What is Long-Term Care Insurance and Do I Need It?

Ernest Hemingway once said, "No, that is the great fallacy: the wisdom of old men. They do not grow wise. They grow careful."

Part of aging is being prepared. And our team at Always Best Care Senior Services of Central Connecticut understands that and wants to help guide you through that preparation - before you may need it.

You’ve heard of long-term care insurance, but you’re not really sure what it is or if you need it. Long-term care insurance helps provide for the cost of long-term care beyond a predetermined period. Long-term care insurance covers care generally not covered by health insurance, Medicare, or Medicaid.

Individuals who require long-term care are generally not sick in the traditional sense, but instead, are unable to perform the basic activities of daily living – such as dressing, bathing, eating, using the bathroom, getting in and out of a bed or chair and walking.

A lot of people avoid long-term care insurance because of how expensive than the premium could be. However, one year of this expense can be the equivalent of one month of costs without it.

Bills add up quickly when you can no longer take care of yourself and your needs exceed what family and friends can provide. Nursing homes, assisted-living centers and home care all are expensive, and there is no telling for how long you may need the service. Buying a long-term-care insurance policy can be a way of making sure your future physical needs will be met.

For many people younger than 50, long-term care insurance seems like something to defer to the future. One study shows that the 45-to-54 demographic accounts for just more than 1 in 5 long-term care policies, while those 55 to 64 make up more than half of those buying the coverage.

Many people begin to think about this kind of insurance when their parents begin going through these issues.

Purchasing the insurance at a younger age may help you get a lower premium, thereby reducing what you would pay throughout your lifetime. After a certain age, you also may not qualify for the policy. 

Don't get us wrong - selling insurance isn't what we do. At all. But guiding you through the process of aging? That's where our team at Always Best Care Senior Services of Central Connecticut can help.

Have more questions? Give us a call at 860-533-9343 and we’ll help you out.

Do You Know What Medicare Covers and What It Doesn't?

It's overwhelming enough trying to figure out your own health insurance. So what if your loved one needed care? Would you know what Medicare would cover and what it wouldn’t?

Let's say, for example, your loved one is admitted to a Medicare-certified nursing facility within 30 days of a prior hospital stay and needs skilled care, such as skilled nursing services, physical therapy, or other types of therapy. In this case, if your loved one meets all these conditions, Medicare will pay for some of the costs for up to 100 days.

There is so much data to sort through that it can be overwhelming. Our team at Always Best Care Senior Services of Central Connecticut is here to guide you through it.  

Did you know that even if you stay in a hospital overnight, you might still be considered an “outpatient?” Your hospital status (whether the hospital considers you an “inpatient” or “outpatient”) affects how much you pay for hospital services (like X-rays, drugs, and lab tests) and may also affect whether Medicare will cover care you get in a skilled nursing facility (SNF) following your hospital stay. 

You’re an inpatient starting when you’re formally admitted to a hospital with a doctor’s order. The day before you’re discharged is your last inpatient day. You’re an outpatient if you’re getting emergency department services, observation services, outpatient surgery, lab tests, X-rays, or any other hospital services, and the doctor hasn’t written an order to admit you to a hospital as an inpatient. In these cases, you’re an outpatient even if you spend the night at the hospital. 

Medicare may cover certain kinds of home health services like those provided by Always Best Care Senior Services of Central Connecticut- but not all.

People with Medicare are covered for home health care services if they meet all of the following 
conditions: 

• A doctor has both determined the need for medical care at home and outlined a plan for that care. 
• They require skilled nursing care, physical therapy, speech-language therapy, or continued occupational therapy.
• They are being cared for by a Medicare-certified home health agency. 
• They must be homebound. This means that leaving home is a major effort.

Medicare Parts A and B will cover home health services such as nursing care or other therapy on a part-time or intermittent basis for people who are eligible for home health services. Home health aides typically provide help with basic tasks such as bathing, using the bathroom, and dressing and are not usually covered by Medicare.

Generally, Medicare does not pay for long-term care–a term used to describe non-skilled personal care such as help with activities such as bathing, dressing, eating, getting in or out of bed, and using the bathroom.

Does that sound like some of the care your loved one needs?

We understand that all of this can be very confusing and overwhelming – especially during a trying time such as illness in a loved one. Give us a call at 860-533-9343 and we can explain everything and go over what your options are.

Do You Know the Warning Signs of Alzheimer's Disease?

As we age, we all suffer a little bit of memory loss. As a wise old man once said, "I've seen so much in my life - I don't forget stuff. I only remember the important stuff." Leave it to grandparents as they age to do so with a sense of humor!

But when your loved one’s memory loss seems more severe... is it just aging – or is it Alzheimer’s Disease?

