Below are 5 things to look out for when signing a Nursing Home Agreement.

1.Responsible Party Contract.By law, your parent is the only person responsible for any bills from a care facility. Some facilities, try to get an adult child and/ or another relative or friend to sign on as a “responsible party.”Look for this term and ask for it to be removed from the contract. Many facilities have a separate agreement that you would sign so make sure you do not sign it!

2.Government Aid. Most facilities do accept Medicare or Medicaid but the contract should explicitly state whether the facility takes either or both. It’s illegal for a facility that participates in these programs to force your parent to pay privately for a period of time before accepting her as a Medicare or Medicaid resident. Medicare has strict guidelines on who receives those benefits for a nursing home stay.

3.Deposits.Deposits can only be required of privately paying residents. Residents using Medicare or Medicaid can’t be required to pay a deposit.

4.Personal Property Inventory Checklist. The agreement should list what your parent or loved one is bringing into the facility. make sure you add everything! The nursing home will be cleaning their room and doing laundry. It’s better to be on the safe side.

5.Discharge Notification. Make sure the contract states how much notice your parent must give before leaving, and how long the facility will save her spot if she needs temporary hospitalization.

In a recent report released by the Alzheimer’s Association estimates that Alzheimer’s disease and dementia triple the health-care costs for those seniors.The people who live in nursing homes or assisted living facilities pay an average of $17,000 in out-of-pocket costs each year, researchers found. The association also estimates that nearly 10 million unpaid caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s disease spent 8.5 billion hours in 2008 watching over their loved ones, care valued at an estimated $94 billion.

About 5.3 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease, according to the association’s Facts and Figures report for 2009. The number includes about 14 percent of people aged 71 and older.

The report finds that:

The average annual health-care cost for someone older than 65 with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia was $33,007 in 2004 — three times more than the $10,603 for people that age without the conditions.
Deaths from Alzheimer’s disease rose by 47 percent from 2000 to 2006 while the number of deaths from several other major diseases — including heart attack, stroke, breast cancer and prostate cancer — fell during that period.
States in the Rocky Mountains and Northwest will see the number of people with Alzheimer’s disease increase by at least 81 percent between 2000 and 2025.
By 2025, California and Florida will each be home to more than a half-million people with Alzheimer’s disease.

Startling Stats! You can visit www.alz.org to read the entire article.

Below is the list of the worst states for nursing homes. This study was done last December by th federal government. The latest government statistics show that the 10 states below have the lowest percentages of five-star homes. Louisiana, ranked at the bottom with only nine five-star homes. The average proportion of five-star homes for all states is 11.9 percent.

State Total % With
5 Stars
1. Louisiana 284 3.2%
2. Georgia 357 6.2%
3. Oklahoma 311 7.1%
4. Tennessee 316 7.3%
5. West Virginia 130 7.7%
6. Kentucky 286 8.7%
7. Indiana 504 8.9%
8. Missouri 507 9.1%
9. Texas 1,113 9.3%
10. Ohio 948 9.9%
10. Utah 91 9.9%

Below is the list of the top states for nursing homes. This study was done last December by th federal government. They began giving nursing homes overall ratings from one star (lowest) to five stars (highest). The new U.S. News “America’s Best Nursing Homes” rankings take the data another step further. The government’s latest statistics show that the 10 states below have the largest percentages of five-star homes. Alaska is at the top, but it has a small number of homes; three fewer five-stars would have dropped the state off the list. The average for all states is 11.9 percent.

State Total % With
5 Stars
1. Alaska 15 33.3%
2. Hawaii 46 28.3%
3. Delaware 45 26.7%
4. New Hampshire 78 23.1%
5. Maine 109 19.3%
6. Connecticut 241 19.1%
7. Alabama 232 18.1%
8. Massachusetts 433 18.0%
9. Rhode Island 85 17.6%
10. Vermont 40 17.5%

According to U.S. News and World Report’s America’s Best Nursing Homes rankings alaska has the largest percentage of five-star rated facilities in the United States, while Louisiana has the lowest. The list expands on information from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Nursing Home Compare Web site, which houses the new “five-star” rating system.

