Medicare is the Number One Payee for Hospice Care. Insurers that pay for Hospice care include: Medicare, Long Term Care Insurance, Private Pay, and in certain circumstances, Medicaid will pay for hospice. Here is the breakdown of insurers: (Jump to Lessons Learned) Medicare Over 90% of all hospice cases are covered by the Medicare Hospice Benefit under Medicare Part A. … [Read more...]
The Two Biggest Misconceptions About Hospice
What Exactly is Hospice? My family recently lost a beloved member to cancer. The last days of my aunt’s life were spent at home with her family, under the guidance of a hospice agency. Hearing about their work and the support they gave to Aunt Mary Ellen and her family caregivers made me wonder, exactly what is hospice, who pays for it and how does it work? This first … [Read more...]
Caregivers Need to Set Boundaries
And not give into guilt. Like most people, I struggle with setting boundaries. It is especially hard with an aging parent who may feel vulnerable or frightened if you are not around. But setting boundaries with your parent, co-worker, or anyone in your life, is critical to the self-care that must be a high priority for caregivers. Request and expectations of others tug at … [Read more...]
How Caregivers Can Cope with Their Feelings as Parents Age
What feelings to expect at the first signs your elderly parents need help. Changes in your aging loved ones can be subtle at first. They start to forget appointments or names. They repeat the same story to you over and over again. You notice they are less organized, the house is messy, and their appearance maybe not be as put together. The realization sets in: “My aging … [Read more...]
How Alzheimer Caregivers Can Be Effective Advocates
Being a health advocate for parents with Alzheimers brings unique challenges. If you follow this blog, you know our family story is one of congestive heart failure and not dementia. But the sheer number of caregivers I meet dealing with parents that have dementia is staggering. Over 5 Million Americans are living with Alzheimers and this number climbs if you include all forms … [Read more...]