Economic forecasts are causing many to pinch pennies and tighten belts. Federal funding, state programs and non-profit organizations have all had to reign in spending and cut expenses, and elder care assistance resources are dwindling. Even after deciding what tasks to assign to a home caregiver or which local resources to utilize to find one, you still need to figure out how to pay for them.
Families caring for loved ones are becoming increasingly more responsible for the costs related to care. News of proposed federal cuts to Medicare and Medicaid worry health care providers and non-profit groups providing affordable in-home services to those in need. Barbara Gay, director of advocacy information at the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging, in Washington, DC, observed that nonprofit nursing homes “would have to figure out how to do more with less.” She continued, “You can’t cut back on quality, usually you don’t end up closing beds. Many already do a lot of fund raising. That probably would have to be more intensive.”
States like Pennsylvania are freezing Medical Assistance payments to reimburse low-income seniors in nursing homes and assisted-living facilities. Somerset County, PA, has even started a waiting list for elderly people who need home-delivered meals because their is not enough money to cover the rising cost of food and higher fuel prices incurred in delivering meals. Arthur N. DiLoreto, administrator of the Area Agency on Aging of Somerset County said, “We have instituted cost-containment and reduction. But we are seeing such an increase in the demand for in-home services that we have had to start the waiting list for home-delivered meals. We did not make this decision lightly.”
Northern Colorado families recently received letters in the mail saying that the foundation providing their affordable in-home services had quietly and abruptly shut down, leaving many scrambling to find providers to continue services. “This business shutting down and the way they shut down were not good for the homecare business,” Mike Maguire, owner of nearby Home Instead Senior Care said. “Everyone is just really disturbed at the way families were treated.”
At the same time, many private companies see opportunities in the growth of home health care needs in the United States. A Minnesota baby boomer recently launched a company which produces elder-care resource events for the public. “Elder Care Expo brings together many of the answers people like us are searching for — in one place,” Elder Care Expo founder Julie Groshens offered.
The University of Central Florida’s School of Social Work is developing an innovative program to prepare its graduates for careers in geriatric social work, thanks to a grant from the John A. Hartford foundation. “Approximately 17 percent of Central Florida residents are 60 or older,” Denise Gammonley, assistant professor of social work and co-director of the program pointed out. “We estimate that about 40 percent of these older residents have at least moderate social and health-care needs because of disabilities or poverty.”
With so many variables, finding the right services for you and your family’s situation can be daunting. The AGIS.com site can easily help you find local services, government agencies, and community resources to meet your care needs. You can also learn about Medicare and Medicaid, find out what types of expenses to expect, and appropriately prepare your budget to care for aging loved ones. Finally, visit the Money Concerns Forum to learn from others and share your own experiences.
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