Using Reverse Mortgages For Alzheimers Care
The decision on whether or not to use ones home, through a reverse mortgage, to help pay for care is not an easy one. In many cases, it does not make good economic sense, but in other situations it does.
The two most important factors when considering a reverse mortgage to pay for Alzheimers care are ones marital status and their expected duration of need.
Reverse mortgages come due one year after the homeowner moves from their home. Given that most individuals with Alzheimers will eventually require residential care, it becomes a question of how many years until that point. Should one be at the early stage of the condition and wont require residential care for 5 years, a reverse mortgage might make good sense as a funding resource for occasional assistance around the home. However, if one might need to move within 2 years, a reverse mortgage would be considered an expensive source of funds. The exception to this rule is when the individual with Alzheimers has a healthy spouse who will continue to live in the home when the spouse with Alzheimers moves into a care facility. In this situation, a reverse mortgage could be a sound decision.
If A Person Does Not Have The Mental Capacity To Make Decisions About Their Care
If a person is deemed not to have the capacity to make decisions about their care, doctors and other health professionals will collaborate with the family to make a decision that is in the best interests of the individual.
Before this can happen, however, there needs to be a reasonable belief that the person no longer has the capacity to make decisions themselves, followed by an assessment showing they dont. Until that time, under the Mental Capacity Act 2005, it must be assumed a person has capacity.
If a person is deemed to be a risk to themselves or others, they can be sectioned in a care home under the Mental Health Act 1983. However, at the point a person is deemed well enough to no longer be sectioned, they are once again free to make decisions about their care again, including whether they stay in a care home or not.
Its A Temporary Placement Into A Snf For Rehabilitation
This basically means its a nursing home setting with a rehabilitation unit in it.
Many seniors recovering from a physical injury or an accident go into SNFs for a few weeks or less simply for the rehabilitation process before they return home.
The intention is to get the patients strength and health back to where they can return home and care for themselves again.
If your parent is going to a rehabilitation center in a nursing home setting, I would recommend that you check out the facility first before they are admitted. Even though its a temporary situation, the reality is that the impression they get from that nursing home will stay with them.
And if, for whatever reason, they eventually have to be placed into a nursing home in years to come the sting wont be so difficult if they had a good experience the first time around.
Some parents will find it difficult no matter what. My mother was admitted to a rehab clinic in a SNF where she probably would have spent less than a week but she was convinced that she was being placed there permanently.
She spent the entire first night screaming and moaning and in the morning, the rehab physician sent her back to the hospital where she sat quietly in her bed and refused to eat or talk to anyone for the next 4 days.
Obviously, my sister and I knew that if the time came that my mother needed 24 hour care a nursing home placement would simply not work unless she was suffering from severe dementia .
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What Is The Monthly Cost Of Caring For A Patient With Dementia
The cost of nursing home and assisted living, as well as senior living, varies depending on a seniors state of residence. Approximately $4,000 per month is the average for 2019 on a national level. According to AHF, each additional $100 in monthly Alzheimers care costs increases approximately $1,000 every month.
Providing Ongoing Love Care And Support
As time goes on, your parent will probably feel more settled and at-home in the care facility. Both of you may begin to perceive the situation in a more positive light. That’s especially likely if you and your siblings stay in touch with your parent, making each interaction as meaningful as possible. How often you call or visit should depend on how well your mom or dad has adjusted. Work with the care staff to determine how much family interaction may be beneficial. For some nursing home residents, daily calls or visits work well. For others, it may be more appropriate to have weekly or biweekly interactions. The important thing is to ensure that your parent doesn’t feel ignored or forgotten.
Do whatever you can to make sure your parent remains comfortable. For example, add personal touches to your mom or dad’s room, such as family photos, cherished keepsakes, or art from grandchildren. Or bring in some of your parent’s favorite treats. All of those things will help you stay visible in the minds of your parent and his or her caregivers. It’s also a good idea to show your gratitude when you observe those caregivers making an effort to provide great care. Don’t be afraid to say thank you or send them small gifts as tokens of your appreciation.
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Try Diverting The Conversation
Keep a photograph album handy. Sometimes looking at pictures from their past and being given the chance to reminisce will ease feelings of anxiety. It might be best to avoid asking questions about the picture or the past, instead trying to make comments: ‘That looks like Uncle Fred. Granny told me about the time he….’
