Everything You Wanted to Know About Home Care But Were Afraid to Ask

A senior tsunami is on its way. Since the year 2000 the national population of those 60 years old and older has grown by 11% It is estimated that by the year 2015 the 85+ population will increase by 65%

And to the majority of seniors there is nothing sweeter then home. Statistics show that most seniors want to remain in their home close to family and friends. Be it that they are living alone or with family, a change in their physical or mental condition, whether sudden or gradual over time may make it necessary for them to receive assistance with the activities of daily living.

So they want to stay home but they need some level of care, what do you do? The answer would be to consider the services of a home care agency.

What do you look for when considering a home care agency?

An agency should be licensed. It is required in most states. Accreditation by a nationally recognized accrediting body such as the Community Health Accreditation Program (CHAP) is extremely important.

The agency should be able to assist you by referring fellow professionals such as Elder Care Attorneys, Social Workers or Geriatric Care Managers should the need arise. This is something you long distance family members should consider.

Look for an agency that has been servicing the community for a substantial amount of time.One that has a thorough application process and that trains their own employees. One that adheres to strict written personnel policies, has nurses on staff to evaluate the patients care and communicates with the family and patient's physician about that care. Are available 24 hours a day seven days a week.

Now the all-important question-who pays for the services?

Although most Americans over the age of 65 are eligible for Medicare they must be homebound, under a physicians care and require nursing or therapy services in order to receive home health services. This usually occurs after a person has been hospitalized. In most cases the hours will be short and not on a long-term basis. An established agency contracts with all the hospital based Certified home health agencies in their areas of service and will be on a list provided by the discharge planner.

For those needing care on a long term basis there is Medicaid, provided they are financially eligible. In order to meet those requirements you may need to enlist the help of an Elder Care Attorney or Medicaid Specialist. A reputable agency should be able to refer you to one.

Most health insurance policies do not pay for what is known as custodial care. For that you would have to have purchased a Long Term insurance policy that had been set up to ensure you can get the care you need in the home. Look for an agency that verify your coverage and has experience working with insurance companies. It is important that they(the agency) be willing to provide the proper paperwork to help ensure payment of services.

In all other instances the family must pay out of pocket. Again, a reputable home care agency should inform you of their rates for all the services they provide, make it clear how they intend to bill and how much of a deposit they required and how it is applied. It also helps if they accept credit cards.

Having this information will enable you to ask the pertinent questions of the home care agency and more importantly the person you are speaking to should be able to answer them. This will help ensure you make the best choice for yourself or your loved one.

Gloria Stanziola
Community Ambassador
Personal Touch Home Care Services

7 Basic Tips When Buying Long Term Care

Long term care is the types of assistance you will need especially when the day comes you are unable to take care of yourself because of prolonged illness or disability. It can include help with activities of daily living like bathing, eating or dressing with the means of specialized care facilities such as nursing homes, care agencies at home, day care adults, respite care providers and others.

And since there has been a stiff demand of LTC nowadays, the search for a good care provider gets a bit tedious as well. To help ease the search, here are some basic tips to remember when buying for a long term care.

Explore several insurance companies and agents

It is advisable to check with several companies and agents before you buy. Be sure to compare the advantages, limitations and definitions, exclusions and premiums.

Take your time and look for the outline of coverage

Do not let anyone scare you or make a quick decision. Compare outlines of coverage from different companies. Ask around for better options.

Be aware of the various types of policies offered to you

Make sure you know what the policy covers and what it does not. If in doubt, ask your agent before buying. This way, you get to acquaint yourself with the benefits and limitations of the policy you eye to acquire.

Do not buy more than one policy

Analyze what is most necessary and don't go overboard. A long-term care insurance policy which covers both institutional and community-based care is enough. Doing so helps you stick with your resources and prevents you from spending too much.

Review your policy carefully

If you have questions about your insurance, contact your insurance agent for clarification.

Never believe agents who say your health history is not important

Be sure to fill out the application completely and accurately. If an agent completes the application for you, do not sign it unless you have read and ensure that all medical information is correct. Information about your health is wrong; the company may refuse to pay your claims and may even cancel the policy itself.

Don't be fooled by advertisements

Insurance providers nowadays make use of celebrities in endorsing their services just to attract potential consumers. Remember, these people are not insurance experts so it is better if you do not let yourself be misled by such advertisements.

These are only seven guidelines to mention and there are still a lot more. But to ensure you are making the right choices, make these basic tips as your guide in finding the right LTCi you need.

Learn what completelongtermcare.com long term care insurance is and see the different kinds of long term care policies to choose from. Get the latest update and completelongtermcare.com/news long term care news today.

Homeowners Insurance Search - First Time Homeowners Insurance Basics

Homeowner's insurance basics

If your a new homeowner or have never shopped for home insurance but want to find the best rates possible for home insurance, you have came to the right place. After this article you will know more about how to find homeowners insurance providers. In addition to that you will find out some home insurance coverage basics and tips.

What type of coverage should the homeowner be looking for?

It would be in the best interest of the homeowner to find the best policy possible to cover one of your most valued assets. If you want premium coverage the you must find an insurance company that offers a way for the homeowner to compare rates of both types (contents coverage and home coverage) of both types of coverage combined.

Its fairly easy to find these insurance quotes, because home coverage is something that is a necessity. Not having it can be very costly and risky, this is an absolute must have. Because this is a service that is of great demand, it isnt hard to find.

