Cathy Cress

Expert in Aging Life and Geriatric Care Management

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What Does Biden’s Infrastructure Plan Do For Family Caregivers?

April 26, 2021

 

What Does Biden’s Caregiver Infrastructure Plan Do For Families?

President Biden’s Caregiver Infrastructure plan will help families -the very infrastructure that supports elders as they age. What do I mean? Currently, 53 million family members provide most of the care that vulnerable seniors and people with disabilities require — without being paid as Medicare does not pay for long-term caregiving.

Family Members Provide Care for No Pay 

There is often a significant financial and emotional cost to these family caregivers. According to AARP, family caregivers on average devote about 24 hours a week to helping loved ones and spend around $7,000 out-of-pocket on that care.

The value of this unpaid labor force is estimated to be at least $306 billion annually, nearly double the combined costs of home health care ($43 billion) and nursing home care ($115 billion)

Medicare Does Not Pay for Custodial CaregivingGCM-pix-3.jpg

Families are shocked when they discover that Medicare does not pay for custodial caregiving or long-term care. This is the type of care that most elders will eventually need as they age. They will pay for short-term care post-hospitalization. So most elders must depend on their families for this care or if they are in the upper 10-15% pay for private duty home care which can run up to $4000-$6000 a month if they need 24-hour care, creating severe inequality in out care infrastructure.

 

Some Family Caregivers Can Be Paid Through Medicaid and the VA

Although family caregivers and actually in-home care is not paid by Medicare, some family caregivers are  paid  through the VA  and  family caregivers supporting a relative on Medicaid 

In the US 1-5  Americans receive Medicaid. which is only available for low-income individuals.VA Homecare is only available to veterans with specific criteria 

 Biden’s Caregiver Program May Help Medicaid Family Caregivers

 

The median salary for these home-care workers, who care for low-income Medicaid recipients, is approximately $17,200 per year, said Leslie Frane, executive vice president at SEIU. This is in large part because the United States pays only limited amounts to states to compensate them for Medicaid care in the home. More than half of home-care workers are on some form of public assistance themselves such as food stamps, Frane said. They are overwhelmingly female and far more likely to be people of color than the general population.

 

Being a Caregiver on Medicaid Comes at a High Personal Cost

Being a caregiver for a family member presents incredible hurdles for all family caregivers but under Medicaid comes at a  high cost. .Caregivers often have to significantly reduce their number of hours working outside the home or leave their jobs entirely in order to provide quality care for their loved one. This means that caregivers are spending hours assisting loved ones with daily tasks, cooking meals, taking them to appointments, ensuring their safety and well-being, and providing companionship, but are not being compensated for their time.

Biden’s Health Care Plan May be Unveiled This Week

As I mentioned in my last blog, there are still few details about how Biden’s Caregiver Infrastructure Bill of $400 million will be allocated. However, there is reason to believe that a large part will go to these family caregivers who support their elderly relatives on Medicaid.

We may get a hint of what and when that will be this week when Biden will discuss changes in Heath care he will include in the will try to include in his American Family Plan.

JOIN ME FOR MY NEW FREE WEBINAR

 

Market Your Agencies Safety as Aging Families Still Fear Raging Pandemic 

When: May 20, 2021, 02:00 PM Pacific Time (the US and Canada)

 

 

Learn to market your safe care management business during the “Semi-Post “Pandemic, to overcome hesitation to use homecare and GCM services as US COVID-19 slowly diminishes,World Wide COVID spikes,US vaccination accelerates yet elders are

not fully vaccinated, US COVID still spikes, variants explode, anti-vaxers abound, vaccines taken off the market and 8000 American still die each day.

 

Understand how to innovatively sell” trust” in your safe care management services so family caregiver’s & 3rd parties choose you as a safe agency

 

Learn to use public relations and marketing to show you are focused on caregiver and care management safety

COVID services by showing you follow the new CDC’s leaderships safe path to safety.

 

YOU WILL LEARN

  • 5 steps to create an e-newsletter with the right copy, to get out the word about your safe COVID 19 services through required COVID protocols

 

 

 

  • 10 steps to set up a Zoom webinar to teach local aging agencies and caregivers about your COVID safe services and other local resources to assist caregivers in the community
  • 7 steps to use social media to alert aging family caregivers to the clear path to your GCM agency provides safety from the diminishing but still present virus in the US.