Alternatively, you could try diverting them with food, music, or other activities, such as a walk.
Placing A Parent In A Nursing Home: How To Make It Easier
Nobody wants to be faced with the challenge of placing a parent in a nursing home. After all, it’s hard knowing that your mom or dad needs a high level of round-the-clock care, something that you may not be able to provide on your own. This situation often comes with conflicted emotions like guilt, regret, and a sense of relief. How do you remain sensitive to your parent’s feelings while moving ahead with what you know must be done?
As a first step, it helps to acknowledge the fact that putting a loved one in a nursing home is a fairly common challenge. Each year, millions of other people like you face this dilemma. In fact, more than one in three Americans over the age of 65 will probably require nursing home care at some point. That means you aren’t alone in dealing with this issue. It also means that a lot of resources are available to guide and support you.
This article will help you learn when a parent needs assisted living or nursing home care, how to get a parent into a nursing home, and why it’s important to be kind to yourself throughout the process. A lot of the following information also applies if you’re faced with the situation of putting your spouse in a nursing home. By understanding what’s involved, you and your loved one may have an easier time going through the process.
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How Far Has The Disease Progressed
Alzheimers disease has three stages – patients at each stage require different levels of care. A person diagnosed with Alzheimers usually lives another four to eight years after diagnosis but could live as long as 20. Early stage Alzheimers patients can live relatively normal lives, although they may notice memory lapses, have difficulty organizing themselves and may struggle in particular work or social settings. Patients at this stage can usually manage to stay in their own homes, and may still have the legal capacity to make decisions about their future care preferences.
The next stage, moderate Alzheimers, can last for several years. Patients during this stage will have obvious symptoms, such as confusion, severe memory lapses, getting lost, and behavioral or personality changes, like delusions, suspicion, moodiness, changes in sleep patterns, and in some cases loss of bladder or bowel control.
Late stage Alzheimers sufferers become unable to function and eventually lose control of movement. They need 24-hour care and supervision. They are unable to communicate, even to share that they are in pain, and are more vulnerable to infections, especially pneumonia.
When Should A Dementia Patient Go To A Nursing Home
Even though you prefer the quality of life for your family members to be at home, if you feel that you are unable to provide them with adequate care, it could be time to consider a nursing home. During resident care, nursing homes offer a customized treatment program, diet guidelines that are healthy, and 24 hour emotional and behavioral support.
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Should I Put My Parents In A Nursing Home
In some cases, these questions are easy to answer. For example, some people are forced into long-term residential care by a sudden injury or the unexpected onset of a debilitating medical illness. Their conditions make it impossible for their loved ones to provide the 24/7 care they need at home, even if it’s just for a temporary period of time.
But knowing when to put mom in a nursing home isn’t always so straightforward. That’s because many seniors have chronic health conditions that impact their functional abilities more slowly over time, making it more difficult to recognize the point when long-term caregiving in a residential facility is necessary. In those cases, it’s essential to pay attention to various physical, mental, and behavioral signs. Parents need assisted living or residential nursing care when they pose a danger to themselves or others, when they can’t function independently, or when their current caregivers can no longer provide the level of day-to-day support that’s required.
In reality, a lot of families end up waiting too longdelaying the decision until something tragic happens that forces the issue. By that point, it is often too late to explore all the options in search of the best possible caregiving arrangement. Action may have to be taken immediately, which amplifies the stress on everyone involved. That’s why right now is a great time to be asking these questionsbefore an accident or sudden medical event makes the decision for you.
Payment Options / Financial Assistance For Alzheimers Care
For most families, the expenses of caring for a loved one with Alzheimers or dementia are covered not by a single source, but instead by contributions from a variety of sources. Some of these resources are specifically designed for Alzheimers patients and others are of a more general nature.
Dementia Care Central is a free website that offers tips, suggestions, and videos on how to provide hands on care and gain the cooperation of persons with Alzheimers. Visit their site.
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Stage : Mild Cognitive Impairment
Clear cognitive problems begin to manifest in stage 3. A few signs of stage 3 dementia include:
- Getting lost easily
- Noticeably poor performance at work
- Forgetting the names of family members and close friends
- Difficulty retaining information read in a book or passage
- Losing or misplacing important objects
- Difficulty concentrating
Patients often start to experience mild to moderate anxiety as these symptoms increasingly interfere with day to day life. Patients who may be in this stage of dementia are encouraged to have a clinical interview with a clinician for proper diagnosis.
