Nursing Homes
Alternatives to Nursing Home Care
Other Alternatives
The other alternatives to nursing home care, besides Program of
All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) and Social Managed Care Plan are as follows:
Elder Care Locator
The Elder Care Locator can help you find necessary and convenient services that serve the
elderly in their community. Their phone number is 1-800-677-1116.
Home and Community Care
A person who is ill or disabled may be able to get help from a
variety of home services
that might make moving into a nursing
home unnecessary. Home services include Meals
on Wheels
programs, friendly visiting and shopper services, and adult day care.
These programs are found in most communities.
If you are considering home care, discuss this option with family
members to learn if they are able to help provide your care or help
arrange for other care providers to come to your home. Some
nursing homes may provide respite care and admit a person in need
of care for a short period of time to give the home care givers a
break.
Depending on the case, Medicare, private insurance, and Medicaid
may pay some home care costs that are related to medical care.
Subsidized Senior Housing (Non-Medical)
There are Federal and State programs that help pay for housing for
older people with low to moderate incomes. Some of these
subsidized facilities offer assistance to residents who need help
with certain tasks, such as shopping and laundry. Residents
generally live independently in an apartment within the senior
housing complex.
Assisted Living (Non-Medical Senior Housing)
If you only need help with a small number of tasks, such as cooking
and laundry, or reminders to take medications, assisted living
facilities maybe an option worth considering. "Assisted living" is a
general term for living arrangements in which some services are
available to residents who still live independently with in the
assisted living complex. In most cases, assisted living residents pay
a regular monthly rent, and then pay additional fees for the services
that they require.
Board and Care Homes
Board and Care homes are group living arrangements designed to
meet the needs of people who cannot live independently, but do not
require nursing home services. These homes offer a wider range of
services than independent living options. Most provide help with
some of the activities of daily living, including eating, walking,
bathing, and toileting. In some cases, private long-term care
insurance and medical assistance programs will help pay for this
type of living arrangement. Keep in mind that many of these homes
do not get payment from Medicare or Medicaid and are not strictly
monitored.
Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCS)
CCRCs are housing communities that provide different levels of care
based on the residents' needs from independent living apartments
to skilled nursing care in an affiliated nursing home. Residents move
from one setting to another based on their needs, but continue to
remain a part of their CCRC community. Be sure to check the record
of the CCRC's nursing home. Your CCRC contract usually will require
you to use it. Many CCRCs require a large payment prior to
admission and also charge monthly fees. For this reason, many
CCRCs may be too expensive for older people with modest incomes.
Summary of Options
The options discussed above may work for people who require less
than skilled care, or who require skilled care for only brief periods of
time. Many people with long-term skilled care needs require a level
and amount of care that cannot be easily handled outside of a
nursing home.
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