 

  • 5 steps to get local media coverage of your COVID -19 safe services, care providers, and general excellent care management and home care products free PR with radio and TV coverage plus pick local newspapers where ads may pay off to sell your COVID Products

 

  • 5 steps to understand how to generate word of mouth customers for your COVID -19 safe services using your continuum of care in your community
  • 10 steps to use the powerful new tool of Video to market your agency’s COVID safety and excellent services as the pandemic diminishes but is still in your community, state, and country

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When: May 20, 2021, 02:00 PM Pacific Time (the US and Canada)
Topic: 5 Steps to Market Your COVID Coaching Service for Aging

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Filed Under: Aging, Aging Life Care, aging life care manager, Biden's Caregiver Bill, Blog, caregiver, Caregiver Infrastructure bill, Caregiver living wage, Caregiver low salary, caregiver mental health, CAREGIVER RESOUCES, Custodial Care, Families, Family Caregiver, Geriatric Care Management Business, Geriatric Care Manager, geriatric social worker, Medicaid, Medicaid caregiver, nurse advocate, nurse care manager, SEIU Tagged With: Biden's Home Care Plan, Biden's Infastructure Bill, Biden's infrastructure- Caregiver Bill, Care infastructure, caregiver burn out, caregivers live in poverty, Custodial caregiving, Family Caregiver Alliance, family caregiver poverty, family caregivers, HCBC, Home Based Community Care, Medicaid, Medicaid & Community Based Care, Medicaid caregivers, PTSD in family caregivers, Uncovered Medicare Services, unpaid family caregivers

The 2 Deadliest US Sites of COVID-19 Nursing Homes & Prisons

May 2, 2020

PRISON INMATES AND NURSING HOME PATIENTS NOT  6FT APART – 6 FEET UNDER

70% of inmates in federal prisons have COVID-19.  In Kansas, the Lansing Correctional Facility had a riot of inmates over COVID-19 lack of care or protection  It took the rebellion to get the coronavirus testing PPE and care. The  Bureau of Prisons in Kansas confirmed finally that 79 staff have coronavirus and 88 prisons and prisoners dead.   

Older residents in nursing homes cannot rebel like prisoners. Many can’t even walk. The Atlantic Magazine just published an article, We are Killing Elders Now. The writer states “In at least six states, these fatalities account for half of all COVID-19 deaths, and according to the World Health Organization, half of all coronavirus fatalities in Europe have been traced to nursing homes too. Some of this mortality is linked to long-term-care facilities that are shoddily run or that violate health standards. But most of them are doing the best they can with what they have. And they don’t have much”.

KAISER FOUNDATION NURSING HOME STAFFING AND USE OF PPE NOT REQUIRED IN MOST STATES

Kaiser reports -Staff Screening. It is more common for states to recommend rather than require daily screening of staff for illness in NFs (24 states recommend, 16 states + DC require)

Use of PPE. More states recommend (23 states) than require (7 states + DC) staff to use PPE

 Two States that require testing for coronavirus of ALL  residents of nursing homes are  Maryland where 556 have died as of the Washington Post article. and Tennessee 

THE FEDS HAVE NO CMS FEDERAL GUIDELINES OR REPORTING

We have no federal guidelines for safety testing according to an article by the Kaiser Foundation

It is now estimated that 16,000 deaths have occurred in nursing homes and that is without the federal government revealing any numbers and not making available any testing. But the numbers are probably huge- if we could just do testing. 

CMS announced it would have a meeting of a “panel” of experts “ sometime at the end of May”. After probably 20,000 older people died and the feds did nothing this shows their sense of urgency about this pandemic’s national “elder cleansing”.

WHAT CONNECTS PRISONS AND NURSING HOMES – CONCENTRATION CAMPS

So, what is the connection between the viral spread of COVID-19 in nursing homes and prisons- 6 feet ? Prisoners and residents, in nursing homes, and prisons cannot social distance. Jails and prisons have human beings crammed together with no choice. Nursing homes have 2 beds or if you are on Medicaid three to a room. Neither group has a choice to social distance. They are ” concentrated” as in concentration camps or death camps.

Do SOMETHING – HELP NURSING HOMES PREVENT MORE CARNAGE

So, as someone who has spent her career in aging, I am calling out to everyone, especially professional in aging – do something. Since the feds appear to be doing little- call your congressman, write a letter to the editor.

BE KIND LIKE RACHEL MADDOW REPORTS LA JEWISH HOME LA WAS

Rachel Maddow suggests calling your local nursing homes and see what they need. Be kind like the LA Jewish Home was to a smaller nursing home LA Brier Oaks. They wanted to test their residents and had no tests and the larger LA Jewish Home had tests and shared them with the smaller as a good neighbor. What they found was ravaging but it also showed caring and generosity. Care and be generous and show the helpless elders in nursing homes in your town you are opposed to -nursing home being prisons or concentration camps.

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5 Steps to Avoid Midlife Step Sibling Fireworks on Fourth of July

July 3, 2019

 

Do You Expect Acid Reflux at 4th of July Barbecue From Step Sibling?

Are your midlife step siblings or half siblings coming July 4th barbecue? Maybe you expect acid reflux from the hot sauce that parental divorce dribbles on family celebrations.

Rituals like July 4th events are the glue that bond family life. They patch up family and sibling disputes and give us the architecture of a year full of celebrations marking family history.