The CMS five-star system rates nursing homes on three criteria: health inspection performance, nurse staffing levels, and quality performance and improvement measures. The U.S. News system creates a multi-tiered approach to deciphering the CMS model. Nursing home search results are grouped based on the number of CMS stars received in each of the three categories, and allow for combined searches. For example, users can search for a CMS five-star rated facility in a certain state or zip code, then refine the search to show only religious facilities or facilities with only Medicare residents, according to the magazine.

Facilities that receive five stars in all three CMS categories are placed on an honor roll. There are currently 27 facilities on the list and information is updated quarterly. You can view the full list at:http://health.usnews.com/sections/health/best-nursing-homes/index.html.

A recent study done by Cloumbia University found a number of hazardous conditions in home healthcare settings. These conditions are of special concern to both the elderly and their caretakers. More than 700 home healthcare RNs in New York City responded to the survey.

Th noted hazardous conditions identified in the survey included animal hair, excessive dust, mold, cigarette smoke and dampness. Rat, mouse or other vermin sightings were also reported. Poor housekeeping, which could increase the risk of infection, was also a common observation. Nearly 70% of home healthcare patients are 65 years or older, according to the report.

A total of 44% of RNs reported that their patients live in urban settings, and 40% of nurses reported feeling threatened or uncomfortable by a patient’s neighborhood.

The report appears in the Journal of Patient Safety, and was co-funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

A recent research study suggests there may one day be a blood test to accurately diagnose Alzheimer’s disease and its level of severity.

A team of scientists from the Medical College of Georgia and the University of Georgia discovered a “strong and consistent relationship” between certain antibodies and levels of cognitive impairment associated with Alzheimer’s. The antibodies are created when the body detects the presence of two specific proteins that are strongly associated with Alzheimer’s disease: amyloid-beta protein and RAGE protein.

For the study, researchers took blood samples from 118 older adults and compared antibody levels with levels of cognitive impairment. Researchers hope the discovery of the link between the two factors will eventually lead to a blood test for the disease.

The research can be found in the current issue of the Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences.

Good new for those looking into a Reverse Mortgage! The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 signed into law on February 17, 2009, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) that officially raised the national limit for Home Equity Conversion Mortgages (”HECM” or “Reverse Mortgage”) from $417,000 to $625,500 for the balance of 2009. This new lending limit may allow access to more funds from a Reverse Mortgage than previously allowed, especially for homes worth more than $417,000. With a Reverse Mortgage you may get be eligible to receive funds from $77,000 to $190,000!

A number of factors affect the cost of home care services for seniors, including location, competition and the economy. In addition, the fees are also based on the skill level of service you need and want. Homemakers, personal care assistants and companions will all cost less (around $10 - $17 per hour )than home health aides or skilled nursing care (around $15-24 per hour) . Live-in care is usually priced by the day or week rather than hourly, and can run as high as $250 per day or more through agencies in some parts of the country.

Also keep in mind that these servies usually require a minimum of 4 hours of service! It is nearly impossible to find a company that will have someone that will come in just to shower a client or make them dinner. Be sure to ask this on your search!

Finding a home care provider

Research is key when looking into finding a home care provider. You can search privately or go through a home care agency. To locate agencies or private providers, check with any or all of the following resources:
 

• Internet Search for home care providers in your area. I recommened searching your city along with home care for seniors for your keywords.
• Check your Yellow Page listings for Senior Services, Home Care
• Area Agency on Aging (Call 1-800-677-1116 for the AAA in your area)
• Local community and senior organizations
•  Religious affiliations including churches and synagogues
• Doctor or hospital referrals from your care recipient’s medical affiliations
  Agencies. These agencies may or may not be state licensed, but they select and supervise their own personnel, and are liable for any staff or care problems that arise.
• Friends. Referrals from people you know who have used an agency or individual for their relative are one of the best sources of trusted help. Ask around.
• The Eldercare Locator, a service of the U.S. government, has an online database of senior service agencies.

Do not hire and independent worker! Though they may be less expensive they are typcally not insured, licensed or bonded!