Posts Tagged ‘senior care’


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Looking at Long-Term Care Insurance

What is Long-Term Care Insurance?

Long-Term Care insurance pays for or assists in paying for care for someone with a prolonged physical illness, or disability or a cognitive impairment, such as Alzheimer’s disease. Services may include help with activities of daily living, home health care, respite care, hospice care, adult day care, or care in a nursing or assisted living facility.

Why consider Long-Term Care Insurance?

This will depend on your age, health status, overall retirement goals, income and assets. If you already have health problems that are likely to mean you will need long-term care (ex/ Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s), you probably won’t be able to buy a policy. You should consider buying long-term care insurance if: you have significant assets and income, you want to protect some of your assets and income, you can pay premiums, you want to stay independent of the support of others, or you want to have the flexibility of choosing care in the setting you prefer or will be most comfortable in. Medicare, Medicare supplement insurance, and health insurance usually will not pay for long-term care. For some, a policy is affordable and worth the cost. For others, the cost is too great, or the policy they can afford doesn’t offer enough benefits to make it worthwhile. To determine whether you should or should not consider buying long-term care insurance, you may refer to the worksheets found in A Shopper’s Guide to Long-Term Care Insurance. Your free guide can be ordered at: https://eapps.naic.org/forms/ipsd/Consumer_info.jsp.

How do Long-Term Care Insurance Policies Work?

Insurance companies sell policies that combine benefits and coverage in different ways. Generally, benefits are paid using of three different methods, the expense-incurred method, the indemnity method, or the disability method. When the expense-incurred method is used, the insurance company must decide if you are eligible for benefits and if your claim is eligible for services (this is the most common method). When the indemnity method is used, the benefit is a set dollar amount. Once the company decides you are eligible and you are receiving eligible services, the insurance company will pay that set amount directly to you up to the limit of the policy. When the disability method is used, you are only required to meet the benefit eligibility criteria. Once you do, you receive your full daily benefit, even if you are not receiving any long-term care services.

How Much do Policies Cost?

Premiums will vary based on a variety of factors, including your age and health, the level of coverage, benefits and options you select for your policy. It is best to educate yourself with the above-mentioned Shopper’s Guide and then contact your insurance agent. An annual premium for a 50 year old can vary from $409 to $1,087 and for a 65 year of from $1,002 to $$2,130.

What Shopping Tips Should You Keep in Mind?

Ask questions, check with several companies and compare outlines of coverage, and check out the companies’ rate increase histories by contacting the state insurance department. Investigate your insurance company or agent by contacting a rating agency such as:
A.M. Best Company www.ambest.com
Fitch IBCA, Duff & Phelps, Inc. www.fitchrating.com
Moody’s Investor Service, Inc. www.moodys.com

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Great Things to do for a Senior

Start an Indoor Garden
Living plants bring color and add joy to our lives. Many seniors are or had been active and avid gardeners. With the winter upon us, bringing the outdoors inside not only can add color and beauty, it can help to combat hopelessness. The senior is given the opportunity to give as well as receive. They are given the chance to care for and foster the growth of a living thing. In return, they are given a feeling of self-worth and rewarded with beautiful plants or useful herbs they can enjoy year round. Pick out a pretty garden pot and plants or herbs to fill the container to bring to your loved one. Add a big bow and attach a miniwatering can and instructions. Your loved one will welcome the interaction and the planter will serve as a daily reminder of your concern.
In times of good weather, If they are still gardening, ask if you can spend some time in the garden with them. Bring along a picnic lunch or a gift such as gloves, a sunhat or rolling garden stool.

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12 of 16 Great Things to do for a Senior

Introduce Them to Bookmobiles and Books on Tape
Reading is one of the most popular hobbies in America. Library use is at an all-time high and book sales at chain bookstores and websites such as Amazon.com are booming.
Your senior may have a well-filled bookcase or books and paperbacks lying around. Find out what they like to read, and if they are interested in a particular magazine. Ask if they use the library. If they don’t, offer to get them a card and list of library locations. Arrange for a visit to the Bookmobile, a library van that travels to sites throughout the city or county. Exchange new and used books with your client and offer to order or pick up books at a local bookstore or on-line for them. Invite them to join a book club.
If they are losing or have lost their eyesight, tell them how to obtain books on tape. Libraries usually have a wide selection and used bookstores are a good low-cost source. Locally, the Association for the Blind is an excellent resource. The Monroe County Library System has a program that allows you to download free audiobooks to your computer and transfer them to your portable device. Visit www.overdrive.linbraryweb.org for this program.
National Public Radio stations across the nation provide Reading for The Blind programming. Volunteers come into the station and read local and national newspapers, magazines and books. Check your local NPR station for specific programming.

