A
Anne1964
Guest
You mentioned that your father was in the Marines. If he was in the Marines during a period of war (didn’t have to serve in a war zone, just be in the Marines) for three days he may qualify for the Aid and Attendance benefit from the Veteran’s Administration.
Not many people know about it, but it’s a fantastic benefit. Veterans are eligible for up to just over $2000 a month and a surviving spouse is eligible for up to $1100 a month. (My mother used this to pay for healthcare).
There are specific conditions which must be met and the application process is annoying and time consuming, and it took me two and a half years to get the benefit for my mother because it was initially denied. We won on appeal. I worked with an organization called the American Association for War Veterans. usawarvet.org/ They will assist you with the application process and any appeals and they do not charge for this service.
As to whether $15 an hour is high or not depends on the qualifications of the person hired. For a certified nurse assistant (CNA) hired through a company, it is very reasonable. If this person is someone without any medical qualifications it is a little high. I am sure the hourly rate varies based on location. I live in a large city in NC and the hourly rate through most agencies began at $24 and went up from there.
I found a new, small agency that as willing to charge me $15 since I was private pay (as opposed to Medicare or Medicaid).
Medicare as a rule does not pay for home health care medical personnel to stay with people. They will pay for visits by a home health nurse and rehab services such as physical therapy and occupational therapy.
Your parents may qualify for Medicaid if their meet the income requirements. You have more options with Medicaid as they will pay for assisted living. Medicare does not pay for assisted living.
I was able to move my mother into my home for the last year of her life (she died this past April). With the money from the Aid and Attendance benefit plus my mother’s SSN check, and a wonderful employer who allowed me to work at home two days a week, I was able to afford to hire a CNA to stay with my mother on the three days a week I worked in the office. The other four days a week I was her primary caregiver. I hired a young nursing student to help me out on the weekends and paid her $10 an hour.
If your parents are having trouble managing their medications you need to help them with that. Those pill containers that have one section for each day of the week are great. There are also some that have several sections for each day if your parents have medications that must be taken several times a day.
How is their mobility? If you think they can stay in their home some modifications may help them. I had grab bars installed in the bathrooms and I purchased a portable bed rail from Amazon that slid between the mattress and box springs of my mother’s bed. If they are at risk for falling see if they are willing to wear an alert button they can push in case of a fall. These can be set up to call 911 or a family member. There is a monthly fee for these.
Definitely see about a health care power of attorney and a financial power of attorney. See if your parents will agree to a family member accompanying them to doctors’ appointments. Make a list of all of their medications and dosages and have it handy in case they have to go the hospital or you have to call an ambulance for them.
Would they be willing to move into an assisted living facility or even an independent living community? My mother lived in one of those for three years. Independent living communities typically provided three cooked meals a day in a dining room and 24 hour response by a manger on site for emergencies, light housekeeping, and social activities. We supplemented this by hiring a home health aid to assist my mother with bathing and dressing. Independent living communities are much less expensive than assisted living communities.
If you have specific questions feel free to email me or to ask in this forum and I will be happy to help.
Not many people know about it, but it’s a fantastic benefit. Veterans are eligible for up to just over $2000 a month and a surviving spouse is eligible for up to $1100 a month. (My mother used this to pay for healthcare).
There are specific conditions which must be met and the application process is annoying and time consuming, and it took me two and a half years to get the benefit for my mother because it was initially denied. We won on appeal. I worked with an organization called the American Association for War Veterans. usawarvet.org/ They will assist you with the application process and any appeals and they do not charge for this service.
As to whether $15 an hour is high or not depends on the qualifications of the person hired. For a certified nurse assistant (CNA) hired through a company, it is very reasonable. If this person is someone without any medical qualifications it is a little high. I am sure the hourly rate varies based on location. I live in a large city in NC and the hourly rate through most agencies began at $24 and went up from there.
I found a new, small agency that as willing to charge me $15 since I was private pay (as opposed to Medicare or Medicaid).
Medicare as a rule does not pay for home health care medical personnel to stay with people. They will pay for visits by a home health nurse and rehab services such as physical therapy and occupational therapy.
Your parents may qualify for Medicaid if their meet the income requirements. You have more options with Medicaid as they will pay for assisted living. Medicare does not pay for assisted living.
I was able to move my mother into my home for the last year of her life (she died this past April). With the money from the Aid and Attendance benefit plus my mother’s SSN check, and a wonderful employer who allowed me to work at home two days a week, I was able to afford to hire a CNA to stay with my mother on the three days a week I worked in the office. The other four days a week I was her primary caregiver. I hired a young nursing student to help me out on the weekends and paid her $10 an hour.
If your parents are having trouble managing their medications you need to help them with that. Those pill containers that have one section for each day of the week are great. There are also some that have several sections for each day if your parents have medications that must be taken several times a day.
How is their mobility? If you think they can stay in their home some modifications may help them. I had grab bars installed in the bathrooms and I purchased a portable bed rail from Amazon that slid between the mattress and box springs of my mother’s bed. If they are at risk for falling see if they are willing to wear an alert button they can push in case of a fall. These can be set up to call 911 or a family member. There is a monthly fee for these.
Definitely see about a health care power of attorney and a financial power of attorney. See if your parents will agree to a family member accompanying them to doctors’ appointments. Make a list of all of their medications and dosages and have it handy in case they have to go the hospital or you have to call an ambulance for them.
Would they be willing to move into an assisted living facility or even an independent living community? My mother lived in one of those for three years. Independent living communities typically provided three cooked meals a day in a dining room and 24 hour response by a manger on site for emergencies, light housekeeping, and social activities. We supplemented this by hiring a home health aid to assist my mother with bathing and dressing. Independent living communities are much less expensive than assisted living communities.
If you have specific questions feel free to email me or to ask in this forum and I will be happy to help.