Understanding senior living options
These days, when it comes to selecting health services care for seniors, there are many choices, and often those choices can be- come quite confusing. For years, the only selection available once a person could no longer manage on their own was placement in a nursing home. But with the advent of services such as home health, hospice, assisted living and memory care, senior citizens now have a wide variety of options to choose from. The key to making the right choice is knowing what each option is and which will best suit the needs of you or your loved one.
1. Home health services are preferable to many because it gives them the option of continuing to live in their own home while receiving care at various levels provided by licensed nurses and certified nursing aides. Home health is primarily private pay, but Medicare and Medicaid will also reimburse some forms of “medically necessary” services for people meeting eligibility requirements.
2. Assisted living is apartment-style living for the elderly that provides services such as medication support, transportation, meals, housekeeping and a variety of social lifestyle activities. Assisted living is also primarily private pay, but some long-term care insurance policies will reimburse the policyholder depending on the level of
care the resident receives.
3. Nursing homes, also referred to as Skilled Nursing Facilities, or SNFs, provide a high level of skilled nursing care in a licensed facility for people requiring long-term medical care or shortterm rehabilitation services. Nursing home accommodations consist of a private or semiprivate suite. Medicare will reimburse for up to 100 days of rehab in a SNF facility if the care is considered medically necessary and the patient had a qualifying hospital stay prior to admission. Long Term Care Medicaid and other LTC private insurances are other funding sources for nursing homes, in addition to private pay.
4. Hospice is a specific form of care designed to manage pain, symptom relief, and emotional and spiritual support to people typically in the final 6 months of life as certified by a physician. Hospice care can be provided at home, in an assisted living community, or in a nursing home. Medicare and Medicaid both will reimburse for hospice, depending on the level of care and private pay is also accepted. Medical recertification is usually required every 60 days.
5. Memory care facilities offer a distinct form of care that caters to patients diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, dementia and other types of memory problems. These facilities usually offer apartment-style living and provide 24-hour supervised care within a separate wing of an assisted living facility. In addition to providing nursing care and assistance with the activities of daily living, the staff at a memory care facility are specially trained to assist those with impaired cognition. The physical layout and security of a memory care unit is also designed to better suit dementia patients to minimize wandering.
According to the Department of Health and Human Services, 70 percent of adults age 65 and older will need some sort of extended care at some point in their lives. Family caregivers will be faced with the difficult decision of what type of care to select, so understanding all the available options is the best way to better equip yourself when that time comes. In Hot Springs, there are a variety of assisted living facilities, senior retirement communities and long-term care facilities to choose from. For more information you can contact the local Chamber of Commerce, the Area on Aging or speak with your family physician to help with the referral process. You may also contact Camille Nesler, community outreach director at Brookfield Senior Living at 501-520-0016 to discuss your options.