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10 of 16 Great Things to do for a Senior

Provide Pet or Vet AssistanceStudies show that people who have pets live longer and healthier lives. Having a Fido or Fluffy to care for keeps seniors active and emotionally fulfilled.
Pets are family too. If you’re pet-friendly pop for a toy, or tag along during walks. Make sure pets are being properly fed and groomed. Offer to pet sit, take pets to the groomer or in for annual vaccinations.
No pet. No problem. Seniors can still enjoy the company of a pet. Numerous non-profit organizations train pets and take them around to nursing homes, senior housing and recreation centers.
There are also inexpensive ways to obtain a pet. Non-profit organizations such as our local Lollipop Farm, the Dumb Friends League, the Max Fund and city and county agencies rescue pets and charge low-fees for adoption.

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9 of 16 Great Things To Do for a Senior

Create Opportunities to Socialize and Learn.Loneliness, boredom and apathy are common emotions that plague seniors. The death of a spouse and distance from friends and family members can leave seniors lonely and isolated. Poor health or disabilities may prevent them from getting out of the house and socializing. If they are unable to drive, encourage them to enlist a service like Happier At Home to provide transportation for them to get around.

Sitting home in front of the television day in and day out is no substitute for engaging with others and exchanging ideas, especially when hundreds of courses and activities are available at community centers, colleges and non-profit organizations. Get a catalogue and review the courses with them. With all the choices, there is bound to a class or program that sparks their interest.
If travel is their bag, “Elderhostel,” an affordable international program that combines learning with travel, might be just up their alley.
Perhaps they have a hobby, such as fishing or shuffleboard. Invite them along the next time you’re heading out to the lake or recreational complex. Offer to take them to church, or take in a movie. In the end, it doesn’t really matter what you do. It’s the fact you’ve taken the time and effort to include them and your interaction that counts.

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Number 4 of 16 Great Things You Can Do for a Senior

Arrange for Them to Obtain a Home Energy Audit or Energy Bill Assistance.
Healthcare costs aren’t the only things that are skyrocketing. High energy costs are making it increasingly difficult for seniors to pay their utility bills.
And it’s not only their bank accounts that are suffering. Their health is too. In order to keep their bills low, seniors turn their thermostats down in the cold winter months and boost them up in the summer. Every year there are tragic reports of seniors dying from exposure.
This doesn’t have to happen. There are government programs that provide financial assistance. Unfortunately, seniors are often unaware of them or unwilling to ask for help.
If you visit a senior and notice that their home feels especially cold or unusually warm, ask if they are having problems with their furnace or paying their utility bills. If the problem appears to be financial, put them in touch with the utility company. The utility can put them on budget billing to spread the cost out over a year. Depending on income, he/she might also qualify for financial assistance from LEAP, the government’s Low-Income Energy Assistance Program. Every state offers this program and applications can be obtained on-line, by mail or at social service organizations.
If the problem is energy-related, see if your local utility will conduct a free home energy audit. The audit will show where the house is losing or gaining heat and provide practical tips on how to improve the home’s energy efficiency. There are simple things you can do as well. Take a look around the house. You may spot some obvious problems such as lack of weather stripping. Installing weather stripping is easy and inexpensive. All you need is a few tools and minimal technical skills.
Whatever you do, don’t wait for June or November to roll around. The earlier you start, the sooner they can start saving on their energy bills.

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Number 3 of 16 Great Things You Can do for a Senior

Ask About a Will, Living Will, Advance Directives, Powers of Attorney and Filing Systems
Death and dying are incredibly difficult topics. No one wants to think they may become incapacitated, much less die. That’s why so many people put off dealing with these matters. In fact, only 41 percent of Americans have wills. Not dealing with these issues, however, is bound to create problems down the line, not only for your clients but also for their families.
So what can you do? There are sensitive ways to approach these subjects. The best approach may be to inquire as part of a more general discussion. For example, when you’re talking about medical history, inquire if they have a Living Will or other Advance Directives, such as a Do Not Resuscitate Order or Organ Donor Card.
From there, ask if they have other important documents such a Will, Living Will or Powers of Attorney. If they have these documents, the next step is to make sure that appropriate family members and doctors have access to them in case of emergency. If they haven’t gotten around to arranging for these documents, provide them with the names of professionals you trust and make the introductions.
Financial records, such as banking institutions, brokerage accounts, insurance policies, mortgages, titles and registrations and other forms of identification, such as passports and Social Security cards, need to be easy-to-find too. Check to make sure they are organized in clearly marked folders. Family members should have a list of the files and know where they are kept.
Getting involved in end-of-life issues may create some discomfort. However, once you explain why these matters are necessary and simplify the process, you’ll be surprised by how grateful family members and seniors are you initiated the conversation.

