Families who are unable to sell their homes or who are not willing to leave the comfort of their homes as they age run into many issues. Am I living by myself? Is a neighbor willing or able to care for me? Are my children close enough to give me aid. If not, do I need to relocate to either live with them in their home or live close by. So many questions.
Lets break this down. Staying at home. Can I maneuver the stairs? Am I able to do yard work? Is the house too big and doesn’t serve it’s purpose anymore with the family grown and gone. Am I lonely? This leads to not eating well because you don’t want to cook anymore, so you eat what’s convenient which isn’t always good. Is it good to eat alone? Am I able to drive? If not, how do I get around to do shopping, hair appointments, doctors appointments etc. If I am driving, is it safe for me and those on the roads?
There are many options to being able to stay at home. Lets break this down. Is their family in the area that can assist with your needs? How about a neighbor, church etc.? You can usually rely on family to assist with your needs. What I hear from seniors is that they know their children are busy with their own life’s and don’t want to be a bother. Many times we run into family caregiver burnout which could lead to abuse. Make sure we are all in check when you know this could lead to abuse.
Other stay at home options for care are to hire a Home Personal Care Agency. The advantage to this is that they need to be licensed through the state, caregivers should have criminal background checks performed, liability insurance and bonded. Just in case something is stolen or an accident is caused everyone is covered. You will usually pay an hourly rate depending on where you live and how much care is involved. It could run anywhere from $15-$25 an hour. Some agencies will accept Medicaid which will cover your costs.
The VA also offers benefits for Veterans and their spouses such as caregivers coming
in to offer personal services such as house keeping, laundry etc. They will also do yard work. The Area Agency on Aging which is usually county run also offers many services and a phone call to them is well worth the time and effort. They offer transportation, meals on wheels etc.
Another option is having a Home Health and Hospice company come in which is covered under Medicare. Their services are based around medical care, taking blood pressure or blood, medication administering, bathing assistance etc.
If you are paying out-of-pocket for any services and you are either a Veteran, a spouse or a surviving spouse to a Veteran, the Aid and Attendance pension is another option to pay for this.