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It is highly recommended to get an adult day services for old people who can’t live independently. It is a must to determine the conditions when to opt for the program no matter how we repel the idea.

The elderly as well as the family should be assures that they can only get an absolutely win/win situation with the benefits the home’s program can offer. If the institution is any good, the old adult and his family members should feel relieved and assured that they’ll only get quality care provided the center. Most of the family members would choose to have an adult day services for their old love ones especially when they are too busy with their works and they cannot attend to the needs of the old ones
. Meals are prepared to address their specific nutritional needs.

It is important to find the right adult day services. The participant will have extensive benefits on having a safe and secure place while being away from their family. This kind of program is especially designed to cater the needs of the old ones. They could enjoy worthwhile and educational activities that can lead to mental and physical development. They can also experience a certain level of independence, socialize and develop friendship. Meals are prepared to address their specific nutritional needs.

There are ways to help you locate a reputable facility. When you have finally considered a center, it is best to phone to inquire some details like the agency owner or sponsors, number of years in operation, licensure, transportation provided, conditions they accept, programs and meals provided. It is best to visit the center and try to spend a day to closely observe the operation and have an actual feel for the people and the atmosphere. It is best to know what you can expect for the home care of your family.

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Forty-one years after the 1964 murders of three civil rights workers in Mississippi, former preacher and Klan Kleagle Edgar Ray Killen was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to three twenty-year prison terms. Finally, the victims and their families received a measure of long-overdue justice. Killen should have been convicted at the original trial in 1967. But that begs the question: while vindication and punishment are vital, who is really bearing the brunt of keeping the now 82-year-old Killen, frail, evil, balding and with little to no use of his right hand, in prison? The answer, dear readers: we are. In the year 2002, America’s prison population has reached around 2 million, according to a report from the Justice Department’s Bureau of Justice Statistics.

Researchers at the San Francisco VA Medical center have predicted that over one-third of the U.S prison population will be geriatric (people over 65) by 2030. Part of the jump is the result of aging baby boomers. The rapidly increasing numbers of elderly prisoners, coupled with the mounting costs of housing this population incurs is a nationwide problem;for several reasons. The average cost of housing just one elderly inmate is approximately $65,000 every year, costing taxpayers three times as much as it does to incarcerate someone in the general prison population. Senior prisoners do not receive Social Security, nor do they have access to Medicare or Medicaid, which would help the government;and taxpayer’s augment long term care costs. Old prisoners suffer from three chronic health problems. According to the Florida Corrections Commission, these problems often include kidney failure, heart disease, diabetes, emphysema and stroke.

As senior inmates have a higher incidence of disease and disability, and increased difficulty performing activities of daily living than the general population, it is no longer surprising that the cost of their senior care is higher. “It’s a hidden problem in the system that’s going to grow into a dinosaur soon. The cost and numbers are getting out of hand, ” said Herb Hoetler, CEO and co-founder of the National Institute on Institutions and Alternatives. I personally think that it is a mistake, not to mention fiscally unwise to continue paying for old prisoners unlimited access to medical care, while ailing seniors who have never committed a crime can barely afford the soaring costs of health care. There are some who cannot afford it at all.  On the flip side, and there’s always a flip side, my friends, do the elderly even belong in prison? Prison life is a very harsh one, and while critics will often argue that the elderly are just as brutal, the statistics say otherwise. Elderly inmates have the lowest recidivism rates: 45 percent of offenders aged 18 to 29 commit a new crime after release from prison, whereas only 3.2 percent of those over age 55 commit a new offense upon release, according to a recent study. “To keep some of these folks in prison for the length of time we do is purely punitive and serves no purpose to society,”  says William DiMascio, executive director of the Pennsylvania Prison Society.

Aging has always have a big impact on inmates. The idea of  ” warehousing ” elderly inmates with minimal programming appropriate for this population just adds to seniors’ general decline. So round and round we go.  As a society, we need to take a good look at the aging prison population and decide what’s going to happen to them. Are we to make early response programs targeting elderly prisoners who no longer have a threat to society? Or do we build more geriatric prisons;which are essentially skilled nursing facilities with barbed wire to provide the long-term care these inmates require? Or…do we lock them up and throw away the key?

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Current Topics in Long Term Care

One of the first things Gilbert Guide recommends to anyone searching for long-term care for themselves or a loved one is to get professional help from a care manager, or a geriatric care manager (GCM). GCMs usually have a background in health and human services, often times, a GCM is also a gerontologist, nurse, social worker, or psychologist with a specialized focus on issues related to senior care and aging. In essence, a GCM is a professional advocate who helps guide you through the ins and outs of the oftentimes-confusing process of locating appropriate long-term care and deciphering all of its associated issues.

Just by evaluating an individual’s level of functioning, along with their emotional, financial, health and legal needs, a GCM helps to identify problems and needs, and also offers practical solutions. GCMs help ease the stress of searching for long-term care by intervening in crises, counseling and supporting you and your loved one and educating and advocating on your behalf. They can also personalize your plan of services by basing it on your specific needs. GCMs can be hired to help you in times of crisis, should you need respite or as the full-time point of contact for all senior care services. Most Gilbert Guide-listed GCM is a member of the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers (NAPGCM).

