(Add to Favorites | View All Articles | Resource Directory)
|
|
|
Assisted Living - Nursing Homes are not the only answerArizona Assisted Living Homes -- The Alternative to High Priced Senior CareThe cost of skilled nursing care is slowly rising. Currently, the average cost of care in Arizona ranges from $3,500 to $4,500 per month. Skilled nursing facilities are great for seniors who require skilled nursing care by medical professionals such as registered nurses or physicians. However, is skilled nursing care appropriate for those who only require assistance with their activities of daily living (ADLs) such as bathing, dressing and going to the bathroom? Is it realistic for someone to pay $3,000 to $6,000 a month for skilled nursing care when their only requirement is assistance with their ADLs? Believe it or not, there are many seniors who do not require skilled nursing care and remain in nursing homes due to their lack of knowledge of the options available to them. There are affordable alternatives to nursing home care. When a senior requires long term care without 24 hour medical supervision, the preferred alternative is Assisted Living Homes. You may ask, "What is an Assisted Living Home?" In Arizona, an Assisted Living Home is a regular home located within a residential neighborhood and licensed by the Arizona Department of Health Services to provide assistance 24 hours a day to those who need care outside of their own home. Assisted Living Homes are licensed for up to 10 residents. There are three levels of care an Assisted Living Home can be licensed for: Supervisory, Personal and Directed. Every Assisted Living Home is licensed for one or more of these levels of care. In sum, Assisted Living Homes are homes licensed to provide care for seniors who are no longer able to live alone, and do not require skilled nursing care. What are the benefits of an Assisted Living Home? An Assisted Living Home gives residents a feeling of being at home instead of an institutionalized setting. Each caregiver and manager is required to become certified, and often times the caregiver or manager lives in the home full time. Each home provides 24 hours of care, 7 days a week. Many homes offer hospice care, respite care, Alzheimer's/Memory Care, incontinence care, and therapeutic services under the direction of a physician. In addition, three nutritious meals are prepared for the residents along with snacks throughout the day, as well as daily activities as required by law. Both private and semi-private rooms are available for residents to choose from. As a result, there are many benefits available when residing in an Assisted Living Home. Why is an Assisted Living Home unique? An Assisted Living Home provides care in a home setting, and because there is a limit of up to 10 residents in each home, the ratio of caregiver to residents is such that the care provided is very individualized as opposed to larger facilities. Monthly costs for Assisted Living Homes range from $1,500 to $3,000, allowing for an affordable option compared to the cost of nursing home care. Private pay may be the only option currently offered by the majority of Assisted Living Homes. However, the facilities that do accept different payment sources such as ALTCS (Arizona's Medicaid Program referred to as Arizona Long Term Care System), usually require a resident to private pay for a certain period of time before they allow government benefits to begin. Bottom line: Assisted Living Homes are less expensive and provide more individualized care in a home-like setting. Finally, when living at home is not an option and skilled nursing care is either out of one's budget or not the right option based upon one's level of care, Assisted Living Homes are the affordable alternative senior housing choice. --------------------------------------------------------------- You have permission to use this article as long as the author's full bio is present as well as any hyperlinks to author's website. Torey Farnsworth has over 12 years of experience working with seniors. Ms. Farnsworth's vast expertise encompasses a wide variety of senior issues ranging from adult care to elder law. Most recently, Torey served as Elder Law Director and Paralegal for a Phoenix based law firm where she provided assistance in a variety of areas including long term care planning, estate planning, ALTCS eligibility and Medicaid planning. Ms. Farnsworth is also a certified caregiver with the State of Arizona as well as a Certified Senior Advisor. Ms. Farnsworth has spent her career in senior care as her family owns and operates assisted living homes. Ms. Farnsworth owns and operates a senior care placement business in Arizona called Horizon Senior Care Referral. Her placement services are free to seniors and their families. For information on placement services in Arizona, visit http://adultcarecentral.com/
