Medicare Nursing Homes - Up To Date Information

The Medicare health care insurance plan does not cover long term nursing care, but the Medicare nursing homes section of the Medicare program does cover short term stays in these facilities. The coverage is dictated by the length of the stay and the type of? home care required.

In order to qualify, you must have spent at least three days in hospital prior to transfer to a Medicare certified nursing home facility and you must enter a? home within thirty days of your hospital stay to qualify.

The cost of a Medicare certified living facility is covered for up to twenty days. Thereafter, you are responsible for part payment for the next one hundred days of care per diagnosis and hospitalization. Medicare does not cover nursing home cover stays for duration of longer than one hundred days. Medicare coverage also ends if medical professionals document that you are failing to make progress towards independence.

If you reach the point where you are no longer able to be rehabilitated, but you still require nursing care, you will have to pay for your care. This might mean using your savings or selling your assets to cover the cost of care. If you reach the point where you have cashed in all your savings and assets and can no longer afford to pay for care, you can apply for Medicaid, which will then start paying for the long term nursing home care.

Once it is established that you will need to stay in a nursing home for a period of time, you will need to start looking for nursing homes in your area. The Medicare nursing homes compare tool can be found on the Medicare website. This is an informative guide to helping you find and compare nursing homes based on geographical criteria. Alternatively, you can ask for guidance from people you know and trust, for example friends or relatives who have used nursing homes, or medical personnel.

The Medicare Compare program helps you to make the right decision based on your needs by giving you information on how Medicare facilities are rated in your area. New guidance instigated in 2009 ensures that all nursing homes covered under the Medicare health care program are regularly inspected by nursing home surveyors to see that they maintain certain levels of care for the residents. These include ensuring the residents are able to live with dignity, they have choices in care and services, their environment is accommodated to their needs and preferences, and the home can offer a home-like environment that includes access for visitors. All of these guidelines are designed to ensure that the people who spend time in nursing homes can enjoy an improved quality of life.

There are many factors to consider before choosing a Medicare approved? home for you or your relative. If there is a possibility you might be in the home for a long duration, you need to be certain that the home is right for you. Once you have decided on the home that is suitable for your needs, the home is obligated to help you apply for and use the Medicare benefits available to you. They can also help you claim refunds on any payments already made that are covered by Medicare.

Our site has a huge amount of up to date information about medigap cost and important medicare issues. Stay informed on this important subject.

http://www.medigapcost.com

Pensions Benefits For Veterans

Long Term Care Planning for Veterans

Finding ways to pay for long term care expenses is a critical part of Estate Planning. Many people over 65 years of age have not purchased long term care insurance. For veterans and the surviving spouses of veterans who are living in an assisted living facility or nursing home or who need in-home care, financial help may be available.

The Veterans Administration has an underused pension benefit commonly called Aid and Attendance. The Aid and Attendance program provides tax-free money to veterans who need assistance performing activities of daily living. Even veterans whose household income is above the legal limit for a VA pension may qualify for the Aid and Attendance benefit, if they have a sufficient amount unreimbursed medical expenses, based on their household income.

The Veteran's Pension benefit may be available to veterans age 65 or 100% disabled. Certain criteria must be met, such as serving at least 90 days in active service, and at least one of those days was when the U.S. was at war or in an official conflict. The veteran does not have to have service related disabilities to qualify. Surviving spouses or dependents may also be eligible.

The VA permits accredited agents and accredited attorneys to counsel veterans who may be claimants for VA Pension benefits. All Pension claimants must meet an asset test and an income test.

Asset test: The veteran, age 65, must have less than $80,000 in countable household assets. As with the Medicaid rules, the primary residence, vehicle, burial plans, and term insurance are excluded.

Income test: The veteran's household income is reduced by the unreimbursed medical expenses. The household income, less the unreimbursed medical expenses, must be less than the Maximum Annual Pension Rate (MAPR).

The MAPR is $23,396 annually for a veteran with a dependent, $19,736 for a single veteran; and generally $12,672 for a single surviving spouse, with some exceptions. As a simplified example for illustration only: John, a veteran age 81, and Mary, his spouse age 80, have the following:

1) John and Mary have a combined Social Security income of $19,200 annually;

2) John has pension income of $12,000 annually;

3) Mary has an income stream from an annuity $9,600 annually;

4) Total household income equals: $40,800.

