Senior Care Center1 Discusses Medicare And Assisted Living

US based Senior Care Center1, a free online resource which helps families find long-term care facilities for their loved ones, has published an article about Medicare and Medicare coverage for assisted living. The article explains how Medicare covers the costs of assisted living. For more information, click here: https://srcarecenter.com/assisted-living/medicare-coverage-and-assisted-living/.

A majority of seniors often need long-term care by the age of 65, and this care may be provided by an assisted living or nursing home. Nursing homes are ideal for individuals who need active monitoring and have medical issues. Assisted living, on the other hand, is designed to provide custodial care while allowing the individual to retain some privacy and freedom. They offer services to help with daily activities, such as dressing, bathing and feeding. Many families arrange for loved ones to be placed in assisted living, or hope to do so, because of special medical needs such as Alzheimer’s or Dementia. Assisted living facilities are ideal for seniors who do not have much in a way of extended family or those whose family are unable to provide the care that they need. While federal and state programs are often reluctant to offer coverage for assisted living and related care, there are ways to pay for a loved one’s needed care. To learn more, one may visit the Senior Care Center1 website.

Many families, unfortunately, have not planned for the possibility of long-term care and find themselves panicking about how to afford the care a parent or loved one needs. Assisted living care can be quite expensive, particularly when one has not planned ahead. Most would assume that Medicare or another form of government assistance will cover assisted living and long-term care, but they often do not. Being unprepared for this type of expense can be financially devastating, so Senior Care Center1 advises families to be aware of costs and the care options they may need.

Assisted living facilities provide housing options for loved ones who require around the clock care. To quote the article, “They fall in between Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNF) and independent living. Assisted living facilities provide services such as helping administer medication, personal care like bathing and eating, and help with daily living in general.” This type of senior care offers residents more freedom and privacy than a traditional nursing home. It also helps with aspects such as transportation and full-time supervision.

The Medicare handbook states that individuals enrolled in Medicare have to handle the cost of any required long-term care services, such as nursing homes, home health assistance and assisted living, on their own, perhaps from income or savings. To keep up-to-date with Medicare regulations, Senior Care Center1 website provides a link to the Medicare handbook. The Center1 also emphasizes the importance of understanding that Medicare is health insurance, not a form of long-term care insurance.

Deciding to transition a loved one into an assisted living facility is a major decision. The choice of facility is often influenced by the cost as well. Ensuring that one can pay for the care of a loved one is a major concern for many families, and more often than not, families have to bear the cost. Factors which determine the cost of a living facility include the location, services that are offered and the amenities that they have available. The article elaborates further, stating that, “Whether or not the room is private will greatly affect the cost as well as what part of the city the facility is located in. Some facilities seem more like resorts and offer things such as concierge service, elegant hotel atmospheres and calendars full of planned activities while some offer the bare minimum services of basic meals, housekeeping and hygiene assistance.” The cost of assisted living increases if a loved one requires care for complex medical issues, including Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s.

Senior Care Center1 helps families choose an assisted living facility which fits their needs as well as their budget. The advisors handle each family with patience and research in order to help families choose the best option. On most occasions, one would have to compromise on factors (such as location and amenities) in order to ensure that one can afford the facility and care.

Medicare typically does not cover the cost of long-term care for the elderly. Some Medicare Advantage plans may allow for coverage of home care that differs from what is offered by normal Medicare, but these plans also cost more. Medigap, or Medicare Supplement, normally does not cover the cost of long-term care either. Medicare will cover costs for individuals with conditions such as dementia if they are deemed medically necessary. Some of these factors include hospital stays, skilled nursing care (up to 100 days), hospice care, medical equipment and doctor’s appointments. Some Medicare plans will include services such as emergency care, dialysis, transplants, diabetes care and several others, which are listed in the article. More options are explored in more detail in the article published by Senior Care Center1.

To learn more about the services provided by Senior Care Center1, one may visit the official website. For further inquiries, one may contact Casey Ryeback of Senior Care Center1 directly via phone or email.