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Number 2 of 16 Great Things You Can do for a Senior

Take Them to a Health Fair and Document Their Medical Information.
With health costs spiraling, getting and staying healthy is a must for today’s seniors. While many have health plans that provide for annual check-ups, local Health Fairs are a low-cost, low-stress option for those who have minimal insurance or hate going to the doctor.
Community Health Fairs are often sponsored by hospitals, clinics and non-profit organizations. They offer a series of tests for free or at reduced rates and provide information on healthy lifestyles.
Encourage your senior to attend and offer to accompany them. Before you go, try gathering a family medical history. This will be useful not only for the Health Fair but also for future medical visits.
When you take a medical history, you may discover that there is not documented information about their physicians, medications or medical wishes.
This would be a good time to create a document with their doctors’ names and contact information along with a list of prescriptions, pharmacies, allergies, surgeries and instructions. Printing it in large type and having it laminated would be invaluable daily and even more valuable in an emergency.
Some other options are to invite them to participate in charitable walks or on strolls around town or stop by and present them with a set of hand weights and demonstrate how to use them.

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Loniless Harmful to Health

Everyone knows what it’s like to be lonely. It often happens during life’s transitions: when a student leaves home for college, when an unmarried businessman takes a job in a new city, or when an elderly woman outlives her husband and friends. Bouts of loneliness are a melancholy fact of human existence.

Lack of connection with others not only makes us unhappy but it is also bad for the well being of the body and mind, research finds.  A sense of rejection or isolation increases blood pressure, stress levels and general wear and tear as well as increases your chances of developing Alzheimer’s Disease.  It  also reduces will power and perseverance, thus affecting the ability to follow a healthy lifestyle, according to scientists.

The findings were outlined by Professor John Cacioppo, of the University of Chicago.  Loneliness not only alters behavior, but loneliness is related to greater resistance to blood flow through your cardiovascular system, Professor Cacioppo said.

Loneliness leads to higher rises in morning levels of the stress hormone cortisol, affects the immune system, higher blood pressure and an increased level of depression. Loneliness, or perceived social isolation, also is related to difficulty getting a deep sleep and a faster progression of Alzheimer’s disease, said Professor Cacioppo.   Health wise, he said the difference between a lonely person and a popular person was akin to “a smoker and a non-smoker.  That stunned all of us, myself and all my colleagues in terms of the effects it had,” he said. “It shows just how powerful it is.”

People are living longer, having fewer children later in life and increasingly mobile around the world.  Surveys also show that people report significantly fewer close friends and confidants than those a generation ago.

The news isn’t all bad, however. Even for hard cases, Cacioppo believes loneliness can be overcome. The most effective interventions were those that involved activities to shift people’s attention and interpretation of social situations in a more positive direction.  As for preventing loneliness, Cacioppo writes: “The degree of social connection that can improve our health and our happiness … is both as simple and as difficult as being open and available to others.”

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Why a Senior Home Care & Geriatric Care Management Franchise?

With nearly a quarter of all American adults currently providing some kind of daily assistance to a family member, Happier At Home was established with a goal of enabling seniors to remain living at home and independently.  Our Geriatric Care Services assist them and their families in the coordination of the resources that enable them to stay securely home and act as advocates in emergent situations.

The number of people over age 85 is projected to double by the year 2030 and double again by 2050. This aging of society brings with it new challenges for individuals, families, and entire communities. By 2050, according to the U.S. Census, the U.S. 65+ population will double to 89 million.  This phenomenon creates an unprecedented business opportunity.

Baby Boomers hold $13 trillion assets or roughly 50 percent of United States’ asset base. The first of these baby boomers turn 65 at a rate of 8,000 people per day. This generation is now driving the market for senior care. Those seniors have an average life expectancy of 19 years after turning age 65, with the majority owning their own homes and preferring to stay in them. This industry is expected to provide the second fastest growing occupation in the US. Those occupations that provide caregiving services to seniors is expected to exceed a 50% growth rate to 2016, creating approximately 1.15 million jobs, based upon U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics.