Based on the reports of the National Adult Day Services Association (NADSA), there are over 3,500 adult day care centers currently operating in the United States, and that number is rapidly climbing with the mushrooming retiree population. Adult day care, a long-term care option, is structured around participants, social needs, and typically offers assistance and support including meals, activities, exercise and transportation. There are so many benefits of adult day care programs like caregiver respite, daily socialization with peers, integration into the community, avoiding premature institutionalization and providing affordable senior help. Most funding for adult day services is generated from participant fees, city government agencies and charitable sources.

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It is no longer surprising that with age, most seniors often experience increased limitations, the loss of certain abilities and require more assistamce with the activities of daily living. It is equally unsurprising that one;s finances  largely influence the types of services and long-term care available to that individual. An experienced financial  planner for the elderly can provide seniors and their families with invaluable advice on money issues and more,  to help seniors find the appropriate solution to their particular situation. Some of the questions a financial  planner can address include:  What type of long-term care can I afford? Will I outlive my assets? How much are all my assets worth? Can I make my assets create more income to meet growing expenses? What do I sell first? What are all my options? What is the cost of selling different assets? Do I have to sell my own house? Are there other financing alternatives? What impact will this have on my spouse and dependents? Is it too late to do any estate planning? What about inheritance issues?

Listening to Your Needs – Financial planners can assist you in understanding and evaluating your decisions,  which will help you avoid confusion, frustration, major errors and family dissension. Financial decisions are more  than about just money, I know from experience how difficult it is for everyone involved. Making major financial  decisions can be even more daunting when you don;t have the detailed knowledge, time, experience or ability. What are the potential impacts and benefits of making one decision over another? What are the requirements to  execute such decisions? Financial planning for senior care begins with acknowledging and considering all present and  possible future situations you might encounter. This can be very difficult as it requires both forward thinking as  well as transitional realism. By ” transitional realism, ” I mean about being realistic about your changing needs, and the impact of those needs on your life as well as the lives of  your loved ones. When evaluating your needs, a financial planner should consider:

Personal care, do you need assistance with activities of daily living? Services, what types of long-term care services do you require? Are there any specific concerns with regards to safety? Transportation;are there physical or financial considerations? Priorities, what are your desires and limitations? Interpersonal relationships;how will financial decisions affect your loved ones? The following list comprises the elements that you will need to consider in evaluating and identifying your needs. You may want to think about these things before talking to a financial planner to ensure  the time you spend in conversation is well spent. If you happen to have questions about any of these elements, a financial planner  who works with the elderly will be well versed in all of these issues and should be able to address any concerns.  Financial needs Insurance coverage and limitations Income sourcesExpenses (present and future) Assets availabilityReal estate needs Human resources: home health care, personal and quality-of-life issues After you have indentified all of your needs, think about the resources that you will need, and  the ones that you already have at your disposal.

This can help you in developing a plan of action.  Make a list of the following  resources that you might need: Public resources like prepared food services, community activities, religious and charitable assistance/support, etc.Private resources, including family members and/or homecare caregivers. Planning can make a huge difference in finding the best solutions. Knowing all of your needs and resources is paramount before making any major financial changes. Financial decisions should be holistic in nature, therefore recognizing that everyone, seniors and caregivers, all have   different needs and resources, unique to their particular situation. Making financial decisions based only   on your present situation, without full consideration of everything, can have disastrous results.

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Here at Gilbert Guide, we are always telling our family caregivers to take a break so that when they are “on-duty” they can provide the best home health care to their loved one. Take note that one of the toughest jobs that we can think of is taking care of an aging loved one, which is why each of our Guides has sections on Caregiver Support, Counseling and Support Groups and Crisis Lines. But as one of our readers recently pointed out, what resources are available for the professional caregiver, especially those who provide live-in senior care and take the huge amount of responsibility? The reader also asked if there was forum in which they would like to talk about other issues and wages in regard to providing professional home health care. Her comments brought up a point recently discussed on Medical News Today that reports that wages for caregivers are some of lowest in the country. And how this fact coupled with the aging population of baby boomers could spell trouble for the industry if it is unable to keep up the supply with the demand.

To be honest, we are not so sure as to how to help her out, so we would like you to weigh-in, please tell us if you know which of the organizations, including anything from advocacy to support groups, you have found useful. Did you have any luck with contacting the National Organization for Homecare and Hospice to see what they recommend? Which direction were you pointed in, and most importantly, do you feel like your opinions are being heard?

Care and board homes are residences for seniors who require some care or help with the activities of daily living (ADLs or IADLs). They are smaller-scale assisted living facilities, usually having a resident capacity of no more than fourteen. Licensing requirements vary by state, some states require that board and care homes carry the same license as assisted living facilities

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Adult Day Care