3 ways to search for a homeowners insurance agency-

Newspaper ads-The classified ads section advertises exact rates that some would pay or a price range a homeowner could save if they choose to get their home covered through the company advertised.
The yellow pages- The yellow pages are swarming with home insurance resources
Insurance websites-The internet provides the ultimate solutions for home insurance, offering information about rates, premiums, discounts and free homeowners insurance quotes.

Home insurance tip 1 - Your homes Replacement Cost

When evaluating home insurance the homeowner must always keep in mind not to insure the home based off the market value alone. You must think far ahead of the game and get your home covered for the cost it would be to rebuild it. When you consider the replacement value of your home, your already saving money by not over insuring your home. The internet offers a few free resources that allows you to discover the monetary value of your home as well as the market value.

Home insurance tip 2 - Don't forget about your Contents insurance

Contents coverage is insurance that covers your personal belongings of value. Most content coverage policy's limit the amount of things that you can have covered under the same terms, but this is very thoughtful coverage to have.

Home insurance tip 3 - Whats not insured

Evaluate everything of value that you dont have coverage on. There is nothing absolutely wrong with at all covering your behind. Create a checklist to be sure that you have all your insurance needs taken care of. Document all the things that you dont have covered so that you would be able to prioritize whats most important.

Protect yourself with liability coverage-homeowners liability insurance

Its never a bad idea to have liability coverage on your property, this type of coverage covers the homeowner if someone random slips and hurt themselves on the homeowners property. These policys are for the most part cheap and can be even cheaper if you apply it through an umbrella policy. The overall saying for homeowners liability insurance is its better to be safe than be sorry.

More GETHOMEINSURANCEQUOTES.INFO Homeowners Insurance Basics GETHOMEINSURANCEQUOTES.INFO Get a home insurance quote Now!

Consumer-Directed Or Agency-Directed Home Care - Which Model is Best?

Seniors and their families throughout New Jersey and the Philadelphia area suburbs use home health care services to remain living independently in their homes. Home care services, such as live-in caregivers and hourly companions allow seniors to age in place for as long as possible. There are basically two different models of home care, the registry (or consumer directed) model and the employee based (or agency directed). Both types can offer a variety of services to consumers, including nurses, home health aides, physical and occupational therapists, and companions. Each model has its pros and cons.

For most people, their first introduction to home care is through a referral by their physician, a discharge planner, social worker or geriatric care manager at discharge from a hospital stay or after finishing rehabilitation at a sub-acute center or rehab facility. People generally are not aware of the difference between consumer directed care and agency directed care.

The consumer directed care model is fashioned after the nurse registries that have been around since the civil war. In this model, an agency completes background checks on the candidate, such as criminal background checks, reference checks, interviews, social security checks and any other checks the agency feels necessary. Once the candidate is approved the agency will then refer them to the client in need of service. In this situation, the consumer is in charge, thus the term consumer directed model. They have the power and control to tell the caregiver what, when and where they want their services performed. They also decide how much they are willing to pay for services. Since caregivers set their own rates and families dictate what they are willing to pay, one of the registries main jobs is to find a good match between the two. Because the registry takes a much smaller fee than an agency, it is usually possible to make both the consumer and caregiver happy financially, thus creating a mutually happy relationship

The other model of home care is the agency directed care model. The agency directed model evolved out of the government funded programs that pay agencies to be the provider of services. With the agency directed model, the agency recruits, hires, trains, supervises, disciplines and sets the rate it charges patients and the wages it pays the caregivers. The agency would also develop the plan of care for the patient and selects the caregiver(s) to provide the care.

There are advantages and disadvantages to both models of home care. You need to decide which type of business is right for you or your loved one. Some of the advantages of the registry model are:

The cost of service is usually lower than the agency model
The client decides who provides their care, what services will be provided, and when service is provided
The caregivers typically earn more, therefore attracting a higher caliber caregiver
The client can obtain service on a long term, emergency, short term, or respite basis
Once the client selects a caregiver, the agency doesn't have the authority to reassign that caregiver. The client determines if/when service ends.
The registry can serve as the liaison between client and care provider

Some of the disadvantages of the registry model are:

The care provider is not supervised by an agency nurse
Most caregivers carry their own liability insurance but are not covered through the agency for worker's compensation. The consumer should check with their homeowner's policy as this often covers injuries in the home.
The caregiver is working as an independent contractor and is therefore responsible for filing their own taxes. Depending on the situation, the client/family may be the employer and need to take out payroll taxes which can be easily set up with a payroll service.

Some of the advantages of the agency model include:

The caregivers are is always the employee of the agency
The agency deducts all taxes
The caregivers are supervised by an agency nurse

Some of the disadvantages of the agency model include:

Costs tend to be higher
Caregivers, being paid by the agency, don't earn as much as those with registries
The agency determines who is assigned and reassigned to each client. This means the agency can pull a caregiver from your job in order to place them in a different position, even if you are very happy with your caregiver.
Family has less control over how services are performed.

There are supporters to both the agency and registry models of home care. Each person seeking care for themselves or a loved one needs to decide which model they are most comfortable with and which meets their needs best.

Murphy Ortiz is the manager of Family Choice Home Care. For more information about senior safety or home health care in New Jersey or Philadelphia, go to [familychoicecares.com] or call 856-273-7700