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Interesting article on “Family Caregivers Play Vital Role” in the Disabled American Veterans monthly magazine.

Click on the link below and navigate to page 22 using the page controls at the top of the screen.

http://www.dav.org/news/magazineGallery.html

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Due to unprecedented growth in the senior population over the next 30 years, and the uncertainty regarding the future of national health care reform, the Private Pay Market is on the throes of explosive growth, especially in the area of Private Duty/Private Pay services in one’s home as a preferred alternative to institutionalization.

According to a recent study from the SCAN Foundation (“Caring,” January 2010), Americans across all demographic groups are concerned about the future of long-term care, which is critical in providing products and services to the aging population.  Here are the key findings:

• 92 percent of people surveyed say it’s important to improve coverage for services that help people remain in their homes instead of going into nursing homes;

• 90 percent of Republicans, 89 percent of Independents, and 97 percent of Democrats say improving coverage to help people remain in their homes is important;

• 78 percent of Americans say they would benefit personally if health care reform included coverage for long-term care services; and

• 68 percent say it’s very important to improve coverage for services that help people remain in their homes.

Given these beliefs and desires shared by the majority of Americans, it’s surprising and dismaying to find that both the House and Senate budget proposals contain cuts to Medicare home health funding. The House proposal contained $54.9 billion over 10 years, while the Senate version proposed home health cuts of $39.4 billion over the same period.  (NAHC Report, January 28, 2010).  These proposed cuts will come nowhere near serving the anticipated needs of Medicare recipients.

With these proposed Medicare cuts to home health care (medical care in the home which is generally episodic), we will see a corresponding growth in the need for Private Pay services (supportive, often non-medical, and long-term).

It is evident that something must be done to care for seniors, disabled, and chronically ill which will help them remain safely and securely at home. It is by far the most efficient and cost-effective form of support versus placing an individual in an assisted living or institutional situation, something the vast majority of families wish to avoid. As a result, expectations appear to be transitioning to the individual and their families to bear both the responsibility and the cost. Potential sources include family, private long-term care insurance, personal savings, reverse mortgages, and other forms of out-of-pocket payment.

So, “as the name suggests, private pay home care services are those which are arranged and paid for by individuals or members of their family” (Val Halamandaris, President, NAHC, “The Best of Caring,” 2009).

I remember working at a hospital years ago. I walked into a patient’s room and saw a nurse, sitting by her bedside, dressed in a white nurses’ uniform and adorned with a crisp, white cap.  When I asked who she was, she said:  “I am a private duty nurse….I was hired by the family to provide extra supervision for their family member.”

Now, as the economics of health care change, and the senior demographic expands, no longer is Private Duty merely a nurse providing extra duty at a hospital.  The potential scope of Private Duty/Private Pay services has expanded considerably, and may include an array of services ranging from personal care services to skilled nursing to telehealth to supervised home maintenance–and countless, potential additional services, some of which we may not have yet envisioned– which help maintain an individual safely and securely in his home.

This reality hits just as the need for services to support an aging population is expanding at a faster rate than ever before. In 2009 the market for in-home care nationwide is projected to reach approximately $15 billion, exhibiting a decade-long average compound annual growth rate of 10%. This industry is in its infancy.

Today, there are 36 million adults age 65 and over in the United States. This population is expected to nearly double to 70 million over the next 30 years. With an increasing average life expectancy for Americans reaching over 75 years of age, the need for senior care will continue to escalate.

Considering the growing potential for costly institutional, long-term care caused by the loss of publicly funded home care, Private Duty/Private Pay services will be eagerly sought ought and privately funded. The question is whether the industry will be ready with the capacity needed to provide these services to all those who seek them.

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Tips for aging well increasingly focus on mental health as well as keeping active.

Living a healthier lifestyle is the most common New Year’s resolution. It’s a resolution that takes on even more importance as we age.  Losing weight, eating healthier, quitting smoking, and exercising are all important factors in staying healthy.

But research now shows that a positive attitude, social interaction and mental exercise may play an even more important a role in aging well.

Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine’s New England Centenarian Study found that people who were less uptight and friendlier lived longer, healthier lives. Other researchers including University of California Irvine psychologists conducting a study of people over 90 years old agree that mental engagement such as doing crossword puzzles, reading books, and even playing bridge prevents memory loss. Social connections including interaction with friends appear to play a critically important role. In isolation, a healthy human mind can go blank and quickly become disoriented, psychologists have found.

Laurie Edwards-Tate, MS, President and Founder of At Your Home Familycare, says she’s also found this to be true, based on her experience working in the home care field for 26 years. Edwards-Tate says maintaining mental toughness, choosing a positive outlook and forging close ties with family and friends can set the stage for healthy aging.

“We cannot always control what happens to us, but we can control our reaction to what happens,” said Edwards-Tate.  “Gratitude and acceptance, taking personal responsibility and choosing to overlooking the negative and be happy despite life’s imperfections help people maintain a good quality of life.”

Edwards-Tate says resolving to push back against ageism is a resolution all of us can keep. “How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you actually are in numbers? Paying attention to both your physical and mental health, having a purpose in life, connecting with others and above all, embracing resilience allows us to age well.”

Edwards-Tate says it’s not about denying aging or trying to stop the clock. It’s defying society’s negative expectations about what age means.

Edwards-Tate offers up her personal “Aging Well Checklist.” How many of these traits do you possess?

