Table of Contents
Your Long-Term Care Companion 1
1 Making Decisions About Long-Term Care 3
Getting Started 4
Make a Realistic Family Commitment 15
What Can You Afford? 16
Geriatric Care Managers 22
Other Legal and Financial Matters 25
2 At-Home Care 29
What Is Home Care? 32
How to Find Home Care Services 37
Services Provided 40
Kinds of Providers 44
What to Look For 48
Getting Started 51
Costs of Home Care 53
Financing Home Care Through Reverse Mortgages 56
Cashing in a Life Insurance Policy 61
Supplements to Home Care 64
3 Organized Senior Residences 71
Independent Living 74
Assisted Living 84
Combination Residential Facilities 95
4 Nursing Facilities 105
Levels of Care 108
Choosing the Right Facility 113
Your Written Contract 137
5 Care for Elders With Alzheimer's Disease 141
The Symptoms and Stages of Alzheimer's 143
Home Care for Alzheimer's 146
Residential Care Facilities for Alzheimer's 154
6 Hospice Care 161
Medicare Eligibility for Hospice Care 163
Services Provided by Hospice Programs 167
How Hospice Programs Operate 170
Payment for Hospice Care 173
7 Medicare and Veterans Benefits 175
Medicare Coverage for Long-Term Care 177
Veterans Benefits for Long-Term Care 184
8 Medicaid Coverage for Long-Term Care 191
Eligibility for Medicaid 192
What Medicaid Pays For 204
Finding Out About Medicaid in Your State 208
If You Are Denied Medicaid Coverage 210
Medicaid Rules on Transfer of Assets 212
Strategies to Protect Your Assets 216
Long-Term Care State Partnership Insurance Protects Assets 226
9 Long-Term Care Insurance 231
Is Long-Term Care Insurance Right for You? 234
Finding Long-Term Care Policies 238
Warnings About Insurance Practices 239
Eligibility for LTCI 243
The Cost of Premiums 244
Kinds of Care the Policy Will Cover 248
Benefit Amounts and Length of Coverage 253
How Much Coverage You Need 255
Inflation Protection 256
Triggers That Start Your Benefits 259
Coverage Conditions and Exclusions 261
10 Protecting Choices About Medical Care and Finances 267
Health Care Decisions 268
Financial Decisions 283
Guardianships and Conservatorships 288
11 Elder Fraud 291
Why Elders Are Targets 292
Who Commits Elder Fraud 294
Types of Elder Fraud 306
Where to Get Help 322
Appendix
Resource Directory 329
Area and State Agencies on Aging 330
Alzheimer's Disease Organizations 330
Caregiver Support Groups 331
Home Care, Community Programs, and Senior Residences 331
Hospice Organizations 333
Insurance-Long-Term Care 333
Legal Assistance 334
Medicaid Assistance 334
Nursing Facility and Alternative Residence Organizations 335
Ombudsman Offices 336
Reverse Mortgage and Home Equity Conversion Assistance 336
Life Insurance Settlement Assistance 337
Index 339
