synergyhomecare-eastvalley

More Information on Long Term Care Insurance

I would like to continue to talking about some additional notes on long term care insurance.  In my last post I spoke about the waiting time that one may need to wait once they qualify for benefits.  In this post I would like to speak about another key point about long term care insurance and that is the amount of coverage allowed by the insurance company.  Well, in reality it is not the amount allowed by the insurance company, but what was purchased.  Long term care insurance can be purchased to cover a certain amount of coverage per day.  Typically, this is listed in the form of a dollar amount. 

When folks are deciding to determine how much money to allocate for coverage, one will need to really look at a couple of items.  The first items someone needs to consider is how strongly they feel about staying at home or how nice of an assisted living facility they want to live in.  Once you have the answer to either of these items, it becomes easy, by simply pricing out those options today!  Once you price out those options today you will know what you need to plan for with long term care insurance and secure.  The last variable will be guarding your amount against inflation and purchasing an inflation rider over that dollar amount.  This rider will guarantee you desire to remain at home with coverage or a specific kind of assisted living facility remains attainable for many years in the future. 

Specfics About Long Term Care Insurance

In a recent post I've spoken about whether or not long term care insurance should be purchased or not.  That decision is entirely yours but financial advisers are certainly willing and able to assist.  However, if the decision to purchase long term care insurance is confirmed, there are a number of points to understand and this post along with the next few in this series talk about some specific about long term care insurance. 

Long term care insurance does not work like most medical plans.  Once you purchase the insurance and have the need to use it, the benefit still may not be there.  Some policies have a period of time, once long term care is need and when the policy will start paying for services.  This period of time may be anywhere from 30 days to 100 days, anywhere in between or more.  I'm not real certain of this period of time, but it is present and does confuse a lot of people when they are trying to take advantage of their benefits.  As always there are exceptions to the rules and other legal terms and conditions, but in general please be aware of the waiting period of time that you still will be responsible for paying for services prior to the policy turning on. 

Guilt and Fear

I am writing this post with a little less to really communicate that normal, but I feel that it is very important for everyone to really understand.  The purposes of this blog is for me to share with you the importance of asking for and communicating about forgiveness to your loved ones.  Many times I am on the telephone with a son or daughter talking about how their loved one needs assistance in home.  What I don't know at that time is how active the caller has been with their loved ones life lately.  This only runs into problems when there has been a lot of distance in the relationship.  Obviously there is care and concern for the caller's loved one or they wouldn't be making the call to us.  However, what they fail to tell me is how involved they've been or not been.  They also fail to tell their loved one how much they mean to them regardless of the past performance, or lack there of.  The caller is always much, much better suited for getting the desired solutions and becoming part of their loved ones lives again if they only spoke about the past, asked for forgiveness and talked about moving forward - regardless of how active they are going to be. 

What we see is that when you talk about the past, only briefly and admit the shortcomings, then ask for forgiveness to those shortcomings and how you won't let them happen again - it's a clean slate and the desired solution of achieving the in home care for your loved one is resolved and you now have the peace of mind to move forward.  If the three steps aren't taken or taken seriously the process fails since the genuine desire to assist is masked by ones pride, selfishness or something else.  Let's not let ourselves get in the way of caring for our loved ones.  Let's do what we need to do to move forward safely and confidently for everyone's peace of mind.  It can, does and will happen many more times - I just hope you are one of them. 

We Are All Dealing With the Same Things

I'm writing and posting this blog later that I usually do.  Why?  I have a lot of things on my head and one of them is the caring for loved ones.  We are all alike and all like and dislike the same things.  I simply happen to write this blog.  I am right now trying to figure out how to balance all of my work items that need to be done with my personal items and now caring for my loved one, which is only slightly more than normal rather what many of you are going through.  How can I?  How do I?  I know...wait!  UUURRGGGHHH!

Ok, relax and take some of my own advice that I've given to many of you throughout this blog.  Is there anyone out there that can help?  I there anyone out there that does what I am overloaded with to assist?  OK, in my case I have about three things that I can off-load and really only needing to off-load one.  AH, a quick moment away on the internet and I find a couple of folks that can help me - or they say they can with one item and a laundry list of folks that can help me off-load a second item.  Perhaps I can allow somebody to hepl with both giving me the time I need to be son, father and husband....yeah, that's it I will do that in the morning because after I am gone - I'm hoping that son, father and husband sum up my life's work. 

Let's Talk

This week marks a very special week for the United States.  This week the President of the United States is hosting China's President Hu Jintao.  Now, the purpose of the is blogs is not to get political or convince you one way or another regarding foreign policy.  Rather, what I would like to spend time discussing is just that discussing.  The visit marks the importance for two great countries.  The visit also means that both have something at stake.  The visit would not have been done if we didn't discuss the importance of the visit, right?  Regardless of which country made the fist phone call to invite or suggest the idea of a visit, discussion pursued regarding the importance of more discussion.  That is what we can learn from it.  Regardless of political views, agendas, motives the two countries had to come together to agree upon the basics of more discussion no matter how hard or difficult those talks may be - it's both president's jobs to do so. 

Well, in a family it's everyones job to do the same - discuss.  The family needs to put aside stories of the past and be able to move forward and decide that discussion is needed.  During the discussion the point of the meeting is not to prove points or win arguments from the past, rather focus on what's important today.  Too many times we see families divided and the people that hurt are those in most need.  These families need to put aside the past and focus on the care needed for today!  Let the discussion begin about caring for the family member in need to help, perhaps, build a bridge to the future or at least not remain on the same burning bridge of the past.  It all starts with discussion...let's discuss so we can move forward with today's goals.  Won't you join me?