Schedule The Move For Their Best Time Of The Day
Typically, late mornings and early afternoons are a dementia patients best time of the day. Early mornings and evenings may be more difficult.
The transition from one home to the next will be less stressful when your parent is most likely to be calm, allowing more time to settle in before s/he becomes fatigued or agitated.
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Talk About For Now Not Forever
Newlin avoids panic by focusing on the short-term with her mother. Weve never told my mom that shes going to be in memory care for the rest of her life, she says. Weve said, This is where youre going to go now. They can help you with the things that you need help with. As time passes, she brings up coming home a whole lot less.
How Does Guardianship Work
Seeking forced guardianship of an elder is not an easy or inexpensive process, according to Susan B. Geffen, Esq., M.S.G, member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and author of Take That Nursing Home and Shove It! The process involves going to court and is often lengthy. In some cases, a family member will initiate this proceeding, or the countys adult protective services agency will petition the court to have a guardian appointed. The latter typically happens when a neighbor or other concerned party reports that a senior is experiencing elder abuse or neglect, whether it is at the hands of someone else or self-imposed.
Guardianship can only be established over a person who is found to be incapable of making sound decisions and caring for themselves. If a senior is competent, they can choose how and where they want to live, even if these decisions put them at risk of injury, illness or death.
From a legal standpoint, judges value the independence of an individual, including older adults, Geffen explains. The courts will bend over backwards to make sure that these rights are not trammeled, even if some of a persons decisions are colorful.
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Stage : Moderately Severe Dementia
When the patient begins to forget the names of their children, spouse, or primary caregivers, they are most likely entering stage 6 of dementia and will need full time care. In the sixth stage, patients are generally unaware of their surroundings, cannot recall recent events, and have skewed memories of their personal past. Caregivers and loved ones should watch for:
- Delusional behavior
Balancing A Seniors Independence And Well
Regardless of a familys unique situation, getting elderly parents to move from their home is never easy. The best scenario is to broach the subject gently, frequently and long before it needs to be acted on. In this way, the entire family can work together to understand how a loved one wishes to live out their golden years and then plan accordingly. Unfortunately, many families struggle to discuss this topic, and seniors willingness to embrace change often decreases as the decision approaches.
Ultimately, family caregivers must learn to respect their aging loved ones wishes and try to reconcile them with the best decisions for their health and safety. If a senior is not capable of partaking in these decisions because of dementia or another mental health condition, then guardianship may be the only way to ensure their well-being, but only as a last resort.
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Why Are They Refusing Care
When dementia progresses, some patients become non-verbal and they are not able to fully communicate exactly what they want or why they want it.
And because they are unable to communicate their needs, they may able be unable to understand communication from other people so they can process it. If a patient with dementia is refusing care or help there could be a few reasons, including
- The person doesnt fully understand exactly what they are being asked to do, or why they are being asked to do it. For that reason, they dont want to do something they cant understand the reasoning for.
- They are being asked to do something they dont agree with or doing it goes against what they believe in, so they dont want to do it. For example, if you are asking them to go to bed when they dont want to or dont feel tired they will probably refused to do it.
Dementia Patient Refusing Care What To Do
When a patient is diagnosed with dementia or Alzheimers, the progression of their illness can vary depending on the person and a variety of other factors.
As their illness progresses, quick or slow, they may not be ready to accept the fact that they need some extra help or even full-time care in some cases. Of course working with them to try and get them to accept the care or move into a long-term care facility on their own would be preferable but sometimes theyre just a little stubborn and dont want to accept the help.
If your loved one, who has dementia, is refusing to get the care and help they really need you may feel stuck or at a loss for where to go next. There are a few things you can do, but you also need to understand exactly why theyre refusing the care or what is making them so upset about it.
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Q: Who Pays For A Nursing Home If You Have No Money
Medicaid is a state-operated government assistance program that pays for long term care for seniors who dont have any money. In order to qualify for Medicaid, you must spend down your personal assets to a state-specified threshold and meet the states income requirements.
In Arizona, Medicaid is administered by the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System .