But the tidal wave of divorce among baby boomers and Generation X brings step siblings with old grudges, half siblings who lost family love, ½ their rooms, and gained a shredded family nest. Now the family does not know who it’s members really are and rituals like labor day – can turn into a nightmare.

 Avoid the Drama of Step Siblings to Help Your Aging Parents

Aging parents, who may be at the labor day event, don’t need the drama and will need all of you to be a family team when they need care as they decline.family-fight-300x223.jpg

Here are some tips to include everyone including step siblings and half siblings

 

1.Ask everyone to bring a dish. That is the beginning of building a family team- to share care of aging parent care

2.Don’t make this a family meeting where old sibling grudges get hashed out. Celebrations are just that. If someone pushes you button, keep that angry response to yourself and maybe arrange a future family meeting.




3.Makes an effort to includes step and half siblings and glue that jagged bond. Create activities that everyone can join -– blood, step, or half siblings.

 

4. Find out what everyone likes to do. If they are step kids or step siblings make sure you have fun things to do ahead of time that they enjoy. Step siblings who may feel like third wheels in your clan. If they have a difficult time blend Reach out to make them part of the group. Understand their reluctance to join. Do Not make them feel like Cinderella. Bring them up to the top floor of the castle. 

5. If none of this work and you face or are deep into aging parent care Family meetings can be planned post labor day with a geriatric care manager or a mediator’s help.

6. Find a geriatric care manager near you at Aging Life Care Association web site. Just put in your zip code and come up with a great care manager. Find an elder mediator

 

Filed Under: 4th of july, Adult children, Aging, aging family crisis, aging life business Tagged With: adult sibling conflict, celebrations with siblings, cut-off sibling, estranged midlife sibling, half-sibling, irate siblings, sibling rivalry, step sibling, step sibling family meeting

How Can Someone with Dementia Have a Better Quality of Life ?

July 2, 2019

 

Reminiscence and Story Telling

 

The role of story telling and reminiscence is very important for elders, as they look back on their life. It gives them a chance to socialize as they tell their story. It also means someone usually listens or documents. That magically  gives the elder social interaction and connectiveness.

Elders sharing stories means passing on history, which gives the older person a chance to give the larger picture of their life and family history to children and grandchildren or extended family, who may have not heard all the details of their grandparents or parents life before. So the quality of the older person of both the older person and the aging family are increased through oral history and reminiscence

The aging professional can suggest family or friends just sitting down and prompting a story or oral history using  technology like your phone

Even elders with Alzheimers can find new joy with Reminiscence

When an elderly person develops Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia, the short-term memory is frequently affected but long-term memories can remain as intact and vivid as they have always been during the course of the patient’s life.. As a result  healthcare professionals can use  practice called reminiscence therapy to help combat the frustration, confusion, and depression that can often accompany dementia and even bring joy to the older person

What is reminiscence therapy?

 Reminiscence therapy is like a therapy session where the elderly person will spend time recalling memories of his or her life, perhaps telling stories about things that happened and events the person can recall.

Sometimes senior experts can use photos, familiar objects, or other such things to help jog the memory of the patient. Some therapists can a scrapbook of a person’s life, including photos, letters, and other such personal memorabilia. This becomes a s visual biography of the patient’s life and helps him or her remember who he or she is.

How does this quality of life therapy help? Almost all elderly men and women can  start feeling discouraged and frustrated with their memory issues. Reminiscence can give  peace and acceptance of the current situation by helping the person remember that he or she has had a good and full life  life.It also prompts  communication skills of elderly people who otherwise may not feel very compelled to open up and share anything with anyone else.

Dementia and Reminiscence of 4th of July

People with dementia can get given a richer quality of life  by giving the people who will actually listen to them, so that they feel as  their thoughts and feelings actually matter. To someone who has an elderly loved one suffering from dementia, this benefit alone can make reminiscence therapy a form of joy for a very confused elder.so serve that Hamburger from the grill and ask the elder who you serve it to, what did they eat at the 4th of July when they were young and then —just listen.

 

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Filed Under: 4th of july, Adult children, Aging, Aging Family, Aging Life Care, Aging Life Care Assocaition, aging life care manager, Emotional Quality of Life, Geriatric Care Management Business, Geriatric Care Manager Tagged With: aging family, aging parent, aging parent care, aging technology, ancrestory.com, assessing for quality of life, care plan, care plan interventions, family caregivers, Family Caregivers using technology, flip video, genealogy, geriatric care management, geriatric care manager, geritaric care manager, grandfather, grandmothers, grandparents, increasing quality of life, LCSW, oral history, oral history and quality of life, oral history and You Tube, parent care, Quality of Life, quality of life assessment, reminicence and elder, Reminiscence and 4th of Jul;y, Reminiscence and Dementia, Reminiscence on the Holidays, storytelling and elders, technology for caregivers, You Tube, You Tube and storytelling

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