The Alzheimer’s Association notes that memory loss that disrupts daily life is not a typical part of aging. It may be a symptom of Alzheimer’s, which is a fatal brain disease that causes a slow decline in memory, thinking, and reasoning skills.

Our team at Always Best Care Senior Services of Central Connecticut wants to share the 10 warning signs of Alzheimer’s.

1. Memory loss that disrupts daily life. One of the most common signs of Alzheimer’s is memory loss, especially forgetting recently learned information. Others include forgetting important dates or events, asking for the same information over and over, relying on memory aides (e.g., reminder notes or electronic devices) or family members for things they used to handle on their own. 

2. Challenges in planning or solving problems. Some people may experience changes in their ability to develop and follow a plan or work with numbers. They may have trouble following a familiar recipe or keeping track of monthly bills. They may have difficulty concentrating and take much longer to do things than they did before. 

3. Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work or at leisure. People with Alzheimer’s often find it hard to complete daily tasks. Sometimes, people may have trouble driving to a familiar location, managing a budget at work, or remembering the rules of a favorite game. 

4. Confusion with time or place. People with Alzheimer’s can lose track of dates, seasons and the passage of time. They may have trouble understanding something if it is not happening immediately. Sometimes they may forget where they are or how they got there. 

5. Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships. For some people, having vision problems is a sign of Alzheimer’s. They may have difficulty reading, judging distance, and determining color or contrast. In terms of perception, they may pass a mirror and think someone else is in the room. They may not realize they are the person in the mirror. 

6. New problems with words in speaking or writing. People with Alzheimer’s may have trouble following or joining a conversation. They may stop in the middle of a conversation and have no idea how to continue or they may repeat themselves. They may struggle with vocabulary, have problems finding the right word or call things by the wrong name (e.g., calling a “watch” a “hand-clock”).
 
7. Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps. A person with Alzheimer’s disease may put things in unusual places. They may lose things and be unable to go back over their steps to find them again. Sometimes, they may accuse others of stealing. This may occur more frequently over time.

8. Decreased or poor judgment. People with Alzheimer’s may experience changes in judgment or decision-making. For example, they may use poor judgment when dealing with money, giving large amounts to telemarketers. They may pay less attention to grooming or keeping themselves clean. 

9. Withdrawal from work or social activities. A person with Alzheimer’s may start to remove themselves from hobbies, social activities, work projects, or sports. They may have trouble keeping up with a favorite sports team or remembering how to complete a favorite hobby. They may also avoid being social because of the changes they have experienced.

10. Changes in mood and personality. The mood and personalities of people with Alzheimer’s can change. They can become confused, suspicious, depressed, fearful or anxious. They may be easily upset at home, at work, with friends or in places where they are out of their comfort zone.

Does this sound like your loved one?

If your loved one is showing signs of this debilitating disease, contact our team at Always Best Care Senior Services of Central Connecticutat 860-533-9343 for a free care consultation and a frank and open discussion on what type of care may be needed – both now and in the future.

Always Best Care Takes a Team-Approach When Helping Families

Your family has always been a team. It's one of the many reasons why a team-approach is the best way to ensure your loved ones receive well-rounded care as they age.

That's what Always Best Care Senior Services of Central CT is all about. What we do is all about helping families in their time of need. We get a lot of calls into our office from people looking for guidance or help... and it's rewarding to our team to be able to offer that support.

We understand what you're going through. Our grandparents were very close to us, and Kristine’s grandmother lived with her for a while when she fell ill. Her parents did everything they could to manage her care and do the best they could, but there came a time when they could no longer do that.

Sadly, there wasn’t the affordability to hire someone privately, so the only option for them was to place her in a nursing home. She passed away shortly after that. Kristine watched how much that decision weighed on her family.

We work to give your loved ones more options... and we help guide you through it.

We have people dedicated to staffing and ensuring that the caregivers arrive on time and according to the client’s schedule – not the caregiver’s schedule.  

A coordinator makes sure that the client has been assessed for the right level of care and the right services that they need. This person also ensures that there’s enough time in the family’s schedule to set goals and later revisit them.  

The Client Service Director ensures that the client’s needs are being met and that the staff providing the service is up to par.  

We also each handle something different on the administrative side of things.

In our company, John handles the billing, concerns, and helping families navigate paying, while Kristine handles care coordination and marketing.

But more importantly - we're not just a team here at Always Best Care Senior Services of Central Connecticut. We're a family. And we hope that if the time ever comes... you'll know that - like your own family - we're just a call away.

For more about our in-home care, assisted living referral services, Alzheimer’s and dementia care, and veterans assistance? Give us a call at 860-533-9343 or stop by and see us.