According to a new AARP poll, almost three out of 10 people who are caring for a loved one say their life has changed since becoming a caregiver. More than one in five says their weight, exercise, or social life has suffered. To illustrate the complexity and help the 42 million sons and daughters, friends, and spouses caring for parents and loved ones see themselves as caregivers, AARP and the Ad Council are unveiling a new suite of Public Service Advertisements (PSAs) as part of their Caregiver Assistance campaign. The PSAs will be distributed as part of National Family Caregivers…
More than three million home health aides — a lifeline for the elderly who are neither in institutions nor able to manage life’s mundane tasks on their own — are learning exactly how sclerotic the nation’s regulatory processes can be. Nearly half of home health aides are so poorly paid, they must rely on public benefits like food stamps and energy assistance. Sixteen months ago, President Obama promised to change Labor Department rules that exclude them from the protections of the Fair Labor Standards Act, which guarantees minimum wage and overtime to all other categories of American workers. The exclusion…
Home health care aides are waiting to find out if they will be entitled to receive minimum wage. A decades-old amendment in labor law means that the workers, approximately 2.5 million people, do not always receive minimum wage or overtime. The Obama administration has yet to formally approve revisions to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) that would change that classification. On December 15, 2011, Obama announced the proposal, and then-Labor Secretary Hilda Solis offered her support for the revisions in the Labor Department's blog stating, "This new rule would ensure that these hardworking professionals who provide valuable services to…
I'm reaching out to you to tell you about a new non-profit in town called "Friends of Meals on Wheels of Frederick County." Friends was established to help generate some funds for the Frederick County Department of Aging Meals on Wheels Program. This is a vital program for our seniors and they are excited to announce their 1st fundraiser which will be held at SILK & BURLAP on Friday, November 9th from 6 – 9 PM. Guests will be treated to appetizers/beverages and will receive 10% off their purchases, which will go to "Friends". Silk & Burlap is located at 28…
The websites of CarePatrol, based in Gilbert, Ariz., and ABCSP (which also operates under the name Always Best Care), based in Roseville, Calif. claimed their employees had detailed, personal knowledge about the assisted-living homes. But the FTC says they didn’t and, as a result, misled consumers about their expertise and knowledge. While not admitting wrongdoing, both businesses have settled the FTC’s charges, promising not to make false or unsubstantiated claims for the next 20 years, states Forbes Magazine According to the FTC complaint, CarePatrol claimed on its site that it graded “each and every facility” from A to F, based…
Some 73 percent of seniors and their families who receive paid home care to help with their daily tasks said they were satisfied with the care and thought it was a good value for the money. However, a recent study by Home Instead Senior Care found that many people don’t know how affordable home care can be, and 40 percent overestimated the cost by more them $6 per hour. The actual average per-hour cost paid by 70 percent of those surveyed was $17.10 per hour. Those who don’t receive care overestimated the costs of $24.67 an hour for basic companionship…
If you qualify, Medicare will cover your home health benefits entirely, and while under the law there's no limit on the length of time you will be covered, in practice coverage is limited. Nevertheless, Medicare home health benefits can mean the difference between you or a family member continuing to stay at home, or your health deteriorating until hospital care or nursing home placement become necessary. You are entitled to Medicare coverage of your home health care if you meet the following requirements: you are confined to your home (meaning that leaving it to receive services would be a "considerable…
Given the choice, most seniors who need help with care would prefer to remain at home rather than move to a nursing home. One choice is to hire help through a home health agency, but how to evaluate the agency? This just got a bit easier for Medicare recipients, who can now see the results of surveys of patients who have used the agency’s services. Findings from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) national survey that asks patients about their experiences with Medicare-certified home health agencies are now available on the agency’s Quality Care Finder Web site. The…
Many people are now finding themselves placed in a new role of caregiver for an aging parent or loved one. Naturally, you want to provide the very best living environment for your aging parent, but there may come a time when you just can’t do it alone. If you want to make sure your parent can continue safely living at home, in home care may be the perfect answer for your family, prior to moving to an assisted living facility or a nursing home. So, how do you find the right professional in-home care for your aging loved one? When…
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