Long Term Care Insurance, Purchase or Not?

I get a lot of question from folks every week but there is one that keeps coming up almost each week.  The question comes from families of loved ones on whether or not they should consider the purchase of long term care insurance.  To many of my questions I have a definite answer, but to this one, it comes with a lot of assumptions.   I will try to assist the masses but please be aware of the assumptions and speak to a professional about your specific conditions. 

First, let me start by saying, if you are asking me if your parents should have purchased long term care insurance I would most certainly say yes.  The reason, you are talking to me about their care and their health has lasted well enough to require some long term care.  Each case really is however, very different.  If you think that you are going to live long enough then yes.  Second, if your have relatives that live long lives than yes, I would say it's a good idea in those situations as well.  Lastly, if you are simply buying it to preserve your nest egg, then yes buy it for that reason too.  Long term care insurance is not unlike any other insurance, you may pay for it for a long time and only use it once or twice, but it's the peace of mind that it buys that will go a long way for you. 

Considering the purchase of long term care insurance is something that should be considered with professionals that assist you with your financial plans, wealth management and retirement plans.  Long term care insurance is extremely valuable if you ever need it, but weighing the need is always the question. 

It's Our Job

I find this post very easy to write but also very concerning to write.  Let me first start with why it's concerning to me to write this post.  Like every other industry there are those that are in the business for business and not for the passion.  In most industries and businesses that is OK, say in the retail business when you are buying a pair of shoes.  If you feel that the price of the shoes you are interested in buy is acceptable, you'll buy them regardless if the business is making 2% profit or 500%.  However, home care is not shoes.  People are created to be special individuals all with unique traits, skills and abilities. 

It is these differences in businesses that concern me, when one services people for the business and not for the priveledge.  Decisions in home care businesses need to be made with the client in mind first not the business.  The client is often afraid and fearful, perhaps for the first time they are needing assistance performing daily living tasks and are vulnerable.  Why are so many clients than treated like a number and not a customer?  Is it for the business?  The phenomena is not just for those seniors that need assistance with daily living activities but really for any group of seniors in general.  Why are we so willing to forget their needs and their call?  We should hold them in much higher praises for it is them that helped make this great country what it is today.  But we need to step up and help them.  We need to encourage them that their voices can and will be heard if they talk. 

Advocacy is a serious part of home care and a serious part of the call for what makes us do what we do.  We hope there is a little paying it forward going on, but more importantly we hope to find like minded people when we are in need. 

The Journey Is Underway

Once again, Happy New Year to everyone!  Let's not forget all of the great things we promised to ourselves this year as the clock turned to 2011.  Those promises were made, I hope, in good faith and if they were they can really change our self in 2011.  So, why do we make those promises?  It's because those are the things we didn't get done in 2010 or have been putting off for many years.  Sound close to home?  I bet it does as those are mine reasons. 

So, with the beginnig of 2011 now less than one week old, the routine has resumed for almost everyone.  In the routine, though, lets not forget what we promised ourselves.  Let's get it done, together.  If I can be of any help to anyone, in keeping those promises, let me know by replying to this blog post (posting a comment, comments are not automatically shown) and we'll begin our journey together. 

Let's Start With New Ideas

It's 2011 and we've made ourselves a lot of promises about how 2011 will be different than 2010 or other years past.  But, this year IS going to be different.  The one thing that we will do differently is take more time for ourselves while still getting done all the things we hold dear.  One of the things we all hold dear is caring for love ones.  It is this that often consumes more than just our spare time, it consumes a lot of time that also takes away from ourselves and our overall well-being.  We can still get all of this done by simply off loading some of the caring responsibilities to professionals. 

By off loading some of the responsibilities of caring for a loved one we are able to accomplish a lot more.  A professional caregiver will be able to offer an impartial view of how your loved one in progressing or declining.  The caregiver will also give you the time now to be a son or daughter, because the household chores, personal care and meal preparation is done!  In addition to that, you now have some free time knowing that your loved one is cared for to do something for yourself - going to the gym, reading a book or taking care of your own laundry.  In fact, many times son's and daughter's of clients like the service so much our caregivers assist them with household chore items to give them even more time.  In short, the services of a professional caregiver will give you a lot more time to take care of the thing that is most dear to you, yourself.  So, plan to live a long life by taking some time for yourself while still ensuring your loved one has all they need. 

 

Happy New Year!

The year 2010 was a difficult year for many people and for everyone suffering and struggling our hearts, thoughts and prayers go out to you.  The world has eaten up many good people with it's ferocious appetite.  But one thing nobody can ignore, we are all stronger as a person.  The challenges of 2010 have brought change that many didn't want to see yet experienced.  That change made all of us into new people.  As we leave 2010 we do indeed say 'Good-Bye' with pleasure and hello to 2011!

2011 will be the land of new opportunities for all that have learned and experienced.  We have changed our minds, hearts and capabilities to account for the new 'frontier'.  OK, maybe not that grand but a new beginning nonetheless.  No matter what age we are or what we do day to day, let us open our eyes to a new 2011.  Let's all put down the walls built through time that have hardened us and move forward into 2011 with new minds and thoughts open to all possibilities. 

For those that get up and go to school each day, may your minds be sponges capable of absorbing all information to change the world.

For those that get up and go to school each day, may you hearts put aside conflict and distractions to make you results powerful and organization successful.

For those that get up and have done both school and work, may your hearts and minds take pride in accomplishments and work well done and accept yourself for who you are - a great person with many jobs well done. 

Regardless, let us look forward to 2011 and make it a great year!