A major component of your loved one’s ability to remain at home as long as possible is interaction with others. Mind stimulating activities and frequent contact with other people facing similar circumstances is key. Adult day care is a great way to make sure your loved one receives this level of interaction, and can give you as a caregiver a much needed break.

It can also be a very cost-effective option when you compare it with the cost of nursing home care, assisted living facilities etc.  Adult day care facilities can be for profit or run by non-profits and are set up to improve your loved one’s quality of life. There are more than 3,500 adult day care facilities in the United States. Many have registered nurses on-site.  On average it costs anywhere from $40-60 per day and some facilities allow payment by the hour or half day. 

This is a great option for families who want thier loved one with Alzheimer’s to stay at home as long as possible, but need a break a few times a week to run errands or get other things taken care of.

Remember that Alzheimer’s is a progressive illness and it is often perfectly appropriate to keep your loved one at home for what ever works for your family. Higher levels of care become a necessity as the disease progresses. With those higher levels of care often come greater and greater expense. Long-term care facilities such as assisted living facilities and nursing homes can cost from $2,500-6,000 per month or more. 

So adult day care can provide a great transitional means of helping your loved one, without the enormous expense of assisted living and nursing homes. 

For more information on Paying For Alzheimer’s Care and a FREE ebook-head on over to http://www.PayingForAlzheimersCare.com

Technorati Tags: adult day care, alzheimer, alzheimer's, alzheimer's disease, elder care, retirement, seniors, stages of alzheimer's

Currently, New Jersey spends $1.68 billion of its Medicaid long-term care budget on nursing home care, which is compared to $162 million seniors on community -based care like home health care, assisted living facilities and adult day care. That;s a whole lot of money going to skilled nursing facilities. The law will now help bridge the gap between money going to nursing homes versus money going to people in the community.” Instead of getting that nursing homes be the first stop, this time, nursing homes will be the appropriate stop, if necessary,” said Dr. Fred Jacobs, state health commissioner for New Jersey. Skilled nursing facilities are the right choice for many seniors who require this type of specialized care; however, seniors should never be placed in a nursing home simply because there are no other options.

On a personal level, the law provides for appropriate changes in a person’s home including the installation of bathroom handrails and other safety features. Home health aides and respite care are now under the Medicaid umbrella of covered services.There are already so many choices to make regarding long-term care and even continuous care, the passing and approval of this law will enable you to make better and smarter choices that that will really help us all! From my neck of the woods, to yours…Ami Icanberry

Technorati Tags: adult care, adult day care, long term care

Life throws us many curveballs, and suddenly becoming the ” parent ” to your parents is a major one, for both parties involved. When you believe a family member or other loved one is in need of senior care, what exactly is the best way to start a dialogue? Several factors often compound this sudden reversal of roles: the feeling of meddling in our parent’s lives the reluctance to accept that our parents are in fact aging; anxiety or guilt about who will care for them; and the fear that your heartfelt intentions might be mistaken as an insult.

The first step in getting necessary adult day care is to get past the reluctance to talk about it. Gilbert Guide has assembled some suggestions to help make this process as painless as possible:

Listen, listen, listen. Always remember to show your geniune interest, concern and sensitivity. Be supportive, not judgmental. Take note to ask your loved one open-ended questions in order to find out his/her personal circumstances and opinions. Share thoughts on your own aging and what you plan to do. Always reassure your parents that they are not alone in their concerns. Be prepared to accept your parents; opinions or decisions, even if you do not agree, like getting home care for them.

Determine how important it is to your parent to remain as independent as possible. Who Can Help with Long-term Care Decisions? Solicit the help of non-family members in evaluating the type of long-term care your loved one may need. People of authority who are not related to you can offer a neutral opinion. Consider the following figures: Your doctor or your loved one’s personal doctor. Friends and neighbors whose opinions you trust, and who may have already faced a similar situation. A clergy member who might be able to refer you to care groups or agencies. County care service agencies. Area agencies on adult day care or other senior information and referral services.

Technorati Tags: adult care, adult day care