•    Strong self-esteem
•    A well defined inner compass
•    Strong ethics and personal integrity
•    Mental toughness
•    Close loving ties with supportive family and friends
•    Knowing your passions
•    Doing activities you truly enjoy, not necessarily the ones others expect you to do
•    Being able to sometimes say “no”
•    Giving of yourself to charitable causes and to others
•    Healthy eating habits on a consistent basis
•    Caring for mind, body, and spirit
•    Having a purpose to your life
•    Taking personal responsibility for the quality of your life
•    Acceptance of life’s ups and downs, including losses
•    Gratitude for the good and even the “not-so-good”
•    Overlooking the negative and embracing the positive
•    Facing life realistically without losing your sense of wonder and discovery
•    Choosing to be happy despite life’s imperfections
•    Experiencing growth by working through the painful aspects of life
•    Not settling for less than what will make you truly happy and healthy
•    The determination to survive no matter what
•    Resilience in the face of any challenge – the ability to pick yourself back up no matter what
•    Rejecting ageism!

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At Your Home Familycare’s Laurie Edwards-Tate is quoted in an article on the San Diego News Network about how pending legislation could affect senior San Diegans.

“Senate health care bill could hit senior San Diegans hard”
Read more: http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2009-12-21/health-fitness/senate-health-bill-could-hit-senior-san-diegans-hard##ixzz0blIACDO6

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The National MS Society is kicking off Walk MS 2010. At Your Home Familycare is participating again this year and we are hoping that you’ll join us by making a contribution to support our effort to move us closer to a cure.

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s mission is to create a world free of MS.  They fund research and help people who live with MS lead more fulfilling lives.  We believe in the work they do, and invite you to see for yourself all the good they’ve done for the MS community.  More than 400,000 Americans live with MS, and your support will make a difference in their lives.

Please help by making a donation – large or small – to help us move closer to a world free of MS.
http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR?px=7594769&pg=personal&fr_id=13689

Or, why not join At Your Home Familycare on the day of the event? Become a participant and side by side, as teammates, we can work together to raise the funds to make a difference. http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR?fr_id=13689&pg=entry

Whatever you can give will help! We greatly appreciate your support and will keep you posted on our progress. Click here to get to the AYHF MS Walk page and make a secure, online donation.

JOIN MS WALK ON FACEBOOK, TWITTER OR YOUTUBE
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Walk-MS-Pacific-South-Coast-Chapter/166673477128
http://twitter.com/walkmspacific
http://www.youtube.com/user/MSPacific

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At the very top of Santa’s “Naughty or Nice” List in the “Nice” category are the caregivers who take care of aging parents or other relatives all year long. They deserve something extra special in their stockings.

The current recession has added plenty of stress to “the sandwich generation,” baby boomers caring for kids, parents, relatives and themselves at the same time. It includes people ranging from their mid-30s to 60 and over who will sacrifice more for their parents, even if it’s at the expense of their children.

What they desire most of all is a gift that will relieve a little of the burden they’ve willingly taken on to make the life of a senior they love more comfortable. According to a recent study by the marketing firm Communispace:

• 40%  like the idea of someone who could transport their parent to the doctor, sit with them when the doctor gives them a diagnosis and treatment plan, and then report it all to them
• 26% like the idea of a combined Senior Center and Child Daycare Center
• 26% like the idea of a service to dispense or remind their parents to take their medication
• 22% like the idea of a services that would install webcams in their parents’ home and their own  to let them monitor them
• A “considerable number” of people are looking for more culturally and linguistically appropriate services for their elderly parents (many of whom don’t speak English)

One in four caregivers liked the idea of airline discount offers on multiple trips to the same location, making regular visits to out of town parents easier, or making kids’ flights to see Grandma and Grandpa less expensive.

Calling all major airlines, technology providers and home care services: are you listening? Over 20 million Americans belong to the caregiver generation taking care of aging relatives and young children at the same time. They are feeling stretched, overwhelmed, and under-supported.  Let’s provide products and services these folks desire and deserve. We can play Santa not just at Christmastime, but all year long.

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Are you shopping for a senior this holiday season? When seniors are asked what they want for holiday gifts (and birthdays and other occasions too), the answer is inevitably, “Oh, I don’t need a thing.”

While seniors who have the means generally buy what they need and want for themselves, others just do without. It still leaves family members and friends with the dilemma of what to give as gifts to their elders as a sign of love and respect.

In a survey conducted by a Salem, Oregon senior center, the leading preference was gift certificates for favorite restaurants. Other types of gift certificates were also popular, such as for events and travel, such as airline vouchers, or even credit toward a cruise. The third choice was cash. Food gifts were welcome as long as the giver takes into account the recipient’s preferences and dietary needs. Also suggested were donations to a favorite charity.

But by a huge margin, seniors wished for time with children and grandchildren. Family photos were mentioned by nearly every person responding. When asked about holiday festivities, more than twice as many seniors responding would choose a large family dinner with plenty of noise and children over a smaller dinner with individuals or small groups. Some also suggested certificates for the kind of “work projects” they found difficult from children and grandchildren.

Isn’t it becoming clear here? Seniors don’t really want your presents. They want your presence. They want company, conversation, and to feel a part of the extended family. They want to know their grandchildren better. There is truly nothing more precious and valuable than someone’s time.

So instead of going to the mall, get in the car or on an airplane and make a visit part of your holiday giving. Or send that ticket to your aging relatives and treat them to a trip to your home for the holidays. Create special memories and don’t forget to take plenty of photos that can go home with your relatives.

Oh and the gifts hardly ever cited: clothing or health and beauty products. Everyone who’s ever been guilty of giving a robe and slippers or a bottle of perfume, raise your hand!