Sunday, May 4, 2014

Important Eldercare Facts

By Rue Nichols


The eldercare industry is booming, mainly because Americans are simply living longer and many older seniors need personalized options for daily living. While many seniors are still completely independent, others need a bit more help and some need round-the-clock care. A variety of eldercare options is available to suit individual needs and tastes.

You are likely to find a wide range of eldercare options throughout California including board and care homes to the more expensive assisted living facilities and even skilled nursing facilities which are catering to those who might need constant medical care and some rehabilitation services. In choosing the type of eldercare, you need to consider two important factors being your physical needs and the budget you can afford.

Assisted living is perhaps the most expensive option, but typically also has more amenities and a wider mix of activities, room options and meal choices. More than 160,000 seniors in California live in some type of assisted living community. The average monthly cost for assisted living in California is about $4,000 per month, depending on where you live.

A nursing home, which also is often called a skilled nursing facility, also can be quite expensive, but many of these homes allow payment via Medicaid or Medicare. This can make nursing homes a good option for many seniors with a small income. In the United States, there are more than 17,000 nursing homes and more than 1.5 million Americans live in the homes. Sometimes, though, a nursing home is a temporary residence for a person of any age recovering from a serious illness or injury. For example, after a stroke, a person might live in a nursing home until they have undergone enough rehabilitation to allow them to return home or to perhaps live in assisted living or have in-home care.

One more choice for eldercare is board and care homes typically located in private homes. Such homes must have a state license and accommodate only two to six residents. About 8,000 licensed care facilities are found in California catering to eldercare and the majority of them are small board and care homes. Seniors can avail of assistance for daily tasks but not at a level of having medical care making these homes usually less expensive than the assisted living. At times, SSI or Medicaid 1915c waivers are accepted to defuse monthly costs not like assisted living.

It also is wise to contact Care Placement for your need for board and care, nursing care or assisted living in San Diego or Orange County. You will be able to have pre-screened senior care options in many forms which then can help you in choosing the facility that can best suit the need of your loved one or your own. Simply start the process by filling up the simple questionnaire presented for you in order for a staff member to get in touch to discuss the options you can have.




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