5) John pays $28,800 a year for home health care;

6) John and Mary pay $2,304 a year for Medicare;

7) John and Mary pay $1,200 for incontinence supplies; and

8) John and Mary pay $ 2,880 a year for supplemental insurance.

9) Total household unreimbursed medical expenses are $35,184.00.

Total Annual Household Income: $ 40,800.00

Less Total Household Unreimbursed medical Expense: 35,184.00

Subtotal 5,616.00

MAPR $23,396.00

Less subtotal 5,616.00

Approximate Veteran Pension $17,780.00

If you are interested in training for taking the VA Accreditation test, please visit my website: http://www.AffordableVAAccreditationTraining.com

Homecare Makes Caring For Elderly Parents Convenient and Affordable

Many adult children find caring for elderly parents to be a challenging, worrisome, and often exhausting experience. They wonder if their elderly parents are able to maintain their personal hygiene, whether they're taking their medications properly, and if they're safe in their homes.

Homecare agencies can remove the anxiety and burden of caring for elderly parents from afar. Homecare enables seniors to continue to live independently in their homes by receiving assistance with their basic needs. This can include help with:
• Eating, bathing, getting dressed, and going to the bathroom
• Getting to the pharmacy, the doctor's office, and other appointments
• Shopping and household chores
• Making home modifications like installing grab bars in the bathroom
• Identifying opportunities to socialize with other seniors

According to the Family Caregiver Alliance, between five and seven million Americans are caring for elderly parents from afar (defined as living at least one hour away from an older relative). This trend will continue to grow as more and more of the baby-boomer generation gets older and opts for homecare instead of nursing homes or assisted living facilities.

For people living in our area, homecare services from reputable homecare agencies promote independence, provide dignity, and encourage peer interaction (which is proven to improve brain function). Caring for elderly parents does require you to make some important decisions. You shouldn't hire a company to care for your elderly loved one from afar until you know what they offer and why they're the best agency to care for your elderly loved one.

Make sure to ask the following questions when you meet with homecare agencies:

• Who is the employer? It may sound like a strange question to ask, but homecare agencies come in all shapes and sizes. From a safety and liability perspective, you want to hire a company that manages everything from payroll to taxes to worker's compensation insurance. If you don't, you will be considered the employer and will ultimately be responsible for handling the many legal and financial issues involved with homecare.

• What is their experience? It may go without saying, but experience matters. How long has the homecare agency been in business? Has the agency provided similar services to other clients in the past? What do its past and current clients have to say about the quality of the services?

• Do they offer a free consultation? Most reputable homecare agencies offer a free consultation to provide a comprehensive assessment of your elderly parent's needs.

• Do they have a rigorous employee screening process? It's important that the Orange County homecare agency conduct thorough background checks on all employees. Checking criminal, professional, and personal references is critical to make sure your loved one is being cared for by a qualified caregiver.

• What is the plan of care? Developing a plan for caring for elderly parents is important because it enables you to clarify expectations about what and how much care is going to be provided. From personal care to cooking meals to attending doctor visits, everyone is involved in determining the best course of homecare.

• How accessible are they? How easy or difficult will it be to reach the people in charge? This is especially important on nights and weekends. Will you be able to speak with a person when you call the agency or will you reach an answering machine if you call after normal business hours?

If you're caring for elderly parents and want to learn more about homecare services, visit http://www.CambrianHomecare.com or call 877.422.2270.

Best Way To Catch Elder Abuse In Senior Care Facilities

There was an article in the Vancouver, British Columbia paper recently that discussed the threat to British Columbia's justice, social and health systems posed by a surge in elder abuse.

Statistics that showed elder abuse cases have surged 12% in the last three years. Overall officials put the percentage at 10% overall but they feel it's much higher.

That may seem extreme but it is not. In United States it has been estimated that 60% of all senior living facilities have some kind of elder abuse. There was a study done not too long ago that showed nine out of every 10 senior care facilities had a convicted felon on the staff.

How can that happen you ask? There has been such a rapid influx of baby boomers into retirement age in the last five years that soon seniors over 65 will outnumber the rest of us. That is just the start of the problem. As our citizens continue to age, the influx into retirement homes, long-term care facilities, home health care and senior homes just overwhelms the number of facilities and staff to handle them all.