Happier At Home provides in-home caregiving services AND Geriatric Care Management that help seniors to continue living in their own home for as long as possible. Happier At Home provides assistance with light housekeeping, setting up for bathing and grooming, meal planning and preparation, monitoring for safety, mental stimulation, companionship, running errands, medication reminders, encouraging home exercises, providing transportation to medical and other appointments, visits with friends and trips to favorite places. Additionally, the families of seniors often live out of town or are not familiar with the senior care arena.  These families are always thankful to have Geriatric Care Management services to help them navigate their way through the often complicated aging process.

Owning a home care business not only provides a great financial opportunity, but also a source of satisfaction knowing that you are providing the means to help seniors remain in their home while giving peace of mind to family members who know their loved ones are safe at home.

What sets Happier at Home apart?

If you’ve done your due diligence, you will see that all of the franchises for companion care services in the market believe they have some unique quality that sets them apart from each other.  However, once you compare them side by side, they all say similar things such as: “We are the leading brand”, “We have a proven system”, “We provide training and give business, accounting and marketing support”, “and we are dedicated to helping seniors.”  What edge are they really giving you to stand out amongst your competition? It all sounds the same!

Happier At Home is truly unique in what you will be able offer to your future clients.  Happier At Home was founded by Debbie Marcello-Bernacki, RN.  In her experience of owning and operating her own business, she realizes that she has an edge in the business as a registered nurse.  Her focus on the wholistic care of clients – looking at their mental, spiritual and physical being – has earned Happier At Home a reputable place in the industry.  No other franchise available incorporates Geriatric Care Management into their offering.

As a Happier At Home franchise owner, you will have the support of medical professionals who will teach you how to create the same solid foundation in your community as the original Happier At Home in Rochester NY. We will educate and support you in the area of Geriatric Care Management so you can incorporate it and develop strong lead generation. It will become an additional source of revenue, helping your clients to remain in their homes, and yes, sets you apart from all other companies out there!

Why chose Happier At Home?

  • Additional streams of revenue from Geriatric Care Management services and Happier At Home Medical Alert System
  • Training and support in all aspects of the business from professionals such as registered nurses, accountants, attorneys, and web and social media marketing specialists
  • Proven system developed by medical professionals, attorneys, accountants and marketing professionals
  • Core belief in giving compassion, dignity and respect to all we encounter
  • Unique system of computer networking with our other franchisees
  • Regional and national meetings focused on continued growth of your business
  • Package of materials given to open your franchise
  • Training materials for our Certified Caregiver and Certified Hospice Caregiver designations
  • Incredible income potential with the opportunity to build equity value, enabling you to transfer the franchise and realize that equity value
  • Able to work from your home office the first year of business
  • Training and Support

Our comprehensive franchise owner training program is taught by industry experts to give you the knowledge and tools you, your staff, and your caregivers need to be successful. We will start with basics such as office set up and work our way through aspects such as quality care, hiring and training caregivers, scheduling software, accounting, business development, marketing, and geriatric care management.  We will review your area and if it is determined that there is availability, will establish your territory to give you ample opportunity to be successful and grow to your fullest potential.

  • Certified Caregiver and Certified Hospice Caregiver training
  • Unique, attractive branding to leave a lasting impression
  • Public relations and advertising at national level to create brand awareness
  • All forms needed for startup are provided
  • Support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
  • Financial benchmarking tools provided
  • One week training in our home office for you and one other
  • Protected Operating Procedures guide
  • Business set-up and business management techniques
  • Networking, marketing and promotion of your business
  • Employee and client management
  • Daily operations and office procedures

Who we’re looking for:
The Profile of a Happier At Home Franchisee

  • Either is or will hire a full time a registered nurse or an individual with a higher medical education
  • Dynamic, marketing personality enjoying meeting new people and fostering relationships with clients, families, referral sources and the community
  • Experience in managing employees and business
  • Motivated individuals looking to build a solid foundation in their franchise and grow that business by showing compassion, dignity and respect to all they encounter
  • Individual dedicated to motivating employees and assuring quality care of his/her clients

The initial franchise fee is $28,500. For the first year of business, we allow you to operate out of a home office, which saves about $21,000 in rent, taxes and maintenance alone. Other start-up costs will include computers and other office equipment, computer software, insurance, travel expenses for training, professional fees such as your attorney/accountant, and any office supplies.

If you truly have a passion for helping others and feel that you would like to financially benefit from that passion, please complete the inquiry form on our website.  A member of the Franchise Development team will contact you to answer questions you may have. We appreciate your interest and look forward to discussing the rewarding possibilities that await you with a Happier At Home senior care and geriatric care management franchise.

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