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Two-Thirds Of California Voters Unprepared For Costs Of Growing Older According To Poll

California’s weak economy has voters cutting back on current expenses and largely unable to meet essential future ones, such as the cost of long-term care, according to a new poll from The SCAN Foundation and the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research.

The poll, in its second year, sought to better understand health and long-term care issues facing middle-aged voters, given the state’s current economic crisis and the rising number of Californians older than 60, a figure that is projected to nearly double to 12 million people in the next 25 years.

The poll found that Californians, regardless of political party or income level, were worried about the costs of growing older. Two-thirds (66 percent) of respondents said that they are apprehensive about being able to afford long-term care. Sixty-three percent worry as much about paying for long-term care as they do about paying for their future health care.

Voters’ ability to save for long-term care expenses is hampered by California’s weak economy. Nearly half (48 percent) of voters 40 and older said their household income has declined in the past 12 months, and 50 percent said they had to take money out of savings to meet their expenses. Four in ten (41 percent) have had to cut down on the amount they spend on food in the past year.

“Californians need affordable options to age with dignity and independence so that they can live how they want in the place they call home,” said Dr. Bruce Chernof, president and CEO of The SCAN Foundation. “With so many Californians struggling financially today, it is hard for them to think about the future, yet planning for future needs is an essential component of growing older and necessary for one’s personal health, as well as the state’s fiscal health, especially given the high cost of long-term care.”

Conducted by Lake Research Partners and American Viewpoint, the poll surveyed 1,490 registered California voters age 40 and older in English and Spanish. Findings show that regardless of their political party affiliation or income level, voters have continuing aging-related concerns over the loss of independence (73 percent), losing memory or other mental abilities (70 percent), and worsening health (70 percent).

The costs associated with living with these potentially debilitating health conditions are high, yet Californians underestimate their potential need for support and services. Sixty-three percent predicted they would need help, but according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 70 percent of Americans over the age of 65 will need long-term care services at some point in their lives, and more than 40 percent will receive care in a nursing home for even a short period of time.

Among other findings, California voters age 40 and older:

• Cannot afford services

  A majority (66 percent) of respondents could not afford more than three months of nursing home care at an average cost of $6,000 per month in California. About four in ten (42 percent) could not afford a single month of care. Among Latino voters, 88 percent could not afford more than three months of nursing home care.

• Do not have long-term care protection

  Most respondents (85 percent) said they do not have long-term care insurance or are not sure whether they are covered for supportive services like in-home care.

• Are facing stretched budgets

  Six in ten (60 percent) said they are worried that their total family income will not be enough to meet their family’s living expenses.

• Have concerns that cross party lines, income levels

  Seventy-one percent of Democrats, 64 percent of independents and 62 percent of Republicans – and 61 percent of voters with household incomes over $75,000 – are worried about paying for long-term care.

• Feel stressed from their current caregiving responsibilities

  Sixty-three percent of respondents caring for an aging loved one said it is emotionally stressful, and nearly half said they are not regularly getting the social and emotional support they need.

In order to get help from the state for long-term care costs, individuals in California must qualify for Medi-Cal by spending down their assets to $2,000 and have a near-poverty income after paying for medical expenses.

According to survey respondents, affordability and accessible information should be high priorities for elected officials in California. Priorities include making long-term care insurance more affordable (64 percent), having affordable options to avoid nursing homes (63 percent) and having enough information about how to get help for people who cannot take care of themselves (59 percent).

“People can cut back on movie tickets and trips to the mall,” said Steven P. Wallace, associate director of the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. “But long-term care is an essential expense. Most Californians will need it during their life, yet unfortunately, most Californians are not planning for it and the government is cutting back on affordable options that could help.”

Wallace noted that cuts to California’s budget have placed the network of home- and community-based services that enable elderly or disabled Californians to live on their own in their homes in jeopardy.

“The policy question moving forward has to be how to reorganize and sustain critical in-home programs that provide vital services and save the state from the far more expensive option of nursing homes,” Wallace said.

The California 2012 state budget cut several key services that help those with long-term care needs remain in the community. Core state funding for Adult Day Health Care centers was eliminated, and cuts were made to In-Home Supportive Services, which provides assistance to low-income adults and children who are blind or disabled.

“Programs are being cut to provide short-term savings, and the reality is that many of these people will end up in emergency rooms, the least person-centered and most costly form of care,” Chernof said. “We should instead be restructuring programs to meet the emerging need of a more sustainable network of home- and community-based care.”

SPOTLIGHT: Latino Voter Perspectives on Long-Term Care In this poll, Latino voters expressed particular concern about access and affordability of long-term care services. Findings show:

• 88 percent of Latinos could not afford more than three months of nursing home care, and 78 percent could not afford more than three months of part-time in-home care.
• 84 percent are much more likely than others to have said they worry about making ends meet.
• Latinos were more likely than whites, Asians and African Americans to say that they have cut back on saving for retirement (52 percent).

Source: MedicalNewsToday.com

If you or a loved one would like more information about home care services in Utica, MI, and surrounding areas, please contact Pure Home Care Services at (586) 293-2457 today!