The fastest-growing segment of higher education or specialized education is for nurses and nursing assistants to care for these seniors. One of the problems is that some of these facilities are more interested in making money than teaching and graduating qualified personnel. So not only is there a shortage of personnel, there is a shortage of trained personnel. Add to that a shortage of facilities and you have people scrambling for answers.

Home healthcare has become the answer for many people. It is certainly less expensive but it leaves itself more open to elder abuse than any other type of senior care. You're basically taking a complete stranger and putting them in a home with your mom or dad. With that kind of responsibility the vetting process should be very thorough. But there is such a rush to find someone, anyone, that background checks are often skipped.

Not too long ago the state of Texas legalized the use of hidden spy cameras in long-term care facilities to cut down on elder abuse. It has been greatly successful. You can take that same idea into your situation. Whether your parents are in a long-term care facility or in home healthcare hidden security cameras or hidden spy cameras can catch elder abuse like no other tool on the market and provide the documentation that's necessary to prosecute, if need be.

A Bachelor Of Science In Nursing Degree Can Boost Your Nursing Career

A Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) is one of the most highly sought after degrees in healthcare. In fact, many hospitals today require nurses to have a BSN degree as the entry-level point to a job.

This is why many qualified registered nurses (RNs) have started going back to nursing school to get their BSN degree in order to advance their careers. On average it takes four years to receive a BSN. It can even be obtained through accredited nursing programs while you are working in a hospital or medical clinic.

Before you can apply to a Bachelor of Science in Nursing program you will have to meet a few guidelines. It is important that you have a high school diploma or the equivalent. You should also have a strong background in science and mathematics. A good GPA is also recommend and having high scoring standardized test scores also works in your favor.

Many universities accept ordinary students interested in becoming a nurse into the BSN courses, although some Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs will only accept registered nurses as candidates.

Most BSN programs offer credit for qualified applicants including registered nurses looking to advance their education. If you are already a registered nurse you only need to show proof of your certification and the degree that you received from your two-year program.

No matter what your level of education is, there is a Bachelor of Science in Nursing program that is right for you. The undergraduate classes that you take for a Bachelor of Science in Nursing are the prerequisites for those you'd normally take for a degree in any other field.

The additional two years focus more on anatomy and clinical nursing work. When you finish completing all of your course work you are eligible to take the National Council Licensure Exam and receive your registered nurse license. After you have this accreditation you can pretty much work anywhere that you want.

You can work in the healthcare industry in hospitals or private clinics as soon as you graduate. You have enough experience when you graduate with a BSN to fulfill any professional needs. The knowledge that you gain from the BSN program is far above that of standard registered nurse programs.

When you graduate with this four-year degree, you will actually have medical knowledge comparable to nurses that have already been in the field for years. If you are already a registered nurse with practical working experience, obtaining your Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree is major step to moving your career forward.

An Examination of Differences in the Types of Personal Injury Lawsuits in Missouri

Missouri law allows for the full-range of personal injury lawsuits, but the state makes important distinctions between different types. One of the major differences in types of personal injury lawsuits is the statute of limitations. Missouri is a state where the statute of limitations varies for different types of cases. However, this is not the only difference between personal injury cases in Missouri.

No matter which type of personal injury you may have, no decisions should be made on whether to proceed or not to proceed without having first consulted an experienced attorney in good standing. An attorney will be able to help you identify if you have a case and what kind of compensation, if any, you are entitled to under the law of the state of Missouri.

Each type of personal injury case requires that substantial damages of some sort have been incurred. These damages can be physical, emotional, or even monetary. In the case of non-material or non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering, Missouri places a cap of $350,000. This cap is enforced in all cases, large and small.

Another factor in common with personal injury cases in Missouri is the standard of comparative fault. Comparative fault allows for damages to be collected from a liable party even when the plaintiff is up to 99 percent responsible for the injury. The total damages, however, are reduced by the same percentage of fault. So, a plaintiff 90 percent at-fault, will receive only 10 percent of the total damages.

Medical Malpractice

Medical malpractice can be claimed in Missouri only up to two years after the date of occurrence. However, the law allows for a two-year discovery period in the case of medical malpractice involving foreign objects. In cases of medical malpractice against infants, the statute of limitations does not begin until their 18th birthday.