MORE RESOURCES: News provided by Yahoo! News and Google News Caregiving Spouses of Alzheimer's Patients Put Own Health at Risk Scott & White granted $2M - Bizjournals.com Woman accused of bilking elderly couple [news] Compassionate Caring : Monterey center offers offers badly needed help to elderly. - Monterey County Weekly Family charged in abuse of elderly Mass. woman Family's 'horror' over Ian Goodchild elderly care cuts - Get Surrey Child Abuse Education, Elderly Care, Nursing Students To Benefit From Grants - Medical News Today (press release) Trust apologises to elderly patients Tech engineers eye policy shift in elderly care - International Business Times |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Skilled Nursing Homes and other Assisted Living Arrangements compared A skilled nursing home is a medical facility providing services similar to a hospital. The homes are staffed with licensed nurses, shared rooms, hospital beds, regular scheduled doctor rounds, meals and housekeeping. Tennessee DHS Abuse of Seniors - The rest of the story PART I: Physical Abuse of the Elderly vs. Tennessee DHS Abuse of FamiliesDuring the week of October 26, 2003, newspapers across the state of Tennessee published an Associated Press story that featured the glaring news headline, "Reports of neglect and abuse of senior citizens up 40% in six years. Colorizing old black-and-white photographs I've just made another Photoshop video. This one is about colour tinting (or "colorizing") an old photo. Arizona Senior Housing: Care Options for Seniors Who Can No Longer Live Alone The following are a few of the care options available for seniors who can no longer live on their own and require assistance with their Activities of Daily Living (ADL), or require skilled nursing care. Every state is a little different in terms of availability and cost, state regulations, and the specific names used for each care option:Assisted Living Home- A facility consisting of 10 or fewer residents in a private home setting located in residential neighborhoods. Care Givers - How to avoid burnout Just for a moment I want you to imagine that you are coming out of a very deep sleep. If you have ever had surgery try to remember the way you felt as you were trying to make sense of things as you awoke. Considerations for the aging population's medical expenses IntroductionThe baby boomers is the population which haven taken birth after second world war till 1965 when there was a tremendous increase in birth rate due to the social and economic development in the USA. Now this population is going into the old age and thus bringing a burden to the nation as the country has to take care of not only the food and shelter but also the medical care. Selecting the right Wheelchair If you have an injury or a health problem that restricts your mobility, you can achieve the independence you desire with a wheelchair that's just right for you. Wheelchairs are constructed for people of every size, shape, and age, and have features designed to meet the many diverse interests of users and appropriate for the various levels of assistance required. Adult Family Homes - a great alternative to Nursing Homes As a long-term care consultant for seniors and their families I have visited many different types of facilities. But my favorite type of facility to visit is adult family homes. Used stair lifts can be safe, reliable, and cost-effective Buying second hand stair lifts is a viable and cost effective alternative to purchasing a brand new stair lift. Most stair lifts can be purchased new or second hand. Retirement considerations for UK citizens Retiring abroad needs careful planning. Not all countries have the same entitlement to benefits as the UK and your tax liability may be affected. Preventing Alzheimer's patients from losing things Q: My mother is always losing, hiding and hoarding things, I am losing my mind! What can I do to get her to stop?A: This is a great question and I have a lot of material to work with.My grand mother had made me the most beautiful doilies. Stair Lifts - Give your freedom a boost! Using stairs is an everyday nightmare for many people. As we grow older the stairs in our home can become more of a struggle due to mobility problems associated with old age, an accident or illness. Assisted Living - Combatting Patient Loneliness Q: Six months ago we placed my mother in an assisted living facility. She gets along fairly well, but we thought she would get involved with all of the activities. Diet may diminish the influence of Alzheimers Argh! Where are my glasses? I put them down . . Psychologists: May be more effective than drugs, and covered by Medicare! Medicare recognizes this need and, therefore reimburses your residents to receive advanced behavioral health services? making them free to your facility!Psychologists provide a wide variety of valuable and tested clinical services that can provide a big shot in the arm to your nursing home care. For example:1. Making moving to a smaller residence as pleasant as possible Moving to a smaller house or apartment in a retirement community almost always involves a certain degree of trauma, both for the elder who's moving and for family members. However, by planning ahead you can reduce the discomfort involved and turn what might well become a nightmare into a pleasant event. What is Christmas actually? Every year, as Christmas approaches, you hear Christmas carols everywhere. Sometimes to the point where another Silent Night would make you want to silent the sound system. The King's Box of Trinkets The King had a modest kingdom. He was Danish. Wheelchair accessories can make life easier and more comfortable Wheelchairs come in every shape and size with sufficient options that you can find the wheels you like to take you where you want to go with the assistance you need. To enhance the comfort and convenience of your journey, choose accessories tailored to provide the best support for your activities and your health concerns. Prevent many chronic age-related illnesses by adding Protein Youth, it is said, is wasted on the young. Too busy figuring life they hardly take the time to enjoy it.
|
| home | site map | articles |
| © 2006 |