Today, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) published the interim final rule for implementing the Family Caregiver Program of the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act 2010. This new rule will provide additional support to eligible post-9/11 Veterans who elect to receive their care in a home setting from a primary Family Caregiver.

“I know many Veterans and their Family Caregivers have been waiting anxiously for this day and I urge them to get their applications in as soon as possible so they can receive the additional support they have earned.”

“We at VA know that every day is a challenge for our most seriously injured Veterans and their Family Caregivers,” said VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki. “I know many Veterans and their Family Caregivers have been waiting anxiously for this day and I urge them to get their applications in as soon as possible so they can receive the additional support they have earned.”

On May 9, staff in VA’s Office of Care Management and Social Work will open the application process for eligible post-9/11 Veterans and Servicemembers to designate their Family Caregivers.

Additional services for primary Family Caregivers of eligible post-9/11 Veterans and Servicemembers include a stipend, mental health services, and access to health care insurance, if they are not already entitled to care or services under a health care plan. Comprehensive Caregiver training and medical support are other key components of this program. The program builds on the foundation of Caregiver support now provided at VA and reflects what families and clinicians have long known; that Family Caregivers in a home environment can enhance the health and well-being of Veterans under VA care.

“Providing support to Family Caregivers who sacrifice so much to allow Veterans to remain at home surrounded by their loved ones, is very important to us at VA. We offer a range of Caregiver support services including training, counseling and respite care to ensure that our caregivers have the tools and support they need to continue in their care giving role,” said Deborah Amdur, VA’s Chief Consultant for Care Management and Social Work. “We appreciate the patience, support and assistance we have received from Veterans, Veterans Service Organizations, and the greater Caregiver community in shaping this program and bringing this new VA program to our wounded warriors and their dedicated Family Caregivers.”

Caregivers for Veterans of all eras are eligible for respite care, education and training on what it means to be a caregiver, how to best meet the Veteran’s care needs, and the importance of self-care when in a care giving role. The full range of VA services already provided to Caregivers will continue, and local Caregiver Support Coordinators at each VA medical center are available to assist Family Caregivers in identifying benefits and services they may be eligible for. The Caregiver Support Coordinators are well versed in VA programs and also have information about other local public, private and non-profit agency support services that are available to support Veterans and their Family Caregivers at home.

VA programs for Veterans and their Family Caregivers include:

- In-Home and Community Based Care: This includes skilled home health care, homemaker home health aide services, community adult day health care and Home Based Primary Care.

- Respite Care: Designed to relieve the Family Caregiver from the constant challenge of caring for a chronically ill or disabled Veteran at home, respite services can include in-home care, a short stay in one of VA’s community living centers or an environment designed for adult day health care.

- Caregiver education and training programs: VA currently provides multiple training opportunities which include pre-discharge care instruction and specialized caregiver programs in multiple severe traumas such as Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Spinal Cord Injury/Disorders, and Blind Rehabilitation. VA has a Family Caregiver assistance healthy living center on My HealtheVet, as well as caregiver information on the VA’s main Web page health site; both Websites include information on VA and community resources and Caregiver health and wellness.

- Caregiver support groups and other services: Family Caregiver support groups, offered in a face to face setting or on the telephone, provide emotional and peer support, and information. Family Caregiver services include family counseling, spiritual and pastoral care, family leisure and recreational activities and temporary lodging in Fisher Houses.

- Other services: VA provides durable medical equipment and prosthetic and sensory aides to improve function, financial assistance with home modification to improve access and mobility, and transportation assistance for some Veterans to and from medical appointments.

Source:
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

If you have any questions about home care services in Grosse Pointe, MI and surrounding areas, please contact Pure Home Care Services at (586) 293-2457 today! 

There are 50 million family members providing care to older adults in the United States, according to the MetLife Foundation and national caregiving associations. When older adults are hospitalized and discharged, their families face numerous choices about where they will go and how they will receive care. A University of Missouri nursing expert says the complexity of this process will intensify with increasing demands for health care and workforce shortages.

“Coordination among families, patients and health care providers is essential to providing effective care for the aging population in the next few years,” said Lori Popejoy, assistant professor in the MU Sinclair School of Nursing. “Stress, fear and lack of understanding often complicate the decision-making process for families and patients. Open communication is needed to support end-of-life care and decision making.”

Hospital visits and discharge processes are often complicated; family members have to communicate with each other and health care team members (HCTMs), which include physicians, nurses and hospital staff, about treatments and make decisions with limited resources. Popejoy identified common concerns about the process: going home, advocating for independence, making decisions and changing plans.

“A new approach to the hospital discharge process should further consider the rights of patients and families – to be fully and accurately informed of older adults’ conditions and realistic care options, including home care, personal care and nursing homes,” Popejoy said.

Popejoy says decision making should be an interactive and incremental process that occurs among patients, families and HCTMs. A HCTM can be designated to communicate information among care providers, patients and their families. In previous research, Popejoy found that families and patients who worked with a nurse communicator reported less stress and better overall care.

Source:
Emily Martin
University of Missouri-Columbia

For more information about home care services in Macomb County, MI and surrounding areas, please contact Pure Home Care Services at (586) 293-2457 today!