Once again, rates for in-home care and home health-care did not rise with the rest of the senior-care market this year, according to MetLife’s annual survey. As in 2010 and 2009, in-home care remained at an average of $19 an hour. Home health-care stayed at $21 an hour.
What’s making news across the country is, of course, the bad side of things. Rates for other types of senior care rose—at an even …Read more ›
Medicare has added new data to its Hospital Compare website, but some industry insiders say it may paint a misleading picture.
Hospital Compare provides ratings and other information about hospitals. Recently, Medicare added some safety numbers to the database. But Kaiser Health News reports that not everyone approves of how the data’s being interpreted. Hospitals that treat sicker patients or do more surgeries may rank worse even if their care is …Read more ›
The nation’s first senior center for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people will open in January, reports The Huffington Post. The New York City mayor’s office and the city’s Department for the Aging are helping fund it through what’s called the Innovative Senior Center initiative. It will be run by Services & Advocacy for GLBT Elders.
SAGE is just one of eight providers selected as part of the ISC initiative. Others chosen for development include …Read more ›
Caregiving gets a bad rap. Most of the time, it’s the bad guy. Headlines of posts shout about the burnout, stress, challenges, and struggles. Defeat and discouragement are at the forefront of caregiver conversations.
But what about the benefits? The victories, the rewards, the triumphs?
This Wednesday, inspired by “Caregiving’s Hidden Benefits,” the intriguing piece from the NYT’s New Old Age blog, a record-breaking …Read more ›
Don’t think you have enough room to add an in-law suite? Michael Litchfield, author of In-Laws, Outlaws, and Granny Flats: Your Guide to Turning One House Into Two Homes, might beg to differ. “The smallest unit in Litchfield’s book is a backyard cottage that measures 269 square feet,” reports the San Francisco Chronicle. He told the newspaper:
“Higher ceilings, tall doors and high windows can improve the quality of living in the space. Including adjacent landscape as part …Read more ›
Elderly people who live alone and have no family nearby face unique challenges. For example, what if you need a medical procedure that you can’t drive yourself home from?
The Dear Abby column offers a number of suggestions from readers—including checking with senior centers.
Many senior centers offer this service for medical appointments and procedures. The drivers are covered by insurance and are trained on customer service techniques. My husband has taken many people for this …Read more ›
It’s hard to be an only child caring for aging parents. But sometimes, people with siblings aren’t much better off. The responsibilities tend to fall on one person’s shoulders.
The sandwich-generation website FamilyGoesStrong.com has some tips on how to get siblings involved. For example, show them what needs doing.
It is helpful to draft a visual schedule so your siblings can see the amount of work that needs to be done. When you come up with …Read more ›
Medicare open enrollment started this past weekend. For people who need help sorting through their options, Area Agencies on Aging across the country are offering free programs and counseling sessions. For example, The Morning Call, a newspaper covering Lehigh Valley, PA, reports:
The next seven weeks will be the Medicare open enrollment season, a time for seniors to consider their health and insurance needs. For Miller, a …Read more ›