Senior Care Center1 Shares Information On Custodial Care

Senior Care Center1, a free online resource that helps families find long-term care facilities for their loved ones, is reaching out to share insight on custodial care. The organization has a wealth of experience in assisting the elderly, and they regularly publish articles that aim to shed light on a variety of topics related to senior living.

"As everyone approaches the later part of our lives, we all look for ways to make our future easier, where all of our needs are taken care of and our days are spent without undue concern," states Casey Ryeback of Senior Care Center. They continue, "There are many ways to do this, and most people agree that care centers are one of the better options. Custodial care is just another way of guaranteeing that when your or your loved one needs it, you will have all of your needs taken care of and you will be looked after."

Custodial care is a form of long-term care that helps seniors with their activities of daily living (ADL). This type of care is defined by the fact that it can be provided by an individual without medical training, and it is most often recommended for seniors who suffer medical, physical or mental conditions that prevent them from performing ADLs on their own.

Ryeback explains, "This type of care is most popular because it can be provided either in a long-term care facility or by home health aides. It is more convenient for patients who want to remain in a comfortable, familiar environment. Since they don't need medical services, they can get more personalized attention and help with other activities."

Through their article, Senior Care Center1 explains that the responsibilities for a caregiver in the custodial care service are extensive, and can vary depending on the needs of the person they are in charge of. These duties often include taking care of meals and grocery shopping, driving to and from appointments, dressing and laundry, supervision of exercises and medicine management, among other obligations.

While custodial care is oftentimes one of the more affordable elder care options, Senior Care Center1 explains that it will depend on a few factors. The cost for patients who need special attention due to mental illness or a medical disorder is higher than it is for others. It will also vary depending on whether they want to move into a residential community or hire a caregiver for in-home assistance, in which case due consideration needs to be given whether they need full-time, part-time or as-needed assistance.

Typically, custodial care services range anywhere from $1,500 to $4,100 per month. This care is generally paid for using private funds or savings. However, there are a few other options that might make it more affordable. Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance might offer limited coverage. These options only help partially cover the costs of custodial care, explains Senior Care Center1.

"While it may not be much, these are the best options you have to help lessen the caregiving costs. Each of these options has its own caveat, and they are not available to everyone, though it is still worth looking into. For example, Medicare will typically only pay for the first 100 days in a nursing facility, and even then, coverage is only considered when medically necessary and authorized by a licensed physician," states Ryeback.

While custodial care is one of the better elder care options, it is also one that is often underestimated and overseen. Patients with custodial care needs often end up in Skilled Nursing Facilities where they overpay for services they do not require. As a result, they end up getting less attention and lower quality than they require, as nursing homes have the highest staff-to-resident ratios, hurting the quality of their caregiving.

More information on custodial care, including full details of costs, types of caregivers, tax deduction information and how to choose a caregiver can be found on Senior Care Center1's website. The website also offers resources on several topics of interest for those taking care of elder citizens. One of their main focuses is to help families find long-term care facilities for elderly loved ones. Interested parties may reach out to Casey Ryeback for more information on this as well. Those interested in learning more about custodial care are similarly encouraged to visit the following link for further details: Caring.com.