate training, or another human error getting in the way of your treatment? https://wb.md/4rtD9yo