Medical malpractice suits differ from other types of personal injury in that the defendant is held to an accepted standard of care. As long as this standard of care has been met, malpractice cannot be claimed in the result of an injury during treatment for while in the care of a medical facility. Types of medical malpractice include the following: prescription errors, birth injuries, misdiagnosis, errors in treatment, failure to treat, and gross negligence.

Wrongful Death

Wrongful death is any death caused by negligence. Wrongful death can occur as the result of medical malpractice, motor vehicle accidents, work-related accidents, or in any other case where death results due to the negligence of another person or entity. Wrongful death lawsuits differ from other types of personal injury lawsuits in that they are governed by Missouri Statute. Other types of personal injury lawsuits are premised on the common law duty to act in a reasonable manner.

Another difference in wrongful death lawsuits is that they obviously cannot be filed by the injured party. Only spouses, children and parents of the victim may file such a lawsuit. Unlike some states, Missouri law does not allow for grief and bereavement of family members to be figured into the amount of damages awarded. In addition, once the damages are figured, the court must apportion damages to surviving family members.

The statute of limitations on wrongful death lawsuits in Missouri is three years. However, an accrual rule is in effect so that the statute of limitations does not begin until the date of death.

Others

Several other types of personal injury exist in Missouri. These types include slips and falls, dog bites, caretaker abuse, workers compensation and motor vehicle accidents. In all of these types of injuries, negligence or intent to injure the plaintiff must be determined. After determining an injury was caused by such, it becomes necessary to calculate the total damages. The statute of limitations for all such cases in Missouri is five years. The discovery rule is also in effect, which allows for a reasonable time to discover an injury has occurred.The law is very complex.

Welcome Home, Yankees! Mexican Developers Target Aging Americans With Inexpensive Senior Housing

As U.S. Baby Boomers enter their "golden" years, watching their 401Ks and retirement accounts disappear as the current recession deepens and extends, enterprising Mexican developers are shifting their focus from traditional condominium and townhome communities to seniors'-oriented independent living and assisted living projects. And many of these senior developments offer attractive features and amenities at a fraction of the price of comparable properties in the States.

With the average monthly rent for an American assisted living unit approaching $6,000, and nursing home rents topping $8,000, senior communities in some quaint Mexican cities are choosing to offer these facilities for as little as $1,100 a month.  There are more than a million aging Americans and Canadians who have already retired in Mexico, and many of them, like the estimated 76 million of their Baby Boomer peers in the States, will increasingly require greater levels of care. Inevitably, as rents for U. S.  senior housing facilities continue to skyrocket, many will discover that their depleted retirement funds won't cover the costs. And some far-sighted Mexican developers are already taking notice.  

As Eduardo Alvarado, chief executive officer of La Moreleja, a residential development in San Luis Potosi, a bustling northern Mexican city with a population of nearly 700,000, observes, "(Senior housing) is not going to be a niche market. It's going to be an entire industry. We already have the pioneers here, but what we are seeing is that many people will come, perhaps not because they want to, but out of necessity." Mexico, he claims, is far more modern and much safer than Americans imagine. "It's as safe as or safer than the U. S."  

San Miguel de Allende, a city of about 150,000 founded in the early sixteenth century, famous for its mild climate and colonial-era architecture, is the home of Cielito Lindo, Mexico's first assisted living community. Featuring villa-type living in a master-planned community, two-bedroom, 1,400-square foot units with covered and uncovered terraces, fully-equipped kitchens, two bathrooms, laundry facilities and pantries, are offered at monthly rents of $1,400. Rent covers all utilities, as well as cable TV, maintenance, and high-speed Internet. Additional services, including exercise facilities, tennis, swimming and lap pools, and the like are available for $80/month, with daily transportation to the city of San Miguel at $100/month.    

A word of caution is advised, however. So far, assisted living facilities are unregulated in Mexico. They're so new--only about a half-dozen in the country--that laws are yet to be adopted to cover them. The Mexican Association of Retirement communities is seeking regulations similar to those governing U. S. senior housing properties. Marisol Ancona Velten, who is director of planning for an assisted living development in Mexico City, notes that some informal senior housing projects, often converted private homes, offer substandard care. 

Moreover, many Mexican resort cities, such as San Miguel and Puerto Vallarta, lack world-class hospital facilities that are found in the States and in Mexico City.   Despite these concerns, as one satisfied Cielito Lindo resident sums up his retirement experience, "If you get into your 80s and need assisted living, what could be better than this? The people are so friendly and the scenery is so beautiful."