JustCare

Tag: Continuing care retirement community

  • Roundup: Housing options for older adults

    Roundup: Housing options for older adults

    Where you live can play a large role in your mental and physical health. There are a range of housing options for older adults to consider, meeting a variety of needs. Here’s a round-up of some of the most notable options.

    • Aging in place—Of all the options, remaining in your home and community as you age or “aging in place” feels best to most people. There is already familiarity with the home, neighborhood and community resources. Medical and social networks are generally in place. But, can it meet your long-term care needs?
    • Cohousing—This may be the newest type of housing springing up for older adults. These housing complexes are designed for a group of people who want to create their own community, retaining their own housing unit while sharing common spaces and other facilities. With cohousing, the group might agree to share paid caregivers as well.
    • Tiny houses—These small homes, generally no more than 400 square feet, offer people who are ready to downsize significantly a way to simplify their lives and save money on maintenance. And, you can continue to live independently in the privacy of your own home. The question is what happens when you need long term services and supports.
    • Green homes—Launched in 2003, they are small intimate nursing homes, where aides have more time to spend with residents and work to accommodate their needs, be it a late breakfast or a trip to the doctor’s office. There are now 242 licensed homes in 32 states and 150 more being developed.
    • Continuing care retirement communities—CCRCs offer housing, along with a range of social services and health care services, so you can live independently and, if the need arises, with less or more assistance.
    • Assisted living facilities–Assisted living facilities offer housing and meals as well as some social, personal care and housekeeping services. Some assisted living facilities offer small homes and others offer apartments. Most offer a common dining room.

    If you decide that you want to live entirely independently, in your home or a smaller home without long-term services and supports, plan ahead for when you may need those supports. Modifying your home sooner rather than later could prevent an unneeded fall. It could also allow you to manage in your home if you have a disability. Think through what you would want to do if you cannot remain safely in your home.

    Depending upon your situation and where you live, you may be eligible for PACE, a Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly in your community. PACE provides you with the long-term services and supports they may need so that you can live safely in your home.

    If you choose to move, be sure to consider the location carefully. If you will no longer be able to see your doctors, identify new doctors and schedule appointments with them before moving. Think about whether the new location is convenient for family and friends to visit. If you like walking, make sure it is a walkable community. And, contact the local area aging on aging to learn about community resources and other benefits for older adults.

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  • How can a geriatric care manager help?

    How can a geriatric care manager help?

     As people get older, they may need a wide range of health care services and supports. A geriatric care manager, who is usually a licensed social worker or nurse trained in geriatrics, can help you meet those needs. How can a geriatric care manager help?

    Geriatric care managers are trained to identify people’s needs and locate the resources to meet them. They also will help you with a long-term care plan so you or the person you love can be as independent and safe as possible when they are unable to take care of all of their everyday needs without assistance.

    If different family members do not live near one another, a geriatric care manager can keep everyone up to date on their loved ones’ needs. They are prepared to talk to you and your loved ones about difficult issues, visit your loved ones to ensure their needs are met, help modify your loved ones’ homes, find care providers and coordinate medical services. The PACE program, for example, provides a wide range of services to help keep people who would otherwise need nursing home care in their homes.

    And, if need be, a geriatric care manager can help find an alternate living facility. There are a wide range of options, including cutting edge small nursing homes, sometimes called green houses, continuing care retirement communities and assisted living facilities.

    You likely will need to pay out of pocket for a geriatric care manager. Medicare does not cover the cost, nor do most other insurers.

    If you are interested in finding a geriatric care manager, as a first step, check online at the Eldercare Locator or call 800-677-1116. You should make sure that the person you hire is licensed and has experience. Ideally, your geriatric care manager can be of service in an emergency.  Of course, also ask how much the geriatric care manager charges and for references. You should be given the fees in writing.

    For more information, you can visit Aging Life Care Association, the trade association for geriatric care managers, here, or you can call them at 520-881-8008.

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  • Cohousing: Independence, companionship and community

    Cohousing: Independence, companionship and community

    Sharon Jayson of Kaiser Health News reports on cohousing, a new trend in housing for older adults that recognizes the value of social networks. Cohousing offers older adults independence, companionship and community in one housing complex. At the same time, it can bring down people’s housing costs.

    The idea behind cohousing is that a group of people, who likely do not know each other from the get-go, get to know each other and then agree to move in to a cohousing community together. They may design the housing together, collectively deciding how to structure common areas.

    Cohousing is a way of downsizing while retaining everything you need. For example, instead of each community member owning a home with a guest room, a lawnmower and a washer-dryer, the cohousing members may pool resources and own these items jointly. They effectively create their own customized neighborhood, sharing what they decide they want to share.

    Cohousing can be designed any number of ways, depending upon the community. People may live in private homes or apartments. There might be a common house for caregivers and guests. But, whatever the set up, there is a lot of shared space.

    Today, there are 168 cohousing communities. Most of them are intergenerational. Now, several of them are exclusively for older adults.

    Cohousing communities address the problem of social isolation that confronts many people who remain in their homes as they get older. Continuing care retirement communities are an alternative housing option worth considering, as are assisted living facilities. PACE is yet another option that provides all-inclusive care to people in their communities. And, for people looking for nursing home care, there’s the Eden Alternative.

    Whatever your choice, make sure to maintain a social network and stay engaged as much as possible. Too often, people have few people to talk to or otherwise engage with as they get older. And, that can lead to both mental and physical decline.

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  • What’s a continuing care retirement community?

    What’s a continuing care retirement community?

    While most older adults choose to remain in their homes and “age in place,” many who need care services and supports move into nursing homes, assisted living facilities and continuing care retirement communities. They all offer older adults a range of health care and recreational services as well as promote health-enhancing social engagements and friendships. So, what distinguishes a continuing care retirement community from other types of housing?

    All continuing care retirement communities are different, requiring research on your part to understand your options. And, some are very expensive. But, if you can afford the costs, they offer housing, along with a range of social services and health care services, so you can live there independently and, if the need arises, with less or more assistance.

    Many people move into continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) when they are fully independent. If and when the time comes that they need assisted living or nursing home services, they are available. These retirement communities provide both older adult residents and their loved ones the peace of mind that they will always have the care they need.

    As a general rule, continuing care retirement communities charge an entrance fee in addition to monthly fees. The amount you pay depends in large part on the specific CCRC as well as the type of housing you choose and the amount of care you need.

    CCRCs may offer you a choice of a contract that covers all the care you’ll ever need, or one that provides a fixed amount of care for a set period of time, or one that allows you to pay for care as needed, on top of the fee for moving in/entrance fee.

    Here are some things to think about and questions to ask, when visiting a CCRC:

    • Location: How easy is the CCRC to visit? And, how easy is it for you to see your doctors, attend classes, or spend time outside the CCRC?
    • Staff: How friendly, dedicated and attentive are the staff? Can you hire your own staff if you’d like, or must you use CCRC staff?
    • Residents: How do the residents enjoy being at the CCRC? Are they socially engaged?
    • Services: What services does the CCRC provide both on-site and off-site? Medication delivery? Laundry and dry cleaning? Excursions? Talks? Exercise classes? Transportation?
    • Housing: Is it easy to get into and out of the housing units? Do they meet your needs?
    • Food: What are the meal plan options? How is the food?
    • Guest policy: What is the guest policy?
    • Right to leave: What happens if you decide you want to move? Is your entrance fee refundable?

    California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform offers this 14-page guide to help you decide whether a continuing care retirement community is right for you.

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